Alexandria's Community Supported Art (CSA)
Making art collecting more accessible to the masses
The City of Alexandria has kicked-off the second annual Community Supported Art (CSA) Program. Built upon the traditional Community Supported Agriculture model that connects local farmers with consumers, this CSA is designed to build relationship between artists and communities.
The Alexandria CSA operates on an annual basis. Each box, or share, includes six original works of locally produced artwork. Only 50 shares are available each year at $250 each, about $42 per work of art.
This year's box includes original works by:
Pooja Campbell, Germantown, Maryland -- Oil Paintings
- Josh Manning, Copper Hill, Virginia -- Ceramics
- Bruce McKaig, Baltimore, Maryland -- Gelatin Prints
- Lynette Reed, Fredericksburg, Virginia -- Fiber/Silks
- Jim Schlett, Reston, Virginia -- Photography
- Gaylia Wagner, Washington, DC -- Metalwork
Community Supported Art programs are cropping up across the U.S. They're a great entry point for people to become art patrons at an affordable price. It also introduces seasoned collectors to local emerging and mid-career artists. Most importantly, it provides income and a growing audience for working artists in our community. Artists become more visible and thereby more valued.
Boxes are distributed during the Pick-up Party on Wednesday, September 27, at the Durant Center, located at 1605 Cameron Street in Alexandria. CSA members can get to know the participating artists, meet their fellow shareholders, and see what other works of art people go home with.
Alexandria Collaborators
The Alexandria Collaborators (ACT for Alexandria, Alexandria Regional Council for the United Way of the National Capital Area and the City of Alexandria) periodically host organizational capacity-building workshops. The FREE workshops for local non-profit organizations and artists, but require advance registrations. Workshops will be posted here in the future.