Past Exhibitions

March 6-28, 2026

Join us in honoring World War II veteran and lifelong artist John B. Neal as he turns 100. This special month-long exhibit showcases a century of creativity, resilience, and excellence—guided by his lifelong belief that failure is not an option. The exhibit will highlight his career as a commercial artist and technical illustrator and celebrate his lasting contributions to the arts. 

March 6-28, 2026

The K-12 students of ECPPS and surrounding areas share the products of their visual arts curriculum in this thoughtful, vibrant collection of work representing the young minds of our region. Taking place annually in March, this year’s iteration features mediums across the board, ranging from drawings and paintings to ceramics and sculptures.

February 6-28, 2026

This exhibition features the work of one of AOA’s founding mothers, Mary Crutchfield, accompanied by compositions by her friends and colleagues. Through a variety of scenes and abstractions, join us in remembering and appreciating the artists who paved the way for where we are today!

Proceeds from the sale of artwork in this exhibition will directly support AOA’s annual Mary Crutchfield Landmark Exhibition and Competition, helping to sustain and grow prize funding so that winning artists can be awarded meaningful cash prizes for years to come.

January 2–February 22, 2026

Fire and Ice: Visions of Two Desert Landscapes guides viewers through Ed Sanford's photographic explorations of the terrain of the Sahara (fire) and Antarctica (ice). The stunning images highlight both the similarities and the juxtaposing visuals of the two deserts.

Dec 5–23, 2025

ECSU Graphic Design students are presenting a senior show representative of their degree program learning.
Featured are the works of: 
Morgan Finn
Nadrya Godwin
Jared Page
Isabella Rodriguez
Freeman Williams

Nov 7–Dec 23, 2025

A Small Works Show features more than 70 works by 15+ member artists, all measuring 12 x 15 inches or less. Priced at $250 and below, these intimately-sized creations represent subject matter and mediums across the board, from still life to landscape, and abstract to figurative—conceived with the intention of offering perfect artist-made gift options for the holiday season.

October 3–November 1, 2025

Oil and Ember features a curated selection of oil paintings by member artists, imbuing the burnt hues and cozy ambiance of autumn. The show will feature the work of Jorge Barrera, John Gagnon, Donna Higgins Colson, Eric Luchian, Eric Swenson, Barbara Wachter, and Ed Williams.

July 4–26, 2025

AOA member artists are sharing their interpretations of the theme “Life in Motion" through mediums from photography to fiber arts and beyond. Experience snapshots of life's many movements in this vibrant collection of art.

June 6–July 26, 2025

Jack Pardue is known as one of this country’s leading artists. His paintings, ranging from commissioned portraits to landscapes, and everything in between, radiate light and make creative, inventive, and surprising use of color. Jack spent his earliest days as a student, getting called to the principal's office for drawing portraits of classmates. His early passion graduated into advanced skills in drawing as a teenager and eventually took him to formal studies.

“Horizons and Hues” is presented in memory of Jack, who was a skilled painter and a passionate teacher, and whose practice has and continues to inspire generations of artists.

June 6–27, 2025

“Pullie: Remnants of My Work” highlights the work of O’Neal Pullie, a figurehead in our artistic community, who has been teaching art to young minds in the area for decades. Featuring mediums from colored pencil and watercolor to acrylic paints and sculpted styrofoam, Pullie’s presentation weaves a rich narrative of widespread life experiences and creative encounters, selected to coincide with the celebration of Juneteenth. 

May 3-31 2025

Alla Rossow graduated from the College of Fine Art and Design in the Soviet Union in 1978. Working in the interior design industry most of her life, Rossow began painting and exploring other areas of visual art after moving to the United States. Whilst working as a designer, she began to develop her signature collage technique, which she utilizes to capture snapshots of nature.

2025 Elizabeth City State University graduates Sydney Chase, Keyonta Coston, Sandra Dorsey, Naijya Leggett, Kevin Moore, and Ashanti Williams will display their portfolios, representative of the material covered in their Graphic Design degree program and their individual creative practices.

April 4-26, 2025

"Holding Hands" represents themes of connection, love, and guidance in everyday interactions, featuring a selection of vibrant paintings and thoughtfully-crafted hand-thrown ceramics by the mother and son duo.

March 7–29, 2025

The K-12 students of ECPPS and surrounding areas share the products of their visual arts curriculum in this thoughtful, vibrant collection of work representing the young minds of our region.

