The Tennessee Valley Art Association (TVAA) was incorporated in 1964 and has provided cultural enrichment to Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee citizens for 40 years.  A 501(c)(3) non-profit community supported organization; the TVAA operates two centers for cultural activity. 

The Tennessee Valley Art Center, constructed in 1972, houses the corporate offices for the Association’s active visual and theatre arts programs.  The Art Center was renovated in 1998, more than doubling its space.  The expansion included a permanent installation of a 3,000-pound petroglyph, the images of which were carved by northwest native people 800 to 1500 years ago.   

The Art Center offers visual arts programs including rotating exhibitions, juried art competitions, workshops for adults and children and an educational outreach program.  Annual exhibitions and programs include the Helen Keller Festival of the Arts displaying the work of up to 150 artisans; the Helen Keller Art Show of Alabama, a juried competition of works by Alabama children who are visually impaired, blind or deaf blind; Exhibition South, a regional fine arts competition; a juried Photography competition; Members Exhibition, displaying the art works of artist members of The Tennessee Valley Art Association; and The Trees of Christmas featuring 12’ live spruce and fir trees decorated in a variety of themes. 

Classes and workshops for adults and children are offered throughout the year and include a summer Art Camp for children and a Drama Camp program for youth originated in 1997 that teaches creative thinking through the dramatic arts. 

In 1985, the Association restored the historic Ritz Theater in Sheffield as a home for its performing arts programs.  The Ritz, a former silent movie house, was built in 1927.  It was remodeled in the popular Art Deco style in the early 1930’s to “accommodate the talkies”.  The Art Deco style was retained when it was remodeled in 1985.  The theater is now used by the community for plays, concerts, seminars, receptions, lectures, pageants and more. 

The construction of the Art Center and revival of the Ritz have been accomplished through the collective efforts of Shoals’ private, business and corporate communities.  The Tennessee Valley Art Association is dedicated to making the arts accessible to the people of northwest Alabama, to continue the quest for excellence in artistic programming and to providing educational and recreational activities of a cultural nature at the Art Center and the Ritz.