City: Williamsburg, VA

Category: Shopping

Telephone: (757) 229-1717

Address: 3356 Ironbound Rd., Suite 201

Description: Since 1968, the institute has offered professional training for all ages. The curriculum provides expert and experienced instruction to ensure students the finest development of their skill in ballet, offering classes in creative dance, tap, jazz, floor gymnastics, character, and ballet. Several productions are staged during the year and are very popular in the community. The Nutcracker at Christmastime is a long-standing local tradition. Another performance is staged during the spring.

City: Williamsburg, VA

Category: Shopping

City: Williamsburg, VA

Category: Shopping

City: Williamsburg, VA

Category: Shopping

Telephone: (757) 221-1452

Description: This exhibition gallery for the Department of Art and Art History at the College of William and Mary is behind the Phi Beta Kappa Memorial Hall. Periodic exhibits of traveling shows and of faculty and student art make the gallery an interesting window on the art scene. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mon through Fri.

City: Williamsburg, VA

Category: Shopping

Telephone: (757) 229-4949

Address: 219 North Boundary St.

Description: As the name indicates, the focus of this gallery, established more than 40 years ago, is work by contemporary artists, local, regional, and national. Shows featuring all media change on a regular basis, with an occasional Christmas crafts show in November/December and spring crafts exhibition. The gallery, an affiliate of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond, displays traveling exhibits of that museum. Hours are from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tues through Sun.

City: Williamsburg, VA

Category: Shopping

Telephone: (757) 565-0425

Address: 6580 Richmond Rd.

Description: Owned and operated by Lianne Lurie and Paul Pittman, this gallery, the oldest in the area, features fine decorative and functional crafts by more than 200 contemporary American artists and craftspeople. With a concentration on unusual works appealing to many senses, the selections include pottery, wind chimes in both clay and metal, glassworks, jewelry, lamps, musical instruments, kaleidoscopes, candle holders, and textiles—many of them signed one-of-a-kinds. The basic collection of lovely hand-built and wheel-thrown stoneware and fine porcelain includes the unique “Gloom Chasers,” intricately decorated and pierced stoneware lanterns. A Touch of Earth is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mon through Fri, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sat, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sun, and by appointment.