Norfolk The Culture Arts Center Of Virginia

NORFOLK, VA – Hailed by The New York Times as, “a cultural center of note,” Norfolk takes center stage with exceptional museum collections, critically acclaimed resident performing arts companies and spectacular annual cultural events. Norfolk has become the cultural capital of the Commonwealth, bringing this city by the sea recognition on the national and international cultural scene.

Wells Theater, Norfolk VA. Renowned for its dedication to the arts, Norfolk celebrates renowned artists from around the world at its annual Virginia Arts Festival. The annual spring festival is a world-class event credited by The New York Times as being “an unprecedented flowering of the arts.” The festival is an extraordinary display of cultural events and includes top-rated dance, musical and theatrical performances and exhibitions in venues throughout the historic Waterfront.

Norfolk’s own performing arts companies are some of the most respected in the country with esteemed performances taking the stage every day. The Virginia Opera, the most acclaimed opera company in the Commonwealth, was named “one of the nation’s very best regional companies” by NBC Nightly News, and earned a reputation in the international opera communities. Making its home in the magnificent 1,600 seat Harrison Opera House, one of the premier traditional facilities in Norfolk, The Virginia Opera stages five productions annually for sold-out audiences.

Recognized as one of the nation’s leading regional symphony orchestras, The Virginia Symphony gives more than 130 performances a year including classical, pops, outdoor and family series events.

The national historic landmark, Wells Theater, was built in 1913 and is Norfolk’s most splendid historical theater. Completely refurbished in its original style, the theater is home to The Virginia Stage Company, Southeastern Virginia’s premier professional theater with performances throughout the year.

Another historic theater, The Little Theater of Norfolk, was founded in 1926 and is one of the oldest continually operating community theaters in the United States. The Little Theater produces five top-rated shows each season (May-September) including dramas, comedies, mysteries and musicals.

The Virginia Ballet Theater is the only professional dance company in the Hampton Roads area and one of only two professional companies in Virginia. Founded in 1961 in Norfolk, The Virginia Ballet Theater has a long tradition of regional excellence and offers classical performances year-round. The Virginia Chorale is the region’s most popular choral group with anticipated seasonal and holiday performances.

Chrysler Hall, Norfolk VA. Norfolk offers four majestic concert halls that offer acclaimed concerts, events, and shows year-round.

Chrysler Hall is Norfolk’s premier concert hall with more than 2,500 seats. The hall presents varied performances year round including symphony, dance and touring Broadway musicals.

The NorVa is a Jazz Age movie palace and vaudeville house dating back to 1922. The venue holds up to 1,500 people and features diverse acts such as popular modern nationally known bands and alternative rock acts.

The Norfolk Scope can host more than 13,000 guests for productions ranging from rock concerts to a three-ring circus and sporting events.

Attucks Theater is a state and national landmark, once known as “the Apollo of the South,” Attucks was restored in 2004 to its original splendor when B.B King, Dizzy Gillespie, Sarah Vaughan and Nat King Cole graced its stage. Now this 625-seat performing arts center plays host to various acts such as gospel, jazz, blues, dance and theater.

Art in Norfolk, VANorfolk is home to one of the most quietly respected art scenes in the country. The Chrysler Museum of Art, the cornerstone of the city’s repute, and is an enclave of world-class art collections and nationally known as one of the top art museums in the country. Described by The New York Times as “one of the pleasantest places in the United States to while the day away,” the museum is home to more than 30,000 original works of art displayed in 55 galleries. With rich collections of European, American, Italian and French paintings dating as far back as the 17th century, The Chrysler Museum is considered a rare find in the art world. The museum houses a gallery devoted solely to photography and offers a world-renowned glass collection including works from the fifth to the second century BC and an extensive Tiffany collection.

Visitors to the Chrysler Museum Glass Studio can enjoy free glassblowing demonstrations by master glass artists with a full hot shop, a flameworking studio, nine annealing ovens and a cold working area. The Studio offers a series of classes and workshops for students and adults.

For modern artists or those who are painting in the present, the d’ART Center is a cultural haven, marketplace and working studio for artists of all kinds from visual artists, sculptors, and painters, to potters, jewelers, and glass and calligraphy artists. The public is invited into the studios to learn about the creative process and to see how the art is made. Two galleries feature rotating shows and display local art. The center also offers art classes for adults and children.

The historic Moses Myers House is a late Georgian, early Federal-style house which sits a midst the bustle of downtown Norfolk. The restored edifice was built by Moses Myers, a prosperous merchant, after the American Revolution and still contains 70 percent of its original furnishings. The house is the United States’ only historical site to offer visitors a rare glance at the historic interpretations of the traditions and lifestyles of early Jewish immigrants. Special tours and ceremonies commemorate Jewish religious holidays throughout the year.

The Hermitage Foundation Museum is a 12-acre estate built in 1908 as the private summer home of art lovers, William and Florence Sloane, who later turned their home and their art collection into a museum with an outstanding collection of Eastern and Western art.

The Hunter House Victorian Museum was built in 1894 as the home of a local prominent banker. Today, with its rich architectural detail and authentic Victorian furnishings, the house serves as a museum, giving visitors a view of life in the Victorian era.

The Norfolk Museum at the Willoughby-Baylor House was built on a 200-acre land grant in 1794 by Thomas Willoughby; and after being newly refurbished is now home to the Norfolk History Museum. In classic Georgian and Federal architecture, the museum showcases the history of the entire region and offers the story of Norfolk at various stages in its long history as an international port and maritime center, as well as exhibits the area’s historic buildings and residences at different periods in history.