Painting the town red

By Kristin O’Donoghue “When I was a young man…I’d get so wrapped up in elections,” says state Senator Creigh Deeds, who represents Charlottesville and some surrounding rural areas. “But an election is not an event, it’s part of a process. The work continues after the election.”  Still, it was a consequential election: For the last […]

Pick: Amanda

Movie night: Ty Cooper’s latest film is deeply personal. The Charlottesville-based award-winning director drew on his and his family’s own experiences with cancer when writing Amanda, a story about love, trauma, relationships, and more. As she prepares to submit her art for curation, Amanda confronts losses that she has avoided since childhood, when the disease […]

Pick: Kadencia

Island tunes: With a boisterous brass section and massive percussion, Afro-Puerto Rican ensemble Kadencia’s rhythmic sounds are a lively celebration of the Caribbean island’s culture. Playing original songs in the traditional styles of bomba and plena, the band seeks to preserve and share Puerto Rico’s native musical expression. And a splash of spirited salsa will […]

Pick: Artisans Studio Tour

Into the art: Peruse gracefully thrown pottery, delicately crafted jewelry, and beautifully blown glass, just some of the offerings at the annual central Virginia Artisans Studio Tour. Forty-six creatives in 21 studios are throwing open their doors for this self-guided event featuring Virginia’s finest crafts. Chat with the artists and enjoy demonstrations as you explore […]

In brief: City under new management

Under new management Charlottesville announced that Marc Woolley will become the city’s next interim city manager. Woolley has spent the last four years as the business administrator of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. “Right now there are certain acute issues that need to be taken care of, namely the budget and the comprehensive plan,” Woolley said at a […]

In brief: Election stunts, Boyles moves on

Governor’s race torch stunt fans flames locally  Five young people wearing identical white shirts, glasses, and baseball caps, holding tiki torches, standing in a straight line in front of Glenn Youngkin’s tour bus, praising the Republican gubernatorial candidate: It all seemed a little too neat. And indeed, it was—shortly after images of the demonstration began […]

Pick: Electric Cello Show

  Going electric: With an intriguing electric cello and a loop pedal, Brianna Tam’s one-woman Electric Cello Show is a captivating, non-classical performance. Tam plays standing up, using the improvisatory art of live looping to layer an epic, symphonic realm laced with a dark undercurrent. Her music is an exciting dance between traditional and contemporary, […]

Pick: Little Pharma

Healing words: Doctor and medical ethicist Laura Kolbe’s debut poetry collection Little Pharma is an intimate journey through the cold and impersonal side of medicine, but one that ultimately crescendos to a celebration of ongoing life, human connection, and the body. During a release party and audience Q&A, Kolbe will read from her book, in […]

Pick: Bass and Beethoven

Ace of bass: Feeling strung out? Relax with some strings: This weekend, you can bask in the mellow, sultry, resonant reverberations of the double bass with soloist Peter Spaar and the Charlottesville Symphony in Bass and Beethoven. The performance features Grammy-nominated composer Missy Mazzoli’s twisting and timeless Dark with Excessive Bright, George Gershwin’s bluesy and […]

Galleries: November

November Shows Artisans Studio Tour Various locations in central Virginia. Local artisans are opening their studios for two days of self-guided tours. Featuring ceramic, fiber, jewelry, wood, glass, and metal artisans. November 13 and 14.  The Barn Swallow Artisan Gallery 796 Gillum’s Ridge Rd. “Movement Color Light” brings together a collection of large-scale works by […]