Ty Cooper’s One Mic Stand is about free expression

“This stage is for you. You don’t have to be an artist to share a story.” This is Ty Cooper’s message to anyone attending his One Mic Stand shows, a live series staged for more than 10 years at Piedmont Virginia Community College. “We just wanted to provide a platform for artists to express themselves […]

On location

Since 2019, local filmmaker Ty Cooper’ Indie Short Film Series has given aspiring Charlottesville filmmakers a valuable opportunity to showcase their work. “It’s a way for you to enter the business without having to spend a lot of money,” Cooper says. Shorts are traditionally novice directors’ best way of making a name for themselves, but […]

Pick: Amanda

Movie night: Ty Cooper’s latest film is deeply personal. The Charlottesville-based award-winning director drew on his and his family’s own experiences with cancer when writing Amanda, a story about love, trauma, relationships, and more. As she prepares to submit her art for curation, Amanda confronts losses that she has avoided since childhood, when the disease […]

Cut the check: BRACE grants bring relief for some businesses

As the coronavirus epidemic has devastated small businesses nationwide, many local shops and restaurants have sought federal relief. But the City of Charlottesville has also rolled out several of its own assistance initiatives this month. The Building Resilience Among Charlottesville Entrepreneurs grant, which awarded up to $2,000 to city businesses, received nearly 150 applications in […]