PICK: Maupintown Film Festival
Royal viewing: Queen is the theme of the 2020 Maupintown Film Festival, the annual showcase of narrative movies and documentaries by and about African Americans. It’s all online this year, and programming will honor the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th amendment, with a selection of women-centered films such as Byrdland: From Being […]
PICK: Sharon Harrigan
Double take: Sharon Harrigan’s debut novel, Half, tells the story of identical twin sisters who are so close they can barely distinguish the boundary between their minds. In Harrigan’s poetically crafted prose, the women narrate as one, and, through the death of a father that towers over their lives, as two separate people. Dealing in […]
PICK: Creature Builder Collective camps
Art smarts: Calling all Picasso, Harry Potter, and Bob the Builder fans who want to explore their creative potential at IX Art Park’s Creature Builder Collective camps. Dedicated teaching artists will engage imaginative 6-12-year-old minds in art workshops that offer everything from sculpture and painting, to puppet and stop-motion animation. Campers learn the technical skills […]
In brief: No pipeline, name game, and more
Pipeline defeated The Atlantic Coast Pipeline is history. In a surprise announcement on Sunday afternoon, Dominion Power called off the 600-mile natural gas pipeline that would have run from West Virginia to North Carolina. “VICTORY!” declared the website of the Southern Environmental Law Center. The news is a major win for a wide variety of […]
PICK: Reds, Whites, and Bluegrass
Sip ‘n’ sizzle: Looking for a good way to celebrate America on July 4? How about listening to some Americana at Keswick Vineyards’ Reds, Whites, and Bluegrass, a socially distanced, in-person gathering, with tunes provided by the Tara Mills Band. Playing her self-described “original Blue Ridge mountain folk,” Mills and company will provide relaxing melodies […]
PICK: The Steel Wheels
Steel yourself: The Steel Wheels had to postpone its annual Redwing Roots festival (now scheduled for July 2021), but fans can still enjoy the band’s acoustic grooves as part of The Front Porch’s Save the Music concert series. The Americana folk band (minus a few members) from Harrisonburg, delivers the “purity and power” of its […]
PICK: DMB Drive-In
Crash in: The Dave Matthews Band needs no introduction. Known for its live performances and charming frontman, the globally famous jam band has been the musical pride of Charlottesville for decades. And with the pandemic prohibiting live concerts, DMB has found a way to fill the deafening silence of no summer touring. The DMB Drive-In […]
In brief: Black at STAB, a win for Webb, and more
Private protests For decades, students in collared shirts and plaid skirts have strolled across St. Anne’s-Belfield’s well-manicured lawns. But even this historic bastion of prep has felt the effects of our transformative moment, at least in a small way. After the murder of George Floyd, a group of STAB alumni, led by Sophia Hunt, created […]
PICK: Alice Clair
Tuning in at home: With her mixture of thoughtful lyrics, environmental consciousness, and passionate music, Alice Clair is a singular talent—one you’ll often find jamming with her psych-rock band The BLNDRS. The folk rock singer-songwriter, guitarist, and mandolinist performs for The Front Porch’s ongoing series Save the Music. Donations benefit Georgia’s Healing House. Sunday, 6/28. […]
PICK: Darden Towe Scavenger Hunt
Soulful search: Tired of the indoors and in the mood for a little outdoor adventure? Look no further than Darden Towe Park’s Solo Scavenger Hunt. Download a scorecard, find clues, search for items, take photos, and connect with new people by posting online. It’s an old-fashioned adventure game for all ages, and an interactive way […]
PICK: Spanish Bread Pudding Cooking Lesson
Teaching Treat: Budin de Pan, a sweet bread pudding and a popular breakfast offering in many places around the world, isn’t something you’ll find on most American tables. But now, with the help of The Happy Cook’s online cooking series and chef Soledad Liendo, a graduate of the International Institute of Culinary Arts in Buenos […]
Local chefs unlock creativity during virus lockdown
As lockdowns hit the area this spring, it seemed like everyone and their mother broke out the sourdough starter—professional chefs included. Travis Burgess, co-owner and chef at Bang!, Bizou, and the new pasta-to-go spot Luce, experimented at home with a cast-iron sourdough focaccia that only an enviable few will ever get to try. He admits […]
The Power Issue: People and organizations that hold us together in tough times
Every year, C-VILLE publishes a power issue. It’s usually a rundown of local real-estate moguls and entrepreneurs, tech tycoons, arts leaders, and big donors. This year’s issue is a little different—most of the people and groups listed here aren’t the richest folks in town. They don’t own the most land, they don’t run the […]
In brief: Protestors push on, police donors exposed, victims speak out, and more
