Pick: Hot Yoga Charlottesville
Hot at home: As many forms of exercise migrated to online instruction, most local studios flowed seamlessly into virtual class offerings. Hot Yoga Charlottesville instructors are posting a variety of classes for all skill levels, and making them accessible on a free YouTube channel (donations not required, but greatly appreciated). BYO heat, and if you sign […]
Pick: The Daily Creature
Wild things: We know your kids are restless, and the interactive fun of the Through the Looking Glass exhibit at IX is temporarily closed, but The Daily Creature streaming series is a hit with art- lovers and animal-lovers alike. Artist Joe Vena leads his audience through 30-minute art project tutorials that feature fun facts and stories […]
Holding the line
While most of us are staying home, some locals are still heading to work, to keep essential services running. Here are nine of their stories, in their own words. Allison Kirkner Lead nurse practitioner and manager, cardiothoracic ICU at UVA Hospital As told to Erin O’Hare Every single day is a different day. It would […]
Pick: Charlottesville City Market
Market upswing: Typically at this time of year we’d be emerging from our winter respite, and strolling with reusable grocery bags in hand to the Charlottesville City Market to sample food and stock up on fresh greens, sustainably raised meats, and plant starts for home gardens. While that may be out of reach for now, a […]
In brief: Church amidst coronavirus, feeding the frontlines, and more
Creative worship in the age of corona Pastor Harold Bare was met with an unusual scene when he stood in front of his congregation on Easter Sunday—a barrage of car horns during a Facebook-streamed drive-in service, which welcomed congregants to decorate their vehicles and watch Bare’s sermon from a parking lot. Like every other institution […]
Pick: WTJU Rock Marathon
Can’t fight this feeling: Connecting through music has always been a comfort in troubled times. This year, WTJU’s Rock Marathon affirms that connection with a transcendent dose of specially curated programming filled with the deep dives, obscure tracks, and whimsy we’ve come to expect from the station over the past 60 years. Tune in to discover […]
High school seniors mourn loss of milestones
by Charlie Burns Ever since its emergence in the United States, the coronavirus has impacted people’s lives in distinct ways, and laid waste to societal norms as we know them. For high school seniors, this includes social and academic expectations for their final semester. Senior year has always been notable for prom, graduation, lasting memories […]
Let’s go! Our favorite local takeout, from perfect sandwiches to steaming bowls of…pasta?
While the experience of being at a restaurant—the din of clanging dishes and diners’ chatter, the comfort of being tended to—is unparalleled in our estimation, there’s a certain something special about taking your favorite menu items home. We’ve rounded up a few of our top picks: lightning-fast pasta, perfectly layered sandwiches, and the ultimate takeout […]
Pick: Monticello’s virtual tours
Viewing the past: Always wanted to visit Monticello but never had the time? And now that you have the time, the front door at TJ’s place is locked. Fear not: Monticello is using Zoom to provide a virtual opportunity to explore one of our country’s most iconic sites and the legacy of Thomas Jefferson. Connect with […]
Pick: Save the Music
Music matters: When Front Porch music school’s executive director Emily Morrison temporarily closed the doors to the popular venue, she was ready to break another barrier by livestreaming the robust programming students and fans have grown accustomed to. “We’ve talked for years about how streaming could enhance our live venue, making the concert experience accessible to […]
Pick: Treasure Trunk Theater
Mother’s big helper: One silver lining of our new stay-at-home society is that it’s provided hours of quality family time. Hours and hours—with no end in sight. Luckily, Live Arts’ Online Treasure Trunk Theater offers parents some guilt-free virtual assistance from Edwina Herring. New stories, games, crafts, and more arrive weekly in your inbox, and kids […]
Pick: BlkFrs TV
Much ado about Shakespeare: Shakespeare scholars have been dominating online arts outlets with clickbait headlines about the Bard’s burst of creativity during a bubonic plague quarantine in 1606. He’s said to have “churned out King Lear, Macbeth, and Antony and Cleopatra that year,” which may have led to his takeover at the original Blackfriars Theatre in Elizabethan London. In […]
In brief: Win for workers, dorm drama, and more
Shielding up While many businesses have been forced to close due to the coronavirus, grocery stores are busier than ever—and their employees have had to continue showing up for work, potentially putting themselves at risk. On March 31, some Whole Foods workers stayed home in a nationwide “sick out” to protest a lack of protections, […]
Pick: Publishing pivot
