The city of Alexandria, Virginia is a hub of creativity, with a wide range of artists and artisans creating unique works. From visual art to performing arts, musicians and interdisciplinary artists, the city is full of creative minds. To further support the local art community, the Athenaeum Gallery in Alexandria exhibits visual art created by local artists, while the Maryland Art Place (MAP) collaborates with the Indigo Hotel in downtown Baltimore to offer rotating exhibitions. Additionally, Del Ray Artisans is a local nonprofit organization that provides emerging artists with an online platform to create new works and explore their practice. In order to stay up-to-date with modern techniques, many artisans in Alexandria have taken advantage of various opportunities.
For instance, the United Craftsmen Gallery in Annandale (Virginia) has a jury that selects artists to collaborate with other artists. This residency is open to all contemporary artists over 18 years of age who reside in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia. It provides them with a platform to experiment and explore their concepts and advance their work in the contemporary art world. In addition, Busboys and Poets are seeking proposals from Maryland and Virginia artists to expand to new venues in both areas. This event was chosen by Virginia Living readers as one of Northern Virginia's premier arts events and is run by volunteers and supported by the local business community. The work of many Alexandria artisans has been featured internationally in solo and group exhibitions in museums.
For instance, one artist's work is included in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art in Buenos Aires, the Archives d'Architecture Moderne in Brussels, the Pérez Art Museum in Miami and the MOCA in Madison. Another artist learned to weave in 1995 at Springwater Fiber Workshop in Alexandria and has been making decorative and portable fiber arts ever since. To learn more about public art in Alexandria, visitors can check out the 26% policy of the Public Art Implementation Plan or find out more about other public art projects in Alexandria. By taking advantage of these opportunities, artisans in Alexandria are able to incorporate modern techniques into their work and make their mark on the contemporary art world.
