Starting today, you can browse local artists’ work at the new Alliance Gallery at The Crossing Clarendon.Regency Centers, which owns and operates the 10-acre shopping hub, donated the 1,000-square-foot space to the Arlington Artists Alliance, a 24-year-old nonprofit with 200 members dedicated to making local art more accessible.
“We’re so focused on placemaking right now, making sure Arlington residents and visitors feel like they have a sense of belonging here, and we want to do that through showcasing local artists,” says Christina Papanicolaou, the alliance’s executive director. “It’s just such a great location, and The Crossing already has such an amazing community kind of vibe.”
She hopes that sense of togetherness spills into the boutique gallery’s space, too, which has a couch, chairs and a coffee table piled with art books. “It’s not just your conventional gallery where you walk in and you walk out,” Papanicolaou says. “If you wanted to hang out, you could.”
Papanicolaou curated the first show, which runs through Aug. 18 and is titled Ad Astra Per Aspera, a Latin phrase meaning “through hardships to the stars.” “It’s about empowerment, whether that’s gender or racial empowerment or self-empowerment,” Papanicolaou says.
Featuring pieces by alliance members Eleftheria Easley, Justyne Fischer, Pedro Ledesma, Anna Nazaretz Radjou and Nicole Tobin, the exhibit showcases collages, textiles, fiber art or prints.
The plan is to exhibit seven or eight shows a year, changing them out about every six weeks, she says. Although this first show is by alliance members only, the next will be a juried show called Locally Sourced that will showcase artists from Alexandria, Arlington, D.C. and Falls Church.
All exhibited pieces will be available for purchase at the alliance’s online store, and the gallery will soon house a mini gift shop with locally-made items such as notecards, coasters and ceramics. “I don’t know if it will be up for the grand opening, but it will certainly be there for the next exhibition,” Papanicolaou says.
That grand opening will take place Aug. 1 from 5-7 p.m. with food, drink and live music. RSVP to attend the free event here.
The new gallery builds on the alliance’s goal to increase local artist footprints throughout Arlington. The alliance has had a headquarters at Gallery Underground in National Landing for 13 years and opened a short-lived pop-up gallery in Clarendon in 2018. Papanicolaou says she hopes to find more gallery spaces in the future.
“We’re always seeking new space in Arlington,” she says. “We’re trying our best to spread out to show as many exhibitions of our artists around Arlington as possible, but space is hard to find.”
Alliance Gallery is situated in the breezeway between SoulCycle and ChipCity at 2700 Clarendon Blvd., Arlington. It’s is free and open to the public Thursdays-Sundays from 12-6 p.m.