Two weeks ago, Eze Amos was “bored as hell.” Usually the photographer is running around Charlottesville at all hours, snapping candid shots of everyday life in the city—buskers, beer drinkers, sidewalk chalkers, protesters—shooting weddings, or completing assignments for this newspaper. But with everyone staying home for social distancing, Amos and many other photographers have lost […]
Stepping up to serve free meals In these trying times for the restaurant industry, chef Harrison Keevil of Keevil & Keevil Grocery and Kitchen is using his talents to serve others. What originally started as a free lunch (about 20 meals each weekday), has expanded to include breakfast and dinner, and by April 13, Keevil is […]
At this point in the season, farmers have planted potatoes and strawberries. They’ve sown radishes, carrots, beets, and kohlrabi. They’ve transplanted broccoli and onions from interior pots to outdoor beds, and any day now, they’ll put in the warmer-weather crops like corn and peppers. But as the COVID-19 pandemic spreads throughout Virginia, Governor Ralph Northam’s […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
“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 […]
Art in all its forms accomplishes many things. It can entertain. It can teach us something new about ourselves, or others. It can keep us company, keep us busy, keep us calm. It can inspire. It can comfort. At its core, art is about shared humanity. With that in mind, The Bridge Progressive Arts Initiative […]
In an effort to help artists facing financial hardship because of venue closures and event cancellations due to COVID-19, The Bridge PAI and New City Arts Initiative launched the Charlottesville Emergency Relief Fund for Artists on March 20. Artists can apply to receive up to $300; all they need to show is “proof of practice,” […]
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 […]
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 […]
As restaurants nationwide are forced to limit service in response to the coronavirus epidemic, workers and owners face economic as well as emotional uncertainty. Our gem of a food town is no exception. By the time Charlottesville announced its first case of COVID-19 on March 16, restaurants all over town were shutting down or moving […]
As we adjust to life amid the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ll likely turn to the arts—a favorite poem, a beloved album, a treasured painting—over and over in search of comfort and relief. Art, in all its forms, is a vital part not just of our personal lives but of our community. Social distancing measures and […]
Has it already been a year since we touted the arrival of an authentic Jewish deli to the local food scene? At the time, Modern Nosh owner Stephanie Levin said her goal was to launch her new eatery with a philanthropic twist, by sharing profits with local charities. “Our tagline is ‘you dine, we donate’,” […]
corncob RANDY (Foil) From the holy-shit desk: Heather Mease found her way from Philadelphia to Charlottesville via UVA’s Ph.D. program in composition, and as corncob, has just released the riveting tour-de-force RANDY. Mease’s vocal performances—it seems inadequate to just call them vocals–bracingly meld coquettish seduction, dark comedy, fragility, and menace over synth/drum-machine/found-sound backing tracks that […]
When Lisa Speidel joined the Sexual Assault Resource Agency in the early 1990s, she had no idea her work in sexual assault prevention would lead to a career in sex education. But one graduate program, one assistant professorship, and 27 years teaching women’s self-defense later, she’s become an advocate for sexual awareness as a path […]
With the cancellation of the Virginia Festival of the Book, and recommendations to practice social distancing, there’s never been a better time to pick up some extra reading material. While we’re disappointed that we won’t get to hear from these authors in person, their work and words are still well worth your time. Whether you’re […]
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 […]
Agatha twistie: The Mousetrap is the world’s longest-running play for a good reason. It’s an Agatha Christie original, set in a manor house that’s isolated by a blizzard—a perfect setup for a thrilling plot of deduction. The play has a famously secret and surprising twist, one that Christie herself took pains to keep under wraps. […]
Zest for life: You’ve probably seen Denise Stewart around town. Sometimes she’s sporting a big bouffant and a sequined leotard as one-half of the bawdy comedy duo the Tip-Top Twins. She’s also glanced sideways at a scandalously unclothed Ken doll as she plays a younger version of herself in Dirty Barbie and Other Girlhood Tales. […]
Swing by: An all-star lineup of local musicians joins the Albemarle High School Jazz Ensemble for Swing Into Spring, an annual evening of jazz standards and pop and R&B hits that includes Terri Allard, 14 Stories, Charles Owens, and Michael Elswick, and will have you cutting a rug in the aisles. Money raised from this […]
On a Saturday morning, artist Nick Cave and his partner Bob Faust sit with a group of 25 University of Virginia students. “Who came straight from a club?” Cave jokingly asks as he surveys the group. Many are puffy-eyed and swigging coffee in an effort to wake up. “This is Charlottesville. There aren’t any clubs […]
By Sean McGoey arts@c-ville.com The section of Fourth Street Southeast that bears Heather Heyer’s name still invokes painful memories of August 12, 2017. Shagwüf bassist and vocalist Sally Rose was among the throng protesting against the Unite the Right rally that day. “There’ve been few times where I’ve been scared like that in my life,” […]