PCA Blog

People of Substance by Jason Wing at Kluge-Ruge

May 10, 2012 · Community Arts Events, Free Events

On May 18th, the Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection will open its newest exhibition titled People of Substance by Jason Wing.

Wing is a Sydney-based artist of Chinese (Cantonese) and Aboriginal (Biripi) heritage. People of Substance explores the idea that drug and alcohol abuse among Aboriginal people is a by-product of colonization, and addresses the fact that this is often overlooked by mainstream Australia. Rather than reinforce negative stereotypes, Wing aims to openly address the issue of addiction in regards to both Aboriginal Australia and the wider community.

Click here to see a video on one of Jason’s recent projects.

There is an artist talk by Jason Wing on Thursday, May 17 at 7:00pm. The event is FREE and open to the public, but reservations are required. Please call (434) 244-0234 to reserve your spot.

There will also be an opening reception with Jason Wing on Friday, May 18th from 5:30-7:30pm. The Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection is located at 400 Worrell Drive, Peter Jefferson Place in Charlottesville.

Guitarist Pierre Bensusan performs at The Mockingbird

May 9, 2012 · Community Arts Events

French-Algerian guitarist, singer and composer Pierre Bensusan will be coming to The Mockingbird tomorrow in Staunton, VA at 8:00pm.

Born in Oran, French-Algeria, in 1957, when France was decolonizing its Empire, Pierre Bensusan’s family moved to Paris when he was 4. He began formal studies on piano at the age of 7 and at 11 taught himself guitar.

Influenced in those early days by the folk revival blooming in Britain, France and North America, Bensusan began first to explore his own diverse musical heritage and then moved to the horizons beyond. Described by the LA Times as “one of the most unique and brilliant acoustic guitar veterans in the world music scene today”, his style of playing defies classification – crossing world, classical, jazz, traditional, folk and more.

You watch a video of Bensusan performing here.
Tickets are available here.

Tom Tom Founders Fest Closing Day Gala!

May 9, 2012 · Community Arts Events, Free Events

Tom Tom Fest Closing Day Gala

The Tom Tom Founders Fest (aka Tom Tom Fest) is hosting a Closing Day Gala to conclude its month of programming on Sunday, May 13th from 2:00-7:00pm. The event will take place at The IX Project, a 17 acre, rehabbed industrial space, filled with art installations.

Tom Tom Fest organizers say, “We’re calling it Field Day, after those magical days of lore. Against the backdrop of gospel, hip hop, jazz, rock, and bluegrass, there will also be local food vendors, public art, games, and fun.”

The schedule is as follows… Continue reading →

The Infamous Stringdusters & Sons of Bill in Concert

May 9, 2012 · Community Arts Events

The Blue Ridge Mountain Sports (BRMS) Experience takes over the Ntelos Wiresless Pavilion on the Downtown Mall in Charlottesville on Saturday, May 12th.

Presented by The Festy (a music festival in Nelson County), The BRMS Experience is a 40th Anniversary celebration and benefit event for Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Central Blue Ridge. The concert will feature Charlottesville musical acts, including The Infamous Stringdusters, Sons of Bill, and Sarah White & The Pearls. The Infamous Stringdusters recently relocated to Charlottesville from Nashville and the Grammy-nominated group has just released their first studio album titled Silver Sky.

Admission is merely $2.50, which counts as a donation to Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Central Blue Ridge. If available, day-of-show tickets will be increase to $5.00, which is still a bargain. Plus, The Festy Experience will announce this years’ lineup at Saturday’s event. October 5-7, 2012 will be the third year of The Festy Experience.

For more information about the BRMS Experience on Saturday, please click here.

Buy a ticket to Spring For The Arts & win a day pass to Tom Tom Fest!

May 8, 2012 · Community Arts Events, Spring For The Arts

Want to see The Walkmen for free? Or, how about J Roddy Walston and The Business, MiMOSA, and Futurebirds?

You can! Buy your ticket to Spring For The Arts in the next 72 hours and we’ll give you a day pass to either Friday or Saturday of the Tom Tom Music Festival on May 11 and 12!

This deal is a great way to support your local arts council and see acts like The Walkmen, J Roddy Walston and The Business, Mimosa, and Futurebirds for free.

Hurry! We have a limited number of these Tom Tom Fest day passes to give away so when they’re all claimed, we’ll let you know by updating here and on our Facebook page.

Spring For The Arts is an annual celebration of PCA and cultural life in Charlottesville. You can expect great food, drinks, live performances, and a silent auction. Tickets are $40 for PCA Members and $60 for Non-Members. It all happens on Wednesday, May 23rd from 5:30-7:30pm at CitySpace.

Of course, there is more to this great deal than a fun party and an exciting music festival. By purchasing a ticket for Spring For The Arts, you help support a variety of PCA’s programs and initiatives including the Arts Access Project, the annual Rising Star Awards, Law & The Arts seminars, Arts Inspire workshops for under-served youth, and more.

