Visual Arts Center of Richmond

Housed in the historic Virginia Dairy building at 1812 West Main Street in Richmond's Fan District, the Visual Arts Center of Richmond has supported the region's creative life since 1963, when it was founded in Church Hill as the Hand Workshop. After leasing space for 17 years, the organization purchased and later renovated the building, completing a 2007 expansion that created a 30,000-square-foot arts center anchored by the 1,800-square-foot True F. Luck Gallery. The center's 17 professionally-equipped studios support media ranging from clay, glass, and metals to photography, printmaking, and creative writing, and its programming reaches more than 50,000 people each year through over 1,600 classes taught by more than 250 instructors. Beyond classes and exhibitions, the Visual Arts Center of Richmond opens its facility for off-site meetings, corporate holiday parties, anniversary celebrations, bar and bat mitzvahs, baby showers, and other private gatherings. Rentals include an hour for clean-up and use of the center's in-house A/V equipment. The venue also hosts childrens birthday parties built around a private studio art class, and a Creativity at Work program that brings corporate teams together for team-building through the creative process.