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Avenue Ambition

Crafting Your Creative Career

2025-09-22 17:00:00 2025-09-22 19:30:00 America/New_York Avenue Ambition Ages 12-18. Develop tools and skills to create, market, and sell your original artwork in this 10-week series. Charles E. Beatley Jr. Central Library -

Monday, September 22
5:00pm - 7:30pm

Add to Calendar 2025-09-22 17:00:00 2025-09-22 19:30:00 America/New_York Avenue Ambition Ages 12-18. Develop tools and skills to create, market, and sell your original artwork in this 10-week series. Charles E. Beatley Jr. Central Library -

Ages 12-18. Develop tools and skills to create, market, and sell your original artwork in this 10-week series.

Are you an artist or crafter wanting to develop your hobby into a business? Have you wondered what it takes to share your passion for creating with others? Would you like to learn about developing a brand and marketing yourself? Are you interested in a chance at operating a booth at Art on the Avenue 2025*?

Avenue Ambition: Crafting Your Creative Career is a 10-workshop series designed to give you the tools and skills needed to create, market, and sell your work. Teens that attend at least 50% of the workshops and provide a sales/ marketing plan and works to sell will be eligible for a chance to vend at a booth at Art on the Avenue 2025, on Saturday, October 4th*. For more information and workshop descriptions, visit alexlibraryva.org/avenue-ambition!

Workshop Schedule:

May 5: Charting your Journey - Introduction to Art on the Avenue & Program Overview

May 19: Where's Your Roadmap? - The Art of Goal Setting

June 2: More Than a Booth - Building Your Business From the Ground Up

June 16: Pricing, Inventory Management, & Market Research, Oh My!

July 7: Recap and Rest Day

July 21: It's Dangerous to Go Alone - Collaborative Brainstorming

August 4: Plans into Actions 1 - Marketing for the Showcase and Beyond

August 18: What Happens Next? - Understanding and Defining Success

September 8: Plans into Actions 2 - Avenue Ambition Showcase Preparation

September 22: Avenue Ambition Showcase/ Artist Meet and Greet

Want to participate but not sure of what kind of art to make? Check out our Artistic Outlets Creative Workshop series.

Avenue Ambition: Crafting Your Creative Career is a partnership between Alexandria Library, Dope Focus Art, and Art on the Avenue.

*The final number of teens selected to vend at Art on the Avenue will be determined by available booth space, number of eligible teens, and assessment from Art on the Avenue, Dope Focus, and the Alexandria Library, not to exceed 12 teens. For questions, email esimmons@alexlibraryva.org.

Charles E. Beatley Jr. Central Library

Phone: 703.746.1702
Fax: 703.746.1763

Hours
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Mon, Jul 13 10:00AM to 8:00PM
Tue, Jul 14 10:00AM to 8:00PM
Wed, Jul 15 10:00AM to 8:00PM
Thu, Jul 16 10:00AM to 8:00PM
Fri, Jul 17 10:00AM to 5:00PM
Sat, Jul 18 10:00AM to 5:00PM
Sun, Jul 19 1:00PM to 5:00PM

About the branch

Parking:

There's a library parking lot available.

Public Transit:

Bus stops on Duke Street and N Pickett St.

Upcoming Events

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Tue, Jul 14, All day
Come to the Children's Desk to pick up a PINGO Card for Plastic Free July!

Tue, Jul 14, 10:30am - 11:15am
Frank and Betty Wright Reading Garden
Meet your old friends and make new friends at an unstructured, outdoor playtime in the library's Reading Garden! Toys will be supplied. Ages 0-5 with an adult.

