Our Mission

The Contemporary Art Center of Virginia (CAC) is a non-profit institution, which exists to foster awareness, exploration and understanding of the significant art of our time. Through excellence and diversity in our exhibitions and educational programming, CAC stimulates individual thinking and dialogue throughout the community.

Museum Programming

Regularly changing exhibitions feature painting, sculpture, photography, glass, video and other visual media from internationally acclaimed artists as well as artists of national and regional renown. By balancing its four primary activities--gallery exhibitions, studio art classes, educational outreach programs and outdoor art shows--the Contemporary Art Center of Virginia seeks to involve a diverse regional public in the rich and active language of contemporary visual art.

Annual fundraising events--Wine by Design, Boardwalk Art Show & Festival and Neptune Art & Craft Show--support CAC's year-round educational programs, including: FREE Family Fests, Pre-K Art Days, Master Classes and Studio School. Local schools can participate in Student Art Start (SAS) Tours and Outreach programs for nominal fees.

The Building

This Museum is one the region’s best examples of a private-public partnership. The building is owned and maintained by The City of Virginia Beach and CAC operates within it as a private, non-profit. Having maintained a small oceanfront property as the Virginia Beach Museum of Art, local supporters in the late 1980’s planned to construct a new physical space for the Museum. In 1989, after nearly a decade of planning, fundraising and construction, CAC opened in its present location at 2200 Parks Avenue. The current structure, designed by Boston architect E. Verner Johnson and Associates, is approximately 38,500 square feet and features 6,300 square feet of exhibition space.

Visitor Services

Atrium: Welcome Desk, Museum Shop, Entrance/Exit.

Restrooms are located in the hallway between the Museum Shop and Fleming Gallery.

Join Us

Support art and enjoy the perks of membership! For info, see the welcome desk or register online.

Seen and Heard

In addition to our website, CAC is on Facebook, Twitter and MySpace. We are also regularly featured on www.your757.com.

Sign Up

To receive announcements about exhibitions, education programming, Studio School, Boardwalk Art Show & Festival and other events join our email mailing list.

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Supported By:
The Contemporary Art Center of Virginia is funded in part by the citizens of Virginia Beach through a grant from the City of Virginia Beach Arts & Humanities Commission. Additional support is provided by Virginia Commission for the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, Business Consortium for Arts Support and The Hampton Roads Community Foundation.

Thanks to the Business Consortium for Arts Support and its members:

>Make a contribution to the Annual Campaign

click here for more information on making a tax-deductible donation