The City of Alexandria is set to launch a second open call for visual artists studio space at the Torpedo Factory Art Center. This re-jurying process aims to expand the artist studio program to better reflect contemporary best practices, diversity, and public interaction—a key action item in the Art Center’s core strategic direction. As a complement to this strategy, the City is currently working with stakeholders who recommended a new governance structure that will function as a quasi-public entity.
“The artists and the community have spoken and we’ve heard their voices,” City Manager James Parajon said. “The Torpedo Factory is an important City institution. As such, it is important to expand opportunities and its overall impact, all while identifying the best approach to enhance its offerings.”
Beginning Wednesday, March 1, individuals, as well as groups of up to four artists, are invited to apply for a three-year lease in one of the available studios. In addition to the studio space, artists will have the opportunity to help shape the future governance structure and contribute to the vibrancy of the City’s art scene. The deadline to apply is Tuesday, April 18.
Visual artists at all levels of their respective careers, who are over the age of 21, are eligible to apply. The fee is $45 for new applicants or applicant groups but will be waived for current resident artists and individuals for whom the fee is a barrier. Artists can apply to be a “resident artist” with a three-year lease or to become an “Artist Pro Tem” and be eligible to sublease studios at the Art Center.
Information can be found via torpedofactory.org/artopps. For reasonable translation or disability accommodations, contact torpedofactory@alexandriava.gov or 703.746.4570, Virginia Relay 711.
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About Torpedo Factory Art Center
Founded in 1974 in an old munitions plant, Torpedo Factory Art Center is the nation’s longest continually operated community of publicly accessible artists’ studios in a converted industrial space. The City of Alexandria manages Torpedo Factory Art Center through the Office of the Arts’, a division of the Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities family of programs and facilities. Just south of Washington, D.C., the Art Center overlooks the Potomac River in the Old Town section of Alexandria, Virginia. Each year, more than a half million national and international visitors meet and interact with more than 160 resident artists in 82 studios and seven galleries. For more information, visit torpedofactory.org or follow the Art Center on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest via @torpedofactory.