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There’s an art to creating community. It takes art. Music. Food. Laughter. A willingness to work together. Most of all, it takes vision.
For more than 28 years, Hope House has been the vision behind the Stockley Gardens Arts Festival. And now, the free twice-yearly event is a community tradition. Each year, on the third weekend in May and October, more than 25,000 people flock to Stockley Gardens in Norfolk’s historic Ghent neighborhood to browse through jewelry, pottery, paintings, and other works of art. The park is full of strollers and dogs and tantalizing smells. Music wafts from the stage. Friends stop to chat. And throughout the weekend, there is a feeling of hope. Together, the two festivals draw more than 50,000 visitors a year.
The money raised during these events helps us assist with housing, transportation, medical needs, and various other necessities for people with developmental disabilities in Hampton Roads. But the events themselves benefit the entire community, by providing an opportunity to enjoy art, music, food, and friendship in a beautiful outdoor setting.
All day Saturday and Sunday, approximately 150 artists exhibit a wide variety of media, including painting, sculpture, ceramics, jewelry, photography, and many others. In addition, there are children’s activities, live musical entertainment at the main stage, and food vendors from across the region. Each year, a nationally recognized artist or curator judges the artists, who compete for the festival’s cash prizes. College and high school students exhibit their artwork at the Student Exhibit and compete for prizes. (College students exhibit during the fall show; high school students, in spring.) The award winners are announced during the Artists’ Reception, which is held Saturday evening.
Information about Hope House is available at the information booth in the center of the park, while booths for other local non-profit agencies are located on Community Row.
We’re proud to give the community one of the best outdoor arts festivals in the area. In fact, the Stockley Gardens Arts Festival has been featured in Richmond-based 64 Magazine as "One of the 64 reasons we love Virginia!" So don’t miss the upcoming Stockley Gardens Arts Festival. It’s a good time, for a good cause.
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