Saturday 11/8 & Sunday 11/9
Now in its 31st year, the Artisans Studio Tour offers opportunities for the public to experience the work spaces of Central Virginia’s finest artists, craftspeople, and makers. This weekend, 47 artisans open their spaces for A Journey Through Artful Lives and Timeless Craft, providing visitors with insights and explorations of the practices, processes, and stories behind their work. The tour features creators working in diverse media, from hand-thrown pottery and weaving to metalwork, glass, woodcraft, and mixed media, showcasing a diverse range of mediums and artistic visions. Guests are invited to explore 24 studios in the Charlottesville area, meet the makers, and immerse themselves in local creativity and culture. Find the tour map and learn more on the event website. Free, 10am–5pm. Locations vary. artisanstudiotour.com
Angelo Jewelry 220 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. “To Hold The Light,” recent canvases exploring themes of luminosity, scale, and collective presence by Randall Stoltzfus. November 7–December 31. First Fridays reception 5pm.
Crozet Artisan Depot 5791 Three Notch’d Rd., Crozet. “Bits & Pieces,” mixed media mosaic works by Christy Dunkle. “Blue Mountain Fall,” handcrafted jewelry by self-taught silversmith Rain Sabin. Both shows run through November 15. The Winter Gift Market, a curated celebration of local talent featuring guest artists and crafters alongside current exhibitors. November 19, 2025–January 4, 2026.
C’ville Arts Cooperative Gallery 118 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. “When Pigs Fly,” assemblage art by Karen Rexrode celebrating the magic of optimism, dreams, and daring to believe in the improbable. November 7–December 3. First Fridays opening reception with the artist, 5–8pm.
The Fralin Museum of Art at UVA 155 Rugby Rd. “Haiti’s Time: Selections from the Collection of Beverly and John Fox Sullivan” draws upon works by some of this island nation’s most esteemed artists to reveal exceptional paintings that offer a timely view of Haitian history, spiritual realms, and daily life. Through January 4, 2026. “In Feeling: Empathy and Tension Through Disability” features works by nine contemporary artists that reckon with how we empathize. Exploring the relationship between empathy and tension, this exhibition highlights and celebrates perspectives that challenge assumptions about ways of being and living. Through January 4, 2026. “The World Between: Egypt and Nubia in Africa,” showcases the deep cultural embeddedness of ancient Egypt in Africa, beyond merely acknowledging its geographical position on the African continent. The exhibition demonstrates the complex interaction of different cultures in Egypt and Nubia, from prehistory through the post-Meroitic era. Through June 14, 2026.
The Gallery at Studio IX 969 Second St. SE. “New Work,” explorations of nature through the precision of pencil lines with subtle streaks of color by Yakima Bokoles and textural paintings by Dave Moore. Through November 30. First Fridays opening reception, 5–7pm. Artist talk November 20, 5–6pm.
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. “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. “Tjukurpa | Handle It,” sculpture and mixed media works by Robert Fielding. Through January 11, 2026.
“Maatja-Maatja | For the Next Generation: Printmaking at Mimili Maku Arts,” a group show featuring prints by various artists. Through January 13, 2026.
Jefferson School African American Heritage Center 233 Fourth St. NW. In the Contemporary Gallery, “Finally Remembered: The Black Patriots of Central Virginia” shines a light on the African American men and women who served in the Revolutionary War, curated by Dr. Shelley Murphy. Through January 31, 2026. 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 Rouss & Robertson Halls third floor, East Lawn. “Beyond the Surface,” paintings by Susan Willis Brodie and Ellyn Wenzler. Through December 12.
Les Yeux du Monde 841 Wolf Trap Rd. “NINFEO (explorations, studies and responses),” a solo exhibition of new work by internationally recognized artist Wolfgang Buttress featuring drawings, paintings, and music. Through November 16. “GROUNDING,” works by Annie Harris Massie. November 22–December 21.
McGuffey Art Center 201 Second St. NW. In the Sarah B. Smith Gallery, “<< Inaccrochable >>,” mixed media works by Christopher Headings. In the First Floor Gallery, the 14th Annual Dia de Muertos Celebration, featuring community and personal altars. In the Second Floor North Gallery, “Dear Grace,” artworks by incarcerated transgender artist Grace Moskowitz. Artist Talk with curator Maryanna Williams November 8, 2pm. In the Second Floor South Gallery, “Pastel Expressions,” unique interpretations of landscapes, still life, portraiture, and figures by 14 local pastel artists from Piedmont Pastelists. All shows run November 7–16. First Fridays opening receptions and Day of the Dead Community Celebration November 7, 5:30–8pm.
Milkweed Clay Studio 700 Harris St., Suite 101. “Handmade for the Holidays” winter market, with ceramic works by the artists of Milkweed Clay Studio. November 15, 10am–3pm.
Mudhouse 213 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. “There…” explores the emotions of a moment in abstract landscape paintings shaped by memory, movement, and atmosphere, capturing the essence of experiences that words often fail to hold, by Susan Haley Northington. Through December 3.
New City Arts 114 Third St. NE. In the Welcome Gallery, “Decadent Dissolution,” paintings and sculpture in pursuit of a deeper understanding of self and consciousness, by Chloe Clayborne. November 7–22. First Fridays opening reception 5–7:30pm, with an artist talks at 6pm.
The PVCC Gallery V. Earl Dickinson Building, 501 College Dr. “Playing in the Mud,” works by master potter and professor emeritus Tom Clarkson and friends. The “Annual Faculty Art Exhibition” samples a wide variety of media from the diverse team of teaching artists at PVCC. Both shows run through November 8.
Rare Book School in UVA’s Edgar Shannon Library 160 McCormick Rd. In the second-floor gallery, “Famous & Forgotten: The Game of Authors,” showcasing the card game of Authors, along with more than a dozen writers featured in its decks during the last 150 years. Through November 12.
Ruffin Gallery UVA Grounds, Ruffin Hall, 179 Culbreth Rd. “The Thirteenth Chair: A Multimedia Experience,” exploring transformation through a contemporary reenactment of the Last Supper via video, installation, and performance, by Maria Villanueva and Sean Lopez with choreography by Rori Smith. Through December 12. Opening reception and performance October 30, 5–7:30pm.
Second Street Gallery 115 Second St. SE. In the Main Gallery, “Time and Again,” photo-based mixed media and installation works by Corinne Diop. In the Dové Gallery, “What Remains,” mixed media works and sculptural assemblage inspired by the Gothic aesthetic by Zofie King. Both shows run through November 21. Free Family Studio Day event November 15, 10am–2pm. Ticketed film screening and reception with Zofie King and The Dunnington Mansion Foundation November 15, 4:30–6:30pm.
Virginia Book Arts Old Train Station, 600 E. Water St. An open house featuring artists’ books on display, printing demos, and hand printed cards for purchase. First Fridays event November 7, 5–7PM.
Images courtesy of the galleries and/or artists
