More than facts: Brendan Wolfe reimagines Virginia history

“The thing about working for the encyclopedia is that you’re just surrounded by stories all the time. I never get tired of all the interesting stuff that you come into contact with.” As the managing editor of Encyclopedia Virginia, it’s no surprise that Brendan Wolfe feels this way. Where many would envision dull days of […]

Velázquez to Picasso: Russ Warren channels Spain in the Blue Ridge

“The landscape around my Charlottesville home is remarkably like that of Oaxaca, Mexico,” muses Charlottesville-based artist Russ Warren. It has “a spirituality emanating from the atmosphere and the mountainous landscape that seems magical.” To be honest, despite having spent much of my life in the Blue Ridge Mountains, this is not a comparison I’ve heard […]

Reimagined: PCA finds new direction under Gram Slaton

“I take broken things and fix them,” explained Gram Slaton. This conjures images of fixer-upper houses or rusted-out bikes, but he’s not a repairman in the traditional sense. In fact, one of the main things that Slaton fixes are non-profit organizations. And as the new executive director of Piedmont Council for the Arts (PCA), he is […]

New in town: Finding an artistic home through collaboration

The word home means different things to different people: A physical place you share with family and friends. A feeling of love and security. A group of people who share encouragement and acceptance. At different points in life, we all struggle to find home. For touring musicians, this can be an even trickier task. However, […]

Joy ride: Changing perspectives on public art at the Tom Tom Founders Festival

The creative process requires commitment to an idea, openness to feedback, repeated attempts (a failure or two) and adaptation. When approached thoughtfully, it offers space for new ways of understanding the world, engaging in a community and expressing the emotions that otherwise go unsaid. Just ask Paul Beyer, founder and director of Charlottesville’s Tom Tom […]

Roots meets grassroots: John McCutcheon pays tribute to Joe Hill

John McCutcheon is equal parts musician and storyteller, skilled with a variety of instruments but also engaging when telling tales between tunes. He is a Wisconsin native who called Charlottesville home for years before moving to Smoke Rise, Georgia. He is also an avid community organizer and political figure in folk music. Given this multifaceted […]

Eschew superstition: Local musicians worth a listen on Friday the 13th

For some, this weekend is a chance to get an early start on St. Patrick’s Day festivities, er, drinking. For others, it’s a trauma trigger for paraskevidekatriaphobia–the fear of Friday the 13th. But for those looking to eschew shamrocks and other nightmares, there’s a different option. On Friday, March 13, local musicians take the stage […]