The d'Art Center brings together artists from many backgrounds who work in different media.& The Center was established in 1986 with the support of the Bank of Tidewater, Port Folio Publishers, the Norfolk Convention and Visitors Bureau, and public support. It followed the success of the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria and was situated in College Place, part of the Freemason district of Norfolk. It opened with 27 artists visual artists and this artistic community has now grown to over 50 artists.
In 2005 the d'Art Center moved to a new location in the Seldon Arcade and its 43 artists moved to renovated artistic spaces. The Selden Arcade is the Cultural Arts Center for Norfolk, and apart from the d'Art Center, it houses two galleries, run by the City, specialty shops, eateries and a performing space.
Today there is a permanent community of around 50 professional artists. They work in a range of media such as paintings and drawings, photography, calligraphy and ceramics. There are also jewelry and print makers. Visitors to the Center can watch the creative process in action, and talk to the artists about their work and inspirations.
The Center runs many day and evening workshops for adults and children, and for all levels of ability. These include courses in calligraphy, watercolor and oil painting, and hand and wheel pottery techniques. Every Saturday there are free demonstrations of artistic techniques and the Center runs d'Art for Lunch creative sessions. The Center has an outreach and educational program called d'Art Smart and hundreds of children attend the day-long summer camps.
