April 4–27
McGuffey Art Center’s Mid-Atlantic Juried Show presents works from more than 75 artists for this dynamic exhibition that showcases artistic excellence and diversity from across the region, including artists residing in Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Washington, D.C., and North Carolina. Juror Jeffrey W. Allison, of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond, will speak briefly at the First Fridays opening and give awards for best in show, second, and third place. A people’s choice award decided by public vote throughout the run of the show will be announced at a later date. First Fridays opening reception, 5:30–7:30pm. As a partner of the Tom Tom Festival, McGuffey Art Center will also host open artist studios and co-creating activities on April 19, from 11am–5pm. This is a family-friendly, free event, with no registration required. McGuffey Art Center 201 Second St. NW. mcguffeyartcenter.com
Chroma Projects Inside Vault Virginia, Third St. SE. In the micro gallery, “Near and Farther Places,” featuring intimate and beautiful small-scale still life studies by Charlottesville artist Blake Hurt, in a two-part exhibition. April 6–25. In the Great Halls of Vault Virginia, “Near and Farther Places,” larger landscape paintings from a recent trip to Portugal in the second part of artist Blake Hurt’s extended exhibition. April 6 through the month of June.
Create Gallery at InBio, Inc. 700 Harris St., entrance off Dale Avenue. “1×4 Show,” a vibrant showcase of creative art quilts in which each piece measures 1’x4’. Featuring 16 artists from the Fiber & Stitch Art Collective of Central Virginia. April 1–May 30. First Fridays event May 2, 5–7pm.
Crozet Artisan Depot 5791 Three Notch’d Rd., Crozet. “Playful Colors and Shapes,” experimental and playful jewelry by Friederike Dussaud-Garnier. “Recent Works,” acrylic and pastel works displaying a wide range of styles and subject matter by Mae Stoll. Both shows run through April 30. Meet the artists event April 19, 11am–1pm.
C’ville Arts Cooperative Gallery 118 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. “New Member Trifecta: Fabrics, Photography, and Watercolor,” featuring fine felted fabrics by Barbara Brecher, incredibly detailed photography by Seth Silverstein, and watercolor wonders from the sky and beyond by Martha Pullen. Through April. First Fridays reception with the artist 5–8pm.
The Fralin Museum of Art at UVA 155 Rugby Rd. “Structures,” a selection of 20th- and 21st-century works exploring the ways that art can speak to or question the formal, physical, environmental, social, and institutional structures of our world. “Celebration” features works by five African American artists highlighting the ways these artists honor history, culture, and heritage through various media. “Joan Mitchell: Uncovering 100 Years,” Abstract Expressionist paintings. “Between Hand and Scroll: Torah Pointers from the Barr Collection,” a selection of more than 80 Torah pointers (yads) made of gold, silver, pearls, jewels and additional materials. “O’ Powa O’ Meng: The Art and Legacy of Jody Folwell,” contemporary pottery from Kha’p’o Owingeh (Santa Clara Pueblo, New Mexico). Through June 15. All shows run through July 20, 2025 unless otherwise noted.
The Gallery at Studio IX 969 Second St. SE. “Bob Marley was a Cobbler,” featuring landscapes, animal portraits, and a glimpse into the cosmos through paintings by brothers Zachary and Thomas Sherman. Through April 27. First Fridays opening reception, 5–7pm.
IX Art Park 522 Second St. SE. “The Looking Glass,” an immersive art space featuring a whimsical enchanted forest and kaleidoscopic cave. Ongoing.
Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection of UVA 400 Worrell Dr. “Milpa: Stop-motion animation by Spinifex artists,” animated films from the remote Western Australian town of Tjuntjuntjara. Through June 15. “In the Beginning: Paintings by Senior Artists of the Spinifex Arts Project,” presents the bold, dynamic work of internationally renowned artists from the Spinifex Arts Project. Through March 8, 2026. Free stop-motion animation workshop for children ages 11–14, April 26–27, 11am–3pm. Registration and accompanying adult required.
