May galleries

Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library 2450 Old Ivy Rd. “Women Making Books” explores women’s contributions to English and North American bookmaking from the mid-18th to the 21st centuries, “Visions of Progress,” and other permanent exhibitions. Cavallo Gallery & Custom Framing 117 S. Main St., Gordonsville. Original works on paper and canvas by central […]

Evidence of transformation

Poet, pediatrician, and public health researcher Irène Mathieu follows her three award-winning poetry collections with milk tongue, a new book of poetry. Referencing the milky covering that can occur on an infant’s tongue after feeding, milk tongue is a collection that explores parenthood, family, and the intricacies of existence in this world, filled with Mathieu’s […]

Pure wonder

The moment you enter Second Street Gallery, you appreciate the variety of techniques featured in “Mirabilia naturae (Wonders of Nature)”—the precise, elegant line of Lara Call Gastinger’s works of paper; the poetic, emotive quality of Giselle Gautreau’s paintings; and the velvety tones and photographic verisimilitude of Elizabeth Perdue’s palladium prints. Each medium and style has […]

Marriage Play

After 30 years of marriage, a man tells his wife that he is going to leave her. Unperturbed by his declaration, the wife responds mockingly, so he tries again, and again. Edward Albee’s Marriage Play follows Jack and Gillian, the soon-to-be-divorced couple, as they reminisce about the various phases of their relationship—affection, passion, betrayal, and […]

Fridays After Five

Outdoor music is officially here, with the 35th season of Fridays After Five. The summer lineup pairs area acts, including Kendall Street Company, Beleza, and The Chickenheads, with local nonprofits, which work the concession stands in support of their organizations. This Friday, catch Ramona and the Holy Smokes (above) on the stage for an evening […]

The Wallflowers

After nearly a decade of silence, The Wallflowers make some noise with Exit Wounds, the band’s 10-song studio offering. The Jakob Dylan-led rock outfit meshes timeless songwriting and storytelling with a hard-hitting and decidedly modern musical attack. Exit Wounds opens with “Maybe Your Heart’s Not in It No More,” a gentle, Americana-inspired song with Shelby […]

Michael Ketola

Michael Ketola Chef and general managerMas Tapas, mastapas.com A steak in the biz Without formal training, I entered the world of professional cooking in 1996, when some college friends from JMU mentioned that the steakhouse they worked at was looking for a cook. So, eager to try something new (and not move back home) I […]

All the world’s a stage

Ah, springtime in Charlottesville, a veritable petticoat junction of daffodils, bluebells, and redbuds tossing their skirts in the breeze—as Shakespeare might say.  After all, Shakespeare coined the phrase “petticoat junction” in one of his most excellent comedies, Much Ado About the Beverly Hillbillies. What’s that you say? My cultural references smack of senility? Fie on […]

Just for kicks

Longtime pals Ben Affleck and Matt Damon have re-teamed to make Air, the true story of the development of Nike’s Air Jordan sneakers. If this doesn’t sound like promising material, it isn’t. Although Air, directed by Affleck, undeniably has its moments—and there is plenty of talent involved—overall, it’s a story that isn’t worth devoting an […]

On a high note

John D’earth knows Charlottesville music. Since settling in town in 1981, he’s come to define the local jazz scene—and beyond—with his considerable crossover into pop genres, and reach as a music teacher. So when D’earth decides to bring a French jazz pianist stateside for a local residency, culminating with a show alongside himself and the […]