What are the hours at McGuffey Art Center in Charlottesville?

McGuffey Art Center is open Tuesday through Thursday and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. It is closed on Mondays. We have no Sunday hours on file, so call ahead.

Where is McGuffey Art Center?

It is located just off the Downtown Mall in Charlottesville, in a converted 1916 school building. The phone number is (434) 295-7973.

What is McGuffey Art Center?

It is described as one of the country's oldest artist cooperatives, housed in a converted 1916 school. That means working artists share the building, and the work reflects that.

What can I pair with a visit to McGuffey Art Center?

Fleurie Restaurant, a contemporary French fine-dining room on 3rd Street just off the Downtown Mall, makes a natural dinner pairing. Consignment House Gallery, which sells mid-century furniture and original art, is another nearby stop.

McGuffey Art Center: Charlottesville Artist Co-op, November

McGuffey Art Center is an artist cooperative housed in a converted 1916 school just off the Charlottesville Downtown Mall, and it is one of the more rewarding places to spend an unhurried November afternoon in the city. It is described as one of the country's oldest artist cooperatives, which means the work you find inside comes from working artists rather than a curated souvenir shelf.

Quick Facts

What: Artist cooperative in a converted 1916 school
Where: Just off the Downtown Mall, Charlottesville
Friday hours: 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Tuesday through Thursday and Saturday: 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Monday: Closed
Google rating: 4.7

A School Turned Studio

The building is part of the appeal. A 1916 schoolhouse gives an art center generous rooms and a lived-in character that a purpose-built gallery rarely has, and it suits a cooperative model in which artists keep working spaces under one roof. Come with the expectation of wandering rather than ticking off a list, since the pleasure here is in the corridors and the conversations.

We have not received a current exhibition schedule or a list of resident artists for this season, so we will not promise specific shows. What the venue's own profile makes clear is the setting and the cooperative structure, and that is reason enough to build a visit around it. If you are hoping to meet a particular artist or see a particular show, call ahead on the number below.

Why November Suits It

Fall is a good time for an indoor, browsable stop. After a morning among the vineyards or on a ridge, a gallery building with rough-hewn character is a gentle change of pace, and it pairs naturally with the rest of the downtown neighborhood.

Friday is the day to know about. The center stays open until 8:00 p.m., later than on any other day of the week, which makes it a sensible first stop before dinner.

Pairing It With the Neighborhood

Dinner: Fleurie Restaurant is a contemporary French fine-dining room on 3rd Street, just off the Downtown Mall, with a deep wine list. The data we have lists it as closed Sunday and Monday, so confirm other hours when you reserve.
More art and design: Consignment House Gallery is a Downtown Mall fixture of more than four decades, selling mid-century furniture and original art.

A gallery browse, a look at mid-century pieces, and a French dinner make a full, easygoing city day without a single highway stretch to plan around.

Planning Your Visit

Venue: McGuffey Art Center, just off the Downtown Mall, Charlottesville, VA
Hours: Monday closed; Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; Friday 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Phone: (434) 295-7973
Website: mcguffeyartcenter.com

We have no hours on file for Sunday, so check with the center before planning a Sunday stop. Individual artist studios may keep their own schedules, so a quick call is wise if you want to see a specific one.