Tue, Jul 14, 2:00pm - 3:00pm
2701 Commonwealth Ave.
Learn the four signs of a chemical reaction through foaming and color changing experiments, balloon inflation, and, of course, some explosions! (Ages 6-12)

Tue, Jul 14, 4:00pm - 5:00pm
Story Room
Get the dirt on vermicomposting with hands-on scientific exploration! Using our very own worm composting bin, we’ll dig into the natural processes that re-cycle our Earth’s resources. (ages 6-10)
Registration is now closed

Tue, Jul 14, 5:30pm - 7:00pm
Large Meeting Room
Interested in mentoring youth in our community? Drop by to find a program that fits your availability! No mentoring experience required.Register

Wed, Jul 15, All day
Come to the Children's Desk to pick up a PINGO Card for Plastic Free July!

Wed, Jul 15, 10:00am - 12:00pm
Large Meeting Room
Weekly sessions with Edu-Futuro from 7/8-8/12 will cover the pros and cons of AI, the basics of ChatGPT, and the best AI tools to use in your daily life. Registration required, class is in English. Register

Wed, Jul 15, 10:30am - 11:15am
Frank and Betty Wright Reading Garden
Dress for mess, bring your curiosity, and join us for a variety of dinosaur-themed sensory play! (ages 0-6)

Wed, Jul 15, 1:00pm - 3:00pm
Large Meeting Room
Come learn about your Medicare options – Original Medicare (Parts A & B), Medicare Advantage (Part C), Medicare Prescription Drug (Part D), and Medicare Supplement (Medigap).

Wed, Jul 15, 5:00pm - 6:00pm
Frank and Betty Wright Reading Garden,Large Meeting Room
Kids will go bananas for this high-energy musical duo who will have both children and adults singing, dancing and playing along on instruments! (All ages)

Thu, Jul 16, All day
Come to the Children's Desk to pick up a PINGO Card for Plastic Free July!

Thu, Jul 16, 10:30am - 11:00am
Frank and Betty Wright Reading Garden
Children love to be outdoors! Join us in Beatley Central Library's beautiful outdoor Reading Garden for stories, songs and movement. Ages 0-8 with an adult.

Thu, Jul 16, 1:15pm - 2:00pm
Large Meeting Room
Baby storytime, plus opportunities to build relationships with other caretakers of young children! For ages 0-14 months, accompanied by an adult.

Thu, Jul 16, 2:00pm - 2:45pm
5650 Sanger Ave.
Join DJ Regy Reg for this interactive, Zumba-style dance experience! (Ages 6-12)

Thu, Jul 16, 3:00pm - 5:00pm
Small Conference Room
Attention all handcrafters! Join us to share what you are working on, see what others are creating, and just chat while we craft together!

Thu, Jul 16, 5:00pm - 6:00pm
Frank and Betty Wright Reading Garden
Are you sporty like American Girl’s Julie? Dress yourself and your doll for movement and get ready for some friendly competition!

Thu, Jul 16, 5:30pm - 7:30pm
Large Meeting Room
Oddball Cinema brings you all of the weird, eclectic, and lesser-known films you probably never saw in theaters. Click on the event title for more info!

Fri, Jul 17, All day
Come to the Children's Desk to pick up a PINGO Card for Plastic Free July!

Fri, Jul 17, 10:30am - 11:30am
Frank and Betty Wright Reading Garden,Large Meeting Room
Join Grammy-winning children’s musicians for an interactive musical performance in English and Spanish. (All ages)

Sat, Jul 18, All day
Come to the Children's Desk to pick up a PINGO Card for Plastic Free July!

Sat, Jul 18, 10:00am - 4:45pm
Use the library's board and card games while hanging out in the youth services area!

Sat, Jul 18, 10:30am - 11:30am
Small Conference Room
French language practice for adults ready to move from formal instruction to real life conversation.

Sat, Jul 18, 2:00pm - 4:00pm
Story Room
Attention all handcrafters! Join us to share what you are working on, see what others are creating, and just chat while we craft together!

Sun, Jul 19, All day
Come to the Children's Desk to pick up a PINGO Card for Plastic Free July!

Sun, Jul 19, 1:00pm - 4:30pm
Small Conference Room
This is a twice-monthly forum for writers to work on drafts, network, and share moral support. Meets first and third Sundays. All are welcome!

