PCA Arts Blog
September 02, 2010 · Community Arts Events,
On Friday, September 3, the Miki Liszt Dance Company First Friday Dance Series continues with a new work by Kelly Silliman. “Ordinary Joy“ expresses the experience of trying to navigate this real and often mundane physical world while moving into and also out of great joy, gladness and transcendence. This work features familiar faces from the modern dance community, as well as members of the Charlottesville Ballet. Performances will be held at 6:00pm and 7:00pm in Studio 20 at the McGuffey Art Center. The audience is invited to join in conversation with the artists after the 7:00pm show. Tickets are $8 (cash or check only) and will be available at the door.
Silliman studied ballet for ten years before falling in love with modern dance at age fourteen, after which she promptly began her first company. She holds a BA in Theatre Arts from Stetson University, and while in school she implemented and taught the modern dance program for the Academy of Dance Arts. Since moving to central Virginia in 2004, Kelly has danced with numerous local groups and her choreography was recently featured at the Best of C-ville 2010 Party. Kelly owns The Dance Barn and is a resident choreographer with the Charlottesville Ballet.
August 31, 2010 · Community Arts Events,
Les Yeux du Monde kicks off its second season in its new space and celebrates its 15th anniversary with a group exhibition from Lydia Gasman, John Grant, Sanda Iliescu, and Rob Tarbell. “Medium and Mystery” delves into one of the most mundane yet also most important aspects of a visual artist’s work: the choice of medium or material. Through their expert use of mediums as varied and unusual as smoke, aluminum, oil in water, staples, and trashbags, as well as the more conventional mediums of gouache, oil, acrylic, and photography, these artists create compelling and often inexplicable artworks.
“Medium and Mystery: Lydia Gasman, John Grant, Sanda Iliescu, Rob Tarbell” opens with a reception on Thursday, September 2 from 5:30-7:30pm and will remain on display through October 10.
Les Yeux du Monde is located at 841 Wolf Trap Road in Charlottesville. Gallery hours are Thursday-Sunday, 1:00-5:00pm. For more information, call 434.973.5566.
August 27, 2010 · Community Arts Events,
On Sunday, August 29th, Matty Metcalfe will be celebrating the release of two new recordings with a concert starting at 4:00pm in the Cooke-Haley Theatre in Louisa!
An accomplished and versatile musician, Metcalfe plays a wide variety of keyboard instruments in styles ranging from New Orleans funk to gospel. His two new recordings are Musette Moderna, reworkings of Parisian cafe music and gypsy jazz, and Tango a’ Tiempo, modernizations of traditional tangos.
Tickets are $10 and available at the box office or online at louisaarts.org. For additional information, call 1-877-774-ARTS.
The Louisa Arts Center aims to broaden involvement and access to the arts, to improve the livelihoods of artists and their opportunity to contribute to community life, and to strengthen diversity, interpretive ability and interactive creativity of all involved.
August 26, 2010 · Community Arts Events,
On October 1, 2010, The Haven at First & Market will hold a benefit to support their continued presence as a safe and welcoming place for the homeless and very poor to be during the day. There’s No Place Like Home will include performances on the stage in The Sanctuary, as well as art throughout the four-story building.
In addition to saving the date, you can help out by donating a piece of art for the auctions or agreeing to perform at the event! For more information, please email executivedirector@tjach.org, call 434-973-1234, or stop by The Haven, located at 112 West Market Street in Charlottesville.
August 24, 2010 · Community Arts Events,
The Charlottesville Chamber Music Festival presents fifteen of the world’s finest ensemble musicians in a series of five concerts in Charlottesville, from September 9th through 23rd. The musicians come together for a brief period, in some cases meeting for the first time, to produce intense and exciting ensemble performances. Programs range from classical composers such as Brahms to the contemporary works of Steve Reich. This year’s festival also features outstanding musicians from the United States and Europe.
For more information, email info@cvillechambermusic.org or call 434-295-5395. Tickets for the five concerts are available now and may be purchased online:
September 9, 8:00pm at The Paramount Theater
Israeli-American pianist Benjamin Hochman, much praised for his “luminous touch,” joins the acclaimed Orpheus String Quartet and artistic directors Raphael Bell and Tim Summers for the first of the Festival’s five concerts in this mainly Viennese program.
September 12, 3:30pm at UVa’s Old Cabell Hall
Solo harpist of the Berlin Philharmonic Marie-Pierre Langlamet, English clarinetist Matthew Hunt and American flutist Demarre McGill join strings for a predominantly French music program, along with some minimalism and Mozart.
