METRO RICHMOND ARTISTS

The MRAA began as two separate art organizations, the Richmond Artists Association and the Metropolitan Artists Association.

Looking for ways to display their artworks and introduce Richmond to contemporary fine art, a group of full time art instructors and other professional artists from the Richmond Professional Institute (now Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Arts) started the area’s very first art organization. The Richmond Artists Association began in 1955 with artist/lawyer, Westwood Winfree, as its first president and Theresa Pollak as one of its founding members. The Richmond Artists Association has been a leader in encouraging and showcasing all types of art throughout the community.

In 1963, the West End Allied Artists Association began with ten artists members. Later in 1979, and with seventy-four members, the name was changed to the Metropolitan Artists Association to better reflect the expanded membership. Members of the Metropolitan Artists Association were instrumental in the formation of Richmond’s only co-op gallery, Uptown Gallery.

In the fall of 2005, members of both groups met and decided to join together to form the Metropolitan Richmond Artists Association. With the merger of these two long running and active organizations, a new exciting art society was created. Its shortened logo of “MRAA” is fast becoming a recognizable symbol associated with fine artists juried into this organization.