January First Fridays Guide

Local artist Aaron Eichorst believes in the power of a positive perspective on influencing personal success. His exhibition, “Inner Outlook,” is an artistic manifestation of his personal attitudes and temperaments over four years, and follows a previous series that featured a style called grotesque—an intricate incorporation of fantastic human and animal figures interlaced with architectural […]

New year notions: Local artists look ahead at 2016

Ah, the new year. That time when thoughts turn to starry-eyed dreams, impossibly slim waistlines and the vague notion that if we could just pull away our bad habits like Clark Kent’s suit jacket, we’d find Super(wo)man underneath. After two years interviewing local artists (and 31 years living as one), I can officially say that […]

Give back, give art: Make it a philanthropic holiday with local nonprofits

“We know people are looking for creative ways to give. What we hear repeatedly is, ‘I don’t need anything, I don’t want anything,’” says Sally Day. As director of development for Service Dogs of Virginia, Day knows plenty about the importance of end-of-year philanthropy for local nonprofits. In response to this, the organization’s founder and […]

Eyes all aglow: James Yates curates holiday magic at PVCC

James Yates is on a quest to bring magic back during the holidays. “When I was a kid, we used to drive around the town looking at Christmas lights. I remember how awesome that was: me being in the back of the station wagon, drinking hot chocolate, looking out the windows,” the artist says. “Several […]

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 […]

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 […]