January–February, 2025

"Page to Canvas" features paintings and publications by the artist-author duo, Stan and Donna Colson.

Stan, who publishes under pen name Douglas Quinn, is the wordsmith of the pair, crafting stories for both children and adults—including titles like Cornelius the Orphan and Toni Stone. Meanwhile, Donna’s expressive and gestural paintings make up the artwork illustrating her husband’s stories.

December 6—24, 2024

In three concurrent exhibitions, the 2023-2024 Artist Support Grant recipients shared how they employed their grant funds from the N.C. Arts Council. The presentations inluded:

-Cole Barlow - Biodiversity of the Albemarle
-Rebecca Davis - Personal Growth
-Sandra Krueger - Re:Sound

November 1—27, 2024

The creative oeuvre of John Stiles includes traditional drawing and painting techniques and contemporary digital tools like Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Fresco, and Procreate. Stiles’s body of work, while showcasing his own creative signature, bears traces of the artist’s life growing up immersed in surf, skate, and punk cultures, as well as inspiration drawn from artists like Ed "Big Daddy Roth," Robert Williams, and Todd Schorr.

John Stiles is an Associate Professor of Graphic Design at Elizabeth City State University and does free-lance graphic design and illustration work for a myriad of different clients, among other creative endeavors.

October 15—November 25, 2024

Photographer Bryce Lankard captures images from a goal of documenting life’s many emotional reactions that come with being human.

In Drawn to Water, viewers will find bodies of water—both literal and suggested through context—as a common thread connecting the series of black and white images, which form a thoughtful narrative on water’s significance in our lives, memories, and identities.

September 6—October 27, 2024

“The past is never dead. It’s not even past,” wrote William Faulkner in 1951. Moving to North Carolina sent Lynne and Suzanne on personal quests to understand what the state’s histories meant for them—for Suzanne, descended from early white settlers and growing up in Raleigh, and for Lynne, the daughter of Italian immigrants and growing up in New York. Not Even Past is an artistic reckoning with what they found. 

September 6—October 26, 2024

Named in honor of a founding mother of AOA's predecessor, the Pasquotank Arts Council, the Mary Crutchfield Landmark Competition & Exhibition invites regional artists working in two-dimensional mediums to submit artworks depicting regional landmarks of their choice.

Join us during the First Friday Art Walk in September for an opening reception and awards acknowledgments, from 4-7 PM.

June 7—July 31, 2024

A duo show of artists Andrea Frank and Sarah Redpath, “Charmed by the Water Sprites” features paintings in oil and acrylic. The pair’s distinct but complementary styles take the viewer on a whimsical journey of the power and charms of the water, which they’ve likened to an almost-spiritual existence. Of the presentation, the artists said, “We have been charmed by the water sprites, the sirens’ songs - and we hope you will be too.”

June 7—July 31, 2024

Mary Crutchfield, who passed away earlier this year, was an internationally recognized artist whose commitment to art and community will continue to endure long past her life. Mary is remembered for her work in the arts, which she practiced for more than three decades, and as an advocate for those affected by domestic violence and abuse—particularly through the Albemarle Hopeline.

The show featured around 100 of Mary’s works, across various mediums.

June 7—July 31, 2024

A veteran of the Navy and Coast Guard who settled locally, Doug Lane led a multifaceted artistic practice that centered on photography and graphic design, also spanning areas like ceramics, drawing, and woodworking. Doug was a member of the Elizabeth City Photo Club and is remembered for his home studio and classroom, where he often invited community members to collaborate and learn. The display at AOA, in the Everist Gallery, will represent the expansive nature of Doug’s creativity and the footprint he left behind.

May 2—31, 2024

Graphic design majors and upcoming graduates from Elizabeth City State University will present their senior showcase, featuring a range of artworks and designs representative of their curriculum and accomplishments. The show featured work by Lauren Jackson, Jakevin Kellogg, Jamie Parker, Andrew Ross, Emmie Self, Madison Vanover, and RaShad Wester.

April 5—May 31, 2024

Regional creative groups including Albemarle Paint Out Painters, Cann Painting Pals, Perquimans Arts League Watercolor Club, Outer Banks Tuesday Painters, AOA Open Studio, and the Pocosin Arts Metal Gild will showcase their work in this multimedia group show. Enjoy works created as a product of environments “from marsh to sea,” representing these locals and their muses.

