Petersburg Area Art League

About

OUR MISSION: To Promote and Nurture the Visual Arts in the Petersburg Area

Story

The Petersburg Area Art League is a 501(c)3 visual arts venue in Old Towne Petersburg, and is the only non-profit visual arts center south of Richmond in Virginia. PAAL’s mission is to promote and nurture the visual arts in the community and it does so by hosting monthly exhibitions that range from showcasing fine art in group and solo shows, exhibit culturally significant art such as the Grahl African Art Collection, and partnering with local schools to present their work. Art Education is PAAL’s other focus with our brand new education facility, where we hold monthly classes and workshops for artist of all ages.

PAAL serves the South Central Virginia region; the Cities of Petersburg, Hopewell, Colonial Heights, and the Counties of Prince George, Dinwiddie, and Southern Chesterfield. Also many visitors from rural areas outside of the Petersburg Metropolitan area come to visit PAAL. Being in the heart of the Old Towne Historic District in Petersburg and next to the Visitors Center, PAAL attracts 1,000’s of visitors each year including residents from all of Virginia, the Eastern United States, and as far away as Kenya and China.

PAAL was formed in 1932 by the late Miss Anna Dunlop, known as the “dean” of Petersburg artists. The organization went under different monikers through out the mid-1900’s and began operations under its present name and Constitution as the Petersburg Area Art League (PAAL) in 1960. In 1967, PAAL achieved a partnership with the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, which still continues today.

Without a defined location early PAAL meetings and exhibits were held in various places around the area. In 1971 Mr. Walter H Brown loaned PAAL space in his building at 7 Old St. His family donated the building to PAAL after he passed away in 1983. The building has gone through multiple renovations with the most recent being in 2008 with a grant from the Cameron Foundation. This renovation included a new education center, a designated museum space for Virginia State University, and handicap accessibility.


Opening Summer 2011 the Art Park:
In 1993 a devastating Tornado ripped thru Old Towne Petersburg, crippling and destroying many of the historic buildings that gave Petersburg its character. At the end of the Tornado's path lay the Petersburg Area Art League and its neighbor at 3 E. Old St. PAAL was able to reconstruct from the damages, but the property adjacent remained vacant and abandoned for years.

The property fell into the City of Petersburg’s possession with no planned use. In 2008 the city graciously gave the property to PAAL to create the first public arts and culture green space in the Petersburg Metropolitan Area. Simply named the Art Park, the new space will act as an anchor point for Petersburg’s arts and culture revitalization, hosting a variety of uses such as public art exhibitions, a rotating selection of sculptures from prominent and emerging community artists, a concert venue, and a new gathering space for the community. Plans have been made to landscape the park with floras ranging from cherry and maple trees, hydrangea, gardenias, rose bushes and to install benches. The centerpiece will be a completely lit fountain to be commissioned by a local artist. This will ultimately create a space where residents and tourists can find a calm and relaxing spot in the heart of downtown.