Northern Virginia Fine Arts Association
2015 Annual Report
July 1, 2014–June 30, 2015
Contents
For the 50th year, the Northern Virginia
Fine Arts Association (NVFAA) has
succeeded in filling the Athenaeum with
art while continuing stewardship of its
historic building.
195 artists exhibited / performed / taught at the Athenaeum. 11,260 people
visited the Athenaeum.
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6
Mission
6
Board of Trustees/Staff
7
About the NVFAA
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July 1, 2014 –June 30, 2015:
Year in Review
The NVFAA presented 7 original
visual arts exhibitions, 31 performances,
and 11 art, literature, and history
lectures at the Athenaeum.
Improvements to the Athenaeum
building included the restoration of the
columns on our portico, repair of the
c. 1916 globe lights that flank the front
door, and the installation of sound
absorbent material in the main gallery,
which reduced the echo and improved
the acoustics for concerts and other
performing arts events.
Letter from the President
Amy Heiden, President of the
Northern Virginia Fine Arts Association
Visual Arts
Performing Arts
Literary Events
Arts and Education Partners
Community Partnerships
Preservation
Membership
Support Awarded
Future
Financial Position
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Donors
Letter from the President
Amy Heiden, President of the Northern Virginia Arts Association
Dear NVFAA Members
and Advocates,
On behalf of the board of trustees, thank you for your support of
the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Association (NVFAA) and of its
mission. I’m delighted that we are publishing the organization’s
annual report, which covers FY2015 (July 2014–June 2015). This
letter provides a snapshot on the state of the organization,
including a preview of FY2016 plans.
Overview
2014 marked the 50th anniversary of the NVFAA’s founding as a
non-profit organization, and 2015 is the 50th anniversary of the
Athenaeum’s opening as a regional arts center. The Athenaeum
Gallery holds seven exhibitions annually—each lasting six weeks—
of works by contemporary regional artists. The Athenaeum is one
of the few privately owned historic buildings in Alexandria open
to the public free of tariff. The NVFAA aims to build on recent
success and to expand its reach beyond Alexandria, attracting
talented artists and performers and visitors alike. Momentum is
generated by the following:
Membership
At the end of FY2015, there were over 160 active members of the
NVFAA. Since FY2013, the membership level has increased by
400%. Membership dues revenue increased by 8.5% in FY2015.
Staffing and Volunteers
The NVFAA has a full-time Executive Director, a part-time Events
Coordinator, and a part-time Gallery Director, all of whom are
assisted by volunteers. The NVFAA is governed by a 10 member
Board of Trustees, comprised of volunteers with experience in the
arts, historic preservation, fundraising, architecture, and business
administration and other relevant areas of expertise. In FY2015, 21
volunteers contributed approximately 2000 hours to the NVFAA.
Expense Control
The NVFAA owns the Athenaeum building and has no debt.
The Athenaeum’s Gallery Director provides all services pro-bono,
representing approximately $50,000/year in donated time.
Diversifying Revenue Streams
• Corporate Sponsorship
During FY2014, the NVFAA received its first corporate
sponsorship, a relationship that continues through the present.
TTR | Sotheby’s International Realty supports the NVFAA by
sponsoring a series of exhibits each year and by promoting
the Athenaeum and its programs. FY2015 sponsorship funding
increased by 50% as compared to FY2014 ($15,000 vs. $10,000).
• Individual Donors
Due to a successful Spring2Action campaign, the NVFAA’s
number of individual donors is at an all-time high at 90, with the
donor base being geographically diverse beyond Virginia.
• Art Sales Income
FY2015 art sales were 40% higher than in FY2014
($23,954 vs. $17,110)
• Recurring Rentals
FY2015 represented a 7.5% increase in revenue over FY2014
($15,847 vs. $14,738).
• Foundation Support
FY2015 foundation funding doubled FY2014 ($16,000 vs. $7,900)
• Significant Pledged Support
Preservation related awards and pledges secured but not
collected represent nearly $46k and positively impact the FY2016
financial position.
• In total, for FY2015 more than $54,000 was invested in
Athenaeum maintenance and restoration.
• Selected by The Washington Post as one of the area’s most
influential galleries outside Washington, DC (2013).
• The National Trust for Historic Preservation chose the NVFAA
to participate in its Partners in Preservation program (2013).
The NVFAA initiated a campaign to compete for funding among
Washington, DC landmarks—and was awarded a grant.
• In FY2015, nearly 200 artists exhibited, performed or taught at
the Athenaeum.
