November, 2011
Art in Public Spaces: Both Sides of the Lens Exhibition, part of Fotoweek DC
This exhibition showcased the work of DC youth that are part of Critical Exposure, an organization that teaches youth how to use the power of photography and their own voices to become effective advocates for school reform and social change. The students and their images have helped partnering organizations and campaigns secure more than $400 million in new funding for underfunded schools and facilities in DC, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. They have also worked to address other issues impacting youth, including job training opportunities, teen pregnancy, and DC’s dropout crisis.
CLICK HERE to learn more about Critical Exposure.
CLICK HERE to learn more about Fotoweek DC.
October, 2011
Art in Public Spaces: Dia de los Muertos: The Art of Remembrance
 
The Torpedo Factory Art Center partnered with Hungry for Music for the 3rd annual Day of the Dead extravaganza, featuring an exhibition of artist-made altars, in-studio Matchbox Altars, and a festive Costume & Dance Party featuring live music, costume contests, and more!
Target Gallery hosted an exhibition of altars made by local and regional artists, adorning the main hall of the art center. The gallery invited Shane Pomamjambo, owner of DC-area gallery, Art Whino, to select his top three altars. First Place was awarded to Blair Dobbins, Second Place to Michael Brown, and Third Place to Torpedo Factory artist, Lisa Schumaier. In conjunction with the exhibition, the public was invited to view a series of matchbox altars created by Torpedo Factory artists.
CLICK HERE for more details about this annual event.
October, 2011
Art in Public Spaces: Creativity & Mental Health
In connection with the Target Gallery’s exhibition, Masks, the gallery and the Friends of the Torpedo Factory Art Center worked with the organization Partnership for a Healthier Alexandria (PHA) to help raise awareness about the importance of art as therapy for mental illness. Highlighting National Mental Health Awareness Week, October 2-8, 2011, the Torpedo Factory Art Center had an exhibit in Site 2 and 3 Galleries a selection of photographs from the PHA exhibition “Art Uniting People – a celebration of creativity and mental health” and a series of masks made during a mask-making workshop, which was led by a team of art therapists from Creative Wellbeing Workshops.
CLICK HEREto learn more about Partnership for a Healthier Alexandria and their Anti-Stigma HOPE Campaign.
October, 2011
16th Annual Alexandria Art Safari
In 2011, the Torpedo Factory hosted the
fourteenth annual Alexandria Arts Safari. This free annual
event allows children to learn about the tools and techniques
of different areas within the visual arts. Children were invited
to paint, create clay forms, try printmaking techniques, fabric
collage, help create a giant paper mache animal, and try their
hand at other art activities, each lead by a Torpedo Factory
artist. Artists also held demonstrations where children are
able to work with artists' tools themselves or learn about
an art form by watching and interacting with the artist.
CLICK HERE for more details about this annual event.
July, 2011
Target Gallery:Special Programming in conjunction with Tory Cowles: Living LARGE! Exhibition
Round Table Discussion: Why Does Art Move You & Kids Art Painting Activity
 
On July 28th, the public was invited to join the gallery for a free, casual, enlightening art discussion led by artist Tory Cowles in response to her solo exhibition, Living LARGE! On July 30th, children were invited to this free painting activity to create their own abstract paintings inspired by artist Tory Cowles and her solo exhibition, Living LARGE! All art materials were provided.
CLICK HERE to see artwork from the exhibition and to learn more about the Artist of the Year program.
April, 2011
Target Gallery:The Nest Project with Habitat for Humanity
 
Target Gallery, in partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Northern Virginia, presented The Nest Project, in conjunction with the Target Gallery's juried exhibition Nest. This is a four-part collaborative project that included: A Juried Exhibition in the Target Gallery with a special receptio on, April 14th,
Ten Outdoor Installations along the waterfront by other local art centers and groups, a community built nest in the main hall of the Torpedo Factory,
and In-Studio nests created by Torpedo Factory Artists.
On Sunday, April 10th, Habitat for Humanity volunteers led a kid’s nest building workshop made out of found objects. This event was right outside of the Torpedo Factory on the dock and is open and free to the public.
CLICK HERE to learn more.
March, 2011
Target Gallery:March Madness exhibition fundraiser with March of Dimes
Target Gallery and the March of Dimes teamed up to raise money for both organizations with this fundraising exhibition, March Madness. The exhibition consisted of approximately 200 10x10” works of art. Torpedo Factory and DC-area artists, as well as local high school students from TC Williams National Art Honor Society created the artwork. The work was on display in the Target Gallery from March 17th – March 27th. All work was for sale for $100 with 10% of all sales being donated to the March of Dimes. In addition, several of the artworks will be “loaded” with prizes donated by local businesses. The goal of this fundraiser is to raise money and awareness for the March of Dimes, a charity that helps children in need, and to raise money for the Target Gallery’s 2011 outreach programming.