Cancelled
Sun, Jul 19, 2:00pm - 4:00pm
Oddball Cinema brings you all of the weird, eclectic, and lesser-known films you probably never saw in theaters. Click on the event title for more info!

Mon, Jul 20, All day
Come to the Children's Desk to pick up a PINGO Card for Plastic Free July!

Mon, Jul 20, 10:30am - 11:00am
Frank and Betty Wright Reading Garden
Children love to be outdoors! Join us in Beatley Central Library's beautiful outdoor Reading Garden for stories, songs and movement. Ages 0-5 with an adult.

Mon, Jul 20, 6:00pm - 6:45pm
Large Meeting Room
Ages 12-18. Join DJ Regy Reg for an oral history of the art of DJing, followed by a hands-on demonstration of elements such as beat counting, song mixing, and call-and-response event hosting.

Tue, Jul 21, All day
Come to the Children's Desk to pick up a PINGO Card for Plastic Free July!

Tue, Jul 21, 10:30am - 11:15am
Frank and Betty Wright Reading Garden
Meet your old friends and make new friends at an unstructured, outdoor playtime in the library's Reading Garden! Toys will be supplied. Ages 0-5 with an adult.

Tue, Jul 21, 3:00pm - 4:00pm
Small Conference Room
Ages 12-18. Talk about this month's book and share reading suggestions!

Tue, Jul 21, 4:00pm - 5:00pm
Story Room
Get the dirt on vermicomposting with hands-on scientific exploration! Using our very own worm composting bin, we’ll dig into the natural processes that re-cycle our Earth’s resources. (ages 6-10)

Tue, Jul 21, 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Small Conference Room
The book club promotes freedom of expression and support authors whose books have been banned or challenged.

Wed, Jul 22, All day
Come to the Children's Desk to pick up a PINGO Card for Plastic Free July!

Wed, Jul 22, 10:00am - 12:00pm
Large Meeting Room
Weekly sessions with Edu-Futuro from 7/8-8/12 will cover the pros and cons of AI, the basics of ChatGPT, and the best AI tools to use in your daily life. Registration required, class is in English. Register

Wed, Jul 22, 10:30am - 11:15am
Frank and Betty Wright Reading Garden
Dress for mess, bring your curiosity, and join us for a variety of dinosaur-themed sensory play! (ages 0-6)

Wed, Jul 22, 2:00pm - 2:45pm
1108 Jefferson Street
Join DJ Regy Reg for this interactive, Zumba-style dance experience! (Ages 6-12)

Wed, Jul 22, 5:00pm - 5:45pm
Frank and Betty Wright Reading Garden,Large Meeting Room
Join DJ Regy Reg for this interactive, Zumba-style dance experience! (Ages 6-12)

Thu, Jul 23, All day
Come to the Children's Desk to pick up a PINGO Card for Plastic Free July!

Thu, Jul 23, 10:30am - 11:00am
Frank and Betty Wright Reading Garden
Children love to be outdoors! Join us in Beatley Central Library's beautiful outdoor Reading Garden for stories, songs and movement. Ages 0-8 with an adult.

Thu, Jul 23, 1:15pm - 2:00pm
Periodicals Room
Baby storytime, plus opportunities to build relationships with other caretakers of young children! For ages 0-14 months, accompanied by an adult.

Thu, Jul 23, 5:30pm - 6:30pm
Frank and Betty Wright Reading Garden,Periodicals Room
Join Jorge Banales as he gives free instruction on the Yang Style 24 Movement Tai Chi form on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of the month. Free and open to the public.

Fri, Jul 24, All day
Come to the Children's Desk to pick up a PINGO Card for Plastic Free July!

Fri, Jul 24, 10:30am - 11:15am
Frank and Betty Wright Reading Garden
Join Emily for a fun and ultra-enriching singing storytime with song-based picture books! (All ages)

Sat, Jul 25, All day
Come to the Children's Desk to pick up a PINGO Card for Plastic Free July!