September 16, 8:00pm at The Jefferson Theater
An evening of surreal, modern and contemporary music, featuring a fully narrated Poe story and George Crumb’s landmark string quartet (with exotic percussion).
September 19, 3:30pm at UVa’s Old Cabell Hall
Finnish violinist Pekka Kuusisto and Scottish pianist Alasdair Beatson bring a northern sensibility to the music of Shostakovich and Sibelius.
September 23, 8:00pm at UVa’s Old Cabell Hall
In this final concert, the Festival presents two staples of the chamber music repertoire, and two solo piano works by American icons performed by Judith Gordon.
August 24, 2010 · Community Arts Events, Arts Advocacy
Teachers from regional public and independent schools are invited to a reception at the UVa Art Museum on Tuesday, September 7 at 5:00pm to discover how they can use museum exhibitions to enhance classroom activities.
The museum’s education department will present educators with an overview of exhibitions and public programs, as well as information about the artworks selected for the 2010 Writer’s Eye program, and a special presentation designed to improve children’s creative writing skills. Following the program, a light supper will be served.
This event is FREE and open to educators across the region. Registration is required by September 1.
For more information and to RSVP, call 434-243-2050 or email museumoutreach@virginia.edu.
August 19, 2010 · Community Arts Events,
Saturday, August 21, 1:00-5:00pm
The Virginia Arts of the Book Center (VABC) is moving. Leaving its old home at the IX Complex for a newly revamped space in the Ivy Shopping Center, the VABC is entering into a partnership that will result in more classes in their new downstairs gallery/classroom setting. Renovations are ongoing, but VABC classes should be back up and running in September.
To celebrate and help lighten the load, they’ll be selling selected furniture, paper, marbled paper, cloth, ephemera, printing equipment, shelves, type, and type cases on Saturday! Come to make an offer and haul it away that day. The surplus auction starts at 1:30pm. Bring cash or check. For more information, email Kevin McFadden.
August 12, 2010 · Community Arts Events,
Saturday, August 21, 12:00–3:00pm
This community festival at the UVa Art Museum will be full of exciting performances and activities to celebrate the Man Ray, African Art & the Modernist Lens exhibition, on display through October 10.
Hands-on activities will include gourd instruments with Jim Gagnon, Cyanotype printmaking with Kris Iden, Polaroid and pinhole portraiture with Justin Sadacca, mask-making with Ann Cheeks, and French language games with Speak! Language Center. Man Ray Day will also feature African drumming and dance by the Charlottesville Community Drum Choir, as well as traditional French accordion music by Dale Wise. Special tours of the Man Ray and African Art: Beyond the Modernist Lens exhibitions will be available throughout the day, along with food and drinks. Email museumoutreach@virginia.edu for more information.
August 05, 2010 · Community Arts Events, PCA Special Events
As you might have noticed, there are plenty of great openings this month for First Fridays… but be sure to make the CCDC Gallery your first stop and join us for an opening reception to celebrate the work created by participants in this year’s StoryLine Project!
The 2010 Storyline Project engaged Charlottesville Parks & Recreation campers and volunteers in collaborative mural design and storytelling inspired by a walking expedition of the historic Vinegar Hill neighborhood and Downtown Mall. This exhibit provides a retrospective look at the creative processes and varied experiences of the campers that led to the mural, including photos and written stories, as well as video and audio recordings. Food and drinks will be provided.
Also, be sure to mark your calendars for August 19th’s free brown bag lunch discussion (12-1pm at CCDC) with project organizers Pete O’Shea, Scot French, Greg Kelly, and Leslie Channel. Email to RSVP.
Special thanks to The Bridge PAI, The Thomas Jefferson Center For the Protection of Free Expression, and CCDC for their support in this year’s StoryLine.
August 04, 2010 · Community Arts Events,
Don’t Tread on Me – Paintings, Prints, & Drawings by Jeremy Seth Taylor
The New City Arts Initiative has been quite busy recently, partnering with WVTF, Radio IQ, and NPR to host monthly artists at 216 West Water Street. This month, the featured artist is Jeremy Seth Taylor. Jeremy makes his own pigments and dyes when creating the beautiful paintings, prints, and drawings displayed.
Drop by this Friday, August 6th from 5-7pm for the opening reception, with food and drinks from Feast! and Blenheim Vineyards. For more information about the exhibit, including questions about the gallery location or opening reception, email Maureen at artsdirector@newcityarts.org.
