On the edge of Hilton Village in Newport News, a new olive-green wall dotted with multi-colored windows stands out to travelers down Warwick Boulevard. Inside each bold square is a vignette of curated items.
“We wanted the word ‘antiques’ large so people driving could see it,” says Mary Ann Callahan, co-owner of Antique Artisans Market. The mural, painted by friend and artist Jessye Abell, also features the Callahans’ two cats silhouetted in the windows. Beyond the brick wall, unique finds abound for those with a heart for pre-loved pieces. Welcome to Antique Artisans Market.
“My husband [John Callahan] and Lindsey [Bomba-Holcomb] had booths across the street,” Mary Ann remembers about her team’s background in antiquing. “John saw this building come up for sale at the end of December 2024. He always wanted to have his own place.” Bomba-Holcomb offered to help, and she now works as a co-manager and vendor liaison for the Market.
After the Callahans closed on the building in January 2025, John began renovations. The building required a new roof, drywall, HVAC system and all new windows. Vendors began moving in as April came. Antique Artisans Market opened to the public the last weekend in April, beginning in different sections and phases over a few months.
“This was a stage when we bought the building, and now it’s a room,” Mary Ann says from the vibrantly primary-colored corner in the shop, transformed into a children’s toy oasis.
Now, each week, from Wednesday through Sunday, visitors can come to enjoy a wander through creatively adorned rooms filled with unique finds. The team at Antique Artisans Market aims to “keep it vintage,” as Mary Ann says, meaning at least 20 years old. The diversity in vendor offerings — including clothes, toys, vinyl records, knickknacks and one-of-a-kind items found nowhere else — draws in shoppers of all ages.
“Whatever people want, John finds and buys,” says Bomba-Holcomb, emphasizing the diversity of the shop.
“I never thought I’d sell Funko pops and Pokémon cards,” says John. He has been in the HVAC business since 1984 and owns his own company. Over the years, he developed the hobby of collecting and thrifting, setting up his own local booth. This passion eventually found a new home when the future home of Antique Artisans Market came into view for the Callahans.
About 40 vendor booths (including those of a few family members) sprawl out across the winding rooms of Antique Artisans Market. The curiosities expand to multiple store sections, an upstairs area and a black light room filled with glowing uranium glass items.
Like any old friend with endless stories to tell, the Market has had several past lives. Its most recent identity, before the Callahans purchased it, was the home of Newport News’ Contemporary Arts Network. It’s also been home to grocery, furniture, thrift and motorcycle stores.
“Originally, the building had windowsills, because it’s an old building from 1917,” Mary Ann explains. “Over the course of the life of the building, those windows were bricked in. We thought ‘oh, it would be so cool to have the windows put back in.’ And Jessye just kind of took that idea and ran with it.”
Mary Ann feels that the store fosters “a good community feeling. All our vendors are just awesome people, [and] we like hanging out with each other in the store.” The store even has a presence on TikTok, thanks to a tech-savvy employee.
The parking situation at the Market may seem small, with a few spots in front of the store plus roadside parking. The Callahans encourage visitors to check out the additional parking spaces behind the building. And on Sundays, Mary Ann says, visitors can park at Monty’s Penguin next door.
John enjoys picking antiques with fellow vendors and hopes to travel to do so. “We want to find used things, let our customers come in and just open their minds to everything they can imagine,” he says with a hearty laugh.
TO THE POINT:
Antique Artisans Market
Address: 9601 Warwick Blvd., Newport News, VA 23601
Contact: John and Mary Ann Callahan
Email: admin@antiqueartisansmarket.com
Phone: 757-755-3393
Website: antiqueartisansmarket.com
