Torpedo Factory Art Center | ALXnow

Morning Notes

Published July 12, 2021 at 5:00AM

Bryan Watson, former NHL player, Bugsy’s Pizza founder, dies — “Watson founded Bugsy’s Pizza Restaurant and Sports Bar in 1983, crafting it into a favorite sports bar in Old Town Alexandria. It was initially known as The Penalty Box before adopting his nickname ‘Bugsy’s’. As reported by the Capitals, Watson displayed various artifacts, sweaters, equipment and photos at Bugsy’s and shared stories of his hockey career with customers.” [Patch]

Alexandria native serves with U.S. Navy Amphibious Squadron — “Lt. Anton Ekman is a 2011 graduate of Bishop Ireton High School and 2015 U.S. Naval Academy graduate. Today, Ekman serves as a cryptologic warfare officer.” [Zebra]

News

Alexandria openings and closures for Juneteenth

By James Cullum

Published June 17, 2021 at 2:30PM

The Contrabands and Freedmens Cemetery Memorial at 1001 S. Washington Street in Old Town (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria’s history with slavery makes Juneteenth a particularly important holiday.

June 19 recognizes the emancipation of slaves in the United States, and the date is expected to soon be a federal holiday, even though Alexandria has recognized it since 2019.

News

Torpedo Factory exhibit highlights domestic work and labor of Black women

By Vernon Miles

Published June 8, 2021 at 10:45AM

A new exhibition coming to the Torpedo Factory will spotlight a visual, sound, and interactive expression of the struggles Black women face.

The new exhibit is called We, Too, Sing America by Ọmọlará Williams McCallister.

News

Waterfront Museum under consideration to house remnants of Old Town Armada

By Vernon Miles

Published March 29, 2021 at 1:00PM

Several largely-intact ship hulls found underground in Old Town a few years ago could see new life in a proposed “Waterfront Museum” in the early stages of consideration in the upcoming budget.

The possible museum could house and display the timbers of at least one of the four-total ships found under new developments in 2018.

News

Morning Notes

By James Cullum

Published February 25, 2021 at 9:00AM

Virginia Rolls Back Some Restrictions on Dining, Outdoor Gatherings — Effective Mar. 1, Virginians will be able to buy and drink alcohol at restaurants, food courts, breweries, distilleries, and wineries until they are required to close at midnight. The changes to the current executive order come amid declining rates of hospitalizations and infections and rising vaccination rates in the Commonwealth, Northam said during a press conference this morning (Wednesday).” [Reston Now]

Alexandria Black History Museum Launches Online Exhibition — “Following George Floyd’s murder on May 25, 2020, the Alexandria Black History Museum (ABHM) requested that Alexandria residents share their thoughts, artwork, and more. ABHM wanted to document the Alexandria community’s response of this tragic event and preserve it for future generations. An online exhibition featuring the items received so far launched recently on the Historic Alexandria Online portal. The items collectively are called the Black Lives Remembered Collection.” [Zebra]

News

ALXnow’s Top Stories of the Week in Alexandria

By James Cullum

Published February 19, 2021 at 3:30PM

Exercising near the closed GenOn power plant in Alexandria near the Potomac River. (staff photo by James Cullum)

It was a cold and snowy week in Alexandria.

Our top story this week was on plans to redevelop the GenOn power plant in Old Town North. It looks like deconstruction of the plant will start in 2023 and developers are looking at converting it into an urban, mixed-use property with housing.

News

Torpedo Factory Overhaul Heads to City Council Next Month

By Vernon Miles

Published February 16, 2021 at 2:30PM

The Torpedo Factory Art Center in Old Town (staff photo by James Cullum)

A plan to reinvigorate the Torpedo Factory is headed to the City Council for review early next month after a quick introduction last Tuesday.

The city took over the Torpedo Factory Art Center in 2016 and relations with the artists in the facility have sometimes been tense, with disagreements over how leases should be handled and some artists expressing frustrations at ongoing rent during the pandemic.

News

New Torpedo Factory Exhibit Blends In-Person and Virtual

By Vernon Miles

Published February 11, 2021 at 1:30PM

A new exhibit at the Torpedo Factory Art Center set to launch tomorrow aims to blend the virtual and in-person tourism that’s likely to be a cornerstone for local galleries as the pandemic rages on.

The series is called Movements, Moments and features six filmed movement-based performances as part of a larger gallery featuring 20 artists.

News

City Council Receiving Torpedo Factory ‘Action Plan’ Tonight

By James Cullum

Published February 9, 2021 at 11:45AM

The Torpedo Factory Art Center in Old Town (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria city staff are proposing that the Torpedo Factory Art Center undergo a transformation. The city, which took over the waterfront attraction in 2016, is looking at a new jurying process for artists, installing pop-up shops and restaurants, a renovated first floor with family-friendly “make-it spaces” and more educational experiences.

The “Action Plan for Vibrancy & Sustainability at Torpedo Factory Art Center” is the culmination of multiple city reports on how to improve the facility, which traditionally sees more than a half a million visitors annually. Staff say that 24- month short-term and five-year long-term plans have been developed to take care of immediate and long-term needs.

News

Morning Notes

By Vernon Miles

Published December 11, 2020 at 9:00AM | Updated December 11, 2020 at 9:17AM

New Torpedo Factory Art Features Local Waste — “The AlexRenew Wastewater Treatment Facility treats a mix of sewage and storm water. The facility runs the wastewater through a series of settling tanks and treatment processes to remove nutrients before discharging it to tributaries of the Potomac River. The brown-colored media was crowdsourced from thousands of area toilets, according to Len.” [WWD Magazine]

Work Resumes on the Fairfax Building with the Massive Fire — “It’s been 10 months since a devastating fire at the South Alex construction site near Alexandria, Virginia, but the project is back up and running.” [WTOP]

News

Morning Notes

By Vernon Miles

Published November 25, 2020 at 9:00AM

The Torpedo Factory Art Center in Old Town (staff photo by James Cullum)

Latest Torpedo Factory Plan Redesigns First Floor — “As far as the first floor, staff plans to make the space more interactive, which could involve relocating artists throughout the building. Specifically, Ruggiero mentioned relocating a print-maker studio from the third floor to the first, as well as the Art League’s art supply store.” [Alexandria Times]

Alexandria Offers Emergency Child Care for Low Income Families — “The Alexandria City Council approved a request in September from DCHS and the Alexandria Emergency Child Care Collaborative (ECCC) to utilize Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding to support this child care initiative. The initiative is limited to 150 children total, who will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.” [City of Alexandria]