The Institute
Studio and Gallery
Located one block from General Ulysses S. Grant’s Headquarters in historic City Point, Hopewell, Virginia, the IBé Arts Institute stands as a powerful intersection of history, memory, and creative transformation. Housed in an 1830s school building originally constructed by enslaved Black men, the structure once served to educate white males on the Epps plantation—an origin deeply embedded in the complex legacy of the region.
Artist IBè Crawley has meticulously renovated and reimagined this historic space, transforming it into IBé Arts Institute, a living repository for his expansive body of work. Within its walls, visitors encounter carved marble, wooden assemblages, works on paper and print, and richly layered quilted narratives that engage ancestry, labor, spirituality, and resilience.
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Today, the Institute highlights stories long left untold, offering a site where art, history, and reclamation converge—inviting reflection, dialogue, and a deeper understanding of place.
IBé Crawley 