About Us

The Port Warwick Foundation is a public non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization with the purpose of organizing and managing regional arts and entertainment events located at Styron Square in Port Warwick, Newport News, Virginia. Currently the Foundation hosts the Port Warwick Art & Sculpture Festival, held on the second weekend in October of each year, the Port Warwick Summer Concert Series, a free outdoor series of concerts held each Wednesday evening from May through August, and the Port Warwick Farmers Market, bringing local farm vendors to Styron Square every Wednesday from May through September.

The Port Warwick Art and Sculpture Festival is in its 8th year and is the Virginia Peninsula’s premiere outdoor juried art show. The Festival has over 100 selected artists who come from all over the United States, live music, food vendors, and a children’s pavilion sponsored by the Peninsula Fine Arts Center. The Festival draws over 18,000 people and art sales totaling over a million dollars since its inception.

The Summer Concert Series is in its 12th year, and was the first free outdoor summer concert series in the area. It has become the most popular and well attended of such events. The concerts are composed of a broad musical variety with such types as jazz, blues, light rock and roll, samba and folk. Each concert draws from 500 to over 1,500 people, based on the music and weather of any given concert. The attendees come from all over the Virginia Peninsula and beyond. The Mid-Week Farmers Marketin its 4th year, provides healthy, regionally produced food and produce to the Newport News Community and surrounding areas, Showcasing the outstanding seasonal food, farm products and aqua culture of the area while stimulating the agricultural economy and preserving farms and agricultural land and the aqua culture of the area’s waterways and bay.

 

The Arts Festival, Summer Concert Series, and Mid-Week Farmers Market, contribute significantly to the quality of life on the Virginia Peninsula, making the area a better place to live and work. These events cannot happen without the generous support of our sponsors and donors. While the art festival charges artists to participate and also receives some funding from the city of Newport News, these revenues make up only 25% of the actual cost to run the festival. While the Summer Concert Series receives a significant contribution from the Port Warwick Conservancy, the property owners association of Port Warwick, this contribution covers less than half of the actual cost to put on the series. The farmers market has gained regular customers and continues to grow with more vendors and advertising. Without the generous support of individual and business sponsors and donors these events would not be possible.

 

Port Warwick Foundation 2012 Board of Directors:

Bobby Freeman, Chairman
Susan Goetz, Vice-Chairman
Ann Black
Bert Bateman
Ron Bieszczad
Mary Blalock
Susan Freeman Bryant
Jamie Cale
Jennifer Kelsay Dick
Derry Haywood
Gary Nachman
Ray Suttle
Liz Warters
Howard Waters
Jesse Young