To accompany the exhibition, March of Dimes sponsored an art activity for kids whose families benefited from the March of Dimes. This activity was held at the Torpedo Factory Art Center’s main hall on March 19th, and was used as a tool to help raise awareness for their annual “March for Babies” walk held in May 2011.
CLICK HEREto learn more.
February, 2011
Target Gallery:Spoken Word with SPARK!
Target Gallery hosted an evening of spoken word inspired by their Mixing Bowl exhibition & the American Dream Act. Open to writers, musicians, and visual artists of all kinds, SPARK is a participatory creativity event that takes place four times each year.
Visit them online at www.getsparked.org
February, 2011
Target Gallery:Beyond Borders Film Screening
Target Gallery hosted a film screening of Beyond Borders on Friday, February 4, 2011 as part of special programming for their exhibition Mixing Bowl, an exhibition examining the hot topic issue of immigration in America today. We were excited to welcome our special guest Simon Burrow, Executive Producer of Beyond Borders. Burrow, who travelled from California, lead a panel discussion about the film, the issues of legal and illegal immigration, and personal stories of immigration in America. Additional panelists include our juror for Mixing Bowl, Briony Evans Hynson, Torpedo Factory artists, Carlos Beltran Baldiviezo and Mirella Belshe, Mixing Bowl artist, Claire Feng, and Studio Gallery in DC’s Melting Pot artist Joan Belmar.
CLICK HERE to watch a preview for the film and find out more about the event.
October, 2010
16th Annual Alexandria Art Safari
In 2011, the Torpedo Factory hosted the
fourteenth annual Alexandria Arts Safari. This free annual
event allows children to learn about the tools and techniques
of different areas within the visual arts. Children were invited
to paint, create clay forms, try printmaking techniques, fabric
collage, help create a giant paper mache animal, and try their
hand at other art activities, each lead by a Torpedo Factory
artist. Artists also held demonstrations where children are
able to work with artists' tools themselves or learn about
an art form by watching and interacting with the artist.
September, 2010
Target Gallery: Keys from the Crisis Campaign
The Torpedo Factory Art Center, The Art League, and Multiple Exposures Gallery partnered with the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC) to kick off their national campaign “Keys From the Crisis.” Through a variety of art related activities, the art center helped the NCRC tell the story of the foreclosure crisis to the public in a very visual way. The barrage of statistics, audible and written information about the foreclosure crisis have made it difficult for the average American to digest what is truly happening to families and neighborhoods. This exhibit humanizes an abstraction, presenting a visual explanation for what has become a national crisis. This powerful approach expresses the reality that so many Americans are facing today.
The NCRC will be collecting keys and the stories of affected families throughout their campaign, and the gallery assisted them throughout the month of September in collecting as many keys as possible. These keys are physical symbols that represent every family that has lost a home to foreclosure due to unfair lending practices.
June 4-11 , 2010
ReStore Chantilly Art Show
Restore Chantilly
4262G Entre Court, Chantilly, VA
Habitat for Humanity's ReStore Chantilly is partnering with the Torpedo Factory for a very special Art Show! Artists are creating works of art using recycled ReStore materials. Artwork will be on display from Friday, June 4th through Friday, June 11th with a special reception and silent auction on Friday, June 11th from 6pm -8pm. All proceeds from the silent auction will benefit Habitat for Humanity of Northern Virginia.
Reception and Silent Art Auction: Friday, June 11, 6-8pm
April 21 - 25, 2010
Target Gallery: TFAA Young Artist Showcase
To acknowledge the achievements of our
Alexandria visual arts education programs, the Torpedo Factory
Art Center is proud to be hosting the first annual exhibit
of the students of T.C. Williams High School and Minnie Howard
Middle School. Working with the visual arts faculty and Mr.
Gary Thomas, Curriculum Specialist for the Fine Arts for Alexandria
City Public Schools, Target Gallery is developing a program
to showcase our Alexandria high school students at the art
center in April of 2010.
School faculties will select the artwork
for exhibit. From this group, resident artists at the Torpedo
Factory will choose outstanding work for awards, which will
be presented at the ceremony and reception in April. Awards
will include donated art classes, supplies, framing, and other
art related items. Engraved crystal awards by international
artist Gerda Atzl will be created for permanent display at
the participating schools. The gallery hopes to expand this
program in 2011 to include more Alexandria schools in this
annual event.
