About Dorset Visual Arts

Dorset Visual Arts is a not-for-profit organisation and registered charity (1113249), established in 2006.

DVA champions the advancement and appreciation of arts, design, and craft for public benefit by empowering Dorset's artists and makers to fully realise the potential of their creative practices

This is achieved through:

• Creative Development: Supporting the growth and quality of visual arts through bursaries, commissions, and other opportunities for Dorset's creative community

• Public Programming: Producing Art Weeks events and other curated public programmes that educate in, and promote awareness of, the visual arts, crafts, and making 

• Community Building: Providing opportunities for members of Dorset’s creative community to connect, share knowledge and experience, showcase their work, and to develop their creative practice and promotional skills

How we do this:

• provides a range of support to enable members to find inspiration, build confidence, and develop their practice and their promotional skills

• encourages the growth of Dorset’s visual arts community by providing routes for new and emerging artists

• provides a broad platform of exposure by collaborating and interacting with other organisations in Dorset and beyond

• creates and curates events, exhibitions, projects and other opportunities to raise creators’ profiles and enable them to showcase their work

• works to grow the visual arts audience and to make visual arts more accessible to a broader range of participants

• facilitates networking and interaction between members to help build a sense of connection and community

• provides members with opportunities to share the skills and knowledge they have acquired 

Dorset Visual Arts is grateful for support from:

Arts Council England National Lottery Project Grants

Organisation Revenue Support Funding from Dorset Council

DVA have declared a Climate and Ecological Emergency with Culture Declares