PCA Hosts December Exhibit Showcasing Quilters from Local Housing Project
Piedmont Council for the Arts (PCA) will host an exhibition of quilts by the Crescent Hall Quilters as the December 2011 exhibit in the CitySpace Gallery. A First Fridays opening reception will be held on Friday, December 2 from 6:00-7:30 p.m. with many of the quilters present. The exhibit will be on display through December 30, 2011.
The Crescent Hall Quilters group formed more than nine years ago, inspired by an idea from public housing resident Teresa Stinnie. She envisioned the group as a way for residents to meet one another and strengthen their community through fellowship. She saw women around a table learning to quilt and growing as neighbors. Teresa shared her idea with Vice Mayor Holly Edwards, who found the group’s quilting teacher, Del Horan, through Westminster Presbyterian Church. Del brought the knowledge of quilting but also many of the supplies, machines, and materials that the group needed. Her commitment to the group is part of her ministry and she has been recognized as one of The Daily Progress’s “Distinguished Dozen” as a result of her work.
Group members started out learning the basics of quilting by hand. Now, even though the group is down to nine dedicated members, they are able to understand measurements and figure out even the most difficult quilt patterns. The leadership has evolved over time with the participants taking more responsibility for the weekly group. Currently, Francine Payne and Helen Stevens provide guidance and instruction for group members.
Crescent Hall is one of seven sites in the city’s quilt of public housing. It was built in the 1970’s for the elderly and disabled. It is now the first to be slated for rehabilitation as part of the Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority Master Plan.
All quilts in the exhibition were crafted by the Crescent Hall Quilters and (unless otherwise noted) are for sale. Purchases can be made through PCA, with all proceeds going to the Crescent Hall Quilters.
PCA provides support services to artists, arts organizations, and their audiences in order to encourage community-wide access to and appreciation for the arts. To find out more about PCA programs and services, visit http://charlottesvillearts.org/.
The CitySpace Gallery is located at 100 5th Street NE in downtown Charlottesville. PCA hosts exhibitions related to community interests in the gallery and accepts exhibition proposals from local organizations. To find out more about the gallery, visit http://charlottesvillearts.org/cityspace-gallery/.
A Christmas Art Exhibit at Montpelier
Firnew Farm Artists’ Circle and Montpelier present A Christmas Art Exhibit at the Home of James & Dolley Madison, Montpelier. The opening wine and cheese reception is December 1 from 5:00 -6:30 p.m. No admission required.
Twenty-seven local artists from the Firnew Farm Artists’ Circle, from Madison, Greene, Culpeper, Rappahannock, and Albemarle Counties have depicted Montpelier, and the sensation of its grace and place in history for this Holiday Season. The works include: oils, Henry Wingate; photography, Robert Llewellyn, and others displaying charming depictions of Montpelier in its early days and present day landscapes of the grounds and the cedar of Lebanon, watercolors, acrylics and even a Holiday Bird House.
The Exhibit will run from December 1 – 18, 2011. Visit www.montpelier.org for more information.
The Nutcracker in Waynesboro
Old Dominion Performance Arts Studio and Progressions Repertory Dance Company present The Nutcracker 2011, December 2 and 3rd at 7:00 p.m. and December 4 and 2:00 p.m. at Kate Collins Middle School Auditorium in Waynesboro. Children under five years of age are $5 in advance, $6 at the door and $7 reserved. Youth and adult tickets are $8 in advance, $9 at the door and $12 reserved. For more information, visit www.performods.org or call 540-324-4049.
Local Women Artists Featured at FOCUS Flea
FOCUS Women’s Resource Center is pleased to continue its commitment to supporting women by announcing monthly art shows featuring women artists at the FOCUS Flea, 617 West Main Street in the Old Albemarle Hotel, Charlottesville, VA.
December’s will feature two artists. TV host Robin Hoffman, whose well-known prints and caricatures are a featured fundraiser for many nonprofits, will have an opening will be Thursday, December 1 from 5:00-7:00 p.m. and will include caricatures as fundraisers. Leah Craig’s quilted treasures will be featured Friday, December 2 during First Friday from 5:30-7:00 p.m. Both shows will be at the FOCUS Flea and will run for the month of December.
The FOCUS Flea will host a different artist each month, with an opening reception on Charlottesville’s First Fridays. More information about artists and an application may be found at focus.avenue.org/artshow.html. Call 293-2222 if you have any questions.