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Shenandoah Valley Art Center to hold ribbon cutting today for West Main addition

svac art center west main st
Shenandoah Valley Art Center West Main Street location, photo by Crystal Abbe Graham

The Shenandoah Valley Art Center’s new space at 416 W. Main St. in downtown Waynesboro was unveiled to artists and patrons on May 13 at a black-tie event.

Today, the art center welcomes the public to join them for a ribbon cutting and celebration at 2 p.m. In addition to tours of the new 9,500 square foot space, light refreshments will be served.

The former Augusta Furniture Store and Touch of Love pawn shop has been renovated to include an educational gallery, seven artist work spaces, a large classroom, an artist residency apartment, additional office space, a printmaking studio, a picture framing studio and two libraries, and it will serve as an event space for weddings, galas or other community gatherings.

The art center purchased the property in 2016, and the seven-year effort to expand the footprint of the center cost around $1 million.

No date has been set for the official opening of the building. However, Executive Director Piper Groves told AFP it should be no later than June 1.

“I’m still reeling. It feels amazing,” said Groves. “It’s been a lot of years in the making.”

The gallery on the first floor will serve as an educational gallery.

“This space is really to educate the community about art and to have a chance to showcase things that are a little bit different that people haven’t seen in this area and aren’t likely to see in another venue,” Groves said.

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Crystal Graham

Crystal Graham

Crystal Abbe Graham is the regional editor of Augusta Free Press. A 1999 graduate of Virginia Tech, she has worked for nearly 25 years as a reporter and editor for several Virginia publications, written a book, and garnered more than a dozen Virginia Press Association awards for writing and graphic design. She was the co-host of "Viewpoints," a weekly TV news show, and co-host of Virginia Tonight, a nightly TV news show. Her work on "Virginia Tonight" earned her a national Telly award for excellence in television.