As part of the continued revitalization efforts of TFAC, the City established a stakeholder task force charged with helping develop a coherent approach to vibrancy and sustainability in alignment with the principles for TFAC adopted by City Council at their meeting on December 14, 2021. The TFAC stakeholder process, which concluded in 2023, provided recommendations for the long-term vibrancy and sustainability of TFAC, including the transition to an alternate governance structure. 

Following the conclusion of the task force, staff undertook market scan efforts to inform the parameters and approach to governance transition. The market scan comprised of (1) conducting comparable facility interviews in 2023 and early 2024, (2) facilitating focus group meetings among stakeholders in 2024, and (3) issuing a request for information (RFI) in 2025 to understand interest, capacity, and capability of potential operators to lease, manage, and operate the Art Center. Following staff’s update to City Council regarding the RFI at the June 10, 2025 meeting, and the review of the responses, staff prepared a solicitation to receive proposals to lease, manage, and operate TFAC. The solicitation was structured to allow maximum flexibility in proposed management and operational approaches and did not assume a specific governance model for TFAC. At the January 24, 2026 public hearing, City Council requested that the solicitation documents be amended to identify additional historical archaeology artifacts that could be considered for inclusion at the Torpedo Factory Art Center to understand respondent interest. These additional archaeology artifacts include the 18th century fifty-foot ship discovered at the Hotel Indigo site.

Following City Council’s direction, staff amended the solicitation documents with the requested information, and presented the revised documents to City Council.  Pursuant to City Council discussion and approval to initiate a solicitation process at the Tuesday, February 10, 2026 Legislative Meeting and the Saturday, February 21, 2026 Public Hearing, the City issued and publicized the solicitation via various forums including advertisement in a local newspaper, notifications to various operators of arts centers and entities who had signed up for updates from the RFI process, and the Commonwealth’s eVA procurement marketplace. 

At the Tuesday, May 12, 2026 Legislative Meeting, City Council received and referred the proposal from “Scout Urban, LLC” to the City Manager to be reviewed and further evaluated by City staff based on the City’s established criteria and begin negotiations as applicable. The City Manager will bring the successfully negotiated franchise agreement to City Council for approval. The timing of when the recommendation returns to Council depends on the length of the negotiation. The City reserves the right at the City Manager’s sole discretion to reject any and all bids and to terminate negotiations at any stage of the selection process. In the event of rejection of the bid or unsuccessful negotiations, Council directed the City Manager to provide recommendations regarding alternatives. 

This effort underscores the critical role TFAC plays in fostering a vibrant and thriving arts ecosystem in Alexandria. As the City moves forward, it remains committed to ensuring TFAC continues to serve as a vital hub for creativity and culture.

As part of the continued revitalization efforts of Torpedo Factory Art Center, the City established a stakeholder task force charged with helping develop a coherent approach to vibrancy and sustainability in alignment with the principles for Torpedo Factory Art Center adopted by City Council at their meeting on December 14,2021. 

Click here for information about the Stakeholder Task Force including meeting presentations and recordings. 

They used to make torpedoes

Ground broke on the U.S. Naval Torpedo Station in 1918, the day after Armistice Day ended WWI. Mark 3 torpedoes—like the silver model through the red doors to your right—began production in 1920. This building held the completed torpedoes as they waited to be shipped via the Potomac. The factory operated for five years before becoming munitions storage.

During WWII, the Torpedo Station grew to 16 buildings with 5,000 non-segregated employees. They produced Mark XIV torpedoes, including the green torpedo in the Grand Hall. The bright paint indicates it was a test torpedo, making it easier to spot through binoculars at the Naval Torpedo Test Range in Piney Point, MD. This building is one of the last structures from the original factory.

Less than two months after V-E Day, they built the last torpedo on June 18, 1945. Production shifted to rocket motors before the plant shuttered in June 1946.

In the 1950s, the complex converted to the U.S. Federal Records Center and stored large federal collections. Captured Nazi documents were translated from German for the Nuremberg War Crimes Trials. Smithsonian dinosaur bones and other oversized objects and archives were also housed here. The City of Alexandria acquired the complex in 1969.

In 1973, many roads met to form a new cultural hub in Alexandria. Marian Van Landingham, as president of The Art League, sought a new building to house the nonprofit. Alexandria was also preparing for its Bicentennial celebrations and wanted to improve the derelict waterfront by 1974. James W. Coldsmith, editor of the Alexandria Journal, suggested Van Landingham consider the abandoned torpedo plant, solving two problems at once.

Van Landingham rallied the community and City Council around the idea. She joined the City of Alexandria’s staff as the Art Center’s first director from 1974 –1975, before embarking on a decades-long political career in the Virginia General Assembly in Richmond.

The Art Center was originally pitched as a three-year experiment. Under the direction of Van Landingham’s successor, Margaret Alderson, the longest-serving director to date, the Art Center established itself as an edifying mainstay for the region. 

Artists earn studios through a multi-phase competitive jury process. Meet them as you visit all three floors. Spark your creative spirit by watching them work. Bring home original art, too.

Learn more at torpedofactory.org.

Torpedo Factory Art Center is managed by the City of Alexandria’s Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities through the Office of the Arts. Learn more at alexandriava.gov/arts. Follow @alexartsoffice on Instagram.

There was no Open Call for studios in 2025. As a result, only artists who have already been juried in will be eligible for studio opportunities. 

A determination has not been made for 2026. Please check back for updated information in Spring 2026. 

For past Open Call information, including the Jury Report, visit torpedofactory.org/opencall