Director's Message
Happy New Year! The year 2018 included many positive changes to Arlington’s economic and cultural profile, most dramatically the Amazon decision to bring its HQ2 to National Landing (comprised of the Crystal City, Potomac Yards, and Pentagon City neighborhoods.) The arts in Arlington are also experiencing many changes and Arlington Arts staff used this year as an opportunity to evaluate our mission, programs, and organization. Our takeaway was a clear message proclaiming our main contribution to Arlington as “creating, supporting, and promoting the arts, by connecting artists and community to reflect the diversity of Arlington.”
This mission embodies our new innovative arts delivery method with more emphasis on bringing artists and resources directly to you. We were excited to launch the National Endowment for the Arts-funded Arlington Art Truck mobile artist-in-residence program and introduce our Award Winning First Fridays: Groovin’ on the PIke Concert Series at Columbia Pike Branch Library. Other programs celebrated the vibrancy and diversity of the Arlington community, from the 15th Annual Dia De Los Muertos event at Arlington Arts Center, to Arlington’s signature music festivals: Rosslyn Jazz Festival and the Columbia Pike Blues Festival.
In 2019, we’re expanding our model of artistically enhanced civic engagement by continuing to advance our affordable housing initiative for creatives with Artspace. The Arlington Art Truck will serve as a launch pad for the County’s Zero Waste Plan, helping the Department of Environmental Services Solid Waste Bureau gather relevant data and help raise awareness of this vital cause. We will undertake several ambitious public art projects, including commemorating Arlington’s civil rights past, placing public art along the National Landing transit corridor, and further integrating public art into civic and private projects with a revised Public Art Master Plan.
This year, we're also launching the Arlington Arts Magazine. This magazine serves as a window into how we and other Arlington cultural organizations work to make Arlington a great place to live, work, and play! We look forward to seeing what else artists and community can produce and build together in 2019.
Sincerely,
Michelle Isabelle-Stark
Judy Garland: A Star is Born @ Signature Theatre
Judy Garland’s career spanned nearly four decades from child celebrity to adult icon. A cast of Signature favorites sings some of her most famous songs including “Over the Rainbow,” “Get Happy” and “The Man That Got Away” along with lesser known gems in a tribute to one of Hollywood’s brightest stars. More
January 8 – 26 | Signature Theatre, Shirlington
Heather's The Musical presented by Dominion Stage
A rock musical with music, lyrics, and a book by Laurence O'Keefe and Kevin Murphy. Directed by Sam Nystrom. Music Direction by Blakeman Brophy. Choreography by Jolene Vettese. More
January 11 – 26 | Gunston Theatre Two, Gunston Middle School
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Winning Grant Proposals: Strategies for Artists
Glen Kessler, Founder and Director of The Compass Atelier, leads attendees through the challenging process of applying for grants and grant writing in particular. From locating viable grants, to following guidelines, to writing a successful grant, to follow up, this workshop will enhance your understanding and confidence in applying for artistic grants. More
Sat., January 12 @1:30PM | 3700 S. Four Mile Run, Four Mile Run Valley
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Opening Reception for Signs of the Times National Juried Exhibition
Join the Arlington Artists Alliance at the Opening Reception to view a timely exhibition and meet the artists from the national juried show "Signs of the Times” at Gallery Clarendon. Works have been drawn from across the country for this show and interpret the signs of our times in various ways that address, question, protest and celebrate our changing and diverse world. More
Fri. Jan 11, 5pm–8pm | Gallery Clarendon, Clarendon
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Hilda Shapiro Thorpe: Women of Jefferson Place Gallery
Cody Gallery is pleased to present a solo exhibition of work by Hilda Shapiro Thorpe (b. Baltimore, MD 1919; d. Alexandria, VA 2000). Delving deep into the artists prolific career, the exhibition will highlight the artists viscerally affective work that at once reveals itself as dedicated and meaningful in context to its process and practice. Thorpe’s work, often investigating color, scale, physicality and fragility, speaks with great relevance to the contemporary work developed today. More
Jan. 11 - Mar. 9; Opening Reception: January 11, 7-9pm | Cody Gallery, Ballston
Paint, Build, Create
Gear up for a day of creative exploration on Saturday at Fairlington Community Center at Arlington County’s Paint, Build, Create event. This annual event is free and open to the public and will feature STEM-based projects for all ages and abilities, including bubble painting, mirror boxes, kaleidoscopes, kinetic sand, cup and string telephones, simple levers, slime and lots more (including Food Trucks!) More
Sat., Jan. 12 @ 11 am-2 pm | Fairlington Community Center, Fairlington
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Cityscapes and Landscapes Art Exhibit
Come and shrug off the winter blues at Gallery Underground with an inspiring show of new work by Gallery members. Featured are works by painter Laura Clerici. Laura seeks to represent the image of the event or the person depicted in the icon, but principally, she hopes to make people aware of the Divine, Uncreated Light, which permeates all things and which particularly evident in the lives of holy people. More
thru Jan. 25th | Gallery Underground, Crystal City
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