Visual Arts Center of Richmond
Art for everyone. Creativity for life.
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Art After School
Art After School is a creative-arts program that believes, through the process of art making, young people can develop a greater self-confidence and a deeper awareness of the world around them. Art After School engages an inclusive and diverse youth community in multi-week classes in the visual and literary arts. Held onsite at VisArts and offsite at partner locations to expand the program reach, all classes are taught by working artists using professional studio equipment and materials. Partnership with several middle schools in the Richmond Public School system ensures 400 students each year have regular access to meaningful arts education led by caring instructors. Through creative expression, students begin to see their abilities and themselves in a new light.The program culminates in a celebratory public expo of student that reinforces for students that they have something important to say, and that art makes our communities special.
Make Space
Make Space is an outreach program that pairs 12 sixth grade girls who live in challenging circumstances with 12 women mentors for a shared journey through art-based leadership and personal development workshops. The program culminates with each girl and mentor team using the artwork they created to transform the girl’s bedroom into an inspiring environment, making a new space to study, live, and dream within. By experiencing leadership and life training through a hands-on learning process, art exploration, and creative mentoring, the women and girls expand the way they see and engage in relationships, transforming spaces and lives—inside and out. An in-depth program, girls enjoy 70+ active contact hours with their mentors. VisArts is proud to partner with Anna Julia Cooper Episcopal School to engage all the girls in their 6th grade class with Make Space programming each year.
Studio S
Studio S art classes are designed to nourish the minds, bodies, and spirits of our city’s seniors. Multi-week hands-on arts classes stimulate creative thinking, help seniors realize hidden talents, and provide social opportunities in a creative atmosphere. By working with colors, patterns, textures, and tools, Studio S participants keep their minds flexible, improve memory, and maintain dexterity. The opportunity to socialize and create something beautiful with their hands reinvigorates our senior students and encourages healthy aging. Studio S participants enjoy classes in a variety of media including clay, wood, fiber arts, painting, printmaking, glass, drawing, and oral histories. In the past, classes met once a week for three hours over a six-week period. Studio S students also enjoy guided tours of exhibitions in VisArts’ acclaimed True F. Luck gallery. We partner with area organizations and the YMCA growing younger program to reach seniors living in Richmond’s East End. Seniors receive a combination of art, music and exercise classes through this partnership.
Summer ArtVenture
Summer ArtVenture offers week-long studio art classes in a positive, nurturing learning environment. Each class provides focused attention on a specific media, skill or subject, and each week brings a selection of unique choices. All classes are taught by a professional artist and artists-educators who will help inspire and develop individual expression.
Morning studio classes (9:00am – 12:00pm) and afternoon studio classes (1:00 – 4:00pm) classes are available for all age groups. Enrollment is limited to 10 students per class to allow for individual instruction and learning. Some classes integrate teamwork or collaborative projects.
A limited number of scholarships are available each year and are awarded on the basis of need.
Where we work
Affiliations & memberships
CultureWorks 2021
Greater Richmond Chamber of Commerce 2014
Partnership for Nonprofit Excellence 2014
Virginia Association of Museums 2014
Virginia Mentoring Partnership 2014
Scholastic Art & Writing Awards 2021
External reviews

Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Visual Arts Center of Richmond
Board of directorsas of 03/10/2022
David Shuford
Retired (Dominion)
Term: 2020 - 2023
Kate Ackerly
Peter Blair LLC
Term: 2021 - 2024
Zhiela Ashtiani
Lustre Home
Jenny Bassett
Artist
Caprice Bragg
VMFA
Kristine Becker
Davenport & Company
Nicole Bielawski
Altria
Sanford Bond
3 North
Katie DeLuca
McGuireWoods
Karen Kelly
Self Employed
Zachary Hunt
Peake Law Group
Sue Ann Messmer
VCU
Dianne Nordt
Artist
Joel Ray
Davenport & Company
Steven Ridge
Dominion Energy
Diego Sanchez
Artist
Frankie Slaughter
Artist
Claire Tilton
Retired
Norvell Whitaker
Community Volunteer
Jere Williams
Collegiate School
Jeff Wilson
Padilla
Jane Sper
Kutak Rock LLP (retired)
Clare Tilton
Community Volunteer
Caitlin Porada
Dominion Energy
Stephen Humble
VPM
Virginia Lewis
Community Volunteer
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? GuideStar partnered on this section with CHANGE Philanthropy and Equity in the Center.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
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Gender identity
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Sexual orientation
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Disability
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