The Isle of Wight Arts League

About:

The Collage, a commercial art gallery, first opened to the  public June 15, 1991 and within a few years, the operation of the renamed Smithfield  Cultural Arts Center was assumed by the Isle of Wight Arts League, a non-profit  organization dedicated to the development and recognition of the arts as an  important, multi-cultural contributor to the well-being and growth of the  community.

The Center for many years was situated in a Victorian,  turn-of-the-20th century house within the Smithfield Historic District. In early  2009, it moved to a renovated hardware store in the Historic District where it  shares space with the Smithfield / Isle of Wight Visitor Center and was renamed  The Arts Center @ 319. The relocation was part of a broader cultural tourism  initiative launched jointly by the Arts League and the Smithfield& Isle of Wight Convention & Visitors  Bureau to reposition  Smithfield as an arts destination. The Virginia Downtown Development  Association recognized the effort with its 2009 Award of Excellence for  Organizational Development.

The Isle of Wight Arts League has  historically been active in arts education through rotating art exhibits in the  Arts Center's galleries and through adult and youth classes in its dedicated  arts classroom.  Access to working artist studios brings direct exposure to  the arts to visitors and students.