Overview
VisArts is a dynamic, multi-disciplinary contemporary art center located in the heart of Rockville Town Square, Maryland. Spanning a vibrant urban facility that features four contemporary galleries, extensive art education classrooms, and active artist studios, VisArts is dedicated to transforming individuals and communities through the visual arts. The organization provides an essential platform for emerging, mid-career, and established creators to experiment, showcase new work, and engage deeply with the public.
Key Artist Residency & Fellowship Programs
VisArts operates a highly regarded Studio Artist Program that offers fully-supported, highly selective residencies designed to give artists the invaluable gifts of time, space, and institutional backing.
- Gibbs Street Artist Residency: A competitive 6-month residency open to local, national, and international visual artists or collaborative teams. It provides a free 169-square-foot light-filled studio with 24/7 access, a monthly stipend ($3,000 USD total over the term), monthly professional development sessions, and culminates in a solo exhibition in one of VisArts’ contemporary galleries. (Note: Housing and international visa support are not provided).
- Bresler Residency: A 4-month studio residency designed to support artists during crucial phases of their creative research and project realization, often collaborating with local academic institutions like Montgomery College.
- Art + Social Justice Fellowship: A year-long program providing time, studio space, stipends, and mentorship for artists whose work explicitly addresses structural inequities, community engagement, and social change.
- VisAbility Art Lab: A specialized, supported studio program explicitly designed for neurodiverse artists, providing them with the space, materials, and professional development to thrive as exhibition-grade practitioners.
Exhibitions & Public Engagement
VisArts curates rotating contemporary art exhibitions that change every 6 to 8 weeks, frequently drawing critical regional acclaim. Core to its mission is breaking down traditional barriers between the community and contemporary art practices.
Resident artists participate in a lively culture of creative exchange, including:
- Open Studios & Artist Talks: Regular public-facing events that invite audiences into the creative process.
- Emerging Curator Program: A dedicated initiative supporting the professional growth of independent curators through mentored exhibition-making.
- Educational Classrooms: A bustling ecosystem of community workshops, intensives, and private instruction spanning ceramics, fiber arts, glass, mixed media, and digital arts.
Significance for the Artinfoland Community
For artists, researchers, and independent curators on Artinfoland, VisArts serves as an excellent gateway into the mid-Atlantic and Washington, D.C. contemporary art markets. Its funded residencies—particularly the Gibbs Street Residency and the Art + Social Justice Fellowship—are premier opportunities for creators looking to combine dedicated studio production with meaningful, community-engaged practice and a solo institutional exhibition.
Location: Rockville, Maryland, United States (Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area)
Established: 1987
Type: Non-profit Contemporary Visual Arts Center
Website: visartscenter.org
