Expand your artistic social circle through local groups and events.
Art Social: Creative Conversations
The Fredericksburg Arts Commission hosts this free event for artists, makers, students, arts educators, the art-adjacent, and the art-curious to socialize, network, share, and learn as a community. All disciplines and experience levels are invited.
Next event:
Wednesday, May 6, 2026 • 6-9pm
Curitiba Art Café
919 Caroline Street
Fredericksburg, Va. 22401
Join us for a panel discussion on growth: creatively, professionally, and personally. The panel will be followed by ample time for socializing, meeting your fellow creatives, and perhaps even finding future collaborators. There will be a coffee bar and cash bar available. The event is free and no sign up is required.
The panelists:
Larry Hinkle has been a self-employed artist, furniture and cabinet maker in Fredericksburg since 1995. He makes ukuleles under the brand name Hinkle Ukulele and often plays musical gigs to show off his instruments. Larry attended Mary Washington College and earned a BLS degree in Historic Preservation. He went on to attend the Fine Woodworking Program at College of the Redwoods. He is an Adjunct Professor and Studio Technician for the UMW Art Department.
Joan Limbrick is a painter, ceramist, and children’s book author and illustrator known for her vivid imagination and expressive use of color. A graduate of Mary Washington College with a BA in studio art, she is recognized as a colorist whose work brings stories to life. She also shares her creative passion by teaching and inspiring others at LibertyTown Arts Workshop.
Scarlett Pons is a professional potter based in Fredericksburg with over 20 years of experience in ceramics. She is the co-owner, along with Gabriel Pons, of PONSHOP Studio, which they have operated for 16 years on Caroline Street. Scarlett creates both handmade and ready-made collections, produced in collaboration with manufacturers and sold online and in store. She believes diversity in her art, sales platforms, and customer relationships is essential to thriving as a full-time artist.
Previous events:
February 2026 // Ironclad Inn Bourbon Tasting Room
Social gathering at the former Kenmore Inn
October 2025 // Curitiba Art Café
Panel discussion addressing the importance and challenges of creating in uncertain times, featuring Patrick A’Hearn, Riverside Center for the Performing Arts; Cori Blanch, musician and co-owner of Curitiba Art Café; and Coorain Devin, Artist and Assistant Professor of Studio Art at the University of Mary Washington.
Meet-ups and Events
Regularly scheduled get-togethers for artists, writers, and performers to connect
Fredericksburg Photography Club
FXBG Street Photography Collective
Fredericksburg Urban Sketchers (sketch group)
FXBG Figures (model drawing class)
Ukulele jam at the Fredericksburg Food Co-op (semi-monthly)
Northern Virginia Motion Picture Co-op
Riverside Writers
Various writing groups convene at the library
Art Attack (annual art-in-the-streets event)
Educational Opportunities
Art-centric outings, lectures, etc.
UMW Theater Road Trips
UMW music performances
Fredericksburg Center for the Creative Arts workshops
RappArts: The Arts & Cultural Council of the Rappahannock
Gari Melcher’s Home and Studio
University of Mary Washington Galleries
Looking for an art class? Check here.
Volunteer
What better way to get to know your fellow artists? Here are just a few ideas:
Become a docent at Fredericksburg Center for the Creative Arts or another gallery.
Get involved with First Fridays.
Answer an open call for a theater or dance production.
Enjoy good tunes while volunteering at Sounds of Summer, Music on the Steps, or PorchFest.
Give tours at Gari Melchers Home and Studio.
Help keep this list up to date. Contact us with corrections or additions.