Tenure trouble UVA’s “Great and Good” strategic plan lists “recruiting and retaining excellent and diverse faculty” as a central goal. But this year, two black scholars who have been denied tenure claim the decision process was significantly flawed, possibly due to racial bias. Paul Harris has worked at UVA’s Curry School of Education since 2011, […]
In brief: Back to school, pricey police, fiery resignation
Back to school, more or less “All Virginia schools will be open for students next year,” said Governor Ralph Northam at a press conference last week. “But the school experience will look very different.” Northam laid out his administration’s guidelines for the reopening of Virginia’s schools, fully detailed in the state’s 135-page “Recover, Redesign, Restart” […]
PICK: The Crozet Car Show
Going the distance: The Crozet Car Show is taking a different route this year. In keeping with current efforts to socially distance, the typically stationary annual event is hitting the road for a cruise through Old Trail and Crozet. Spectators are encouraged to wear masks as they line the streets to cheer this parade on […]
Medical field grads face uncertainty
By Claudia Gohn UVA sent its Class of 2020 off into the world (virtually) on May 16. Graduating during a pandemic, with record levels of unemployment and an economic depression likely to last for a long time, means an uncertain future for all of them. But young people entering the medical field are facing unique […]
Pick: Treasure Trunk Mini Camps
Short camps for a long summer: Want to avoid throwing that Disney movie on again so you can get some work done at home? With the prospect of a long summer ahead, Live Arts has good news for parents of small children. At Treasure Trunk Mini Camps, kids can play games, make crafts, and read […]
In brief: Masked up, KKK attacks, and more
Masked up On May 26, Governor Ralph Northam declared that all Virginians 10 years and older must wear masks while in public indoor spaces, including retail stores, buses, and restaurants (when you’re not eating, of course). Some have wondered how business owners would enforce such a rule with recalcitrant customers, and Tobey’s Pawn Shop owner […]
Less is more: Grace Ho’s virtual exhibition ‘Solace’ transcends the online gallery
By Ramona Martinez The paintings in “Solace,” shown this month on Studio IX’s virtual gallery, are large. Most of them are three-by-four feet, and would doubtless be particularly compelling in person. But it is a testament to Grace Ho’s voice as an artist that, even on a computer screen, her work leaves a big impression. […]
Stay cool, Charlottesville
It’s a steamy 88 degrees, on average, in Charlottesville in July, and that’s not factoring in the humidity—making it vital to have spots to cool off outdoors. But as summer approaches and many businesses reopen, swimming options remain few and far between. Here’s our guide to where you can (and can’t) hit the water, and […]
High school seniors modify end-of-year traditions
By Claudia Gohn Senior year traditions—from proms and sports banquets to senior nights and graduation ceremonies—have long been a way to commemorate the end of high school, giving students the chance to celebrate and say goodbye to one chapter of life before beginning a new one. But with schools closed since March and social-distancing regulations […]
PICK: Beyond the Screen— Beastie Boys Story
Beastie bests: In 1986, the Beastie Boys’ Licensed to Ill became the first rap record to top the Billboard chart, and the trio from New York City went on to sell over 20 million albums. Filmmaker Spike Jonze shot the Beasties to new heights with his video for Ill Communication’s “Sabotage,” an homage to 1970s […]
Pick: Roos Galore
Hop on this: Are you curious about how long baby joeys stay in their mother’s pouches? Or maybe you’d like to learn more about Aboriginal art? In the webinar Roos Galore, Lauren Maupin and Fenella Belle focus on central and northern Australia for a comprehensive look at depictions of the beloved bouncer from down under […]
In brief: Happy (socially distanced) graduation, Memorial Day, and more
Rad grads Charlottesville’s 2020 high school graduates imagined they’d be walking across a grand stage right about now, with “Pomp and Circumstance” blaring as an auditorium applauded. That’s gone, of course, but the virus hasn’t stopped our schools from showing love for their seniors. Districts around town have held variations on the traditional graduation ceremony, […]
Pick: Flexible Pasta Primavera
Peas and love: Accomplished chef Ian Redshaw (James Beard Award semi-finalist for Best Rising Star Chef Mid-Atlantic, former partner at Lampo and Prime 109 restaurants) teaches a virtual cooking class on how to make the most of ingredients from your garden or local farm while keeping it simple and artful. Redshaw will cook online, answer […]
Pick: Leah ‘n’ Lulu’s Virtual Picnic
Outside chances: The environment is getting a healthy respite right now thanks to less human activity around the globe. Is it possible to get back out there with intention and a newfound respect? Two area authors consider the role of nature in our lives during Leah ‘n’ Lulu’s Virtual Picnic, an immersion in “environmental writing […]