EVENT has been rescheduled from May 8 to Sunday May 15th due to weather.
An array of artists will add a touch of creative flair to the Historic Yorktown waterfront on Sunday, May 15, when the Art at the River Juried Art Show returns for its Ninth Annual event. Guests can stroll down the Riverwalk from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to marvel at the incredible one-of-a-kind work on display—paintings, pottery, jewelry, glass arts, photography, woodwork, metalwork, and much more!
Thirty-seven captivating artists were carefully selected for this exhibition. These chosen artists are traveling to Yorktown from Richmond and the greater Tidewater area to participate in this popular community event.
Each artist draws his or her inspiration from a variety of sources, and those revelations are arguably as intriguing as their artwork.
Each artist draws his or her inspiration from a variety of sources, and those revelations are arguably as intriguing as their artwork.
Juried Art Show prizes valued at more than $3,000 will be awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places in 2-D, 3-D, and photography, as well as Honorable Mentions. The highly coveted Susan H. Powell Best in Show Award is in memory of the founder of the Art at the River Juried Art Show. Susan was a dedicated volunteer who enriched many lives by promoting the arts not just in Yorktown, but across the Peninsula. A crowd favorite People’s Choice Award winner will receive a $100 check.
Back by popular demand—live demonstrations from the Tidewater Turners of Virginia! The wood turners will explain more about their tools and techniques as people of all ages watch them make a variety of objects, including spinning tops that younger visitors get to take home as souvenirs.
Food and beverages will be available for purchase throughout the day from Coastal Thirst. All Historic Yorktown restaurants will be open. The Hampton Roads Winery is offering wine tastings with the option to buy a bottle. The Fifes and Drums of York Town are scheduled to open the show at 10 a.m., with Audio Portrait taking the stage from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Free parking is available at the Riverwalk Landing parking terrace, York Hall, York-Poquoson Courthouse, County Administration Building, and other designated public parking lots. The free Yorktown Trolley runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. with several stops throughout town. The event is held rain or shine.
This year’s judges are Kay Krapfl and Karen Schwartz from Williamsburg, VA. Kay Krapfl was born in Dallas, Texas, and as a child had a strong interest in all forms of art. Today, her work is made up of the ideas and techniques that she has learned through constant experimentation. She has studied with Steven Pace of the New York Museum of Modern Art, George McNeil of Pratt Institute, Ann Cushing Gantz of Dallas, John Gordon of the Des Moines Art Institute, and has attended classes at the American Academy of Art in Chicago, among others.
Kay’s artwork has been exhibited at Montainlair Gallery of West Virginia University, the Oglebay Institute in Wheeling, Self Norma Museum in Moundsville, and the M.A.C. in West Virginia.
Since moving to Williamsburg, she has started a school where her students enjoy her teaching, and in return, she learns from them. She hopes to continue to grow in her work as well as in her teaching, having a deep love of both.
About the Judges
Karen Schwartz is a Watermedia artist living in Williamsburg, Virginia. Originally from California, she moved to Virginia in 1981. Karen earned her B.A. in Fine Arts from San Diego State University with a concentration in painting and printmaking. Mixed Watermedia painting is the primary focus of her work now. She loves to travel and enjoys painting the people, landscapes, and architecture of the places she has visited, as well as here in Virginia. Karen has exhibited at An Occasion for the Arts; Art on the Square; Williamsburg Contemporary Art Center; Charles Taylor Visual Arts Center; Art Center of Cannon County in Woodbury, TN; Picture This Gallery in Hermitage, TN; the Falk Gallery at CNU; and other venues in the Hampton Roads area.
Karen worked as a web developer at the College of William & Mary for 18 years and retired in 2016. She is a signature member of the Virginia Watercolor Society and serves on their state board as well as the Williamsburg Contemporary Art Center Board of Directors.
Jeanne Eickhoff majored in Graphic Design in 1984 at the University of Michigan’s School of Fine Art and pursued her MFA in painting at Wayne State University in Dayton, Ohio. As early as 1986, Jeanne, working freelance for agency, specialized in creating computer-generated bitmap or vector images. In 1994, working as a Lead Illustrator for Boeing Aerospace, Jeanne designed and rendered 3-diminsional aircraft graphics. In Abilene, Texas Jeanne served on the Board of Directors of the Grace Museum, during the establishment of the National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature. Presently, Jeanne paints landscapes of the local area “outside the box” on traditional canvas. She has participated in regional area show competitions since 2006, and recently judged the Art on the Square juried art show in Williamsburg. For 14 years, Jeanne has served as a Commissioner to the York County Arts Commission.
Susan Branch Smith is a scriptwriter, producer, and director. She has won many awards, including four Tellys and many local and national video and film awards and has been nominated for an Emmy award for her documentary work. Susan has also written just about every other print and digital collateral, including books, brochures, websites, white papers, blogs, and more. She served on the arts commission for Williamsburg from 2011 to 2018 and has judged many arts festivals, including the Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation’s annual awards (screenwriting), the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (the Emmys, since 1987), ITVA and TIVA festivals, along with several others. Based in Williamsburg, Susan writes and directs videos for organizations in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and northern Virginia.
The event is presented by the At at the River Committee in conjunction with York County and the Yorktown Foundation, with support from the Celebrate Yorktown Committee, the Economic Development Authority and the York County and Williamsburg Area Arts Commissions.
