38°48′18″N 77°02′23″W / 38.804869°N 77.039833°W
The Torpedo Factory Art Center is the former U.S. Naval Torpedo Station, a naval munitions factory on the banks of the Potomac River in Old Town, Alexandria, Virginia which was converted into an art center in 1974. The facility is located at 105 N. Union Street, near the eastern end of King Street.[1]
The Torpedo Factory Art Center is home to the largest number of publicly accessible working artist studios in the U.S. Each year, more than a half-million visitors interact with its community of artists.[2] As of March 2022, it housed 82 artists' studios, 8 galleries, and workshops, with some 165 professional visual artists who work in a variety of media, including painting, ceramics, photography, jewelry, stained glass, fiber, printmaking, and sculpture.[2] The Torpedo Factory has become a model of creative placemaking for other communities.[3][4]
Artists are selected as part of an annual jury and re-jury process. Once accepted, they receive a three-year lease of publicly subsidized rent.[5]