Lorton Arts Foundation & Workhouse Arts Center

Workhouse Arts Center

The Workhouse Arts Center, a program of the Lorton Arts Foundation, provides essential visual and performing arts studio and exhibition space as well as engaging arts education programs for people of all ages and artistic abilities. Set on 55 acres of land in the historic D.C. Workhouse and Reformatory, the Workhouse provides a home for more than 150 of the regions finest professional and emerging artists as well as cooperative studios, performance and theatre venues, dedicated gallery space, and event facilities.

Our Mission
The mission of the Workhouse Arts Center is to enrich the lives of all within its reach by creating a vibrant cultural community that fosters a diverse offering of arts, education, social, and entertainment experiences for people of all ages.

Project Overview
Phase I of the Workhouse Arts Center’s construction encompasses the redevelopment of historic structures for artist studios, exhibition spaces and performing arts and event facilities; community and professional arts education programs, and corporate/community event spaces. Ten of the 30 historic buildings are open to the public beginning September 2008.

Phase II of construction includes the build out of a theater-in the-raw space, an events center, outdoor event facilities at the Music Barn, and a 40 unit, artist-in-residence colony, which will provide a much needed live-work arrangement for artists.

A former gymnasium has been selected to be transformed into a studio theater with seating for up to 300 people. The building adjacent to the theater, as well as the intervening courtyard, will be used for theatrical support and rehearsal purposes. The original Workhouse cafeteria will be converted into an events center with ample space to host solo and group exhibitions by selected artists. In addition, the public can rent the space to stage private events accommodating groups of up to 600 people. The Music Barn amphitheater area will be graded in Fall 2008 to host outdoor events as early as Spring 2009.

Future Plans
As the Workhouse Arts Center grows, a 35,000 square foot, state-of-the-art performing arts complex will be constructed by renovating and combining several Workhouse buildings located directly behind what will become the events center. Dance venues, performing arts education and other musical performing arts activities will be the focus of this project. Additional plans include garden areas, recreation, restaurant and entertainment facilities, and a history museum. When completed, the proposed arts center will occupy approximately 294,000 square feet of community arts facilities and approximately 40 acres of open space.

Lorton Arts Foundation

The Lorton Arts Foundation is at the heart of an exciting transformation. A humble community in Southern Fairfax County will soon be invigorated by the remarkable “adaptive reuse” of the former D.C. Lorton Correctional Complex. LAF is leading this innovative effort with the creation of the Workhouse Arts Center at Lorton - an extraordinary 55-acre arts center designed to promote, facilitate and provide life-long arts education opportunities. Our plan will celebrate the architectural significance and convey the fascinating story of this historic landmark while creating an inspirational center for artistic expression. We welcome you to become part of this unparalleled opportunity to sculpt a diamond in the rough into a nationally recognized, cultural gem

Construction and Programs
The Workhouse will make a momentous contribution to the cultural landscape of the region by integrating history, arts, education and recreation within a dedicated facility designed for community involvement and enrichment. It will fulfill the urgent need for affordable visual and performing arts studio and exhibition space as well as provide the facilities and tools needed to offer engaging arts education programs for people of all ages and artistic abilities. In addition to providing a home to over 150 of the region’s finest professional and emerging artists, the Workhouse will provide cooperative studio, theatre venues and dedicated gallery space for use by other arts organizations. Ultimately, the Workhouse will become an important arts destination, drawing participants and audiences of all ages from the Washington metro region and well beyond.

Due to the scale of the site’s transformation, the Workhouse will undergo two dramatic phases of renovation. The first phase of the project will bring the spirit of the Workhouse alive in late 2007 by rejuvenating 12 historic buildings.

Phase I will provide the Workhouse with outstanding facilities in which artists and students will create and exhibit their works. A wide variety of art disciplines will be supported while providing an environment designed to stimulate creative expression at all levels. More than just a series of static displays, the Workhouse will provide space, tools, time, expertise and an interactive venue for artists working in the fields of light and heavy visual art, theater, music, dance, film, digital and print media, and much more. Art and exhibit fabrication shops, production studios and workshops will all be open to public view, blurring the lines between rehearsal or “back-lot” work and front-of-the-house presentations. In addition to the core art, education and historic themes there will be facilities for conferences, lectures and workshops, as well as for community entertainment and events.

The second construction phase will rehabilitate and convert the remaining buildings on the site to include the renovation of the barn into an outdoor performance center, the design of a 10-acre arts garden and the beginning of the exciting work of building our proposed National American Women’s Suffrage Museum.

Education is a core component of the Workhouse’s mission. Our plan will offer engaging, life-long education programs though dynamic, daily courses of instruction to both children and adults. All art disciplines presented at the Workhouse will have an education component and each studio building, as well as the gallery, will include dedicated education space. In addition, LAF has partnered with key educational institutions to further promote arts education in our community and the region. We have already begun art programs at the new South County Secondary School . These programs are the perfect enhancement to SCSS’s curriculum and serve as a supplement for the severe reduction of art education classes in Fairfax County public schools. We have also developed a strong relationship with Northern Virginia Community College and plan to partner with them to teach accredited courses in the arts at the Workhouse.

Phase I Financing
During our 50-year lease with Fairfax County , we will invest in the preservation, renovation, promotion and operation of the Workhouse. The total investment required to complete Phase I and support initial operations through 2010 is $39,000,000. We have completed a 30-year industrial revenue bond financing that provides $19,000,000 for construction. Due to the fact that the Workhouse is listed on the National Historic Register, we are able to finance $5,000,000 in capital through the sale of historic tax credits. In addition, Fairfax County has agreed to provide maintenance support, in the form of a $1-$1 matching grant, of $1,000,000 per year through 2010. The remaining $10,000,000 will be raised privately from individuals, corporations and foundation grants.

Investment Opportunity
We believe that an investment in the Workhouse represents an extraordinary opportunity to touch the lives of those in our community while creating a cultural landmark for Fairfax County. With the multitude of programs and offerings planned for the Workhouse, we are able to structure an opportunity for investment that will align with your philanthropic goals.


National Endowment for the Arts
Virginia Commission for the Arts
Arts Council of Fairfax County

Gallery W-16
Sunday - Tuesday 12:00pm - 5:00pm
Wednesday - Saturday 11:00am - 7:00pm
Artist Studio Buildings
Wednesday - Saturday 11:00am - 7:00pm
Sunday 12:00pm - 5:00pm
(Artist Studio Buildings are Closed Monday and Tuesday)