Indie comic collaborators release a gritty new series

A new independent comic book from local artist Wil Smith and Richmond-based writer Joshua Eadie explores a dystopian near-future through a cyberpunk story packed with gritty pulp action. Southtown, self-published by Smith and Eadie with co-creators Ally Slawson and Mallorie Mize, offers a neo-noir narrative tied to capitalist critique, corporate malfeasance, and the authenticity found […]

Ruffin Gallery group show brings art alums together

The work of former University of Virginia students comes together in “A Continuous Storyline: Four Decades of UVA Painters” at the school’s Ruffin Gallery. In curating the show, UVA Professor of Studio Art Megan Marlatt chose artists with an active creative life who are developing, working, and making art.  Tori Cherry (’20), whose stunning self-portrait […]

Ten artists share repetition across mediums at Second Street Gallery

“That Feels Good! Labor as Pleasure” at Second Street Gallery brings together 10 artists working in a variety of media and styles whose work shares a labor-intensive, often repetitive, approach. For curator Francisco Donoso, the repetitions and effort yield not just interesting artwork, but also pleasure for the artist creating it.  Donoso cites as inspiration […]

JSAAHC adds highly detailed Black spaces exhibition to its permanent collection

“Toward a Lineage of Self” is the latest addition to the “Pride Overcomes Prejudice” permanent exhibition at the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center. Featuring an interactive digital map, the exhibition uses deed records, oral histories, documents, and photographs to show how Charlottesville’s historically Black neighborhoods came to be, the struggles they faced when confronted […]

Jefferson School spotlights sculptor who carved out a remarkable legacy

The story of sculptor Alice Ivory is a story of triumph against adversity, and the power of the creative drive. It is also an American tragedy of sorts, highlighting the dearth of opportunities afforded people outside the white, predominantly male, status quo. In “Beyond Boundaries: The Sculpture of Alice Wesley Ivory,” the Jefferson School African […]

Peace by piece

It goes without saying that a quilting judge must have a sharp eye for details, but there’s more to it than that. Sure, “things like originality, consistency in the length of quilting stitches, square corners, levelness in hanging, and matching points (joints of fabric) play into awards,” says Linda Boone, chair of the Charlottesville Area […]

Figuring it out

By Matt Dhillon In February, Saul Kaplan marked both his 93rd birthday and the release of a new book of artwork. The self-published Sketches: Faces of Life & Love highlights what is perhaps the artist’s most discreet and most intimate medium, his drawings. Having retired to an apartment in Martha Jefferson House, the ceramics and […]

Color rush

As daily temps start to climb, and we await the vibrant colors of spring, Quirk Gallery offers a visually stunning show celebrating the work of two artists, Priscilla Whitlock and Mary Holland, whose work is guaranteed to lift winter’s gray grip.  Whether producing vignettes of her garden, open meadows, or mountain vistas, Whitlock’s “Eden” conveys […]