About the League of Reston Artists

Supporting Artists for Nearly 70 Years

The League of Reston Artists (LRA) is an active, welcoming community of visual fine artists, photographers, and supporters of the arts. Founded nearly 70 years ago, LRA has played a vital role in fostering creativity and connecting artists with the broader Reston community.

Our Mission

LRA has a dual mission:

• To provide its members with meaningful opportunities to grow, learn, and exhibit their creative work; and

• To offer the local community opportunities to experience, appreciate, and gain insight into a wide range of visual art and creative processes.

Through guest speakers, artist demonstrations, exhibitions, shows, events, and quarterly meetings, LRA promotes artistic growth while raising awareness and appreciation of the visual arts. We welcome both artists and members of the public to engage with our programs and exhibitions. Click here for member benefits.

Who We Are

The League of Reston Artists is a volunteer-run, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that supports local visual artists and the Reston Photographic Society through exhibitions, educational programming, and community engagement.

Each year, LRA awards a scholarship to promising high school seniors who plan to continue their education in the visual arts. Modest annual dues provide active artists with opportunities to exhibit their work, participate in learning events, connect with a vibrant creative community, and contribute through volunteer service.

LRA relies on the dedication of its member-volunteers and the generosity of the art-loving community to fulfill its mission.

The League of Reston Artists is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
EIN: 54-1230268.

Our History

The roots of the League of Reston Artists trace back to the spring of 1968, when Embry Rucker, Episcopal priest for Reston, invited Pat Macintyre, then a student at the Corcoran School of Art, to begin organizing art exhibitions for Common Ground, a coffeehouse and community gathering space located in what is now the Reston Museum at Lake Anne Plaza.

As interest grew and additional venues began requesting artwork, Pat connected with more artists, expanded exhibition locations, and helped nurture an informal but thriving arts program within the Reston community.

In the fall of 1974, as Pat prepared to move to Colorado, she sought to ensure that the momentum she had built would continue. She asked Nancy Erickson to carry the work forward. With Nancy’s leadership — and the dedication of many others — the informal structure was thoughtfully organized and formalized, resulting in the creation of the League of Reston Artists.

When Pat returned to Reston in 1977, she found a vibrant, growing organization that had embraced her original vision and expanded upon it.

Pat Macintyre is widely recognized for her lifelong commitment to arts advocacy and community service in Reston. A renowned artist and steadfast volunteer, she has devoted decades to sharing her love of art across galleries, schools, government buildings, festivals, and community spaces. She spent 17 years hosting You’ve Gotta Have Art, a weekly children’s television program dedicated to fostering art appreciation among Reston’s youth. Today, she continues her legacy by leading free family workshops in art and culture at the Reston Museum.