You can get a feel for this fascinating visual arts arena, which runs the gamut from conceptual art to classical painting, by attending several annual events. One of the longest running of these is the Dare County Arts Council's Frank Stick Memorial Art Show, which was started back in 1978. The show is held at the Ghost Fleet Gallery in Nags Head every February and features more than 150 artworks (see our Annual Events chapter for more information).

For some family fun of the artistic kind, set aside the first weekend in October for the arts council's annual Artrageous Art Extravaganza, which features hands-on creative booths with cookie decorating, hat creations, weaving, face painting, and much more. Fashion shows, food, live music, art collaborations, and local art and craft booths highlight the two-day event. During an elegant Sunday auction, fine art by adults and children is put on the block. Dedicated volunteers who coordinate the weekend event outdo themselves year after year. (See our Annual Events chapter for more information.)

Another must-see is the New World Festival of the Arts each August on downtown Manteo's waterfront, an ideal site for showcasing the talents of approximately 80 local and national artists and artisans. Look for painting, photography, jewelry, pottery, and an assortment of handcrafted items. If you would like to show your work or need more information about the festival, see our Annual Events chapter for contact information. The literature for this show usually comes out in January.

Private visual art studios are scattered from Corolla to Ocracoke for art seekers. Many local artists offer lessons, mostly in watercolor and other painting techniques. We do have a large concentration of landscape painters here, but our 50 or more commercial art/craft galleries are packed with expressions as individualistic as grains of sand.

The Outer Banks has become a bona fide art community. Artists living here and in the surrounding areas are a close-knit group, sharing tips and encouraging each other in their endeavors. Perhaps because of the lifestyle here, our artists are eager to meet visitors. The Town of Nags Head has certainly done its part in supporting local artists by setting aside up to $20,000 a year in surplus revenues to purchase artwork for its Town Hall. Since 1997, the town has purchased more than 90 pieces of art by local and regional artists. The collection, selected by the town's Artwork Selection committee, includes paintings, sculpture, photographs, wood carvings, etchings, mobiles, found-object art, and more. The public is invited to view this collection during Town Hall operating hours.

Local theater groups present plays, comedies, and dramas both seasonally and year-round. Music streams from some nightclubs, and standup comics perform summer stints. Symphonies, vocal groups, and individual classical, folk, and pop artists enliven our local auditoriums throughout the year. What we can't generate ourselves in the way of cultural experiences, we import with the help of volunteer-based nonprofit organizations. Thanks to the efforts of the Dare County Arts Council, Outer Banks Forum, the Theatre of Dare, the Roanoke Island Historical Association (producers of The Lost Colony), the North Carolina School of the Arts, and Roanoke Island Festival Park, Insiders on the Outer Banks enjoy exposure to local, regional, and national cultural opportunities.

We begin our pilgrimage with a description of the area's major arts organizations and follow with a north-to-south excursion through the Outer Banks's eclectic galleries and other creative venues. Please see our Annual Events chapter for arts events.