It goes without saying that the coronavirus pandemic has altered life as usual, but for area creatives the show must go on. Taking the place of her scheduled book release appearances, local author Laura Lee Gulledge is hopping on Facebook Live to discuss The Dark Matter of Mona Starr, a YA graphic novel that explores […]
Pick: Fly at home
Don’t let social distancing deny you the benefits of feeling strong and present in your own body. FlyDog Yoga is offering three to four live classes a day, plus on-demand Power Vinyasa, Yin, Flow, Barre, Power Sculpt, Yoga Nidra, Meditation, and more. In addition, studio co-owner Brad Whiteman, an Army veteran who learned to manage […]
Pick: Concert on your couch
Live music in the comfort of your own home? Sounds too good to be true, but rest assured, it isn’t. As a temporary replacement for in-person concerts and events, The Front Porch streaming series Save the Music welcomes Charlottesville native Genna Matthew, whose bittersweet lyrics and soothing folk-pop vocals earned her the 2019 grand prize […]
Pick: Art lessons
“The world always seems brighter when you’ve just made something that wasn’t there before,” says graphic novelist Neil Gaiman. Second Street Gallery has brightened our community for over 45 years, and while we cannot currently enjoy its compelling displays in person, SSG offers us plenty to look at through its digital initiatives and art exercises […]
Homecoming: Sex and self-love during the coronavirus pandemic
By Lisa Speidel Navigating the coronavirus pandemic has proven challenging as we figure out social distancing, homeschooling, Zoom meetings, maintaining our health and minimizing breakdowns from cabin fever. Sex may be the last thing on our minds. Maybe we have kids at home and little privacy with our partners—or by the time the kids are […]
Shut down: UVA’s dining hall employees unceremoniously dumped by Aramark
By Sydney Halleman When Cece Cowan first heard about Aramark Dining Services, the company that contracts with UVA to staff its dining halls, she was impressed. Cowan liked the global reach of the company and its potential relocation opportunities, especially Georgia, where she wanted to buy a house for herself and her three small children. […]
In brief: Stay home
Settle in “Our message today is very clear: That is to stay home,” said Governor Ralph Northam at the beginning of a March 30 press conference. On March 27, the governor issued Executive Order 53, which shut down schools for the rest of the year, closed all “non-essential” businesses, and asked everyone to social distance, […]
Welcome home: Our guide to city neighborhoods
By Charlie Burns, Carol Diggs, Brielle Entzminger, Ben Hitchcock, Laura Longhine, and Erin O’Hare Life here in Charlottesville has changed drastically since we began working on this feature about city neighborhoods, more than a month ago. But if anything, our neighborhoods have become more important. With schools and many businesses closed, we’ve all retreated to […]
In brief: City changes, missing masks, budget burdens, and more
Suddenly, a new normal Just two weeks ago—two weeks ago!—our schools were open, our basketball team was eyeing a tournament run, and our restaurants were dusting off the patio furniture for long evenings of springtime outdoor dining. But thanks to the spread of the infectious and dangerous novel coronavirus, Charlottesville has had to quickly adjust […]
Sculpture and shadows: Renee Balfour’s “New Work” evokes a haunting stillness
By Ramona Martinez The 11 wood sculptures that make up Renee Balfour’s “New Work” at McGuffey Art Center have a haunting stillness. Hung around the main gallery, some white and some unpainted, they are reminiscent of bones and fossilized plants—like prehistoric objects suspended in time. The exhibition is full of contradictions, or maybe polarities: seemingly […]
Hitting home: Coronavirus closings rattle Charlottesville
Virginia reported its first two coronavirus cases on March 9. By March 13, Charlottesville and Albemarle’s governments had each declared a local state of emergency and Governor Ralph Northam had ordered all public schools in Virginia to close for at least two weeks. Charlottesville’s first positive COVID-19 case was announced on March 16, and as […]
Coronavirus coverage
What’s happening…and what’s not
In an effort to contain the growing coronavirus/COVID-19 threat, a lot is shifting. Schools are closed, government proceedings are different, local venues are cancelling and postponing events, and local shops and restaurants are closing or pivoting to different business models. We’ll keep you updated as best we can on this page. On Monday, March 30, […]
Pick: Adventures in Beekeeping
Honey do: Ian Henry and Buzz Barnett get hive minded in their lighthearted Adventures in Beekeeping talk, discussing honey production and the importance of these hard-working insects to our ecosystem and food sources (a fact that can’t be overstated these days). The pair promises to indulge their swarm of listeners in a local honey tasting […]