Van Ward Gallery

11/25/2024

12/31/2022

Dragon Aurora over Iceland

📸 : Credit & Copyright: Jingyi Zhang & Wang Zheng

06/17/2022

Friends of the VW:
Come help celebrate our 30th season.
JUNE 26th
4 to 7 PM at the gallery at 49 Shore Road.
Light fare and beverages served!

06/17/2022

On June 26th the Van Ward Gallery will celebrated its 30th season! Light fare and beverages will be served 4

05/12/2022

The winter seems to have finally given up here on the southern Maine coastline. Though not as warm as the interior, 50s and 60s with a blue May sky are certainly tolerable...but that strong east wind off the Atlantic is constant...brrr.
Chris has been busy lately in the Van Ward Gallery hanging the work of some spectacular new artists...and preparing for the opening of his 30th YEAR at 49 Shore Road! (I have heard whispers of a potential celebration party!) The gallery's sturdy yellow doors will roll open soon for you all to see the artwork and to greet Chris and wish him well...and perhaps to congratulate him on his stamina on yet another season?
Also, the Cliff House Gallery (the VW winter))) is open daily and showing the paintings of York artist Jeff Fitzgerald through June. We like the space there a lot for it allows the viewer to casually stroll the wide hallways and study the individual artwork without feeling rushed or pressured. Try to work a visit into your schedule as Jeff's visions are really stunning. I promise you will not be disappointed.
We look forward to seeing you soon. Stay well ... and enjoy the beauty around you!
Peace and happiness. vwg

05/27/2021

“A Common Interest”. Don't miss seeing this wonderful show of local artists Michael Walek and Todd Bezold now on display at the Van Ward Gallery at the Cliff House (in main building below lobby.) Well worth the short trip south of Ogunquit on Shore Road ... promise!

05/22/2021

The Van Ward Gallery is open for the season! The big yellow doors will open Thursday through Sunday 12 noon to 6 PM for the next few weeks. Should you want to view the gallery other times, special appointments can be arranged (should you be interested in some artwork) by calling 978-886-4034.
The Gallery walls are beautifully hung with many new and familiar work of favorite artists. It would be worth your while during your visit to Ogunquit to plan to stop in and say hello! In the meantime, enjoy the wonderful Spring weather! And stroll our beautiful seacoast town. There were some changes during the pandemic but the village is still the pristine and friendly Maine village you remember.
Looking forward to seeing you! vw

04/23/2021

Greetings from the southern coast of Maine. Some time has passed since we last made a Facebook post … and now April 2021 is nearly over. Perhaps it is time that we clean the winter mental cobwebs and started being more visible!
Ogunquit was bustling with visitors this past holiday weekend … almost like a summertime … with the sidewalks full of pedestrians, and the roads of out-of-state autos. Though many of the usual town special events were cancelled or amended by the pandemic protocol, everyone seemed so pleased and happy to be outside. Most of the weekend experienced decent Spring weather, favorite haunts were open, low tide allowed for a leisurely stroll on our magnificent beach.
Though the Van Ward Gallery in the village center (at 49 Shore Road) will not be opening its big yellow doors for a few more weeks (our nineteenth century space is authentic … and unheated!), there is still something very special to see when you visit town. A VW Gallery sponsored art show of the work of Michael Walek and Todd Bezold will open at the Cliff House Gallery on May 1 (through August 1.) For those of you that may not know, The Cliff House resort entrance is located on Shore Road south of Perkin’s Cove, beyond the Ogunquit Museum of American Art, and passed the Cape Neddick golf course. The space is in the main hotel building (on the Tiller Restaurant level) just below the lobby. There is plenty of parking and the staff is incredibly helpful. This is a show that should not be missed … thoughtfully constructed to honor two important Ogunquit artists. Visit www.artfoureyes.com for more information.
The Museums are opening in May … the Ogunquit Playhouse has scheduled its 2021 season … more eateries and shops are opening soon! … the walls of the Van Ward Gallery’(in the village center) will be decked with beautiful artwork. More reasons to come to Ogunquit. Hope to see you soon.
Be safe. Peace. VWG

A collection of paintings by Michael Walek and Todd Bezold, about Egypt, Italy, Portugal, Maine, Idaho and Kentucky. Seascapes, landscapes and interiors are also featured in magazine articles.

01/30/2021

Hello Facebook friends! It is a Saturday afternoon in late January 2021 along the Southern Maine coast. The sky is blue, the ocean quiet, the air frigid (low 10s), the shadows long, the Wolf Moon bright at night. It has been awhile since the Gallery last posted and we thought an off-season greeting would be appropriate? At least a thank-you for the inquiries and the recent "page likes!"
'Certainly hope that you all had wonderful holidays and that 2021 hasn't been too oppressive. Until lately, the winter has been milder than usual on the Maine southern coast, though the past week temperatures have plummeted...overnight temperatures were close to -zero last night. Snow squalls occurred during the past week too making the brown landscape look slightly more like the season. A Nor'easter is also predicted for next Tuesday night-Wednesday morning so we might have serious shovel duties soon in Ogunquit. An older friend told me when I was suffering from seasonal doldrums that once January is over and the short month of February comes to an end, winter is nearly over. Let us hope that this is true this year. Past Springs have proven to have winterlike surprises.
As you know (maybe not?), the Van Ward Gallery "safely" opens in May...looking forward to that! However, if you have an Art question or are interested in an art piece you have seen at the Gallery, inquiries can been made by calling Chris at (978) 886-4034. (He assures me that he has artwork to purchase.) Leave a message if he can't pick up and he'll get back to you. (The Gallery's phone is not being monitored during the off-season.) Or leave a message here on this page and I'll relay it along to him.
We all hope that pandemic hasn't impacted any of you negatively ...other than the endless inconveniences we all endure. We have been unsick though Dianne fell and badly fractured her ankle shortly after Thanksgiving. She has recovered nicely and is back teaching her 2nd graders. Chris is being safe and is doing well...busy doing the off-season inventory and discovering new art sources. We all have hopes that the vaccines will make the improvements the experts expect. Until May...continue to be safe...and we look forward to greeting a familiar faces.
Best to all, VW

10/25/2020

Now at The Gallery at The Cliff House:
"Where the Ocean meets the Land": two artists unique vision of the Southern Maine Shoreline. Kathleen Robbins and Michael Palmer now on view. Courtesy of the Van Ward Gallery