Capturing Music
ON VIEW:
June 12 – July 26, 2025
THEME: Hampton Roads celebrates music at multiple venues such as the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts performance and Outdoor concert series, the Hampton Jazz Festival at the Hampton Coliseum, rock concerts at the Norva, the Something in the Water concert in Virginia Beach, and more. But how are the visual arts and music in dialogue with each other? How does music inspire and influence a visual artist’s creative practice? As the Suffolk Center celebrates its outdoor concert series, we invite artists from all mediums to illustrate how music and sound can translate to the visual arts. This can range from paintings depicting a musician playing their instrument or people dancing to a sculpture of a singer and music notes and photographs of concert goers or people dancing at a cookout in the summer. Come and enjoy a multi-sensory experience in which the energy of music melodies and rhythms is incorporated into visual arts and design.
ON VIEW: June 12 – July 26, 2025
People’s choice award will be announced on our social media in the evening on July 26, 2025.
Questions: Please contact the Visual Arts Manager, Nana Ferdnance via email nana.ferdnance@suffolkcenter.org or call 757-923-0003 ext 108.

Featured Artist: Rick Seguso, Learn more about our featured artist below. IG: ricksegusoart FB: Rick Seguso
After living many places coast to coast through the years, Seguso became a full-time Floridian in 1989, living predominantly Palm Beach County until moving to Virginia Beach/Norfolk in 2021. In August of 2024 he found the Northern Neck and now calls Kilmarnock, Virginia, home.Primarily self-taught, he combined his grandfather’s early and essential influence and inspiration while starting to develop his own style. Some time later he furthered his studies with South Florida friend and master artist Peter Olsen. By now, Seguso had set his resolve as a painter. Seguso’s has had his work exhibited in leading galleries garnering critical recognition and rewards such as the Mary Hulitar award from the Society of the Four Arts in Palm Beach, Florida. Equine art, florals and seascapes are a big part of Seguso’s work but at the heart of his eclectic subject matter are his moody and evocative portraits of musicians and lush landscapes With confident and authoritative brushwork, special emphasis is placed on each character’s distinct and individual nature, capturing these images in bold and realistic paintings. Since moving to Virginia Seguso has devoted much more time to land and waterscapes in addition to his musicians, etcetera. Inspired and influenced by the Old Masters and Post-Impressionists, Seguso’s technique is under-painting in grisaille, and most of his works include varying degrees of glazing, “a technique, often overlooked but an invaluable tool in creating jewel-like depth and style that is impossible to achieve by just mixing paint”, Seguso says. Seguso’s colorful past includes working for legendary rocker Bruce Springsteen as his Road Manager and confidant in the mid 1970’s. He played a pivotal role in the musician’s rise to stardom. He has also worked as a theater actor as well as some work in TV and movies and has done the occasional gig playing his original compositions and accompanying himself in guitar.

“Louis Armstrong” by Rick Seguso, Oil on Canvas 42″ x 52″ (45″ x 55″)

“The Rolling Stones” by Rick Seguso, Oil on Canvas 24″ x 36″
Accepted Artists Pick-Up Dates*: TBD
*If you would like to arrange your drop-off and/or pick-up at an earlier or at another date, please contact the Visual Arts Manager, Nana Ferdnance via email nana.ferdnance@suffolkcenter.org or call 757-923-0003 ext. 108.