It may not provide the typical visual art gallery fare, but the Charlottesville Community Design Center was originally conceived as a gallery. In an August 2004 letter from former executive director Katie Swenson to Piedmont Housing Authority’s Stu Armstrong, Swenson characterized the CCDC as "a gallery space dedicated to the dissemination of ideas concerning the urban initiatives facing Charlottesville."
Five years later and, fittingly, CCDC began its month-long anniversary celebration on First Friday, the night during which local art galleries unveil new exhibits. Executive director Jane Fisher unpacked boxes of new CCDC T-shirts while guests stopped at exhibits labeled with tags like "Public Spaces Matter" or "Neighborhoods Matter," each highlighting the CCDC’s contributions in the respective areas. She told C-VILLE that the celebration continues next week with talks from the likes of The Bridge/Progressive Arts Initiative co-founder Greg Kelly and architect Bill Atwood, and the "Dance Like You Give a Damn" dance party. For more details on the CCDC’s fifth anniversary and exhibition hours, check out the space’s website here.