April showers have come and gone and now May flowers are in bloom in Virginia! There are many exciting things to do in the spring and early summer, and Del Ray Artisans have you covered. Their annual Spring Art Market event has been going on for the past fourteen years and will be held on May 12th in Alexandria, Virginia from 10am – 4pm. This is a wonderful opportunity to purchase handmade artwork from talented local artists. They offer a wide range of products including ceramics, jewelry, photography, fiber, paper, and glass.
Del Ray Artisans is a nonprofit organization that promotes local artists around the community. They continue to organize community-based arts activities for the public to come and see. The idea of the Spring Art Market was to make the art products more readily available to the public, since before they would put art on display in their gallery and at the end of each month, people could buy the art if they wanted.
“This gives artists an opportunity for the public to see their work rather than just submitting to the gallery once a month,” Stacy Rausch, the program director at Del Ray Artisans gallery, said. “We try to make it a community event. Everyone is welcome to come by.” Rausch also used to sell photography at the Spring Art Market.
The Spring Art Market holds about twenty to twenty-five vendors selling all of their art products. You don’t have to be a member to sell or stroll through to see all the pieces local crafters make and it is free to the public. The market will be held in the Del Ray Artisans gallery parking lot, rain or shine. Right next to the gallery is Nicholas A. Colasanto Park, so people who bring their kids to the field can stop by the market next door for some interesting shopping fun.
According to Rausch, there is also an “Atomic Dog” art exhibit going on inside the gallery May 4th to the 27th from 7-9pm. This heart-warming show features photography, painting, sculpture, and inventive mixed media of all kinds. For more information on the organization, please visit www.delrayartisans.org.