Percussionist Tatsuya Nakatani at The Bridge PAI

May 8, 2012 · Community Arts Events

Percussionist Tatsuya Nakatani performs tonight at 8:00pm at The Bridge Progressive Arts Initiative.

Tatsuya Nakatani is originally from Osaka, Japan. He has created his own instrumentation, effectively inventing many instruments and extended techniques. He utilizes a drum set, bowed gongs, cymbals, singing bowls, metal objects, bells, and various sticks and bows to create an intense, organic music that defies category or genre. His music is based in improvised or experimental music, jazz, free jazz, rock, and noise, yet retains the sense of space and beauty found in traditional Japanese folk music. You can watch a video of a past performance (held in Chiba, Japan) here.

There is a suggested donation of $7 for the performance.

Virginia Film Festival to host high school competition

May 8, 2012 · Calls for Entries, Community Arts Events, Free Events

The Virginia Film Festival is expanding its Community Outreach and Education programs to include a new high school filmmaking competition.

“Action! The Virginia Film Festival’s High School Director Competition” will welcome submissions from rising 10th, 11th and 12th graders from throughout Virginia. The grand prize winner will be awarded $1,000. Each of two runners-up in the competition will be awarded $500. All three winning films will be screened at the upcoming 25th annual Virginia Film Festival, scheduled to take place from Nov. 1-4, along with one participant badge providing access to festival screenings and the festival’s Filmmakers and Sponsors Lounge.

The competition is the latest addition to the festival’s Community Outreach and Education program, which also includes the Young Filmmakers Academy, a filmmaking initiative for elementary and middle school students. Other highlights of the program include the annual Family Day festivities and special middle and high school screenings, both during the festival and throughout the year.

To apply for the competition, students must send a completed official entry form plus three DVD copies of the film. All copies of the film must be provided on a standard DVD, which can be played on a DVD player, and not only on a computer.

Applications and complete rules for entry can be found here. Completed applications must be postmarked by Aug. 17, and winners will be notified by Sept. 28.

Spring For The Arts Auction Preview: Week Stay at Luxury Beach House

May 7, 2012 · Community Arts Events, PCA Special Events, PCA Updates, Spring For The Arts

Don’t miss your chance to bid on a week-long stay at a luxury beach house and other exciting items in PCA’s Spring For The Arts silent auction! Tickets to the event on May 23rd can be purchased here and proceeds support PCA’s many programs throughout the year.

Need to get away from it all? Up for auction is a one-week stay at a beautiful beach house in Emerald Isle, NC. This 3 bedroom/3 bath property is open, light and airy with fabulous ocean views and inlet views. The ground level has an enclosed hot & cold shower with changing room for when you walk back from a day at the beach. The Master Suite has a king bed with a private bathroom, a second bedroom has a queen bed, and the third bedroom has a pair of twin beds, perfect for the kids! There is a kitcken, dining room, and 3 separate living areas in which to relax.

Choose from 5 televisions with cable or spend the afternoon lounging on the covered deck before making dinner with the outdoor grill. No matter how you choose to pass the time, you will be sure to make fond memories while on vacation at this Emerald Isle Beach House. Look at more photos here.

You can bid on unique items and experiences like these on May 23rd at Spring For The Arts! By attending, you’ll help support a variety of PCA’s programs and initiatives including the Arts & Economic Prosperity IV study, Charlottesville Area Cultural Plan, Arts Access Project, annual Rising Star Awards, Law & The Arts seminars, Arts Inspire workshops, and more.

Come support your local arts council!

Apply for a Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship

May 7, 2012 · Classes, Community Arts Events, Employment and Internship Opportunities, Free Events

Whether sung or told, hand-crafted or performed, Virginia’s rich folklife refers to those “arts of everyday life” that reflect a sense of traditional knowledge and connection to community.

Fortunately for all of us, the Virginia Folklife Program, a public program of the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, is dedicated to the documentation, presentation, and support of Virginia’s rich cultural heritage in these rapidly changing times.

For the past ten years, eight experienced masters have been awarded Virginia Folklife Apprenticeships and paired with eager apprentices for a one-on-one, nine-month learning experience that helps ensure that a particular art form is passed on in ways that are conscious of history and faithful to tradition.

Applications for Virginia Folklife Apprenticeships are welcome in all forms of Virginia’s traditional, expressive culture – from decoy carving to fiddle making, from crab-trap building to quilt stitching, from apple butter making to old time banjo playing, from African-American gospel singing to Cambodian-American costume making.

For the 2012-2013 cycle, the Apprenticeships will begin on September 1, 2012 and run through May 31, 2013; applications must be postmarked by June 30, 2012, and earlier applications are especially welcome.

For details on how to apply, please visit the Virginia Folklife website.

May First Fridays Round Up!

May 4, 2012 · Community Arts Events, Free Events

It’s time for First Fridays! We are oh so excited to see art on the walls of gallery spaces large and small in the area. Be sure to head out this evening to stroll from gallery to gallery with your friends. And, if you’re on Twitter, please do send us a tweet at @PCA_Arts to let us know what caught your eye.

All events listed below take place on Friday, May 4th and are FREE and open to the public.
Continue reading →