The Workhouse

Over the weekend I took a trip to my hometown just south of Washington, DC. Growing up in DC was wonderful and really gave me an appreciation for history and art. So when I heard an Arts Council had turned the old Lorton Prison into a workhouse and gallery for artists, I knew it had to be on my list of places to visit during our quick trip.

The original prison was built in 1916 and most notably, held 168 women who were arrested during the women's suffrage movement. I used to pass prison often as a teenager while trying to avoid 95 traffic getting to school. My older brother and I used to hate to drive by it at night, partly because of the scary guard towers and wire fencing and partly because we were pretty sure it was haunted.
This is how I remember it looking:


Today, it has been tranformed to a safehaven for artists- a place to work and create, while socializing with other artists and vistors. On our sunny Saturday, many of the artists were in their "cells" working hard and were happy to have us come in a chat. I loved being able to see first hand the beginnings of their work. The art ranges from watercolors to oil paintings, pastels, scultpture and glass work, and everything inbetween. All the work is for sale too and many come already framed. I found the prices to be very reasonable, especially for a place where you can have a cup of coffee with the person who created your very own original piece.

Here are a few pictures I took of the grounds and of one of the hallways that used to be a cell block for prisoners but is now home to art!




Unfortunately, I did not get any pictures inside the cells, but you can visit the Workhouse Arts Center for more info. They are open from 11-7 and offer a lot of classes (my mom is currently taking one and loves it!), as well as other fun community events.