• During 2015, launched the Athenaeum Invitational, a curated arts
competition with monetary awards given to selected artists.
The intention is for the Athenaeum Invitational to become an
annual event.
• Significant acoustic improvements in the Main Gallery, for which
a total of $12,500 was donated by six individual donors.
Amy Heiden
President, Board of Trustees
Northern Virginia Fine Arts Association
• Offered 80 performing arts/literary events during FY2014, while
offering 69 events in FY2015.
Multiple building-related projects were completed in 2014–2015 or
designated for future funding:
• Renovation of the two iron sconces that grace the building’s
front portico.
Warm regards,
• The Washington Post’s Galleries column reviewed many of the
recent installations. In addition, Michael O’Sullivan featured
several exhibitions in The Washington Post’s Weekend section,
and critical reviews have appeared in the Art and Style section.
(2013–2015)
• Raised gallery attendance by 20% to 10,000 during FY2013,
and by 20% to more than 12,000 during FY2014. In FY2015
attendance dropped slightly to 11,260.
• Restoration of the four Doric columns, funded by a $15,000
grant from Historic Alexandria Foundation and a match of
$15,000 by an anonymous donor.
In closing, I would like to express my gratitude to the NVFAA
board, staff and volunteers—whose contributions allow the NVFAA
to put on excellent fine arts programs and events and to keep
the Athenaeum open to the public free of charge four days a week.
If you are not already involved, we welcome you!
Recent Programmatic
Accomplishments
Preservation and
Other Improvements
• Extensive repair of the two large windows on the west façade,
thanks to a grant of up to $10,000 by the Alexandria Association.
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• The east stucco façade restoration, a project estimated at
approximately $50,000, has been designated to receive funds
of nearly $31,000 from individual donors and $5,000 from the
Historic Alexandria Foundation.
• Recognized with a grant from the Puffin Foundation in support
of December 2016 art exhibit Notes on the State of Virginia.
• Awarded operating expense funding for FY2016 by the Dimick
Foundation.
• Garnered support from the Virginia Foundation for the
Humanities for FY2016 lecture series Women of Alexandria.
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Mission
Board of Trustees
and Staff
About the NVFAA
The Northern Virginia Fine Arts
Association is dedicated to the pursuit
of excellence in all forms of art
and to establishing programs that
will enrich the cultural life of Northern
Virginia and the surrounding
metropolitan area. As the primary
site for these activities, the NVFAA
owns and maintains the historic
building called the Athenaeum.
NVFAA programs are open to the
public and include:
Board of Trustees
T
Amy Heiden
President
Patricia Montague
Vice President
Esther Carpi
Treasurer
Anne Kelly
Secretary
Mia Bass
Laura Clarke
Sean Denniston
Sally Jones
Jon Wilbor
Ashley Wilson
• Art exhibits, lectures, and
demonstrations featuring local and
regional artists
Catherine Aselford
Executive Director
• Performing arts events
Richard Webber
Events Coordinator
• Yoga, ballet and other dance classes,
as well as visual arts education
programs
he Athenaeum is a contemporary art center, open to the
public 15 hours per week. Since beginning as a branch
of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in 1964, the NVFAA has
operated the Athenaeum as Alexandria’s premier independent arts
center featuring the visual arts, dance, music, and poetry.
The NVFAA’s activities include a year-round program of
seven visual arts exhibitions, as well as music, dance and poetry
performances, and other arts/educational activities at the
Athenaeum in Old Town Alexandria.
The Athenaeum is among a few Alexandria historic buildings
owned by a non-profit organization that is open to the public free of
charge. The NVFAA maintains a collection of historic artifacts which,
along with a copy of Mathew Brady’s Civil War photograph (below)
of the building, is on display to the public during gallery hours.
The building was constructed in 1851–1852 as the Bank of
the Old Dominion. Robert E. Lee banked here, as did many other
prominent Alexandrians. During the Civil War occupation of
Alexandria, Federal troops commandeered the building, which they
used as Commissary Headquarters for the Union Army. After the
Battle of Bull Run/First Manassas, the building served as a triage
facility for wounded Union soldiers. The Bank of the Old Dominion
did not survive the Civil War, but another bank occupied the
building until 1907, when the Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Shop
bought it. Stabler-Leadbeater used the building as a factory for
grinding talcum powder, a popular necessity during hot Southern
summers. In 1925, the building became the Free Methodist Church.
Eventually the church outgrew the building. When the Northern
Virginia Fine Arts Association purchased the building in 1964, it
had been standing empty for several years.
