Signature Programs
Voices of the Village R.I.S.E
RISE is a bold, artist-led series rooted in Birmingham that transforms creative expression into community connection. Through performances, storytelling, workshops, and mentorship, RISE amplifies local voices and delivers high-quality, accessible arts experiences. It fosters cultural pride, lifelong skills, and creative leadership to sustain a thriving local arts ecosystem. Made possible in part by Alabama State Council on the Arts.
Noise Night
A monthly showcase for the weirdest, wildest sounds in Birmingham. From thundering eruoracks to spoken word bubble parties—you never know what kind of noise we’ll be making at Noise Night! Hosted by EVA Curator Erin Aine.
2026 Davey Williams Guitar Festival
The annual Davey Williams Guitar Festival in March celebrates the legacy of the influential Birmingham free-improv guitarist, honoring Williams’ role as a pioneer of free improvised guitar and as co-founder of the improvisor journal.
Annual Sun Ra Celebration Birmingham
Sun Ra—Birmingham-born cosmic jazz composer, bandleader of the Arkestra, and Afrofuturist philosopher—taught that music is a vehicle for liberation, and the future is something you rehearse together. He left Earth in 1993, but his signal is still broadcasting. Each year, EVA turns into a mothership: part gallery, part jam lab, part neighborhood kitchen—where soup and potluck orbit film clips, paintings, trading-card saints, and whatever rhythm your feet can translate. If you come for a concert, you’ll get a community. If you come for a community, you’ll get a little bit of Saturn. May 23, 2026
Annual Members Exhibition
This annual exhibition highlights the talent, vision, and diversity of EVA’s members—reflecting the vibrant creative community at the heart of East Village Arts
The Fire We Share Juried Art Exhibition
There is a fire we share—an ember that refuses to die, even in the wind of tyranny. It burns for freedom, for one another, for the right to live and create without fear. This exhibition invites artists to kindle that flame through their work—to confront oppression with courage and support resilience through love.