A Yorktown art gallery that has celebrated the landscape, beauty and history of Hampton Roads and beyond is for sale. Nancy Thomas, a nationally renowned artist and owner of the Nancy Thomas Gallery, located at 301 Ballard St. in the heart of historic Yorktown since 1991, confirmed Thursday that her gallery is on the market. “I really just want to get away from the business,” Thomas said. “The payroll, keeping track of the staff — I need to paint.” Sharon L. Sherman, a Realtor with Williamsburg-based Coldwell Banker Professional Realtors who serves as the listing agent for the half-acre, 3,100-square-foot property, said the asking price for the property is $785,000. The 2014 assessment of the site was $525,500, according to York County tax records. Thomas has given Sherman and her team six months to sell her gallery. “I have two daughters that live in Norfolk, and they want me to come over there,” Thomas said. “So I just thought that I'd go over there and have a little gallery.

But everything is so ‘now,' and so dependent on so many other things.” If the property does not sell, Thomas said she will take it off the market and maintain the gallery with a much smaller staff and limited operating hours. “I may be here for my entire life,” Thomas laughed. “But if it doesn't sell, I will keep it and may have a smaller gallery that could be by appointment only. I'm just not sure yet … I feel like I don't know what's going to happen.” Thomas is nationally known for her paintings and sculptures that are crafted of wood or metal and hand painted. Her work has been featured in a number of national publications including House Beautiful and Country Home magazines. Thomas also was commissioned to design gifts for the cast of the 1993 Tony Award-winning play “Angels in America: Millennium Approaches” by Tony Kushner. More recently, Thomas has been commissioned by York County to create a design for a Christmas ornament that will be added to the governor's mansion Christmas tree this winter.

“Luckily for me I have until Nov. 1 to turn it in,” Thomas said. County officials have approached her about redesigning the York County seal, although Thomas said those discussions are preliminary. Thomas plans to boost her sales by increasing her online presence, a move that will allow her to focus on art. “I have so many ideas for paintings, and I don't have the time or energy to do them,” Thomas said. business for sale llandudno“I've been doing this for my entire life … this is my life's work, and will continue to be, but I have to find a way to do what I love.” business for sale mildura vicJames W. Noel Jr., director of the York County Office of Economic Development, said Thomas' gallery has been a major tourism draw for Yorktown. business for sale 63385

He said Thomas has always been an integral part of the community, offering up her art and time to help with a number of events, including the annual Yorktown Fourth of July celebration. “She is a tremendous asset to all of Yorktown,” Noel said. “She is a world-famous artist, and has an international following. She is a great draw, not just for historic Yorktown and York County, but for the whole Historic Triangle.” business for sale motherwellCourtney Gardner, executive director of the Peninsula Fine Arts Center, agreed, calling the possible sale of the Nancy Thomas Gallery “a loss.” business for sale hotchkiss coGardner said Thomas has helped foster the art community on the Peninsula by allowing other artists to use her gallery for shows, and donating her time and efforts to promote art on the Peninsula. business for sale tasmania gumtree

“We consider her to be a tremendous art advocate,” Gardner said. “We consider her to be a friend, and I'm very sad to hear that the gallery is going to a more online presence.” The property may move quickly given the area's rebounding commercial market, and access to government buildings, tourist hot spots and major highways. Sherman said there is ample space on the site for development. She said the site could possibly be transitioned into a restaurant.The site is zoned YVA, which calls for residential and nonresidential uses, but requires at least 25 percent of the site's space be dedicated to open space, according to county planning and zoning codes.It's across the street from the York County-Poquoson Courthouse and within walking distance of historic Main Street. “The highest and best uses are law firms, accounting firms or a restaurant to support the business community,” Sherman said. “Nancy Thomas has enjoyed raising her family in Yorktown and would recommend this incredible community to other families.”

O'Neal can be reached by phone at 757-247-4748. Old sign for the original Williamsburg Pottery Factory (2007) Williamsburg Pottery Factory is a large, multi-structure retail outlet store located in Lightfoot, Virginia, about 6 miles (9.7 km) west of Williamsburg. It was founded in 1938 by James E. Maloney as a small pottery workshop. The Williamsburg Pottery Factory now markets itself as one of Virginia's largest tourist attractions. Referred to by the locals as "the Pottery", the 200-acre (0.81 km2) attraction offers a selection of locally handmade articles, as well as imports from 20 countries. Williamsburg Pottery was once famous for its "bare bones" appearance; however, it underwent a multimillion-dollar redevelopment that reshaped its look in the spring of 2012. In 1938, James E. Maloney founded Williamsburg Pottery, located near Colonial Williamsburg, making eighteenth-century salt glaze reproductions to sell at low prices. He purchased a half-acre property for $150 and built a kiln and simple workshop.

[1] As time passed, Maloney added china and glassware to his inventory, again with a focus on low prices. In addition to Maloney's famed salt glaze pottery, Williamsburg Pottery grew to include other artisans that sold a variety of handicrafts, like baskets and lamps. As sales grew, the small structure mushroomed into many warehouse buildings. By the 1960s, Williamsburg Pottery was the largest U.S. importer of home goods from Asia. Originally located entirely on Route 60, Maloney expanded his business across the railroad tracks in the mid-70s. Williamsburg Pottery eventually added a campground and factory outlet stores, growing to over 200 acres (0.81 km2) and 32 buildings. By the early 1980s, Williamsburg Pottery was earning between $60 and $70 million a year in revenue.[2] However, it began a decline in the 1990s with the rapid growth of other shopping venues on Route 60 closer to Williamsburg, and struggled with the death of its founder in 2005. In 2008, reports claimed that the business was up for sale, although Williamsburg Pottery President Kim Maloney denied these claims.

On August 31, 2010, Kim Maloney unveiled plans for a new $20 million, 146,800-square-foot (13,640 m2) retail development.[4] Construction began on the new Williamsburg Pottery in December 2010 at the original 1938 location on Richmond Road, following demolition of the old outlet buildings on that site. The new development has a much smaller footprint than before, with a more modern, sleek, and upscale look. The renovation, which resembles a Dutch-inspired European Marketplace, only covers 19 acres. It includes three separate buildings that encompass nearly 160,000 sq. ft. of retail and restaurant space, as well as over 10,000 sq. ft. of office space. The retail project was designed by Guernsey-Tingle Architects. Henderson Inc. was chosen as the General Contractor for the project, and AES Consulting Engineers was selected for the site plan work. All are local companies, as are most of the subcontractors. Demolition began in September 2010, with a groundbreaking ceremony in the beginning of December.