Join Virginia MOCA on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM for an engaging artist talk with Daniel O’Connor of Danny O Studio. As the featured artist for the 68th Annual Virginia MOCA Boardwalk Art Show, O’Connor will discuss “From the Early Years to Present: How to Maintain a Career and Build a Brand.” This special event offers a unique opportunity to meet the artist behind the commemorative poster for this year’s Boardwalk Art Show, featuring his original painting, What the Tides Brought In. Attendees can enjoy complimentary donuts and coffee while being among the first to acquire the 2024 Boardwalk Art Show commemorative poster. REGISTER
Each year, the Virginia MOCA proudly highlights an artist whose work embodies the spirit and history of the Boardwalk Art Show. This year, the honor is bestowed upon Daniel O’Connor, a longtime participant and the creative mind behind Danny O Studio. His featured painting, What the Tides Brought In, vibrantly captures the essence of the Boardwalk Art Show with a playful, seek-and-find style, depicting artists, beachgoers, and hidden details. This artwork is prominently featured on the 2024 commemorative poster and T-shirts, making it a must-have for attendees.
O’Connor’s artistic journey has deep roots in Virginia Beach, notably through his iconic T-shirt designs for the 17th Street Surf Shop Virginia Beach in the early 1980s. It was during this period that he created caricatures of local surfers, with one particular character, affectionately known as the “nosepicker,” achieving legendary status among locals. One design featuring this character remarkably sold 600 shirts in a single day, cementing O’Connor’s place in local surf culture. Reflecting on this popular era, O’Connor has designed a limited-edition T-shirt titled Wild Kingdom at the Wave. This whimsical and colorful design, reminiscent of his early work for 17th Street Surf Shop Virginia Beach, is available for purchase at the merchandise tents, while supplies last, offering a nostalgic nod to his beginnings and the vibrant surf scene of Virginia Beach.
