Hands on

By Julia Stumbaugh As any parent knows, kids share more than just toys when they play—so it’s no surprise that a pandemic spells disaster for children’s museums. A century after the 1918 Spanish flu caused health boards to shutter kids’ museums across the United States, the 2020 coronavirus again made touch-heavy exhibits impossible. Satellite branches […]

Sit and stay

While most traditional westerns take place around 1890 or so (when the American frontier was officially no longer deemed unsettled), Jane Campion’s gripping, brilliantly acted The Power of the Dog begins in 1925. We know this because brothers Phil (a mesmerizing Benedict Cumberbatch) and George (Jesse Plemons) get nostalgic during a cattle drive, and reminisce […]

Galleries: December

Pieced with love “It is a real thrill when someone sees one of my paintings and feels a connection,” says painter and collage artist Scheline Crutchfield. “It’s almost like we were in the same place at the same time.” Like many artists, Crutchfield was missing that connection during COVID closures. “I created a lot of […]

Pick: Mark Nizer

Lasers, comedy, action!: Entertaining family the day after Thanksgiving can be hard, so let Mark Nizer do it for you at a live show like no other. The immersive one-man performance is a sensory extravaganza of world-class juggling (anything from bowling balls to a burning propane tank), lasers, movement, and music. Nizer delivers original comedy […]

Pick: Winter Wander

Starry night: Festive cheer fills the air and twinkling lights blanket the landscape at Winter Wander, an illuminated stroll around Heritage Lake. Walk through a 35-foot holiday tree to begin your journey, and be transported to a world of wonder at Big Boar Ridge, where a massive mama boar is looking for her babies, Sun […]

Pick: It’s a Wonderful Life

Holiday FM: Four County Players return to performing in front of an audience for the first time in two years with It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play. This twist on the classic, adapted by Joe Landry, reimagines the family favorite as a live 1940s radio broadcast. An ensemble cast tells the tale of […]

Sights and sounds

Charlottesville music scene photographer Rich Tarbell’s new book of portraiture is a no-filters cross section of local singers, songwriters, and industry supporters, and it’s a should-have for any Charlottesville audiophile. But let’s get to the part you’ve heard before: The project, like so many other artistic endeavors, was inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic. We all […]

Pick: When the Rain Stops Falling

Climate stage: Andrew Bovell’s When the Rain Stops Falling is an intimate play with a vast setting. It’s 2039, and a catastrophic flood is coming that will end all life on Earth. Interweaving stories from four generations across two continents, the play showcases the lasting impacts of climate change and the damaging legacy left behind […]

Pick: Fran Lebowitz

Tales of the city: Social commentator and cultural satirist Fran Lebowitz has an impressive resume of books, essays, and films. Her New Yorker flair won her a spot on Vanity Fair’s Best Dressed Hall of Fame list, and she’s the subject of Martin Scorsese’s recent Emmy-nominated, limited documentary series “Pretend It’s a City.” Lebowitz appears […]

Pick: Chatham Rabbits

Together in song: Drawing on the rich and diverse Southern musical traditions, North Carolina string band Chatham Rabbits constructs its modern folk with clawhammer banjo, effortless harmonies, and a deep appreciation for the past. The husband-and-wife duo’s name pays homage to a string band from over 100 years ago, and the couple’s guitar and Gibson […]