Reception: April 25, 3-5pm; awards ceremony at 4:30pm
November 2 -
January 10, 2010
Target Gallery: Pandora's
Box Youth Outreach Project
The Torpedo Factory Artists' Association,
The Art League School, the City of Alexandria, the Charles
Houston Recreation Center, and the Black History Museum collaborated
on an exciting outreach project arising from Target Gallery's
upcoming exhibition, "Pandora's Box", an exhibition
that examines and interprets the themes of the Greek myth
of Pandora's Box.
Working with Rebecca C. Adams, Art League instructor, multimedia
artist, and Charles Houston artist-in-residence, a group of
10-15 children, ages 9 and up, created their own Pandora's
Box from a number of individual boxes. The students related
the myth to the life work of Charles Houston and the Civil
Rights Movement. In the Greek myth, although Pandora had been
warned not to open the box, she did so, and unleashed all
sorts of ills and hardships on mankind. Several centuries
later, Charles Houston, in response to the many ills of racial
discrimination, formulated the strategies that ended legal
segregation in education. The Gallery also hopes to raise
public awareness of the Charles Houston Memorial Project with
this outreach project.
The kickoff to this project began on November 2 where an orientation
for the youth and their parents was held at the Black History
Museum. The unveiling of the children's large Pandora's Box
installation took place at a special V.I.P. reception on December
10. The Target Gallery exhibition and the students' work will
be at the Torpedo Factory from December 10, 2009 to January
10, 2010.
Press Coverage
Alexandria News - December 11, 2009
NPR (WAMU 88.5) - December 22, 2009 on Art Beat with Stephanie Kaye
November 16 - 20, 2009
America Recycles Week Installation
Project and Green Art Expo
Installation project, November 16:
Torpedo Factory artists Lisa Schumaier and Alison Sigethy
teamed up with fellow artists Sondra Arkin and Veronica Szalus
to create a large on-site art installation at the State Department
headquarters building using State Department trash. The project
was the kick off event for "America Recycles Week"
being celebrated at the State Department and was displayed
during the entire week of November 16. The artists hoped to
heighten awareness of how much we throw away, and invited
viewers to think more creatively about alternatives.
Green Art Expo, November 20:
Ten artists showed what can be done with recycled materials
and a healthy dose of talent and creativity during the Green
Art Expo, part of closing day festivities celebrating "America
Recycles Week" at the State Department. Eight of the
ten green artists were Torpedo Factory artists: Carol Levin,
Lisa Schumaier, Alicia Roman, Jessica Beels, Tamara Embrey,
Alison Sigethy, Rosemary Luckett, and Janea Michelle.
October 10, 2009
Alexandria Arts Safari
In 2009, the Torpedo Factory hosted the
fourteenth annual Alexandria Arts Safari. This free annual
event allows children to learn about the tools and techniques
of different areas within the visual arts. Children were invited
to paint, create clay forms, try printmaking techniques, fabric
collage, help create a giant paper mache animal, and try their
hand at other art activities, each lead by a Torpedo Factory
artist. Artists also held demonstrations where children are
able to work with artists' tools themselves or learn about
an art form by watching and interacting with the artist.
May 28, 2009
Target Gallery: FRESH Graffiti Mural Event
The Torpedo Factory Art Center's Target
Gallery in connection with their FRESH exhibition sponsored
an art project on May 28th. Several local Alexandria teens
were invited to the art center to help create a large graffiti
inspired mural that celebrated the life and work of Charles
Hamilton Houston. One of the FRESH artists, Gabe Pons
led the kids through the project. Donated, once discarded,
old doors were transformed into this contemporary sculpture
honoring Houston's life and educating the teens and the public
about his contributions to helping end segregation. The art
center also helped collect art supplies for the Charles Houston
Summer Youth Art Workshop.The doors were auctioned off at
the Alex Arts Awards on October 23, 2009. Proceeds went to
the Charles Hamilton Houston Memorial.
April 9, 2009
Target Gallery: Community
Garden Installation
This outreach project was in connection
with the Target Gallery's Reclaimed exhibition, which
was focused on recycling and reuse. The outreach project invited
the community to help create a garden out of recycled materials.
The finished garden remained on exhibit at the Torpedo Factory
throughout the remainder of the exhibition and then traveled
to Artomatic in Washington, DC. It is currently on display
at the Mount Vernon Recreation Center in Alexandria, VA.
May 7 - June 1, 2008
Target Gallery: Make a Wish
Foundation's Wish Flag Project
Make a Wish Foundation's Wish Flag Project:
This outreach project was in connection with the Target Gallery's
Led by Thread fiber exhibition. The public was invited to
create wish flags in the spirit of Tibetan prayer flags that
were made out of materials supplied and donated by Torpedo
Factory artists. The flags and monetary donations were given
to the Make a Wish Foundation of the Mid Atlantic Region and
the flags are currently on display at their Mid Atlantic office. |
