Douglas Grant

Anyone looking to redecorate their home, or who simply wants to add a few pieces to their existing art collection, should mark their calendars for Jan. 28 through Feb. 5.

Those are the dates of the Nansemond-Suffolk Academy’s 20th Annual Art Show and Sale at the school.

The show, which benefits the school’s Fine Arts and Endowment Program, will feature works by more than 170 artists working in a diversity of mediums. Instructors will also use the event as an opportunity to incorporate the art and the artists’ work into their curriculum.

This year’s featured artist is Ed Hatch, who hails from Spring Grove.

According to a press release issued by the school, Hatch’s work “is luminous and is so connected to his subjects that one feels an immediate sense of place and wonder.”

Hatch, a full-time realist for more than two decades, maintains a close connection to his roots in rural Virginia. He has even opened his studio in the same building where his grandparents operated a general store in the early 20th century.

Hatch, a 1977 graduate of Old Dominion University with a bachelor’s of fine arts with a concentration in printmaking, is a member of the Oil Painters of America.

He shows his work throughout the mid-Atlantic states and it is hanging in galleries from Florida to Maryland.

His work can be seen in places such as The Homestead, the Black History Museum, Hampden-Sydney College and Suffolk’s own Riddick’s Folly.

Hatch’s paintings have also been showcased in such renowned publications as Art Galleries and Artists of the South and American Art Collector.

“I see art as a visceral, almost spiritual means of communication,” said Hatch. “Since I was a boy, I have known that art fulfills me and speaks to me in ways that I find difficult to express in words.

“But what I find in nature is quite simply, pure poetry. I strive to express this in my work.

“I am fortunate to do what I do every day.”

The show will be located in the lower school building at NSA, and is open to the public. Admission and parking are free.

The event will begin with a reception from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 28.