THE ART OF COLLECTING

THE ART OF COLLECTING:
A DECADE IN PLEIN AIR

For ten years, the Gloucester Arts Festival has brought nationally recognized plein air artists to Gloucester and Mathews to capture the landscapes, waterways, working waterfronts, and everyday moments that define Virginia's Middle Peninsula. While the artists created these paintings, it was the collectors who ensured their stories would continue long after the festival ended.

The Art of Collecting: A Decade in Plein Air celebrates those collectors and the remarkable community they helped build. Featuring more than 120 paintings generously loaned by over 100 collectors, the exhibition brings together works by more than 75 artists from across the festival's first decade.

Rather than organizing the exhibition by artist or year, the paintings are grouped by themes that emerged naturally from the collection. Visitors will explore galleries dedicated to Light & Atmosphere, Along the Water, Maritime Life, Main Street & Beyond, and Marsh, Field & Sky, revealing the places, moments, and atmosphere that collectors were inspired to preserve. Together, these works offer a unique portrait of Gloucester through hundreds of individual perspectives.

Many paintings are accompanied by personal reflections from the collectors themselves, sharing what first drew them to a particular work or the memories it continues to hold. These stories remind us that every painting becomes part of a much larger journey once it leaves the easel.

Whether you attended the Gloucester Arts Festival over the past decade or are discovering these works for the first time, this exhibition offers a rare opportunity to experience the lasting legacy of one of Virginia's premier plein air events through the eyes of the people who chose to bring these paintings home.

Exhibition Dates: July 11 – August 22, 2026
Museum Hours: Tuesday–Saturday, 10:00 AM–5:00 PM
Location: Fine Arts Museum of Gloucester, Main Street Center, Gloucester, Virginia