Black Arts and Culture

The Gallery At The Attucks Opens With “Black Voices & Visions” Through April 3, 2026

The newly unveiled Gallery at the Attucks will host Black Voices & Visions through April 3, 2026 — a rich showcase of 50 works by Black artists connected to Hampton Roads, bridging visual art and the storied legacy of the Attucks Theatre.
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NORFOLK

Norfolk’s historic Attucks Theatre is embarking on a bold new chapter in its storied legacy with the launch of The Gallery at the Attucks, a contemporary visual arts space dedicated to celebrating creativity, community, storytelling and the intersection of visual and performing arts.

On October 10, an opening event at the Attucks from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. will be held featuring the inaugural exhibition Black Voices & Visions. It is curated by Joan Rhodes-Copeland, executive director of Aspire Gallery, located at 645 Church Street in Norfolk. Aspire is a community focused gallery that during its initial year has sponsored several major exhibitions.

Black Voices & Vision is composed of approximately 50 works by established and emerging Black artists with ties to Hampton Roads. Art pieces were selected for their resonant themes, sophisticated color and the high level of artistic professionalism.

Built in 1919, the Attucks Theatre is the nation’s oldest theater designed, financed, and operated entirely by African Americans. Once dubbed “The Apollo of the South,” it hosted legendary performers such as Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington, and Mamie Smith. Now, more than a century later, the curtain rises on a new venue that brings visual art into dialogue with the theater’s rich tradition of performance.

With fresh flooring, paint, lighting, and amenities, The Gallery at the Attucks is designed to offer new opportunities for artists to be seen and heard in the same cultural setting and in a contemporary, welcoming environment that reflects the creativity and resilience long associated with the Attucks Theatre.

The public is invited to attend the gallery opening on Friday, October 10, from 6 to 9 p.m. Admission is free, and guests will have the opportunity to explore the exhibition before and after a featured performance in the theater. Black Voices & Visions will remain on view through April 3, 2026.