On November 29, 2012, Clifford Garstang, author of What the Zhang Boys Know, discussed the literary form of “novel-in-stories” with editor and writer Katherine McNamara.
“Talking Walls: Murals Now” Panel Discussion
On September 21, 2012, the Piedmont Council for the Arts co-sponsored “Talking Walls: Murals Now”, a panel discussion about murals. The event was presented in conjunction with the Piedmont Environmental Council’s September fundraising exhibition “Painters of the Piedmont” at Chroma Projects.
The panel talk featured accomplished muralists Lincoln Perry, Craig McPherson, William Woodward (PEC guest curator for “Painters of the Piedmont”), and Ross McDermott of the Charlottesville Mural Project (CMP) speaking of the inspiration, protocols, obstacles, technical processes and the meaningful impact of mural painting in public spaces.
Charlottesville is particularly familiar with Lincoln Perry for his soft hued paintings of figures in enigmatic circumstances, and most recently for his epic mural, “The Students Progress,” a visual treatise on academic life that encompasses much of the lobby of Cabell Hall at the University of Virginia. Perry also was commissioned to execute a large mural for the lobby of the Met Life building in St. Louis, MO.
Craig McPherson spent almost seven years creating one of the most ambitious sequential mural projects in New York City. Commissioned by the American Express Company, McPherson’s two mural cycles, “Twilight: The Waterways and Bridges of Manhattan” and “Harbors of the World” were both displayed in American Express’s corporate headquarters at the World Financial Center, which miraculously survived the 9/11 tragedy.
William Woodward is recognized for many significant commissions, including a mural at the Lincoln National Monument in Washington, D.C. Woodward has several decades of experience in creating narrative realism. His most recent commission is the mural, “Thomas Jefferson at Monticello” in the new Visitors’ Center.
Ross McDermott is the Director of the CMP. Launched in 2011 as a program of The Bridge Progressive Arts Initiative, past murals organized by the CMP include local photographer Will Kerner’s portraits of people affected by mountain top removal at the corner of Water and Second Streets, “Hands Together,” a mural by Avery Lawrence at the IX Project, and a mural on The Bridge PAI by Australian artist Reko Rennie and American artist Frank Buffalo Hyde in partnership with the Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection.
WriterHouse: Writing the Cross-Genre Novel with Alma Katsu
What happens when your novel doesn’t fit in one genre? What are the perils–and opportunities–of writing a book that defies categorization? Is there a marketplace for cross-genre books? On June 14, 2012, Alma Katsu, author of The Taker Trilogy (Gallery Books/Simon & Schuster), talked with mystery author Meredith Cole about fundamentals of storytelling, breaking the rules, and winning over readers of all stripes.
Alma Katsu is the author of The Taker and The Reckoning. The Taker was selected by the American Library Association/Booklist as one of the top ten debut novels of 2011, and translation rights have sold in a dozen languages. She is a graduate (MA) of the Johns Hopkins writing program and an alumna of the Squaw Valley Writers Conference.
WriterHouse: From Blog Posts to One-Woman Show
On Wednesday, June 13, 2012, playwright DeeDee Stewart and WriterHouse member Elizabeth Derby discussed Stewart’s journey from blog posts about her southern childhood to the international premiere of her one-woman show “Dirty Barbie and Other Girlhood Tales” at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. She talked about the process of turning scenes from her life into a sold-out show.
WriterHouse: Women in Poetry with Melanie Moro-Huber and Roselyn Elliott
As part of WriterHouse’s celebration of National Poetry month, on Friday, April 20, 2012, 7pm, poet Melanie Moro-Huber read from her new book Axe in Hand (2012, New York Quarterly Books) and talked to fellow poet Roselyn Elliott about women in poetry.
WriterHouse: Does This Play Make my Brown Look Gay? Writing at the Intersection of Race and Sexuality
On March 10, 2012, playwright Enrique Urueta discussed his experience writing in the context of race and sexuality.
Enrique Urueta is a queer Colombian-American playwright from South Boston, VA whose award-winning plays Learn to Be Latina, The Danger of Bleeding Brown, and Forever Never Comes have been presented across the country.
Wake-Up Call: Piedmont Council of the Arts
On the July 1 Wake-Up Call, host Rick Moore talks with Sarah Lawson, Interim Executive Director of the Piedmont Council of the Arts, on various programs to keep the arts thriving in Charlottesville.
WriterHouse: Sci Fi/Fantasy/Speculative Fiction Reading
On February 16, 2012, seven members of the WriterHouse SFF group shared short stories or short selections of longer pieces. The readers were Louise Ball, Bonnie Redding, Jessica Glendinning, Josh Pritchett, John Tansey, Beth Stombock, and Sophia Volpi.
Piedmont Council for the Arts: “What is the value of the arts?”
PCA’s Creative Conversation Series is a forum for arts-related idea exchange and collaboration. The series brings together arts organizations, artists, educators, and other community leaders to develop strategies for strengthening the arts in our community.
The following conversation took place on February 15, 2011 at CitySpace and addressed the question, “What is the value of the arts?” The result is an open-ended discussion about the different ways the arts have value in our community, from participation in arts events to the notion of “art as luxury,” as well as specific arts and economic development initiatives in the Charlottesville area.
Live Arts presents the Drowsy Chaperone
On a recent Wednesday evening, the cast and crew of Live Arts’ production of The Drowsy Chaperone prepared for the relaunch of their musical comedy. The show debuted in mid-December to glowing reviews, but took a a break for the holidays. I stopped by the brush-up rehearsal to find out more. In this podcast, we hear from actors Doug Schneider, Kimberly Hoffacker, Jane Scatena as well as director Ray Nedzel and musical director John Carden.
Drowsy Chaperone reopens this Saturday and runs through January 16 in Live Arts Downstage Theater. Ticket information is available on Live Arts’ website. If you’re going, make sure to download the helpful study guide.
Charlottesville–Right Now: Professor Richard Crozier joins Coy Barefoot
12.2.10 Professor of Painting and Drawing in the University of Virginia Studio Art Program Richard Crozier joins Coy to discuss his retirement. UVA will celebrate the event with a special gallery at First Friday’s tomorrow night. The conversation covers Crozier’s career in the fine arts, from realizing the sciences were not for him to getting into teaching at the collegiate level. Also included are the professor’s favorites: peices of art, places to paint, and much more.
Charlottesville–Right Now: Tom Wulf
Tom Wulf joined Coy Barefoot to discuss his film A Tale of Two Cities: The Circuit City Story which premiers tomorrow at 4:30 p.m. at the Vinegar Hill Theater as part of the Virginia Film Festival.