Richmond Art Center has been sharing art and creating with community since 1936. Our programs encompass classes, exhibitions and events at our facility, as well as off-site activities that bring free, high-quality art making experiences to WCCUSD schools, community centers, and Richmond Public Library.
In FY2023-2024, Richmond Art Center’s programs continued to provide pathways for lifelong arts learning through exhibitions, arts education, and community events. This Impact Report offers a snapshot of how our work over the past year has engaged the local community.
To be a catalyst in Richmond for learning and living through art.
Relevance: Embodying the cultural, social and artistic currents of our community.
Equity: Empowering a just, inclusive and intersectional arts community.
Creativity: Recognizing and uplifting every person’s artistic potential.
Let’s create a welcoming, safe, and supportive learning environment for everyone! View our Community Agreements.
Richmond Art Center’s origins trace back to the 1930s, when artist and educator Hazel Salmi, along with local artists and art enthusiasts, envisioned a “community studio workshop.” Their goal was, as Salmi described, “to maintain and further in the community an active interest in the arts, graphic and plastic, and an interest in the creative hand-crafts.” Salmi herself was known for biking through Richmond’s neighborhoods with a suitcase of art supplies, ready to teach anyone interested.
In 1936, Salmi began offering art classes under the Works Progress Administration’s Emergency Education Program. Two years later, Richmond Art Center found its first home in an old Health Department building, where courses in outdoor sketching, block printing, woodcarving, and other crafts were offered using minimal equipment.
Recognizing the value of the arts in Richmond, the City of Richmond incorporated a purpose-built art center into its mid-century modern Civic Center Plaza, originally planned by architects Richard Neutra and R.M. Schindler and later redesigned by Timothy Pflueger. When construction was completed in 1951, Richmond Art Center moved into its current 24,000-square-foot facility, which includes six studios, three galleries, and an outdoor courtyard. This expansion allowed the Center to grow beyond its studio workshop roots, introducing exhibitions, special events, and community outreach programs.
Today, Richmond Art Center continues to uphold Salmi’s vision, serving as a vibrant hub where people of all backgrounds come together to make and experience art.
Join us for the opening reception for Time & Tide: The Art of John Wehrle on Saturday, April 5, 1pm-3pm.
Sharing art and creating with the community since 1936.
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