After renovating the building, the Northern Virginia Fine Arts
Association opened it as an arts center in 1965. The Athenaeum is
on both the Virginia Trust and National Register of Historic Places.
Staff
Gallery Director
Twig Murray
Interns/Volunteers
Loan Nguyen
Cultural Project Intern
Elizabeth Avila
Cliff Bryant
Robert Brown
Alex Kadduri
Peter Lattu, volunteer of 10 years
Ben Nardolilli
Bryan Peters
Siul Rivera
Tyler Spence
Gary Stephans
Following the occupation of Alexandria by Union forces, the building was taken over and became the Chief Commissary Office of the U.S. Commissary Quartermaster.
The NVFAA has a copy of a photograph taken by Matthew Brady showing Army officers outside the building during the period.
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July 1, 2014 – June 30, 2015:
Year in Review
Left: Eve Stockton, Silver Seascape Diptych
1, 2014, woodcut print on paper, 36 x 72" (as
diptych), from Saturate
Below far left: Lee D’Zmura, China Radish
watercolor, 16 x 20", 2014, from Preserving Our
Heritage
Below center: Lisa Semeraud, 4T, pigment
sticks 22 x 28", from Influence and Inspiration
Below far right: David R. Allison, Icon #7, 2006,
11 x 14", archival pigment print, from Icons
Visual Arts
Symbolic Spaces, works by Francie Hester, continued from
the previous year. Hester’s works on steel and aluminum combine
machine-tooled precision with paint, wax, and raw pigment
to explore concepts relating to the passage of time, the rhythm
of random events, and memory. Symbolic Spaces was one
of the Athenaeum’s best-attended and best-selling exhibits
of 2014–2015.
We celebrated Alexandria with Influence and Inspiration:
Highlights from Art League’s Finest Teaching Faculty Over
Sixty Years. Many of the region’s most notable artists have
taught at the Art League over the years. The NVFAA collaborated
with the Art League to highlight its superb talent and dig into
the fundamentals of influence and inspiration.
Symbolic Spaces by Francie Hester
Enveloping Time by Robert Cwiok
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In American Icons, David Allison’s photographs reflect not only
American culture, but also the photographer’s personal interpretation
of our culture. Some of his images are classic, some are whimsical,
some are satirical, but all are masterfully shot and printed.
Juried by Susan Frei Nathan, Preserving Our Heritage
showcased works by members of the Botanic Arts Society of the
National Capital Region. The Washington Post ’s Mark Jenkins
praised the exhibition, saying, “But what’s most remarkable
about this show at the Athenaeum is the painstaking craft of the
contributors…. Large gestures are pointedly absent from these
artworks, which are mostly, but not exclusively, watercolors. Each
tiny flick of the brush is equally important.”
About Unearthed/Unleashed, Mark Jenkins wrote, “Nature
guides local artists Michael Gessner and Joanne Kent, but it
leads them down different paths…. Gessner’s wood-and-paper
pieces are outsized yet delicate, emulating the forms of leaves
and insects. Kent’s abstractions pay homage to nature principally
through color and texture…. Such works as Amphibious and
Lucent Snail are marvels of symbolic bio-engineering.”
Robert Cwiok’s paintings, collage, and mixed media works lead
visitors on a visual tour through the development of an artist in
the solo exhibition Enveloping Time. Elements emerge, evolve,
and fade away—only to appear, reimagined, decades later. Text,
print ephemera and envelopes are visual leitmotifs throughout his
career—but the heart of the work is just as often what might lie
behind the text as it is the face value.
During Rara Avis the large gallery featured the meticulously
drawn, then deconstructed, or sculpturally altered birds on paper
by Beverly Ress. The rear galleries showcased the collaborative
work of artist Langley Spurlock and poet Martin Tarrat.
The Winged Bestiary, an Abcedarium of Feathered Nonsense—
includes Scarts, Urks, Ockers, the Wall Street Ninnybot, and the
rare Barcafungle.
