Mercedes Helnwein "The Beautiful Person"; Second Street Gallery; Through May 28

Mercedes Helnwein’s “The Beautiful Person” provokes and questions observers at Second Street Gallery. (Courtesy the artist) What are you looking at? A stern portrait’s half-lidded stare seems to ask this the moment anyone walks through the door at Second Street Gallery. And in artist Mercedes Helnwein’s show “The Beautiful Person,” it’s a question well worth […]

Charlottesville’s City Market needs a permanent home in order to evolve

For 18 years, vendors and shoppers have flocked to the Water Street parking lot every Saturday morning, April through December, for Charlottesville’s City Market. The location is often described as too crowded, and while some might see the busy scene as a sign of success, local experts believe the market could grow beyond the weekly, five-hour session if given the room to expand its footprint and its mission.