Athenaeum | Northern Virginia Fine Arts Association

The Athenaeum: 150+/ 50+

150+ Years of History. 50+ Years of Art.

In 1965, the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Association (NVFAA) opened the Athenaeum, Alexandria's premier arts space showcasing regional artists in seven original art exhibitions each year. The Athenaeum offers concerts, poetry readings, poetry slams, dance performances, history and architecture lectures, arts demonstrations, book talks, and children's arts activities. Many of these events are offered free to the public.

Last year over 200 artists exhibited, and more than 11,500 people visited.

Admission to the Athenaeum gallery is always free, and many programs are free to the public. As part of its mission, the NVFAA is committed to preserving the Athenaeum, its beautiful 150 year old Greek Revival building. Help the NVFAA continue to showcase the arts for the next 50 years!!! Donations at the $100, $250, $500, and $1000 level receive corresponding membership benefits. See http://nvfaa.org/membership for details. Please join us in keeping the Athenaeum a vibrant part of the community!

Let's create artful experiences together at the Athenaeum!

Imagine back to the first music or dance performance you every saw, or when an art piece really moved you with its composition and colors. The thrill of those moments stay with you for a lifetime. During this year’s Spring2ACTion, let’s invest in creating more of those experiences that you can share, in real-time, as part of our visual and performance arts community at the Athenaeum.

With every donation we receive during 2025 Spring2ACTion, we are able to continue adding to that joy that comes with engaging with the arts created by our talented local contemporary visual artists, dancers, poets, musicians, and dedicated Athenaeum staff. But let us not forget about our historic building, which also benefits from your kind donations via annual historical restorations so we can welcome you through our beautiful doors in tip-top shape.

In August we added a handicap convenience ramp greatly expanding accessibility to our community.

We also refinished our main gallery floor.

All of this was possible because of your support!

A gift in any amount goes a long way in helping us serve the community by:

- Continuing to present free art exhibits featuring talented locally-based visual artists

- Connecting with established and emerging artists, poets, musicians, and dancers in a intimate historical setting

- Creating a space for our community to enjoy exclusive free and very low cost events and workshops featuring widely recognized artists

- Supporting our iconic building's historical preservation

- Providing high-quality arts and humanities programming all year long 

Special bonus! Gain an Athenaeum membership free of charge if you contribute $100 or more, which has one-of-a-kind perks and further access to our performances and building throughout the year. Please visit our membership page for details.

 

We invite you to join us in our mission to keep the arts alive and be part of local art history in the making. Please feel free to share our cause with friends and family via social media or by forwarding this link to our Spring2ACTion page. We appreciate your support and generosity, and we hope to see you soon at the Athenaeum!

Athenaeum Volunteer Testimonial:

I have volunteered for over three years at the Athenaeum. I see the commitment and the mission of the Athenaeum to make the arts accessible and free to the public, especially, in this beautiful historic building. We are in a fragile state in ways that the Arts are not being supported. This is one way to help!

 

Robin F

Thank you for your support!