Reforming the Lorton Reformatory

March 11, 2009 7:08 AM

“There is nothing like this in the United States," said Leone. "We’ve looked." The Workhouse Arts Center near Occoquan, VA opened in September 2008 on the grounds of a former prison that was founded by President Theodore Roosevelt as a rehabilitation facility for Washington, DC criminals. Its extensive agrarian projects were intended to put them in touch with nature, but by 1917 security tightened and suffragettes protesting before the White House endured harsh treatment there. The city continued sending inmates to the overcrowded facility until Congress ordered the prison to be shuttered. For years it stood empty, but now the historic buildings are being transformed into studios for local artists (previously).
posted by woodway (11 comments total)

I was at the recent open house expo for Workhouse, the new site is great for them. The wide variety of artists they're able to bring in makes for a delightful setup - everything from traditional photography to abstract collagework to textile works and puppetry, all in a very accessible setup of studio and public space. If you're anywhere in the northern VA area, I recommend you check out the next open house they have. Lots of things to see, and most of the artists have works priced affordably if you see something cool.

Full disclosure - I was down there to see Ed Kirkpatrick, a friend of mine and great photographer, as well as his wife Marti, who is on the organizing committee for the Workhouse in some capacity.
posted by FatherDagon at 7:44 AM on March 11, 2009

That's incredibly cool. Thanks for posting this!
posted by craichead at 7:53 AM on March 11, 2009

For the longest time one of Lorton was one of the cheapest places to live in the greater DC area due to the proximity to the prison; prices spiked after the prison closed, but have been falling recently due to the overall downturn and the fact that, even without the prison, it was still Lorton- one of those exits off of 95 where government workers go at the end of the day with no discernible downtown or any sort of culture. Glad to see there's something worth checking out there.
posted by Challahtronix at 7:56 AM on March 11, 2009

This is pretty cool - anyone got any links to what the studio space actually looks like? I have a minor fetish for looking at pretty pictures of creative spaces.
posted by Happy Dave at 8:58 AM on March 11, 2009

Signs in each building sternly warn visitors "No photography" so I'm afraid I don't have any pictures of my own. A local article (Fairfax Times, Nov 08) offers a few photos of studio space; three more are included with this WP article from September 19, 2008, and there's one more photo here.
posted by woodway at 9:28 AM on March 11, 2009

What makes it unique? Is it the fact that they're using old prison facilities? If we're just talking about providing studio, exhibit and class spaces to artists, then there are at least two other facilities in Virginia which do this. They are the d'ART Center in Norfolk and the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria.
posted by onhazier at 9:43 AM on March 11, 2009 [1 favorite]

The people cited in the first article claim that the center is special because of the breadth of arts encompassed by its master plan -- not just visual arts, but performing arts, too -- as well as its public outreach mission. The agrarian experiment, incarceration of suffragettes and cold war missiles add complexity to its history, though you might feel the same way about a munitions factory or arcade. It's a neat use of space whether it's one of a kind or one of a few such places.
posted by woodway at 10:20 AM on March 11, 2009

What makes it unique? Is it the fact that they're using old prison facilities? If we're just talking about providing studio, exhibit and class spaces to artists, then there are at least two other facilities in Virginia which do this. They are the d'ART Center in Norfolk and the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria.

I like the Torpedo Factory but it is cramped and has a bit of a mini-mall feel to it, I think the artists play it safe since they're constantly on display. This appears to give the artists more space, privacy, freedom, and the ability to hold much bigger events (Art-O-Matic maybe?). But yeah, the hook is pretty much that the old notorious prison which had very limited use has been turned into something cool.
posted by Challahtronix at 10:21 AM on March 11, 2009

In 1923 the number of prisons (federal and state) in the United States was 63. In 2000 it was 1023. NYT In other words, one down, 1022 to go.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 10:39 AM on March 11, 2009

This is terrific news, and a great post.
posted by desuetude at 11:28 AM on March 11, 2009

So they're putting artists in prison, eh? The jokes just write themselves. (Or they would be, if Bush were still president.)
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 12:54 PM on March 11, 2009