EIN: 54-2043690
Mission Statement
Our mission is to champion a vibrant visual arts community by providing exhibition space, professional development, and creative experiences for Arlington’s community. Our vision is to inspire Arlington visual artists to reach their full potential and to enhance Arlington’s quality of life with visual arts, culture and placemaking. Our core values are creativity, inclusivity, camaraderie, and collaboration.
Program Summary
Our organization is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2025. We have strong evidence of past grit and determination, fostering a strong artistic community and delivering quality artistic events throughout Arlington.
Our diverse group of over 200 local artists provide the core of our program. We provide an inclusive community to share ideas, mentorship and growth opportunities to the benefit of our artists and the community. We create and exhibit approximately 8 exhibitions at our new Alliance Gallery per year. At least two exhibitions are created to promote underserved communities. The remainder of the exhibitions are juried by acclaimed artists with both DMV and member artists invited to participate. In addition we hold 3 weekend long art sale events for the community, collaborate with local businesses and government offices to display our artwork. And to give back to our community we partner with local non profit groups such as True Ground to support mental health and Home is Where the Art Is to donate local original art to those in need.
To highlight a few:
Arlington Career Center Exhibition
For the forth year in a row, the Alliance will support local students through a collaborative partnership that engages teenagers in all aspects of exhibition production – from exhibition concept, art creation, framing, promoting and curating the exhibition.
Spring and Winter Artful Weekends at Fort C.F. Smith Park
It’s A Steal
Earth Day on Langston Boulevard
ONGOING:
Through feedback from our partners and program participants, we have learned that our organization provides the artistic knowledge and curatorial expertise that can enhance our partner’s offerings. We meet evident and sustained community needs, attested by our growth in membership, testimonials from community partners, and long-term partnerships with businesses throughout the county.
Christina Ascani – Arlington Career Center teacher/partner – “Over and over, students highlight the gallery show as one of the best parts of their school career and as a teacher, it’s always so beautiful to see students work together and celebrate their talents as a community. We are so thankful to the Arlington Artists Alliance for their support and dedication to showcasing students and their creativity.”
Impact Statement
Our artists, partners and community members attest to the significant impact we create for them and our community, the Alliance designs and implements over 110 events annually, providing 1115 artist opportunities and providing exhibitions, displays, and interactive art to over 17,000 Arlingtonians and visitors.
Some of our on-going partnerships include:
As a small business incubator for artists providing opportunities to sell; we drive foot traffic to unique artistic spaces, attracting residents and tourists alike. We provide and sustain a culture of arts in Arlington.
We are proud that we were able to pivot from the loss of our Gallery Underground and studios in 2024 and found and built a new boutique gallery – the Alliance Gallery. We have increased community engagement with record-breaking show attendance, created new programs with partners, established new community exhibitions, increased artist sales, increased funding, and diversified and increased membership and staff.
What ways can the public get involved?
How are charitable dollars spent? Where does my donation go?
Unfortunately due to the redevelopment of the Crystal City Underground and the subsequent loss of our free space there we now need to pay rent for the first time in our 25 year history.
Charitable dollars are spent on supporting our staff, paying rent and utilities, expanding exhibition and teaching opportunities to our artists, supporting our student shows (student artists receive 70% of the sales amount, and we donate the remaining proceeds from this show back to the school’s art department). For example $67 provides the services and supplies needed for 1 student to participate in the Career Center Student Show. We had 70 students participate last year.
Information provided March 2025