Alexandria, VA – This has been a year of significant celebration in Port City. In July the City gathered together to commemorate the 275th anniversary of Alexandria’s founding in 1749. This month the Office of the Arts and the Torpedo Factory Artists Association mark 50 years since the Torpedo Factory Art Center’s (TFAC) founding with a kick-off weekend-long party September 13-15.
In 1973, as the nation was focused on the upcoming bicentennial party of all parties, president of The Art League Marian Van Landingham had her sights on the abandoned, deteriorating former munitions factory on what is now a prime waterfront location to house the growing Art League nonprofit. On July 13, 1974, the Alexandria Bicentennial Commission announced that the building would be reopening as an art center. Two months later to the day, on September 13, 1974, the art center and studio doors opened to the public.
Back in the early 1970’s lower King Street was more Dodge City than the quaint and genteel Old Town enjoyed today. Renovation of the now 105-year-old torpedo factory proved to be a timely opportunity for both the Art League to expand and the City to clean up the riverfront in anticipation of the coast-to-coast 200th birthday party for America in 1976.
Renovations were largely DIY. Of the 142 studio artists occupying the building in 1974, most had pitched in to help, picking up paintbrushes to put color to walls, not canvas or paper. Studio rents then and now are offered at a below-market rate. The City assumed management of the landmark art center in 2018 with studio availability determined by a jurying selection process. The Torpedo Factory Artists Association is going strong, representing the interests of the member artists while promoting the art center at large.
At present the TFAC welcomes over half a million visitors each year. Here are some ways the eclectic working artist studios will be partying on this month:
The Scope Gallery is a TFAC founding exhibiting space showcasing fine art and functional and sculptural ceramics for 50 years.
Printmakers Inc., one of the DMV’s oldest nonprofit art gallery/studio spaces, has curated a 50th Anniversary exhibit called “A Half Century of Printmaking.” The studio hosts vastly talented makers of various techniques and styles including relief, reduction, woodblock, etching, monotone, silkscreen, and lithography, such as Veronica Barker-Barzel Kelly, Marcus Beauregard, Judith Coady, Pamela Day, Jennifer Dunbar, Avis Fleming, John Gosling, Edward McCluney, Claire Meyer, Patrick Sargent, and Priscilla Young. The artwork will be on display from September 1 – 30.
Target Gallery ~ Acoustic Invasion: A New Soundscape of Reshaped Nature continues at the contemporary space of the Torpedo Factory Art Center. This interactive exhibit presented by the Alexandria Office of the Arts and Virginia Tech’s Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology remains on exhibit through September 29, 2024.
Be sure to visit the Exposures Gallery, showcasing outstanding photographic art on the second floor.
On September 13-15 the City will celebrate Marian Van Landingham’s vision for the Torpedo Factory Art Center as a premier working artists space welcoming to all. Don’t miss the Van Landingham Gallery in Studio 311 at the top of the stairs on the third-floor gallery where Marian has a studio.
* The Art League Gallery of the TFAC ~ Wit and Whimsy is the title of the new September show on exhibit through October 6, 2024. Juried by Elissa Armstrong, the exhibit spotlights elements of humor, mischief, kitsch, and playfulness. The Art on the Rocks event returns September 26 from 6-8:30 pm at the new Hotel Heron, where artwork selected by participating restaurants is exhibited and paired with artisanal craft cocktails inspired by the artwork.
Always diverting and chock full of temptations for yourself or artful gift giving, the Potomac Fiber Arts Gallery in Studio 29 on the first floor of the TFAC offers jewelry, wall art, wearables, and home furnishings of every conceivable source of fiber, including silver and gold. A purchase perfectly fitting for a 50th anniversary pARTay!
ON EXHIBIT ELSEWHERE ACROSS THE CITY
* The Athenaeum ~ Fleeting Moments: Street Photography II continues through September. Nina Tisara, the Zebra’s Memories and Musings columnist, an Alexandria Living Legend, and photographer/mosaicist, has a photograph on exhibit in this showcase of savvy street photography.
* The Art League Gallery of the TFAC ~ Wit and Whimsy is the title of the new September show on exhibit through October 6, 2024 . Juried by Elissa Armstrong, the exhibit spotlights elements of humor, mischief, kitsch, and playfulness. The Art on the Rocks event returns September 26. Artwork selected by participating restaurants is exhibited paired with artisanal craft cocktails inspired by the artwork.
* Del Ray Artisans ~ Fascinating Fiber, Alluring Fabric is the new exhibit at Del Ray’s only art space, on view through September 28, 2024. Fiber is represented in all media including jewelry, photography, and other two-dimensional artwork. Curators Liz Martinez and Robyn McGarry have selected an expansive range of truly fascinating artistic explorations using fabric and fiber. Award-winning artwork will be selected by Judy Gula, owner of the fabulous fabric source and quilters mecca Artistic Artifacts. There is a sneak-peak preview during First Thursday in Del Ray on 9/5 when the gallery is open until 9pm.
Don’t miss the third annual family-friendly HalloWEIRD Art Market held in the Artists Garden of the DRA Gallery on September 21 – rain or shine. Shop for original art and crafts created for the autumnal and Trick-or-Treating season.
* There’s more street art to be discovered at Galactic Panther ~ “Symbols” by the international secretive street artist artist Mr. Popcorn explores the fascinating visual language of symbolic text: punctuation, tags, calligraphy, and typography. The nine Symbols paintings are on exhibit through October 13, 2024.
Nepenthe Gallery has been busy since their brief vacay in early August. ART + WINE + CHEESE is back for September each Thursday from 6 to 7:30pm at both gallery locations.
* September 5 at Nepenthe Hollin Hall: Artwork by Willem de Kooning.
* September 13, Nepenthe Old Town (upstairs at the Wine Gallery), 108 North St. Asaph Street: Alexandria author John Adam Wascowicz will sign his 7th novel in a series based in Alexandria, Spite House. The spite house that inspired the novel is just around the corner.
* September 19 at Hollin Hall: Original oil and acrylic abstractions by Matt Brown that utilize expressions of color, form, light, and texture to evoke an emotional response.
* September 25 at Hollin Hall: Alexandria artist Eve Stockton brings her striking science-based large scale woodcut prints to Nepenthe. Her deft expressions of abstraction of the natural world are both elegant and compelling.
Principle Gallery presents Catharsis – Wild Heart, curated by and featuring Anna Wypych featuring the dynamically diverse work of 24 artists. An opening reception at the King Street gallery will be September 13 from 7-8:30pm. The exhibition closes October 7.
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