Arlington Arts Center also known as AAC, is a 501 nonprofit contemporary visual arts center based in Arlington and established in 1974. Housed since 1976 in the historic Maury School, it presents artworks from regional artists in the mid-Atlantic states. The center is composed of exhibitions, educational programs and subsidized studio spaces and wants to increase awareness and appreciation of, and involvement in, the visual arts in Arlington County VA and the region. At 17,000 square feet, the facility includes 9 exhibitions galleries, working studios for 12 artists and 2 classrooms and is one of the largest non-federal venues for contemporary art in the Washington metropolitan area.
Exhibitions
AAC organizes around 12 exhibitions a year. Exhibition proposals are announced and submissions are reviewed by the exhibitions committee, which includes notable artists, critics, curators, and collectors. After the selection of those artists, solos, juried and curated exhibitions are planned, resulting in a sampler of exceptional, cutting edge art in a variety of media. AAC also exhibits themed shows, usually twice per year. These shows are cutting edge and usually grab the attention of local arts publication writers and arts bloggers. The Washington Post, Pink Line Project and DCist usually cover the shows. Themed shows are generally accompanied by programming that helps explain the exhibition and gives the artist’s perspective to the audience.
Education
AAC offers classes for adults, teens and children to help the beginners or the professional to improve their artistic skills. The teachers are professional artists and many of whom have achieved the highest degrees in their field. The classes are about photography, sculpture, painting or drawing. Moreover, the center offers classes for home-schooled children but also bilingual classes for students who want to learn and practice another language.
AAC rents subsidized studio space for 12 artists where they can work and express themselves in an artistic community. The selection is based on artistic merit, potential for collaborative outreach to the community, and diversity of artist representation. The artists come from across the US and abroad for periods from one week to six weeks residencies.
