Tomorrow I am attending the ribbon cutting for the new Lorton Workhouse Arts Center. From the website:

The Workhouse Arts Center, Virginia’s newest and most exciting arts community, is opening its doors to the public on September 19. The ribbon cutting ceremony will kick off a week-long celebration of all that the Workhouse has to offer. Special events will include free art demonstrations, family theatre performances, concerts, fine art on exhibition and for sale, and fireworks on the quad. Visitors will be able to tour artist’s studios, discover the history behind the former prison facility, and learn about the classes and workshops that will be offered at the Workhouse beginning on September 29th.

I am convinced the opening of this complex will change my quality of life.  You see, I live less than 4 miles away.  How wonderful will it be to go visit a gallery, have dinner, then see a show.  And my daughters can get involved with the theater company, which will allow me to drop them off and actually come home instead of schlepping them to Manassas and waiting. 

I can’t wait to visit this historic prison site, and see how the renovations honored its past.  Kathy Strauss, who I blogged about yesterday, told me the prisoners actually made the bricks and constructed the buildings themselves. 

The future of the site looks exciting.  The finished complex should cover 295,000 square feet and include a state-of-the-art theater.  My pessimistic husband told me to just enjoy what is there now. ”It will never happen.”

Well, for now I have a place to find high quality local art for my clients and that is good enough for me.