Art on demand: Rally ’round at Second Street Gallery

“It’s a fascinating place. It’s in my neighborhood, within walking distance from my house, but I had no idea it was there,” says filmmaker Jason Robinson, describing Moore’s Creek Wastewater Treatment plant. This type of facility probably doesn’t top most people’s list of neighborhood places to explore, but the allure was quick to present itself […]

ARTS Pick: Family Holiday Concerts

Former U.S. Poet Laureate and Pulitzer Prize winner Rita Dove guest narrates The Night Before Christmas at the UVA University Singers and the Charlottesville Symphony Family Holiday Concerts. The joint performance will include seasonal favorites such as “Sleigh Ride” and “Winter Wonderland” and crowd-pleasers from The Polar Express and Frozen soundtracks. Saturday 12/5 & Sunday […]

Film review: Trumbo views blacklisting from a different angle

Let Trumbo be the textbook example for future generations to distinguish between a good story with fine performances and snappy dialogue, and a good film. An entirely familiar period piece whose best attributes are reduced to window dressing, Trumbo is certainly not an unpleasant experience, but one drastically in need of a reduction in either […]

December First Fridays Guide

Sculptor and painter Aggie Zed sees all of the beauty and strangeness in her imaginative ceramic and copper works as alive. Her complex elephant creations often feature elements of low-tech industry like wheeled carts that intricately express the physicality of the pachyderms. Zed names wings, particularly “clumsy, comic, metal wings,” as a part of her […]

ARTS Pick: The Great Russian Nutcracker

Set the holiday mood with the Moscow Ballet’s take on the beloved story of The Great Russian Nutcracker. Experience the artistry of world-class Russian dancers, handcrafted sets and costumes, and Tchaikovsky’s time-honored musical score that shines in the orchestra’s upper register. Sunday 12/6. $30-177, 1pm and 5pm. The Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. […]

Glad tidings: The annual Gift Forest pop-up finds a new home

When Sarah Carr started the annual Gift Forest pop-up holiday shop in 2010, it took place at The Bridge PAI. “I called the shop Great Gifts through 2012 and changed the name to Gift Forest in 2013,” says Carr. “I had a much stronger vision for things in 2013. That’s when I started to feel […]

ARTS Pick: UVA Fall Dance Concert

In addition to showcasing the engaging, provocative work of dance program students and faculty at UVA’s Fall Dance Concert, the Department of Drama will host guest choreographer Katharine Birdsall (founder of Charlottesville’s Zen Monkey Project) in Moonlight, her tribute to Frederic Chopin’s Preludes. The performance of suites allows movement and music to share the spotlight equally. […]

Inside the sound: Duo Grand Banks takes its improv to the masses

You can’t cover a Grand Banks song. Don’t even think about it. It’s not a question of chops or instrumental know-how. It’s about the unique relationship between the two musicians in the band, the growth of their friendship over the years and their approach to making sound together. “If somebody asks me what Grand Banks […]

ARTS Pick: All Them Witches

While Nashville is known for its storied history of country music, that doesn’t stop All Them Witches from blowing up jazz-funk jams on the local stages. With an attitude that defies its geography, the band absorbs the vibe of places traveled and channels it into longplay epics like “El Centro” on the new album, made […]