Sarah Sargent, Author at C-VILLE Weekly

Ten women artists string a vision together in Phaeton Gallery group show

In culmination of an ambitious project that began at the end of January 2025 when a group of artists convened at Phaeton Gallery to work on creating a clothesline, “Weathering: The Endurance of the Ordinary” features the work of 10 women examining “the quiet resilience embedded in daily life and the subtle ways time and […]

Sarah Sargent | May 20, 2026

Culture Works

An exhibition at JSAAHC allows the public to contribute

In an effort to transform the remnants of Charlottesville’s Robert E. Lee statue into a new commemorative design, the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center has mounted “Swords into Plowshares Recast|Reclaim.” The three-pronged exhibition describes the events leading up to, and surrounding the removal of, the statue, what happened next, and what comes now. The […]

Sarah Sargent | April 29, 2026

Culture

Painter Philip Geiger leaves a legacy of intensity and art history

Artist Philip Geiger, who taught painting at the University of Virginia for more than 30 years, depicted how things appear to the eye as opposed to reproducing how they appear physically. His perceptual approach was augmented by a deep understanding of art history, imbuing his paintings with weight and power. Geiger spent his life perfecting […]

Sarah Sargent | March 4, 2026

Culture

Painter J.M. Henry let beauty get in the way

J.M. Henry left an indelible impression on those he encountered in Charlottesville. They remember his talent and commitment to art, his resiliency, his generosity, and his finely attuned sense of humor. “Interference: A Retrospective of the Paintings of J.M. Henry” at McGuffey Art Center celebrates the work of the artist who died in June 2025. […]

Sarah Sargent | February 18, 2026

Culture

Stacey Evans captures ephemeral perspectives from a window seat

Stacey Evans began taking photos from trains more than 20 years ago. What started casually, with a couple of images snapped on a trip, evolved into a serious body of work produced over 44 separate train journeys, along 14 different routes. “Passenger: Riding the Rails” at Second Street Gallery features photographs taken by Evans along […]

Sarah Sargent | December 17, 2025

Arts Culture

Acclaimed artist Wolfgang Buttress designs a community treasure

Known for his large-scale immersive installations that incorporate sculpture and technology to explore environmental themes, British artist Wolfgang Buttress’ reputation was established with 2015’s “The Hive,” a bee-centric work that won 27 awards and is now permanently installed at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in London. Thanks to a generous gift to University of Virginia’s […]

Sarah Sargent | November 5, 2025

Arts Culture Feature

McGuffey Art Center toasts 50 years of collaboration and support

From the moment it opened on October 11, 1975, the McGuffey Art Center was a hit. Half a century later, the vibrant arts organization is still humming along, providing affordable studio space and a supportive environment for artists while delivering art shows, receptions, classes, open studios, and performances to the public. When William H. McGuffey […]

Sarah Sargent | September 3, 2025

Arts Culture

Tim Michel takes inspiration from water’s transitions in Chroma show

Tim Michel became interested in deltas after a friend, a follower of Carl Jung, suggested it would be useful to have a personal symbol or archetype that could carry you to the next stage of your life. “This was interesting to me,” says Michel, whose “Delta” show at Chroma Projects considers these alluvial phenomena through […]

Sarah Sargent | August 6, 2025

Arts Culture

Vibha Vijay transforms one precious object into another at New City Arts

In “one hand washes the other” at New City Arts, Vibha Vijay endows art with emotional import, incorporating secondhand fabric and materials belonging to family members—a practice that allows her to explore the associations these items hold. Vijay says a recent visit to India “really sparked a lot of the thought behind this work.” Evident […]

Sarah Sargent | May 21, 2025

Arts Culture

A dual show at Phaeton Gallery interprets beauty in layers

Currently on exhibition at Phaeton Gallery, “Understory” features works by Charlottesville resident Krista Townsend and Nikki Hare of Tewkesbury, U.K., in a dynamic artistic dialogue about nature. The title refers to the zone of vegetation that exists between the forest floor and the forest canopy. Townsend approaches this directly, producing work developed and centered on […]

Sarah Sargent | March 26, 2025