Jefferson School African American Heritage Center 233 Fourth St. NW. In the Contemporary Gallery, “807,” photographs documenting the artist’s former family home in the small Appalachian town of Clifton Forge, by Kori Price. Through April 23. Permanent exhibition, “Pride Overcomes Prejudice,” exploring the history of peoples of African descent in Charlottesville. Ongoing.
The John P. & Stephanie F. Connaughton Gallery at the UVA McIntire School of Commerce McIntire School of Commerce, Rouss & Robertson Halls third floor, East Lawn. “Parallel Dimensions in Color,” paintings and mixed-media works by Lee McCraw-Leavitt and Laura Thompson. Through June 16.
Les Yeux du Monde 841 Wolf Trap Rd. “FACES,” a body of new oil pastel portraits on paper by Russ Warren, offering a window into the psyche of his subjects while drawing on influences the artist thoughtfully engages with. “New Works,” recent pieces across mediums including monochromatic monotypes, oil paintings, and a body of luminous mixed-media works on torn paper with atmospheric, layered applications of ground, oil, pigment, and graphite, by David Hawkins. Both shows run through May 4.
Mudhouse Downtown 213 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. Adam Reinhard’s new landscape paintings, drawn from recent trips to Maine and Alaska, as well as the beautiful farmland surrounding his home in Charlottesville. Through May 1. First Fridays event 6–8pm.
New City Arts 114 Third St. NE. In the Welcome Gallery, “On seeing + being: presence in the midst of anxiety,” an exhibition of new work by photographer Ben Fey, touching on the themes of motion, the passage of time, light and shadow, small moments, and nostalgia. April 4–19. First Fridays opening reception 5–7:30pm, with an artist talk at 6pm.
Phaeton Gallery 114 Old Preston Ave. “See How the Farmer Waits,” a solo exhibition of paintings exploring themes of patience, stewardship, and the quiet beauty of rural life by Michigan-based artist Hope Olson. Through April 27. First Fridays opening reception 5–8pm.
Ruffin Gallery UVA Grounds, Ruffin Hall, 179 Culbreth Rd. Department of Art 4th-Year Thesis and Aunspaugh Fellowship Exhibitions, featuring digital art, film, painting, performance, photography, printmaking, and sculpture. April 7–May 9. Exhibitions change weekly, with receptions on April 7, 11, 18, 25, May 2, and May 9, 5–7pm.
Second Street Gallery 115 Second St. SE. In the Main Gallery, “HOME,” an interdisciplinary group exhibition of works exploring the rich and varied interpretations of “home” within Black communities, curated by the Charlottesville Black Arts Collective. In the Dové Gallery, “Charlottesville Porch Portraits,” featuring images of local residents captured during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic by photographers Ézé Amos, Tom Daly, Kristen Finn, John Robinson, and Sarah Cramer Shields. Both shows run April 4–May 23. Ticketed exhibition preview and fundraiser, April 3, 5:30–7:30pm. First Fridays opening reception 5:30–7:30pm. “HOME” Artists in Conversation gallery talk, April 23, 5:30–6:30pm. “Charlottesville Porch Portraits” Artists in Conversation gallery talk, May 21, 5:30–6:30pm.
The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Charlottesville 717 Rugby Rd. Nature-inspired textile-based artworks by Janice Walker. Through April.
Visible Records 1740 Broadway St. “seeds of connection: dreams of freedom” weaves together multidisciplinary abolitionist project The People’s Paper Co-op and an ongoing abolitionist community project at Visible Records. Featuring interdisciplinary works by incarcerated artists from across the U.S. April 4 through May 31. First Fridays opening reception 6–9pm. Prisoner letter-writing events, April 10 and May 8, 6–8pm. Prison in Twelve Landscapes film screening and grill out in the garden, May 1, 7pm. Blue Ridge bail fundraiser show featuring Public Acid, Spicy Meatball, and Blue Spring, May 2, 7pm.
Featured photo: Marcy Criner, “Aspen in Bed,” 2022, photograph, 12 x 12 inches. Image courtesy of McGuffey Art Center.
Images courtesy of the galleries and/or artists
