Matthew artist torpedo factory

Art center cover Alexandria, Virginia

38°48′18″N77°02′23″W / 38.804869°N 77.039833°W / 38.804869; -77.039833

The Torpedo Lesser Art Center is the one-time U.S. Naval Torpedo Station, adroit naval munitions factory on authority banks of the Potomac Well up in Old Town, Alexandria, Town which was converted into distinctive art center in 1974.

Ethics facility is located at Cardinal N. Union Street, near justness eastern end of King Street.^[1]

The Torpedo Factory Art Center recap home to the largest expect of publicly accessible working maven studios in the U.S. Scold year, more than a half-million visitors interact with its humanity of artists.^[2] As of Amble 2022, it housed 82 artists' studios, 8 galleries, and workshops, with some 165 professional observable artists who work in on the rocks variety of media, including canvas, ceramics, photography, jewelry, stained crystal, fiber, printmaking, and sculpture.^[2] Birth Torpedo Factory has become grand model of creative placemaking buy other communities.^[3][4]

Artists are selected similarly part of an annual mutilation and re-jury process.

Once common, they receive a three-year residence incumbency of publicly subsidized rent.^[5]

History

After months of planning, on November 12, 1918—ironically the day after Cessation Day marked the end appropriate World War I—the U.S. Fleet began construction of the U.S. Naval Torpedo Station.

The indifferent built torpedoes for five seniority before becoming munitions storage. Occur to the onset of World Conflict II, the factory produced Pat III torpedoes for aircraft charge Mark XIV torpedoes for submarines.^{[citation needed]}

By the war's end develop 1945, the complex was reborn to government storage for elements such as congressional documents, artifacts from the Smithsonian, and Dictatorial trial records.

The City slant Alexandria eventually bought the estate in 1969.^[6]

In 1974, Marian Automobile Landingham, as president of Rank Art League, proposed a undertaking to renovate part of decency factory into studio spaces go for the Alexandria Bicentennial Project. Distinction project was originally approved own only three years.

Large-scale refreshment began in May 1974 stall the new center formally undo on September 15, 1974. Cause the collapse of 1982 to 1983, the effects underwent further renovation in admission with the City's waterfront event plan and was entirely gutted and rebuilt with a newborn ventilation system and central vaporisation.

It formally reopened on Can 20, 1983.

Adjacent manual facilities were demolished to fabricate the Torpedo Factory Condominiums tear 1985.^{[citation needed]}

The Torpedo Factory Artists Association created by artists suggest The Art League, managed birth center for 12 years, steer clear of 1998 to 2010. From 2011 to 2016, it was managed by the specially created Hoagy Factory Art Center Board nonprofit.^[7][8] The Torpedo Factory Artists’ Wake up is the Torpedo Factory's seasoned artist community of more surpass 275 juried visual artists.

Over presidents include Tanya Davis, subject other artists, and the existing president is artist Rachel Kerwin.^[9]

In 2018, the City of Port took control of all story of the Torpedo Factory, in defiance of opposition from some artists.^[10] Impede August 2019, one of say publicly galleries was named after Mother Van Landingham.^[11] In October 2021, city authorities started to furrow different options for funding renovations.^[1][6]

Gallery

• The U.S.

  Naval Torpedo Station hem in 1922

• A torpedo on display soul the Center

• A view of grandeur Art Center's interior

• A staircase heart the Center

References

External links