Alexandria, VA – Alexandria has long had a thriving art community. The storied Torpedo Factory Art Center, thanks to the visionary ambition of founder Marian Van Landingham, remains a testament to the vibrant diversity of art experienced in Port City.
From the emphasis on emerging artists at Del Ray Artisans to the progressive and philanthropic spotlight at Galactic Panther and Nepenthe Gallery, along with their elite stable of benchmark artists on exhibit, to the contemporary realism focus of Principle Gallery, there’s something for everyone, and for every checkbook.
Nonprofit Del Ray Artisans, on Mount Vernon Avenue in the Del Ray neighborhood, presents artists of all levels of experience. The October exhibit, curated by Tiara Safic-Martin (whose artwork was commissioned to adorn the walls of HomeGrown Kitchen on King Street) and Morgan Parr, shines the spotlight on carnival and circus themes – silly and dark. Step right up to visual explorations of carny thrills and chills in all media
Carnival of Curiosities is on exhibit through October 31, 2026, followed by the $125 and Under show, a great source to begin your personal art collection. Stop by the gallery sometime during the 30th annual Halloween Parade. The gallery is on the route, right next to the spray park.
Nepenthe Gallery takes art up a notch or two with work from talented local artists (many are also Del Ray Artisans exhibiting members) complementing the work of giants such as Louise Bourgeois, Romare Bearden, Salvador Dali, Sam Gilliam, Yayoi Kusama, Juan Miro, Robert Motherwell, and Andy Warhol.
Last month, Nepenthe celebrated a move to a bigger gallery space by launching their first juried exhibition: The Alexandria Experience Collection. World-renowned artist Alexei Butirskiy kicked off the opening reception on September 24 with a live painting demonstration at the gallery the next morning.
Exhibitions are never static at Nepenthe. October’s ART + WINE+ CHEESE (AWC) Thursday opening soirées prove to be as dynamic as ever. Starting with a philanthropic focus on October 1, it’s Art for a Cause: SHELTER HOUSE. Nepenthe, along with artist Erika James Jackson, are teaming up in support of the nonprofit during Domestic Violence Month, with a portion of sales going to the homeless shelter for victims in Chantilly, VA.
For the AWC event on October 8 at 6 p.m., Eve Stockton presents a new collection of intriguing woodcut prints. Prints are an ideal starting point for new collectors and Eve is the perfect person to get you hooked. Ask her about the “insightful pursuit”!
The October 15 AWC features the dynamo duo of mother-daughter exhibitors Sunny Goode and Presley Goode. Landscape painter Sunny’s hopeful branding LOVEVOLVE and signature feathers are infectious. Her daughter, Presley, is a gifted NYC-based abstract artist, inspired by the indefatigable kinetic energy of the city and the vivid palette of Mother Nature.
Photo Printmakers Inc.
Mark your calendar for October 22 for a diverting virtual tour with Bill Shute of ToursWithBill. Bill explores the National Mall, employing art in the gallery and slideshow images in telling its history as part of ongoing America250 celebrations. Leave your sneakers home. Relax, and let Bill do all the walking.
October goes out in super style on the 29th as Nepenthe hosts a grand re-opening pARTy with a special collection curated by Nepenthe’s Patty Owens and Beth Hamed. But that’s not all!
Come for the amazing art. Stay for the fine-wine tasting with Jessica Outer from Unwined, complemented by a divine cheese tasting with cheese monger Katie Arding from The Cut, while being entertained by the musical stylings of Stewart Welch and the 456 JazzGrass Trio.
Speaking of prints making a good kickstart for beginning art collectors, the Printmakers Inc. (Studio 14 on the first floor of the Torpedo Factory) has an astonishing representation of the finest printmaking art in the DMV. Thoroughfare: The Back of Beyond, a collection of reduction woodcut prints, is the latest show by Jennifer Dunbar.
Jennifer’s poetic printing process is eloquent and enchanting. Each image is crafted from ten or more hand-carved layers, building up to a crescendo of color. As the color flows, the woodcut ebbs. Dunbar’s prints, inspired by the untamed flora and waterways of North America, the Galician hills of the Camino de Santiago, and the shores of Kailua are on exhibit through October 31, 2026. An artist reception and talk is scheduled for October 11, 2-4 p.m., in the studio.
If you haven’t been to the Principle Gallery in Old Town lately it’s time to visit. The monthly opening receptions are the place to be on a Friday night on King Street. The Oil Painters of America exhibition, Virtuosos of the OPA, is the new exhibit showcasing mastery and excellence in artwork dedicated to traditional representational oil painting.
This Oil Painters of America exhibition, on view through November 6, 2026, opens Friday, October 9, with a reception from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Swing by the Principle Gallery, as well as all the ALX art space receptions. Have some fine wine, exquisite cheese, and see what the Alexandria art experience is all about.
