For artists and art appreciators alike, McGuffey Art Center is the place to be.
Housed in a former elementary school (the classrooms were transformed into studios, galleries, and a gift shop), the artist-run cooperative was established in 1975, and celebrates all things creative, with exhibitions, classes, workshops, camps, and more.
“The City of Charlottesville leases this historic building to McGuffey at a discounted rate as part of its commitment to making art of all kinds—visual arts, dance, music—accessible to the public,” says McGuffey Art Center Operations Manager Bill LeSueur about the space that is home to more than 45 renting artists and 100-plus associate artists.
From individual artist spotlights to all-member shows, McGuffey’s galleries include a wide variety of work, such as L. Michelle Geiger’s “Flotsam,” which shows how discarded and recycled materials can be transformed into stunning ocean scenes, or the annual Summer Group Show that features recent work from both renting and associate members.
“In addition to members’ work, McGuffey’s exhibition schedule makes room for other groups in our community, including area high schools and The Charlottesville Black Arts Collective,” says LeSueur.
Classes offer creatives of all ages an opportunity to expand their skills in a wide range of mediums, from ceramics and painting, to fiber arts and performance arts (to name just a few). Whether you’re trying out a potential hobby or are an experienced artist, classes like Drawing Essentials and Introduction to Machine Sewing offer adults and older teenagers an opportunity to build their skill sets.
For younger artists, a variety of courses engage participants’ imagination. While most of McGuffey’s classes are meant for children 5 years and older, Blue Ridge Music Together is a year-round gathering for children from birth to kindergarten. Five- to 12-year-olds can try their hands at sculpting, drawing, and painting, or attend one of the center’s many summer camps.
Outside, the center paints its love for the arts with two rotating mural projects: Karina Monroy’s La Cultura Cura; Somos Medicina covers McGuffey’s north wall with vibrant butterflies and pomegranates that decorate the entryway, while the Red Shed Mural Project, showcasing the work of Laura Lee Gulledge and her students from the 2021 Street Art Camp, delights with swirling hues, neon green, and pink flora, all branching along an amorphous blob on the building’s, well, red shed.
Post-pandemic, McGuffey has continued its virtual offerings, which are available online. Check out the center’s figure drawing video or watch one of the numerous artist talks or poetry readings. Throughout the summer, the center also hosts Thursday Evening on the Lawn, which has something for everyone, with music, dancing, life drawing, open artist studios, and food trucks.
Later this year, McGuffey holds its annual Día de los Muertos celebration. “Organized by member Estela Knott in 2011 along with a number of groups in the community, this joyful holiday brings hundreds of volunteers and participants together for a day of prayer and remembrance of friends and family who have come before,” says LeSueur, who adds: “We are a community of artists dedicated to practicing our art and to passing on the creative spirit.”