To the Arts of Great Falls, it is all about supporting an “artful community” for 15 years and counting through arts education, support for local artists of all ages, offering scholarships to students from underserved Fairfax County Public Schools and more. 

The Arts of Great Falls will host its fundraising gala, An Evening at Monet’s Garden, on March 9 at River Bend Golf and Country Club, 375 Walker Rd., Great Falls. 

Visit the website to purchase tickets, donate and preview auction items, become a sponsor, with opportunities at all levels. You can sponsor a youth artist for $300. Give a young artist in Fairfax County's underserved schools an art class; donors will receive website and gala program recognition.

Hors d'oeuvres and a three-course dinner precede the live auction, music, and dancing. Funds raised at the gala will benefit the youth arts program based on traditional atelier training developed during the Italian Renaissance, formalized in nineteenth-century France, and studied until about a century ago. 

2023 Gala 

 

Classes have expanded beyond the gallery and into a second classroom at the historic Forestville Schoolhouse, 9812 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls, allowing the Arts of Great Falls to serve twice as many students. 

Students unfamiliar with the atelier learn the technical skills required to master realistic drawing and painting techniques, similar to an "old master artist." Students create artwork precisely as they see it in their head and heart, without making any compromises because they lack the necessary skills to execute it.

Michela Mansuino is the lead youth instructor. She studied at Studio Imone, one of the top art programs in the United States. Students' artistic abilities are developed through successive levels of mastery. As a result, youth students attending The Arts of Great Falls classes have attended some of the country's top art schools, such as the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), Parsons School of Design, and Rhode Island School of Design.

The Arts of Great Falls Art Studio is located in the Great Falls Village Centre, 756-C Walker Road, Great Falls, with a second classroom at the historic  Forestville Schoolhouse, 9818 Georgetown Pike.

“Research shows that art instruction can boost self-confidence and help teens focus on the present moment,” said Meralee Fredenburgh, executive director of The Arts of Great Falls.  “We are so proud to provide this unique opportunity to Northern Virginia youth.”