Torpedo Factory Art Center - - Alexandria, VA Review

I asked my sister, who has lived in Alexandria, Virginia, to take me on a trip to the past. I wanted her to find the officer’s housing from the old Navy Gun Factory. All she could show me was the Torpedo Factory, and that didn’t support personal memories, but started all new ones.

This Torpedo Factory was established at the close of WWI in 1918. It served our country until it was sold to the city in 1969, and on September 15, 1974, after extensive renovation, it opened its doors to the public as the Torpedo Factory Art Center.

Within are three floors of old military structure cubicled into little shops and artistic display of all kinds representing 165 visual artists. We wandered among stained glass, fiber, sculpture, photography, ceramics, Asian influence, African influence and more.

My sister was wearing new shoes, which were wearing blisters on her ankles. She asked if I had brought any band aids with me. I had not. A gallant hero appeared in the form of David Cochran, an artist known for his jazz club and social commentary paintings. He led us to his 3rd floor studio where he produced an abundance of bandages of many sizes, and instructed my sister to patch her ankle and be sure to take extras for when the first ones wore off. He then disappeared, allowing us to drink in the beautiful scenes on display. That encouraged us to check out the 3rd floor where we could enter the different studios and even speak to the artists. We even found the photographer whose black-and-white prints were hung in our hotel room. Everywhere we looked there was color and texture and unforgettable images. Sadly, due to time restraints, we had to leave this visual banquet, and left through a shop which was an art unto its own. Primarily a home decorating shop, the items hung from every available space – floor, walls and ceiling. My photo makes it seem cluttered, when it reality it was an extension of the art I had seen before.

The Torpedo Factory Art Center has a website at http://www.torpedofactory.org

If in the area, will I visit again? You bet I will. Only next time I’m going to plan a whole day around the excursion and read every page offered on the website, so I am more prepared to understand the art around me.