Smith Vicars Family Foundation Supports the Arts in Southwest Virginia | May 2026

The Smith Vicars Family Foundation is proud to continue its legacy of driving opportunities within the arts through a recent philanthropic gift to Pro-Art in Wise, Virginia.

Beginning its 50th year serving Southwest Virginia, Pro-Art is introducing a major initiative – programming to provide hands-on artmaking opportunities to the community at large. The primary goal is to reach citizens through the launch of a broad, sustained and consistent annual program that builds on the participation of periodic artmaking workshops and student programs previously hosted by Pro-Art throughout the region. Workshops will begin this spring and include ongoing experiential arts courses, workshops, and community projects.

To implement this arts education initiative, Pro-Art will dedicate the Smith Vicars Family Foundation’s funding to match the grant award for the same program by the National Endowment for the Arts.

“The arts have always been an integral part of my family’s life and charitable giving” notes Stuart P. Smith. “We understand that access to the arts is imperative to creating vibrant, engaging experiences for citizens and communities in Virginia. We are so pleased to help match the National Endowment for the Arts grant for Pro-Art and to contribute to the innovations and offerings of this organization dedicated to the visual and performing arts within Southwest Virginia.”

Providing access to the arts is one of the six funding priorities of the Smith Vicars Family Foundation, alongside meeting health and human resource needs; enhancing education and life skills; preserving history; embracing civil engagement and discourse; and addressing other critical issues in our communities.

Smith Vicars Family Foundation Invests in Food Security for Virginians | January 2026

Smith Vicars Family Foundation ended 2025 with an investment towards food security for the Commonwealth of Virginia, making two significant gifts to longstanding nonprofit organizations in the state: Feeding Southwest Virginia and Blue Ridge Area Food Bank.

Feeding Southwest Virginia is the largest supplier of charitable food assistance in Southwest Virginia. With a network of over 320 feeding programs, the organization serves 26 counties and nine cities in the Southwest Region with 19 million pounds of nourishing food on an annual basis.

As the largest hunger-relief organization in central and western Virginia, the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank serves 25 counties and eight cities along the Blue Ridge through a network of more than 400 community partners and program sites.

For SVFF, the collective impact of these philanthropic gifts is especially meaningful, as the organizations operate in the two geographic locations that align with the Foundation’s mission to invest in innovative initiatives benefitting communities, with a special focus on Central and Southwest Virginia.

“It’s a privilege to support these nonprofits, strategically aimed at bolstering the broad networks that offer consistent access to safe, nutritious food for so many Virginians” said Stuart P. Smith, President of the Foundation. “The goal is to relieve some of the financial pressures of these organizations serving Central and Southwest Virginia, fueling the year ahead and ensuring a continued focus on their missions of nourishing those in need.”