Saturate, which continued through July 2015, features the work
of five regional artists. “Eve Stockton’s large woodcuts…arrange
Asian-like nature motifs in regular patterns and water-world
colors. Stephen Estrada’s oils…depict the meeting of surf and
submerged shore, often in storm-cloud or midnight hues. Like
Estrada, Abby Kasonik favors muted or dark views of sea and sky,
but where his style is precise, hers is freer. [Kasonik’s Untitled
Saturate #9 is] one of the show’s standouts, fixes a distant moon
in a liquid sky; it’s both impressionistic and dramatic…. Three of
Lahti’s pictures gaze into shallows, where watery distortion and
reflection make solids appear a little soft. Most epic is Niagara #2,
which distills the famed falls to mists, clouds and a few patches
of startlingly green water.”—Mark Jenkins, The Washington Post
Above left: Michael Gessner, Amphibious, multimedia,
2014, from Unearthed/Unleashed
Right: Beverly Ress, Red bird with circles, color pencil
on paper laser cut and reattached, 30 x 22", 2012,
photo by Mark Gulezian, from Rara Avis
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Jane Franklin Dance performs at the Athenaeum
Author Michael Lee Pope launches Wicked Northern Virginia at the Athenaeum
Children learn about history and art at the Athenaeum
Restoration of the Athenaeum’s Doric columns
Performing Arts
Literary Events
Arts and Education Partners
Community Partnerships
In January, we expanded our 2nd Thursday Music into a 2nd Thursday
Live performing series that includes Dance and Poetry.
Standouts among musical performances were concerts by
The Noctonals, The Aloha Boys, and local solo artists Bill Thomas
and Meigs Hodge. Other highlights were our annual Edgar Allen
Poe reading, improv performances by The Retrocessionists, and a
performance of music, dance and poetry by Persephone’s Circle.
In addition to ticketed performances, the NVFAA offered free
Music in the Gallery and Dance in the Gallery performances,
featuring local artists as well as The Navy Band Chamber Players,
one of the top wind ensembles in the world.
In September, the NVFAA partnered with the Alexandria Library
to present Alexandria Banned Book Week, presenting a Banned
Book Read-Out, a lecture on the history of banned books, and
a comedy improv performance, Library Survivor. Alexandria Banned
Book Week was supported in part by the Freedom to Read
Foundation.
Five authors, including Alexandria’s Ron Goldfarb, Garrett
Peck and Michael Lee Pope launched books at the Athenaeum.
Once again, the Athenaeum hosted the City of Alexandria’s
Poem in Your Pocket Day featuring past and present Alexandria
Poets Laureate.
Both the Washington School of Ballet and Jane Franklin Dance
continued to offer classes at the Athenaeum. ACW Dances, in
addition to performing, designed programming to include dance
in Alexandria Banned Book Week. Gary Stephans offered informal
ballroom classes Monday evenings.
Arts on the Horizon drew over a thousand people to the Athenaeum
to see its performances for young children.
The Athenaeum hosted a one-day exhibition of work by
developmentally challenged artists though an ongoing partnership
with Art Options/St. John’s Community Service.
In addition to arts and education partnerships, the NVFAA
partnered with:
• The Hunting Creek Garden Club for its Historic Garden Week
Marketplace;
• The Royal Scottish Country Dance Society for a
demonstration/performance during the Alexandria Scottish
Christmas Walk weekend;
• Portner Brewhouse as they revived their 19th century brand
at a tasting event;
• Whole Foods Market as they offered children’s craft events
and a lecture/tasting on early American fruits and vegetables.
Attendees at the 2014 La Zona Rosa celebration
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Preservation
A generous grant from the Historic Alexandria Foundation, matched
by the gift on an anonymous donor, allowed us to restore the
Athenaeum’s four Doric columns. Waters Craftsmen stripped the
failing paint from the columns, repaired the chips and cracks in the
stucco coating, and repainted the repaired columns with 3 coats
of Keim silicate mineral paint. Surfaces painted with Keim mineral
silicate paint do not peel or chip, and do not need to be repainted
for approximately 25 years.
With help from experts in historical lighting at the Brass Knob,
the NVFAA restored the two cast iron and glass globe light
fixtures that flank the Athenaeum’s front doors. These electric
lights are not original to the building but were installed circa 1916.
The NVFAA was awarded a grant from the Alexandria Association
that will fund the restoration of the building’s west facade windows
during Fiscal Year 2016.
Membership
While the NVFAA has members throughout the Washington, DC
metropolitan area, our membership is concentrated in Alexandria.
Where do our members live?
■
■
■
■
■
■
■
Old Town
Other Alexandria
Arlington
Other Northern Virginia
Washington, DC
Maryland
Other
2%
3%
5%
5%
Future
The NVFAA concludes its 50th year with exciting plans for arts
programming and for building preservation. The Athenaeum
Invitational opened September 10, 2015. The Invitational is a themebased exhibition featuring works from both invited artists and from
an open-call submission process. Jack Rasmussen, of the Katzen
Art Center at American University, will determine the winners of
the $1,500 and $1,000 prizes. TTR Sotheby’s International Realty
generously sponsors the Athenaeum Invitational.
