Open House & Artist Reception

Open House & Artist Reception:

Friday, May 15, 2026, 5pm – 8pm

Join us at Crossroads Art Center for an enchanting evening on Friday, May 15, 2026, from 5-8p.m., as we unveil our new Exhibitions at our May 2026 Open House + Artist Reception. This event promises a delightful showcase our Gallery Member Exhibition Theme: “Sun, Moon, Stars” and our ever-popular Juried All-Media show. Plus, an exhibit by the Staff entitles “CAC Worker Bees Collection”. Join in the festivities and savor delectable drinks, scrumptious food, and entrancing music.

The event on Friday, May 15, 2026, is the perfect place to explore our latest exhibitions and potentially discover your next favorite artist.  While at the open house you can also meet several local authors who will be signing books – Leah McClure, John Bryan and Mary Burruss.

May Gallery Member Exhibition Themed: “Sun, Moon, Stars”

Our ever-popular Gallery Member exhibition is being held this month live in house and online with the theme: “Sun, Moon, Stars”. This show is reserved for gallery members at Crossroads Art Center. Become a gallery member today! https://www.crossroadsartcenter.com/pages/gallery-membership

Crossroads Art Center invites artists to reach beyond the horizon in “Sun • Moon • Stars,” a themed exhibition celebrating the wonder, symbolism, and mystery of the cosmos. From bright, life-giving sunlight to the quiet pull of the moon and the infinite shimmer of distant stars, this show welcomes artwork inspired by the skies above and all they represent.

Let your imagination orbit ideas of light, shadow, rhythm, cycles, astrology, astronomy, mythology, and the universal human connection to the heavens. Whether literal or abstract, bold or serene, we encourage all interpretations that explore our relationship with the celestial world.

CAC Worker Bee Collection

Crossroads Art Center is proud to present the CAC Worker Bee Collection, an exhibit celebrating the talented and dedicated staff who help make our gallery thrive. Opening May 15, 2026, and on view through June 28, this special exhibition shines a light on the creativity behind the scenes.

Our staff does so much more than support artists and customers, they are artists themselves. This exhibit is our way of recognizing their hard work, passion, and artistic voices, as well as their commitment to making Crossroads Art Center a vibrant and welcoming space.

Join us in celebrating the people who keep the hive buzzing.

May Juried All – Media Show

Crossroads Art Center hosts a bi-monthly call for entries for the Juried All-Media Show with cash prize awards. Come explore the selected artworks showcasing local artists and their mastery of form, color, and medium. Jury: 1708 Gallery Representative

1708 Gallery’s mission is to empower artists’ ideas and voices so they can create works that matter to our communities.

We believe that artists are catalysts for new ways of thinking, connectors of different perspectives, and conveners of the curious. We facilitate opportunities with Richmond-based, national, and international artists to offer our communities diverse ideas and visions from across the field of contemporary art.

History

1708 Gallery sprang from a group of impassioned artists in September 1978. A group of rising stars from Virginia Commonwealth University including Dan Brisbane, Richard Carlyon, Tom Chenoweth, Ron Coleman, John Crabbs, Tom DeSchmidt, Gerald Donato, Willie Hall, Chris Hayman, Heather Holden, Davi Det Hompson, Richard Kevorkian, Sharon Lawless, James Miller, Harold North, Curtis Ripley, Joe Seipel, Chris Silliman, Lester Van Winkle, Brett Wilson, and Morris Yarowski were looking for a space for the risk-taking work of contemporary artists.

They founded 1708 Gallery, a nonprofit arts organization run by artists, in a flood-damaged Richmond warehouse at 1708 East Main Street, where they showcased an exciting mix – alternative art forms, large-scale pieces, important works – not driven by commercialism.

1708 Gallery personified the post-Vietnam Era, America after Watergate, showing art that questions, challenges, and redefines traditional boundaries. Just as New Yorkers turned to Franklin Furnace, Richmonders turned to 1708 Gallery for experimental work and an alternative to the comfortable art scene. In it’s original Shockoe Bottom location, 1708 contributed to the stabilization and redevelopment of that area.

Through the many decades, the gallery has evolved and thrived. 1708 fought the culture wars, transitioned across generations, and adapted to a new cultural climate and funding demands. 1708 Gallery has kept its edge and has become a vital force in its community. In 1993, 1708 Gallery acquired and renovated an historic building at 103 East Broad Street in the heart of Richmond’s historic retail district. In September 2001, the Gallery moved to its current location at 319 West Broad St.

Today, a combination of guts, maturity, and openness defines 1708 Gallery, one of the oldest artist-run galleries in the nation. 1708 Gallery’s mission to expand the understanding, development, and appreciation of new art remains firm, as does our passion for incubating new art and new artists.

1708 Gallery continues to connect the community to the work of living artists and is a leader among Richmond’s art scene.

Featured Exhibition Dates: Friday May 15, 2026 – Sunday, June 28, 2026

Featured Exhibition Open House and Artists Reception Date: Friday, May 15, 2026, 5pm – 8pm

Featured Exhibition Hours: Tuesdays– Saturdays, 10:00am – 5:00pm, Noon – 4:00pm Sunday