ARTS Pick: “Some Other Places We Missed”

Window to the soul In a project that mixes art with outreach to the incarcerated, Virginia-based artist Mark Strandquist asked prisoners “If you had a window in your cell, what place from your past would it look out onto?” Answers were collected, those sites were photographed, and prints were given to the prisoners to hang […]

Arts Pick: Goodnight Moonshine

When sparks fly When Molly Venter of Red Molly met Eben Pariser from the quintet Roosevelt Dime, they had no intention of forming Goodnight Moonshine. After playing at each other’s shows, a musical partnership sparked, and the harmonies began. Pariser’s strong guitar work complements Venter’s smooth, stunning voice, in a bluesy blend that brings out […]

ARTS Pick: SHOTS & WORKS

Photo finish As one of the final events of the LOOK3 festival, SHOTS & WORKS is also one of its most anticipated. A two-night open air screening of projects from voyeurs, trespassers, participants, naturalists, passive observers, artists, journalists, and commentators—all of them photographers—is accompanied by audio narratives and multimedia projections on a 40′ screen. Friday […]

ARTS Pick: The Vaccines

Big shots London-based, indie rockers The Vaccines blew up the music scene in the UK, and the hype is making its way stateside where the quartet has been added to festival line-ups at Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, and The Governors Ball. The band’s updated punk rock begs comparison to The Strokes, awakes nostalgia for The Ramones, and has put […]

Szakos top vote-getter, Bellamy and Fenwick tie in Democratic primary

Update: After a two-hour electoral board meeting this morning, Bob Fenwick and Wes Bellamy remain in an effective tie for the number-two spot on the Democratic ticket for Charlottesville City Council. “I thought the drama was over yesterday,” Fenwick said in the registrar’s office before the meeting began. The board gathered at 9:30am to confirm results from […]

Overheard on the restaurant scene… This week’s restaurant news

Now open in Scottsville: Baine’s Books & Coffee, just steps away from the James River Brewing Company. It’s a full-service espresso bar, sourcing coffee beans roasted by Lexington Coffee Roasters and prepared in a variety of styles. Baine’s also brews its own Chai from scratch with a housemade recipe, and makes its own almond and […]

Jolly good fellows: Meet four of Charlottesville’s best dads

The cool dad For Landon Harris, good parenting means keeping calm in a crisis Landon Harris was in the shower when he heard his wife panicking. He didn’t panic. The 23-year veteran of Chesterfield Fire and EMS got out of the shower and went to investigate. His 3-year-old daughter was choking on a hard candy. He picked […]

Ask Betty: Recycle me!

Teri Kent runs Charlottesville’s Better World Betty, a non-profit organization and online resource for locals looking to shrink their impact on the environment. Every month, Betty—Kent’s ’50s-housewife-meets-earth-goddess alter ego —answers the most burning eco-questions from our readers about energy use, water, waste and recycling, transportation, and green buying. Question: I’m looking for a way to […]

ARTS Pick: Ivan & Alyosha

Seattle-based indie folk-pop quartet Ivan & Alyosha is nothing if not adaptable, which proved to be a crucial trait during the recording of its first full-length album, All the Times We Had. The band felt pressured, fell out of sync, and scrapped the first attempt. But the challenges eventually paid off in a new record […]

Kris Bowmaster unmasks the inner “Predator/Prey”

Whether hanging on the walls of a Charlottesville hotspot or on display on the Downtown Mall, paintings by Kris Bowmaster are immediately recognizable. Not only does Bowmaster create pieces with distinguishable vibrancy and wistfulness, but he paints with a purpose that speaks. Bowmaster’s upcoming show “Predator/Prey,” was inspired by photographs of animals attacking and consuming […]