The Holiday season is here, and it’s a great time to come out to Rappahannock County to shop for unique and special gifts from our artists, galleries, and locally-owned small businesses! See new and continuing exhibits and enjoy our galleries and shops, award-winning wines and micro-breweries, amazing restaurants, and overnight accommodations.
Rappahannock County is so beautiful in December, with our villages and shops bedecked for the holidays, and open winter vistas of the Shenandoah National Park and beautiful Blue Ridge mountains. It’s a wonderful time to visit the beautiful and special jewel that is Rappahannock County.
Click on all images to open them larger in lightbox.
GINA IRWIN
Holiday Hours at Dragonfly Gems
December 4, 2025 – December 24, 2025
36 Main Street
Sperryville, VA 22740
540-987-5056
Extended Holiday Hours: open 10:00 am – 5:00 pm every day from December 4 – December 23, 2025, and 10:00 am – 4:00 pm on December 24
Step into Dragonfly Gems, and you’ll discover a curated selection of truly unique jewelry pieces. Our collection spans the spectrum from one-of-a-kind handmade creations to vintage treasures, including exquisite Native American jewelry.
Our current emphasis is about showcasing Gina’s original pieces, crafted in sterling silver and 14k gold. Using hand selected stones and beads in her own original style. Additionally, we showcase a diverse selection of crystals and mineral specimens, spanning from cabinet-grade to delightful curiosities and more. We also rotate the works of local artists, who express their creativity through a variety of mediums.
MIDDLE STREET GALLERY
“Pastels and Lace”
Kathleen Waller Stewart
December 5, 2025 – January 18, 2026
311 Gay Street, Lower Level, facing Main Street & across from Ballard’s Gallery
Washington, VA 22747
540-227-5066
Hours: Friday – Sunday, 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
My role as an artist is that of translator. No two beings process their sensory input from the world around us in the same exact way. When I apply paint to a surface, I am revealing an intimate experience that I alone am processing. The result, which is the painting, bridges that space shared by the viewer and me. This communication is my inspiration, and it is why I create art.
I work in oils and occasionally in mixed media. I am artistically motivated by many sources including nature, objects and the human figure. I am influence by medieval art, post-impressionism and contemporary realism.
This show consists of figurative pastels and multimedia paintings featuring lace.
RUTHIE WINDSOR-MANN
Holiday Open Studio
at Merrill Strange’s Studio
December 6, 2025, 11:00 am – 5:00 pm, and
December 7, 2025, 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Annandale Farm
19195 Annandale Farm Drive
Gordonsville, VA 22942
Ruthie will be at this festival Open Studio with her books and scarves. Fall Art Tour guest artists Ruth Anna Stolk will be there with her paintings, and Betsy Brantley will be there with her fabric-covered Virginia bricks (used for door stops, book ends, and more!). Other local artists will also be attending with art, greenery, and other Holiday gift items.
ARTFUL FRIENDS AND SPAC GALLERY
Christmas Market
at the Marketplace Sperryville
December 13, 2025, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Marketplace Sperryville
3 River Lane
Sperryville, VA 22740
Join Artful Friends, the SPAC Gallery, and all the other shops and restaurants, at the Marketplace Sperryville for a Holiday Christmas Market! Fine art and fine craft from local artists, holiday gifts, and so much more.
Stop in for a visit with Santa Claus from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm!
THORNTON RIVER ART
Celebrate the Season with Local Art!
37C Main Street
Sperryville, VA 22740
540-547-7845
Hours: Friday–Monday, 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Looking for a gift that tells a story? Step into our gallery, where wonderful creations by artists from right here in our community await you. From sparkling ornaments to timeless heirlooms, each piece carries the spirit of the season. Support local artists. Find something unforgettable.
Join us in Sperryville for holiday shopping and festive cheer.
CONTINUING EXHIBITIONS
GAY STREET GALLERY
Charles Jones, Leanne Fink, and Diana Branscome
October 11, 2025 – January 6, 2026
337 Gay Street
Washington, VA 22747
540-227-5100
Hours: Friday – Sunday, 10 am – 5 pm or by appointment 540-316-8898
Gay Street Gallery is also happy to help you by phone 540-227-5100 or email office@gaystreetgallery.com.
Images (top to bottom):
Water’s Edge, by Charles Jones
Fading Light in Yellowstone, by Leanne Fink
Aurora, by Diana Branscome
THORNTON RIVER ART
Hans Gerhard’s Whimsical Sculpture Exhibit
October 4, 2025 –
Opening Reception: Saturday, October 4, 2025, 4:00 – 6:00 pm
Thornton River Art
37C Main Street
Sperryville, VA 22740
540-547-7845
Hours: Friday – Monday, 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Thornton River Art is delighted to announce the opening of a new outdoor experience: a winding path adorned with the imaginative creations of sculptor Hans Gerhard. Each piece invites you to pause, smile, and see the world anew.
Come stroll the path, meet the artist, and celebrate the playful spirit of sculpture in nature. Let the art lead the way!
SPERRYVILLE ARTIST COOPERATIVE & GALLERY
Benjamin Mason
through December 31, 2025
Sperryville River District
3 River Lane
Sperryville, VA 22740
540-227-6509
Hours: Thursday – Sunday, 11 am – 5 pm
Ben Mason is an accomplished musician and artist. His mixed media constructions and paintings are influenced by the philosophy of Aboriginal and Tribal art and contain artifacts, found objects, and pieces from nature that present a deeper calling.
Meet the artist at the gallery on the second Saturday of each month, from 3:00 – 5:00 pm.
JOIN US FOR THE 20TH ANNUAL FALL ART TOUR!
We’re just a month away from Fall Art Tour weekend, and local artists have been busy creating new work in a wide range of genres. Fall Art Tour is the one weekend a year that many of our private artist studios are open to the public. Don’t miss this chance to visit our studios and galleries, and the special opportunity to see where artists live and work, and discuss their work and process. Visiting the studios on the Tour is such a unique experience; each one is so different and reflective of the artist at work there, and getting to them is a delighful adventure through Rappahannock’s stunning countryside.
Our county school participants, whose creative displays in the Main Gallery at The Washington School are always much admired by visitors from near and far, are hard at work on their contributions as well. These students and their teachers enhance the community nature of the Tour, which thrives on the combined energies of the talented artists, generous RAAC donors, welcoming local businesses and residents, and enthusiastic visitors.
Charles Tompkins, Studio Artist
Phyllis Northup, Studio Artist
Elena Rousseau, Studio Artist
Experience this unique Rappahannock community tradition – again or for the first time. The combination of beautiful and diverse art, Rappahannock’s spectacular countryside, and the chance to explore working studios and visit with the artists, plus the many options Rappahannock has for dining, lodging, wine tasting, and more, guarantees a memorable weekend for all. Stay tuned – we’ll be bringing you updates on new artists, lodging and dining options, and much more over the next month!
To see more what you’ll find in our galleries and artist studios, visit our Gallery and Studio pages!