Barry Art Museum

About this museum

The Barry Art Museum at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, is the kind of institution that makes you rethink what a university art museum can be. Opened in 2018, the Barry was built around the personal collection of Richard and Carolyn Barry - a focused, deeply personal holding of American art glass that stands as one of the finest such collections in the United States. The Barrys spent decades acquiring work by the leading figures of the American Studio Glass movement, and the museum they ultimately donated to ODU has transformed what might have been a modest campus gallery into a destination of genuine national significance.American studio glass is a medium that rewards close looking. The objects are simultaneously functional and sculptural, transparent and opaque, intimate and monumental depending on scale and light. The collection at the Barry includes works by major figures of the Studio Glass movement, displayed in galleries designed to allow the glass to catch natural light in ways that make each piece seem almost alive. Beyond glass, the museum holds rotating exhibitions of broader American art, ensuring that each visit offers something fresh alongside the core collection.With a 4.7 - star rating from 62 visitors, the Barry Art Museum has quickly established itself as one of Norfolk's premier cultural destinations. Located at 1075 West 43rd Street on the ODU campus, the museum brings world - class art collecting to Hampton Roads - a region that has long deserved a museum of this caliber.Admission to the Barry Art Museum is free, making it one of the most accessible fine arts experiences in coastal Virginia. Visitors are encouraged to check the museum's website for current hours, exhibition schedules, and special events. For anyone in the Norfolk - Virginia Beach area with even a passing interest in contemporary American craft or the visual arts, the Barry is an easy and richly rewarding trip.