Building community takes art. Music. Food. Laughter. A willingness to work together. Most of all, it takes vision.
Since 1984, Hope House Foundation has been the vision behind the Stockley Gardens Arts Festival. Now, the free event is a community tradition proudly presented by Towne Bank, and drawing more than 50,000 visitors annually.
Twice a year, on the third full weekend in May and October, people flock to Stockley Gardens in Norfolk’s historic Ghent neighborhood to browse through jewelry, pottery, paintings, and other works of art by over 130 artists. The park is full of strollers, dogs and tantalizing smells. Music drifts from the stage. Friends stop to chat. Throughout the weekend, there is a feeling of hope.
The money raised during these events helps pay for housing, transportation, medical care, and more for people with developmental disabilities. But the events themselves benefit the entire community.
Each year, a nationally recognized artist or curator judges the artists, who compete for cash prizes. There is also an Emerging Artist Competition, also with cash prizes, for college and high school students, as well as recent graduates. Award winners are announced during the Artists’ Reception, which is held Saturday evening on the Main Stage.
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 voted one of the top two art festivals in eastern Virginia by Virginia Living Magazine readers four years in a row, so don't miss the upcoming Stockley Gardens Arts Festival. It's a good time, for a good cause.
Dates & Facts
34th Annual Spring Stockley Gardens Arts Festival
| Dates & Hours: | Saturday, May 19, 2018, 10 am to 5 pm Sunday, May 20, 2018, noon to 5 pm |
| Location: | Stockley Gardens Park, in Norfolk's Ghent neighborhood |
| Media: | Fine art, including painting, photography, ceramics, sculpture, jewelry, and more |
| Attendance: | 15,000 — 20,000 |
| Admission Fee: | Free and open to the public |
| Events: | Live entertainment and kids' activities throughout the day and Artists' Reception: Saturday at 5pm to 7pm |
| Map of Park & Artist Locations: | Available at the information booth in the center of the park |
| Participating Artists: |
Parking
Occasionally, parking does become an issue in the area surrounding Stockley Gardens Park. Please click HERE to download our helpful parking map.
Entertainment
You gotta have art. But you also gotta have some activities to keep the little ones entertained, as well as an opportunity for local musicians to strut their stuff.
Kids' Activities
All activities listed below take place at the Children's Stage, which is in the middle of the park (B Block), near the center circle.
Saturday, May 19, 2018
12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Make & Take Art
2:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Hunter the Magician
3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m STAHR Strings
4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. C-Shells- Music for Kids
All Day: Bobby the Clown
Sunday, May 20, 2018
12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Make & Take Art
2:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Hunter the Magician
4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m C-Shells- Music for Kids
All Day: Bobby the Clown
For more information, email Laura Janosko or call her at 757.625.6161, x509.
Live Music
All musical acts listed below perform on the Main Stage, at the top of the park (A Block) near Olney Road.
Saturday, May 19, 2018
11:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Story Weavers
11:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Marc Pessar
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m Ian Randall Thornton
2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Jason Cale Trio
3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Grayhorse
5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Jailtones
Sunday, May 20, 2018
12:00 p.m. - 12:45 p.m. Bret Williams
12:45 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. Logan Vath
2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Fixity
3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Skip Friel and the Resonators
For more information, email Laura Janosko or call her at 757.625.6161, x509.
Artists' Reception
A free artists' reception with live music takes place on the main stage on Saturday evening. The party takes place immediately after the show ends for the day, and lasts from 5 to 7 pm. We encourage the festival artists to attend, along with sponsors, volunteers, and the community at large. Midway through the reception, the Festival judge announces the award winners and distributes prizes.
In addition to live music provided by talented musicians, food vendors remain open for the reception, and beer, wine, and non-alcoholic beverages are available. This rockin' outdoor party is a great opportunity to have fun and mingle with both patrons and artists.
List of Spring Artists'
Coming soon.
Last Year's Sponsors
Sponsorships provide tremendous exposure for businesses, while supporting the arts, people with disabilities, and the community as a whole. They're available at many different levels and all donations are fully tax deductible.
If you're interested in being a corporate or prize sponsor for an upcoming festival, please contact Festival Director Elena Montello or call her at 757.625.6161, x507.
The sponsors for the 2017 Spring Stockley Gardens Arts Festival are:
Presenting Sponsor
Platinum Sponsor
Gold Sponsors
Copper Sponsor
Contributing Sponsors
Billie Luckie & Bill Wroton
Media Sponsors
Awards & Winners
34th Annual Spring Festival Winners
Best in Show - $3,500
2nd Place - $1,000
3rd Place - $500
(2) Awards of Merit $150 each
Norfolk Artist Award $300
Edward G. Carson Memorial Award $250
Randy Smith Memorial Award $100
Applications
Artists
Artist applications will be accepted for the 34th Annual Spring Stockley Gardens Arts Festival on January 1, 2017. If you are interested in applying, please click here to apply online on Zapplications. Applications are due February 12, 2018.
| Artist Application Fee: | $35 |
| Artist Booth Sizes & Fees: |
$250 (10' x 10') |
| Number of Exhibit Spaces: | 138 |
Fees
Standards
All work displayed must be original, created and executed by the displaying artist's or artisan's own hand and of professional quality. This work is absolutely limited to the work of a single artist or two-person collaborative team.
Photomechanical reproductions of an artist's original work may be present in a small quantity in a spin tower or portfolio/bin or hung on one side of one wall, whichever is lesser. The individual prints must be clearly labeled as reproductions. THIS WILL BE STRICTLY ENFORCED.
Ineligible items include items made with commercially available molds or patterns or any item produced commercially or by anyone other than the artist. No representatives or dealers may show. Artists bringing ineligible items to the show risk disqualification.
Artists violating the rules of this show or who fail to cooperate with the Festival committee will not be permitted to exhibit.
All displays will be reviewed by the standards committee at intervals throughout the show to ascertain that all items in the booth are the same or better quality as the slides submitted. The artists will be required to remove ineligible items based upon the show's standards.
Please notify the Arts Festival Committee if you see any infractions of the standards.
Emerging Artists
Please contact Laura Janosko with questions.
Food Vendors
Food Vendor applications will be accepted for the 34th Annual Spring Stockley Gardens Arts Festival starting in January.
Fees
| Booth Sizes & Fees: | $450 (15’ x 15’) - 8 to 9 available |
| $375 (cart) - 3 to 5 available |
