The Visual Arts Center of Richmond (VisArts) will be recognized for 50 years of service to the Richmond community with a proclamation from Mayor Dwight C. Jones during the Richmond City Council Meeting on April 22, 2013. This award will highlight the non-profit community arts center’s work in bringing studio art education to the children, adults, and seniors from throughout central Virginia.
“We are thrilled to receive this honor from the Mayor and the City Council,” said CEO and President, Ava Spece. “Our vibrant history is forged with such heart, love for our community, and quality arts learning. We are delighted to have played such an integral role in the development of a deep culture of arts and art appreciation in the city.”
The Visual Arts Center of Richmond was founded by Elizabeth Scott Bocock, and first opened to the public on May 2, 1963 as “The Hand Workshop.” Originally housed in the historic Whitlock House in Churchill, the center eventually moved to its current location the Richmond’s Fan District in the old Virginia Dairy Inc., building. VisArts currently serves more than 28,000 people per year through more than 400 classes, gallery exhibitions, and numerous educational and community outreach programs.
