PCA Blog

It’s First Fridays again! Tonight, local galleries stay open late to show new and current exhibits. Enjoy refreshments while mingling and viewing great art. You might notice that several galleries are not listed below. That’s simply because they are taking a brief hiatus until September. All events listed below take place on Friday, August 3 and are FREE and open to the public.

Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society
“Charlottesville Street Railways”
First Fridays Reception 5:30pm-7:30pm

Join the Historical Society in the McIntire Building for “The City’s Public Schools” exhibit. The possibilities of a better life, friendships made, and general life lessons can all be said to stem from one’s schooling experience. Charlottesville City’s Public Schools are no exception and as schooling efforts extend back into the nineteenth century the topic seems a worthy subject of study. All are welcome to attend a reception in honor of this newest edition to the Celebrate! 250 series of exhibits will be held with refreshments, including wine and hors d’oeuvres.
For more information, please email info@albemarlehistory.org.

Chroma Projects Art Laboratory
“Forms of Suggestion by Allan Rosenbaum, Fiona Ross & Sue Heatley” in the Front Gallery
“Lignin: Site Specific Installation by Candace Christy” in Black Box Gallery and Passage Gallery
First Friday Reception: 5:30-8:00pm

Chroma Project’s two August shows emphasize means of communication employed in the interactions between art and the viewer. In “Forms of Suggestion”, the works of Fiona Ross, Allen Rosenbaum and Sue Heatley challenge their audience in individual ways. Fiona Ross’s paintings of delicate and lively shapes prompt the audience’s mind to play among her nonrepresentational figures. The odd kiln-cast glass sculptures of Allan Rosenbaum imaginatively provoke the viewer to interpret his absurd yet poignant juxtaposition of objects and images. Sue Heatley’s abstract work consists of linoleum relief prints on Sekishu paper and humorous ceramic sculpture.

Candace Christy‘s show “Lignin”, offers a participatory relationship with the audience. A recent graduate of Mary Baldwin and budding printmaking artist, Christy mingles the printmaker’s art of storytelling with the natural source and processes of paper-making. Upon departing, one can take a piece of Christy’s wood printed paper with them, personally continuing the story of the gift of wood. All exhibitions will remain on display until August 25.
For more information, call (434) 202-0269.

CitySpace Gallery
“Arts Inspire: Telling Charlottesville’s Stories”
First Friday Reception: 5:30-7:00pm

PCA is proud to welcome the public to the final exhibit in the “Arts Inspire” series. The exhibit features photographs as well as original artwork created by underserved youth who participated in three workshops with local artists. Earlier this year, workshop proposals were selected by a community panel and matched with youth organizations for hands-on art workshops: “Local Hero Portraits” with Julia Hauser, “Telling Charlottesville’s Stories Through Artistic Maps” with Lisa Kimball, and “Dancing My Charlottesville Story” with Terra Dance Project. The reception is FREE and open to the public. Refreshments including lemonade and cookies from Albemarle Baking Company will be provided. The exhibit will remain on display through August 31. The CitySpace Gallery is open to the public Monday-Friday 9:00am-5:00pm.
For more information, please email info@charlottesvillearts.org.

FIREFISH Gallery
“Oh Oh Oh Bama: Photographs by Robin Macklin”
First Fridays Reception: Exact times TBA

Photographer Robin Macklin presents photographic retrospective of President Obama’s first term in office. Macklin has chronicled Barack Obama’s presidency through the eyes of a terra cotta Chia Obama (from the Chia pet line.)
For more information, please call (434) 984-1777.

The Honeycomb Salon
“Put My T-Shirt On: Screenprints by Thomas Dean”
First Fridays Reception: 5:30pm-9:00pm

Featuring silkscreen t-shirts by local artist Thomas Dean, “Put My T-Shirt On” at The Honeycomb Salon is the second exhibit for this new downtown business. Even if you have never met Dean, chances are good that you have seen one of shirts around town. For nearly a decade, Dean has been crafting his signature style of hand-drawn line work and collage. His creations are a lot more likely to wind up on a shirt than on a gallery wall, but this month they’ll do both!
For more information, please email Claibourne Reppert or call (434) 977-0616

McGuffey Art Center
“Paintings and Mixed Media by Darrell Rose” in the Sarah B. Smith Gallery
“McGuffey Art Center Summer Group Show” in Hallways
First Fridays Reception: 5:30-7:30pm

You still have time to see the July exhibits at McGuffey! They continue through August 19. Local artist Darrell Rose presents mixed media works in the Sarah B. Smith Gallery. Meanwhile, the “McGuffey Art Center Summer Group Show” continues in all of the hallways. Enjoy light refreshments at the reception this evening.
For more information, email mcguffeyartcenter@gmail.com. or call (434) 295-7973.

Mudhouse
“Body Formations: Photographs by Kaya Berne”
First Fridays Reception: 6:00pm-8:00pm

Stop by Mudhouse Coffee on the Downtown Mall to see recent photographs by Kaya Berne. This project focuses on the muscles, skin, structure, and form of performers in a ballet. The photos hone in on the intricate beauty and detail that can only be seen from a very close distance, as opposed to what an audience is typically capable of witnessing during a performance. These photos are meant to pause the intensity in order to show the grace and strain of the human body as it moves throughout a dance. The exhibit will remain on display through September 2.
For more information please visit the Mudhouse website.

Spring Street Boutique
“Royal London: Photographs by Neal Paxson”
First Fridays Reception: 6:00pm-8:00pm

Neal Paxson was born in Italy, son of a foreign service officer and an English mother. He spent his youth living in various countries before landing in Charlottesville to attend the engineering school at the University of Virginia. He was introduced to film photography when his father gave him a vintage Leica IIIC camera. He just happened to be in London last April 29th, 2011 in time for the royal wedding. These photos reflect the merriment of scenes around London during that day. This exhibit will remain on display until August 31.
For more information, please email Cynthia Schroeder

Warm Springs Gallery
“Sculpture: Michelle Stitzlein”
First Fridays Reception 6:00-8:00pm

Michelle Stitzlein has been creating sculpture with recycled materials as a full-time artist since 2000 in her Baltimore, Ohio studio. Her moth series has been an ongoing project that began in 2003 when Stitzlein was first inspired by the exotic variety of moths dwelling in her own back yard. The moth sculptures range from three to seven feet in size and are assemblages of old piano keys, bicycle tires, tin cans, and a myriad other found objects. Her work has been shown in art and craft museums nationally. She has visited over 50 elementary schools and organizations as an artist-in-residence and continues to share her passion for creating with humble materials in her books, workshops, presentations and exhibitions. Michelle will lead a workshop for children on Saturday, August 4 from 11:00am to 1:00pm. Please register by Friday, August 3 by emailing lydia@warmspringsgallery.com.
For more information, please contact Barbara Buhr.

Plus, during week from 10:00am-5:00pm, you can see art on the walls of the PCA office in CitySpace by local artist Kaki Dimock. Kaki makes intricate drawings with pencil and markers. Often depicting animals, her drawings are imbued with a magical quality: a hot pink elephant wraps its trunk around a tiny skyscraper, a killer whale gently floats among trees with new green leaves, an elk steps confidently from one snowy mountain peak to another. Stop by to take a look — you won’t be disappointed!

Would you like to have your exhibit featured in our First Fridays Round-Up? Please email info@charlottesvillearts.org with the details about your exhibit to be included!