About the Studio
Founded in April 2024, Hive Studio is located in the historic town of Stephens City, Virginia—easily accessible from Winchester and surrounding areas.
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We offer a range of fine art classes for all ages and experience levels, focused on building lasting skills. Our curriculum is grounded in the principles of art and design, with a strong emphasis on art history.
Hive Studio also features a gallery space that highlights the work of local artists and encourages creativity within our community—contributing to a vibrant and growing arts scene.
About the Artist
Rachel Crockett Smith is Hive Studio's founder and lead instructor.
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A practicing artist, Rachel has exhibited her work in over 85 shows across 14 states. Locally, her art has been featured at the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley, Barns of Rose Hill, and the Burwell-Morgan Mill. In 2021, she was named the first artist-in-residence at the Peter Bullough Foundation in Winchester.
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Rachel holds a BFA in Studio Art and brings over 18 years of experience teaching children and teens. She discovered her passion for art education while leading workshops at the Shenandoah Valley Discovery Museum beginning in 2018. From 2022 to 2025, she served as Education Manager and later Program Director at the Shenandoah Arts Council, where she developed youth programming and expanded exhibition opportunities for student artists. During her time there, she also launched a visiting artist program that provided paid teaching roles for local artists. In 2022, she received the Innovate + Create Grant from Teaching Artists of the Mid-Atlantic in recognition of her contributions to arts education. Rachel remains deeply committed to nurturing young artists.
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Originally from Phoenix, Arizona, Rachel has called Virginia home since 2010. She lives in the Winchester area with her husband and their four daughters.
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