About MPA

Each year McLean Project for the Arts provides: 20 outstanding contemporary arts exhibitions that showcase the work of emerging and accomplished artists; more than 160 art courses and our Summer Art Camps, taught by the distinguished MPA faculty; our award winning ArtReach program, a partnership with the Fairfax County Public Schools, Fairfax County Community Centers, senior programs, and community organizations serving K-12 students, seniors, and people with special needs; and, MPAartfest, the annual outdoor fall festival of the visual arts

Mission

Educates

Education has been central to MPA’s mission since our earliest years. We offer year-round instruction for children, teens, and adults, creating opportunities to build skills, experiment, and sustain creative growth.

Our year-round class and workshop programs are designed for artists at every stage. Young students develop foundational skills and visual literacy. Teens deepen technical ability while exploring personal expression. Adult students engage in focused studio practice across disciplines including drawing, painting, mixed media, and ceramics.

MPA Clay expands this commitment to hands-on ceramics learning. Our fully equipped Natasha and Mae’s Iskander Studio enables us to provide structured instruction and access to professional-grade tools and kilns, supporting both beginners and experienced makers in developing their practice within a collaborative environment.

MPA ArtReach extends arts education beyond our classrooms, partnering with schools and community organizations to bring meaningful visual arts experiences to students who may not otherwise have access to creative instruction.

Inspires

Both at our Berlage Arts & Education Center and through our enduring partnership with the McLean Community Center, our galleries, classrooms, and programs function as places of gathering, conversation, and shared experiences.

Each October, MPAartfest transforms the McLean Community Center grounds into an open-air celebration of art. Held on the first Sunday of the month, the festival brings artists and thousands of visitors together for a day that reflects the creative energy of the region and reinforces public access to the arts.

Café Monet places art at the center of daily life. An integral part of the Berlage Arts & Education Center, our all-day café and bistro, Developed in partnership with KNEAD Hospitality + Design, offers a welcoming space where visitors to linger before or after visiting the galleries or taking a class. For artists, it offers a place to meet, collaborate, and remain in dialogue with the community their work serves.

History

McLean Project for the Arts was founded in 1962 as the Emerson Gallery by a small group of women artists committed to bringing high-quality contemporary art to the community and creating exhibition opportunities for artists. 

In 1984, as the organization sought to grow into a professional visual arts institution and establish a permanent presence in McLean, MPA was formally incorporated. Through collaboration with the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, the McLean Community Center Governing Board, and MPA leadership, an agreement was reached to create a dedicated visual arts center within the McLean Community Center. 

MPA’s galleries opened to the public in 1990 and today include a 2,400-square-foot white-box exhibition gallery, the adjacent Atrium Gallery and Ramp Gallery, and a 1,600-square-foot art studio. The Susan B. DuVal Art Studio opened for classes in 2000, followed by the dedication of a new gallery entrance in 2005.

In 2026, MPA opened the MPA Berlage Arts & Education Center, its landmark new home in the heart of downtown McLean. This location expands MPA’s presence beyond the McLean Community Center, adding three new galleries, ceramics studios for work and instruction, and all-day dining at Café Monet.