Sat, Jul 25, 10:00am - 4:45pm
Use the library's board and card games while hanging out in the youth services area!

Cancelled
Sat, Jul 25, 10:30am - 11:30am
French language practice for adults ready to move from formal instruction to real life conversation.

Sun, Jul 26, All day
Come to the Children's Desk to pick up a PINGO Card for Plastic Free July!

Mon, Jul 27, All day
Come to the Children's Desk to pick up a PINGO Card for Plastic Free July!

Mon, Jul 27, 10:30am - 11:00am
Frank and Betty Wright Reading Garden
Children love to be outdoors! Join us in Beatley Central Library's beautiful outdoor Reading Garden for stories, songs and movement. Ages 0-5 with an adult.

Tue, Jul 28, All day
Come to the Children's Desk to pick up a PINGO Card for Plastic Free July!

Tue, Jul 28, 10:30am - 11:15am
Frank and Betty Wright Reading Garden
Meet your old friends and make new friends at an unstructured, outdoor playtime in the library's Reading Garden! Toys will be supplied. Ages 0-5 with an adult.

Tue, Jul 28, 4:00pm - 5:00pm
Story Room
Get the dirt on vermicomposting with hands-on scientific exploration! Using our very own worm composting bin, we’ll dig into the natural processes that re-cycle our Earth’s resources. (ages 6-10)

Wed, Jul 29, All day
Come to the Children's Desk to pick up a PINGO Card for Plastic Free July!

Wed, Jul 29, 10:00am - 12:00pm
Large Meeting Room
Weekly sessions with Edu-Futuro from 7/8-8/12 will cover the pros and cons of AI, the basics of ChatGPT, and the best AI tools to use in your daily life. Registration required, class is in English. Register

Wed, Jul 29, 10:30am - 11:15am
Frank and Betty Wright Reading Garden
Dress for mess, bring your curiosity, and join us for a variety of dinosaur-themed sensory play! (ages 0-6)

Wed, Jul 29, 5:00pm - 6:00pm
Frank and Betty Wright Reading Garden,Large Meeting Room,Story Room
Create a time capsule of your life in 2026, to be opened by Future You! (Ages 6-12)

Thu, Jul 30, All day
Come to the Children's Desk to pick up a PINGO Card for Plastic Free July!

Thu, Jul 30, 10:30am - 11:00am
Frank and Betty Wright Reading Garden
Children love to be outdoors! Join us in Beatley Central Library's beautiful outdoor Reading Garden for stories, songs and movement. Ages 0-8 with an adult.

Thu, Jul 30, 1:15pm - 2:00pm
Periodicals Room
Baby storytime, plus opportunities to build relationships with other caretakers of young children! For ages 0-14 months, accompanied by an adult.

Thu, Jul 30, 3:00pm - 5:00pm
Small Conference Room
Attention all handcrafters! Join us to share what you are working on, see what others are creating, and just chat while we craft together!

Fri, Jul 31, All day
Come to the Children's Desk to pick up a PINGO Card for Plastic Free July!

Fri, Jul 31, 10:30am - 11:15am
Frank and Betty Wright Reading Garden
Sing in English and Spanish, jump, and dance with Mr. Lilo and his guitar. (Ages 0-8)

Sat, Aug 01, 10:00am - 4:45pm
Use the library's board and card games while hanging out in the youth services area!

Sat, Aug 01, 10:30am - 11:30am
Small Conference Room
French language practice for adults ready to move from formal instruction to real life conversation.

Sun, Aug 02, 1:00pm - 4:30pm
Small Conference Room
This is a twice-monthly forum for writers to work on drafts, network, and share moral support. Meets first and third Sundays. All are welcome!

Mon, Aug 03, 5:00pm - 7:00pm
Large Meeting Room
Ages 12-18. Bring your own audiobook or find some library selections and enjoy with some snacks and lounging.