Work has begun on the restoration of the Athenaeum building’s
two west wall windows. Oak Grove Restoration has discovered the
original Cypress hardwood under 160 years of paint.
Financial Position
6%
18%
Individual Support
The NVFAA received $19,559 in donations from 93 different
individuals, including a consortium of six donors who donated $12,500
to add of sound absorbent material to the ceiling of the
main gallery. For the first time since 2012, the NVFAA participated
in Spring2Action. Three members of the Board of Trustees
sponsored a Spring2Action matching grant.
The NVFAA Board has also pledged $30,750 towards the
restoration of the Athenaeum’s east façade.
63%
Support Awarded
Foundation Support
• Historic Alexandria Foundation for east façade restoration
• Moose Family Foundation for general operating
• Alexandria Association for restoration of windows in the
Athenaeum’s West Wall
• Puffin Foundation for support of Notes on the State of Virginia
City of Alexandria Support
• Alexandria Commission for the Arts for general operating
Rentals of the Athenaeum continue as the NVFAA’s greatest
income stream. Corporate donations increased 50% since FY2014.
Due to a successful Spring2Action campaign, the NVFAA’s
number of individual donors is at an all-time high. Art Sales income
was 40% higher than during FY2014. Several new foundations
funded programs and restoration, or committed to funding future
projects: The Freedom to Read Foundation, Puffin Foundation, and
the Alexandria Association.
Operating Income
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■
■
■
■
■
Site Rentals
Donations
Membership Dues
Visual Arts
Grants
Other
6%
6%
14%
40%
14%
20%
Corporate Support
For the third fiscal year, TTR Sotheby’s
International Realty, with offices in
Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC, has provided major
support for the NVFAA’s visual arts programs. During FY2015, TTR
Sotheby’s sponsored a series of art exhibits and committed funds
for additional art exhibits in FY2016. TTR Sotheby’s is the sole
sponsor for the inaugural Athenaeum Invitational arts competition,
allowing prizes totaling $2,500 to be offered to selected artists.
In addition to providing monetary support, TTR Sotheby’s helps
promote the NVFAA/Athenaeum to the regional community
through email marketing, fundraising appeals, and quarterly report
features. TTR Sotheby’s also publicizes Athenaeum exhibits via
print ads in local newspapers.
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Operating Expense
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■
■
■
■
■
Staff
Building
Visual Arts
Marketing
Site Rentals
Other
11%
6%
36%
6%
14%
27%
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Donors
Anonymous (11)
Victoria Alexander
Catherine & Terence Aselford
Leslie Badani
Philip Baedecker
Mia & Tim Bass
Dennis Bertsch
Lynn Schmidt & Jim Burkholder
Twiss & Patrick Butler
Richard Dana
Larry Calvert
Rob Carney
Esther & Kenneth Carpi
Laura M. Clarke
Caryn Fox & Mike Clayberg
Marcia A. Cochran
Cheryl Anne & David Martin Colton
Jared Creason
Sean Denniston
Lisa Dougherty
Loti & H. Stewart Dunn, Jr.
Martha Ellett
Deborah Ellis
Arthur Gershman
Lauren Hammersen
Belinda Hardesty
Amy Heiden
Carrie Heiden
David Heiden
Courtney Hengerer
Francie Hester
Mary Page F. Hickey
Maria Hopper
Elizabeth & Robert Huffman
Dave Jourdan
Juliana Kelliher
Anne & Don Kelly
Harry Mahon
Rob McDonald
Mary McElveen
Patricia Montague
Marty & Temple Moore
Nancy Morgan
Caitlin Mullaney
Twig Murray
Joy Nathan
Amy Rogers Nazarov
Loan Nguyen
Ashley O’Connor
Garrett Peck
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Kevin Peck
Thom Probus
Virginia Rocen
Katherine Rolle
Ellouise Schoettler
Gary Stephans
Rachel Scotto
Kristy Simmons
Langley Spurlock
Lauren Stack
Larkin Stevens
Ruth Trevarrow
Richard Webber
Ted Williams
Suzanne Winland
Margaret Wohler
Lynn Wyvill
Susan Van Pool
Laurie Zapalac
Athenaeum
Northern Virginia Fine Arts Association
201 Prince Street, Alexandria, Va 22314
703.548.0035 | www.nvfaa.org