April 2024

"Art Explorations" sees College of the Albemarle art students of artists and instructors Christina Weisner and Patrick Berran exhibiting works that are the product of their semester of learning. This multimedia presentation encompasses drawings, paintings, sculptures, and more by 10+ developing artists. Let their creativity fill your mind and inspire your own imagination when you experience their unique styles and thoughtful compositions.

March 2024

Celebrate the creativity of the younger generation in this exhibition of K-12 artists from local public schools! Watch our gallery come to life as these students proudly share the products of their school art classes, which includes a range of projects, prompts, and mediums.

February 2—March 30, 2024

The common threads between ceramics and flowers—both born from the soil—weave themselves into a narrative of beauty in this exhibition of work featuring students enrolled in the College of The Albemarle’s Continuing Education painting and ceramics courses. Floral compositions, sculpted vessels, and activations where the two subjects collide can be found on view, featuring the work from the following classes: 

-Watercolors, Intermediate and Beyond with Peggy West  
-Acrylic and Mixed Media Painting with Margie Sawyer 
-Advanced Wheel Throwing with Jerry Murray  -Beginner Wheel Throwing with Christine Henniger 
-Wheel Throwing with Ashley Paskov 
-Beginning Watercolor Painting I & II with JudyLynn Hooser 

January 5—February 24, 2024

Escape the cold and the post-holiday blues while enjoying the cozy atmosphere and warm textures fostered by works made from and inspired by the earth’s very own art supplies—wood and fibers. At the center of this group exhibition, AOA is thrilled to unveil its newest acquisition, a piece of history near and dear to us, the Capt'n Henry Chesson Quilt.

Generously donated by the Chesson family, the former owners of our beloved home on Main Street during its days as a department store, the quilt epitomizes the exhibition’s tactile, earthen theme. Joining this historical focal point are contemporary works by regional artists, ranging from screen printing and photography to sculpture, wood turning, and beyond—including creations by Lynn James, Adam White, Bill Isel, Leslie Cornett, Mary Crutchfield, Tom Brennan, Trudy Riggens, Mark Hughes, Rebecca Davis, Peggy West, and Lina Ahs. 

October-December, 2023

The event of the COVID-19 pandemic led artist Barbara Wachter to a time of play and experimentation that allowed her to stray from her typical style. The works produced during this period come together to make up the exhibition “Breaking the Rules.”

Wachter’s practice is one influenced by the ability to convey emotion through form. The artist works with the belief that art is a collaboration between the heart and the mind, thus exposing a piece of the soul.

October 5—6, 2023

Enjoy a rare opportunity to see an exhibition of original vintage prints by the internationally acclaimed photographer Vivian Maier. Maier bought her first camera in France in 1950 and began in earnest a photographic practice encompassing over 150,000 images, mostly unprinted, left as negatives or undeveloped rolls of film. Of these, she left only about 6,000 lifetime prints. This exhibition represents an overview of her work and demonstrates her early penchant for themes she would explore throughout her life. 

Curated by Christine Benoodt, Collection Manager, the Jeffrey Goldstein Vivian Maier Vintage Print Collection. 

September-October, 2023

In Jeff Weekley’s “Illumination” exhibition at Arts of the Albemarle his oil paintings were the embodiment of a lifetime designing and painting. As an image maker Jeff’s process if intuitive. He never has a story in mind, he prefers to leave that to the audience. In listening to the viewer he has found that no two stories/interpretations are ever the same. But always fascinating.

Jeff utilizes photography to capture his models and Photoshop to create the concepts. This allows the process to be fluid often changing the concepts and elements many times until satisfied with the design, model pose, signifiers and color. Then he says, “the fun begins.”

September 2023

“Generate Prompt” is an exploration of material sciences, utilizing the art studio as a testing laboratory. By intersecting fine handcraft with the study of the structures, performance, and chemical properties of various matter, this exhibition investigates an arena in which artist and material collaborate. The raw materials are provided a level of autonomy to contribute to the formal aesthetic qualities in individual situations or experiments established; generating specimen, phenomenon, or illustration. Hand-fabricated glass is employed in this exhibition as an adaptable media, acting as reaction vessels, substrates, or specimen jars.

August 2023
Experience the vibrant, expressive art of five regional East Coast artists working in areas of abstraction in this exhibition of works on canvas by Dale Corbin, Lynn Nash, Debbie Sauls, Laura Hughes, and Nora Crouch.

Each featured artist intrigues through their own signature of markings, textures, gestures, and colors, creating a visual realm that leaves much room for the viewer's own imagination and interpretation.