ArtsFairfax, Fairfax County's designated local arts agency, has launched a program that converts lobbies, hallways and district offices into rotating gallery spaces for local visual artists.
The initiative, called "ArtsFairfax Presents," is active at three venues in southern Fairfax County, and the chair of the county's Arts Committee says the goal is to bring it to all nine magisterial districts, including Hunter Mill.
The program grew out of the Fairfax Regional Artist Survey, which collected 1,019 responses from practicing artists who live or work in Fairfax County. That survey found 56% of individual artists cited affordable exhibition space and networking as their top unmet needs. Of those who regularly present their work publicly, half show 75% or more of it outside the Fairfax region.
ArtsFairfax unveiled those results on June 25, 2025, at Reston Community Center at Hunters Woods.
Lloyd Tucker, director of the county's Department of Neighborhood and Community Services and chair of the Fairfax County Arts Committee, said the Lincolnia Senior Center installation "can be a model for future art galleries in all nine of Fairfax County's magisterial districts."
Stuart Holt, president and CEO of ArtsFairfax, said the organization is working with the county and property owners to identify spaces that can host visual art. He said the long-term goal is to expand the program beyond visual arts to include theater, music and dance.
Three venues are hosting exhibitions under the program. At the Lincolnia Senior Center (4710 North Chambliss Street, Mason District), a mixed-media show called "Images of America" displays 16 works from 10 artists exploring American identity and iconography. It runs through September 2026. A solo exhibition by artist Ariane D'Souza, "Naturally," is on view at the Office of Braddock District Supervisor Rachna Sizemore Heizer (9002 Burke Lake Road) through August 2026. A third exhibition is planned for Springfield Town Center in October 2026, timed to coincide with artoberVA, ArtsFairfax's month-long celebration of local arts and culture.
ArtsFairfax is accepting artist submissions for its next Lincolnia show, "Exploring the Great Outdoors," which will celebrate the county's green spaces and waterways and run from October 2026 through January 2027. Submission details are available at artsfairfax.org.
Upcoming arts calendar:
- Through August 23, 2026: Public Art Reston 2026 Scavenger Hunt, various Reston locations
- Through September 2026: "Images of America" exhibition, Lincolnia Senior Center
- October 2026 – January 2027: "Exploring the Great Outdoors," Lincolnia Senior Center (submissions open)
- Friday, October 30, 2026: ArtsFairfax Awards, Hyatt Regency Reston, 1800 Presidents Street
