Mission
The Visual Arts Center of Richmond engages the community in the creative process through the visual arts.
We believe there is a creative spirit in all of us that nourishes our humanity and enriches our society. We foster a creative culture that encourages people of all backgrounds, ages and skill levels to explore, participate and experiment in the visual arts.
Affiliate support for the Visual Arts Center of Richmond is provided by investors in the ArtsFund, grants from the Virginia Commission for the Arts, the Arts and Cultural Funding Consortium and the National Endowment for the Arts.
The Visual Arts Center of Richmond engages the community in the creative process through the visual arts. Through a broad range of studio classes and workshops, it serves approximately 5,000 adults and children each year. The Center provides opportunities for people to express themselves through clay, wood, fiber, painting, photography, printmaking, glass, metal, drawing, writing and the decorative arts. It also offers five exhibitions annually, with work by emerging and established artists and a focus on innovative materials and processes. The Center is located in a newly restored, 30,000-sq.-ft. historic building in the Fan District of Richmond, Virginia. Staffing includes 10 full-time and seven part-time employees, 75 adjunct instructors, and 250 volunteers. The annual operating budget is $1.7 million.
History:
Founded in 1963 as the Hand Workshop by Elisabeth Scott Bocock, the Visual Arts Center began in a house on historic Church Hill where craft artists worked, exhibited and taught neighborhood children to create with their hands. For the next 22 years, it operated in various locations in Richmond. In 1985, the Center moved to the historic Virginia Dairy Building on Main Street where it leased space for 17 years before purchasing and later renovating the building. Completed in 2007, the renovation transformed the facility into an inviting and inspiring space and a state-of-the-art regional arts center. Since then the Center has continued to expand programs, raise its visibility within the community and increase its support base. The Visual Arts Center now is one of the major arts organizations in Virginia.
Major Programs:
- Adult and Youth Art Classes: Offering more than 500 classes for adults and children throughout the year, The Visual Arts Center is the largest professional studio-class program in Richmond.
- Exhibitions: Five times a year the Visual Arts Center offers acclaimed exhibitions in its 1800-square-foot gallery. The exhibitions feature both emerging and established artists, with a focus on innovative materials and processes. Related gallery talks, panel discussions and workshops accompany the exhibitions.
- Artventure: Artventure provides children and teens with unique opportunities to work directly with professional artists and professional materials and equipment.
- Craft & Design Show – Once a year this signature show brings some of the country’s top craft artists to Richmond to exhibit and sell their work. Now in its 45th year, the show is conducted at the Science Museum of Virginia and draws art enthusiasts from throughout Virginia.
- Art & Coffee – Every second and fourth Tuesday, programs related to exhibition and education themes are provided free to the community. Hands-on workshops, lectures and demonstrations are presented by artists and scholars.
- Art After School: Art After School opens doors and encourages self-discipline, focus and creative exploration for students in selected Richmond Public middle and elementary schools. Each year, partnering schools and organizations are selected to participate in Art After School classes, which are taught free of charge through the generous support of corporations and foundations.
- Side by Side Saturdays – This grant funded program offers workshops to intergenerational pairings of parents/ grandparents and children on Saturday mornings. The classes are free and a portion of them are reserved for underserved audiences.
- Second Friday Sampler – On the second Friday of each month, free sample workshops are conducted on a first-come, first-serve basis for individuals who want to test the waters of a particular discipline before enrolling in a class.
- A Space of Her Own (SOHO): SOHO is a partnership between the Visual Arts Center and two other Richmond nonprofit organizations. It engages girls in a journey of envisioning, developing and creating their own spaces through art-based projects, creative writing and interaction with inspiring female mentors. A 22-week program, SOHO reaches some of Richmond’s children who are most in need, living in the city’s highest concentrations of poverty with the city’s highest crime rates.
In Support of:
