Author: Sarah Lawson

Sarah has lived in Charlottesville since 2002 - long enough to consider herself a local. In addition to graduating from UVa and co-founding The Bridge Film Series, she has worn a variety of hats including book designer, documentary film curator, animal caretaker, and popcorn maker. The opinions here are completely her own and unassociated with her work at Piedmont Council for the Arts (PCA). Sarah's interests include public art, experimental films, travel, and design.

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Arts

Out of The County: Lord Nelson spotlights community on debut album

Lord Nelson will host an album release for The County on September 26 at The Southern Café & Music Hall. Opening acts include Downbeat Project and a solo set by Erin Lunsford (of Erin and The Wildfire). Photo: Tom Daly

Growing up in Nelson County, Kai and Bram Crowe-Getty picked up instruments at a young age. Since then, they’ve each played on a variety of stages and in a handful of different bands—but they both agree that their current band, Lord Nelson, is different than the rest. And with this week’s release of the band’s debut album, The County, it’s difficult to argue with that.

The Crowe-Getty brothers formed Lord Nelson in 2012, with trombonist Henry Jones, bass player Trevor Pietsch and lead guitarist Robert Word joining the ranks along the way. “Henry brought this funky horn element that we’d been missing and breathed life into the music,” says Bram. The resulting sound is an amalgamation of Southern rock and Bayou funk, with a touch of bluegrass twang and jam band riffing.

“Getting a little weird or improvising is really at the core of what we do,” Bram says. Each song’s foot-stomping rhythms are catchy as hell, without being derivative or simplistic. It’s party music in the best sense of the phrase, conjuring the very jam sessions that helped Kai and Bram develop as young musicians.

“We came out of the Nelson County music scene, and it was really supportive and inclusive,” Bram says. “At a young age, when we had no right to be there, we got to play with musicians who were way better than us.” Through this support from fellow Nelson County musicians as well as other local venue managers and bookers, the brothers honed their chops and gained vital experience in the music business. “You go from playing barns out in Covesville and orchard parties to not knowing what’s professionally expected of you,” says Kai. With communal tutelage, however, Kai and Bram learned, and Lord Nelson grew as a band. Playing open mic nights progressed to gigs as the opening act, which, in turn, led to headlining shows.

With the milestone release of The County, the brothers pay tribute to the Nelson County community. The guys started working on the album in December. “We’ve been doing it in pieces, as the band can afford to do it,” Kai says. “It’s frustrating sometimes that you’re not on a label, but it’s been good motivation. You’ve just got to do it yourself.” And that’s what they’ve done.

The band has invested almost every cent of performance pay in the past year to record and master the final tracks. They also recently concluded a successful crowd- funding campaign to help cover the cost of packaging. In keeping with their DIY approach, the campaign’s perks ranged from the expected digital downloads and in-house performances to a handmade cutting board by Rob.

Henry takes care of most of the group’s graphic design work, including Lord Nelson’s website and the packaging for the new album, while Kai handles the booking and business side of things. As a video editor and producer by day, Kai also helps coordinate the band’s multimedia content, including a music video for the single off the new album. “It definitely keeps the overhead down and allows us to maximize our talents and put out good-quality stuff,” he says.

This week, Lord Nelson celebrates its album release with a Saturday night concert at the Southern, hot on the heels of another memorable gig at the 2015 Lockn’ Music Festival. After winning the Charlottesville Rockn’ to Lockn’ event in July, Lord Nelson was given the chance to take the stage at the annual music festival in their very own Nelson County. Joining a lineup of their musical heroes, the band members were understandably thrilled. “I think the exciting part is that you’re at this musical event where there are all these idols that we grew up on,” says Bram. “We’ll just try to play it cool and hope that they offer us a beer.”

When the festival’s Thursday rainout led the band to set up an impromptu show at Rapture with nationally touring group Deer Tick, Lord Nelson’s set at Lockn’ on Saturday morning confirmed their ability to rally fans. “Playing Lockn’ was a surreal experience,” says Kai. “Getting to watch some of the greats alongside other musicians really underlined the sense of community and shared respect throughout the festival. Listening to such talent inspired me to go home and play guitar and put the work in so that we can continue to improve.”

After this week’s album release, Kai and the rest of the band will hit the road to take The County on tour. And as they continue to grow, the members of Lord Nelson retain a deep investment in their community and strive to support young musicians in ways similar to those who helped them along the way. “It’s really important for us to try to pass that on and to share the stage that we have,” Bram says. “What I hope to bring to the local music scene is more of the inclusive and community-minded approach to music. That’s how Kai and I grew up playing music.”

Which local bands do you want to see make it big?

Tell us in the comments below.

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Connecting the pieces: Haitian handicrafts meet high fashion at Mi Ossa

Mi Ossa studio sources its craft materials from Haiti, El Salvador, Ethiopia and other countries, to create unique, fashionable jewelry and accessories in a thoughtful way. Photo: Mi Ossa Studio

“There’s plenty of artisanal food in Charlottesville, so we were just trying to find out what was missing,” jokes Shannon Worrell. Together with Nora Brookfield, Worrell is co-founder of Mi Ossa, a design lab and fashion line that’s located in Charlottesville’s Tenth Street Warehouse. Their business model focuses on fair trade and environmentally friendly ways to design and create textiles, jewelry and other accessories that are handmade yet high fashion.

Featuring pieces primarily made of recycled metal, leather, horn, bone and papier mâché, Mi Ossa embraces an aesthetic that strikes a balance between haute couture and bohemian craftsmanship. In a way, this signature look reflects the business model. A collaborative effort, Mi Ossa works with local artists as well as suppliers from around the world to create its original designs, some of which are further embellished in the studio on Tenth Street.

“There’s this kind of movement to incorporate handmade elements into fashion objects because it makes them luxurious because they’re not mass-produced,” says Worrell. This, she explains, is slow-fashion, the clothing and accessories version of the slow-food movement. Slow-fashion producers invest more in the well-being of the artisans and craftspeople making the goods, as well as the environmental impact of their products.

The idea for the business came from an unexpected inspiration: time spent on construction sites in Haiti. A few years ago, both Worrell and Brookfield volunteered with a Building Goodness Foundation initiative to construct new housing for Haitians who lost their homes in the 2010 earthquake. (In full disclosure, this writer is an employee of the Building Goodness Foundation.) “We’d gone on separate build trips with BGF, and we just wanted to go down there and find something that we could do to help,” says Worrell. “We’re not doctors or architects, so we thought we could go back and figure out how to link together the creative people in Haiti.” The rich traditional art in Haiti provided the entry point they sought.

Mi Ossa set up shop about three and a half years ago. Since then, the business has evolved and grown—sometimes out of creative inspiration, sometimes out of necessity. “We’ve had to make stuff out of the materials we could get,” says Worrell. “We were never going to have everything made in Haiti. We wanted to bring back stuff and make stuff so that it was a collaboration in a way. You have to be willing to improvise. The materials are so elemental that you can make a shovel or a ring out of [one thing], a letter opener or a necklace.”

Most of the materials come from Haiti, El Salvador, Ethiopia and other countries. Worrell and Brookfield primarily source the materials by working with the Hand/Eye Foundation, which, according to Worrell, focuses on “connecting artisans to the world market.” They also work closely with the Artisan Business Network in Haiti and have close ties with Building Goodness Foundation to strengthen Mi Ossa’s relationships outside of the United States. “It’s such an incredible thing that BGF is doing, building homes for people, but [Haitians] need jobs to sustain those homes,” says Brookfield. “We have an interest in working with women artisans and women-owned cooperatives. They’ve done research that shows when women earn an income, communities thrive and they put [the money] back into the community.”

Mi Ossa’s Charlottesville lab is having a similar effect on local artisans. The studio has evolved into something verging on a maker space. Participants work part-time in the studio, crafting and embellishing many of the pieces in the Mi Ossa line as well as creating their own original work. A recent addition to the space is Jess Lee, who hand-dyes and sews textiles under the name Willow Knows. This Saturday, Lee will share some of her skills during a demonstration in Japanese-style shibori dyeing and other techniques to create one-of-a-kind indigo bandanas. “It’s so neat that you can make something but then you can see how she does it herself,” says Brookfield. “You just have a deeper appreciation for that process that she’s going through when you’ve done it yourself.”

As Mi Ossa brings awareness to a more ethical approach to fashion, the business also seeks to expand its offerings of hands-on experiences like this. “That connection to what you’re eating or wearing or buying is so important,” says Worrell. “In the 20th century we’ve gotten so disconnected from the source of everything we buy. And I think people just really crave being connected.”

Ordinarily open only by appointment, the Mi Ossa lab space is open to the public during the annual summer’s end sale through September 19 at the Tenth Street Warehouse (134 10th St. NW.). The indigo dyeing demonstration with Lee takes place on September 19. To reserve a place in the workshop, please e-mail nora@miossa.com.

What local artists contribute to the slow-fashion movement?

Tell us in the comments below.

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Space exploration: An orchestra of gongs takes the stage at The Haven

Tatsuya Nakatani tours the country with his gongs and brings local participants together in one day for emphemeral, transformative concerts. He will perform solo, then lead the Nakatani Gong Orchestra on Saturday at The Haven. Photo: publicity photo

“I have two arms and two legs to work with my instruments,” says musician Tatsuya Nakatani. Indeed, in his solo performances he makes full use of all four, improvising with countless approaches to sound with drums, gongs and other instruments. For those who have seen him at The Bridge PAI or Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar, it’s clear he doesn’t hold any part of himself back when he performs. He creates many of his own instruments, including wooden bow mallets and attachments to hang from gongs. Still, two sets of limbs feels like a limitation to Nakatani. “I always think: ‘How can I maximize this?’” he says.

His answer? The Nakatani Gong Orchestra. The basic concept behind the project is to train others to play bowed gongs. Nakatani leads a workshop with 11 musicians, who then perform together in order, increasing the depth and intensity of his music in a way that simply wouldn’t be possible for one person. After all, that’s 44 limbs to work with instead of just four.

Not content to just form a touring orchestra, Nakatani has created something closer to performance art. Each touring group is comprised of different members, many of whom aren’t musicians; what unites them is geography, curiosity and an interest in experimentation. They are all volunteers in a single city, fused together into the orchestra over the course of a two-and-a-half-hour workshop.

As he leads the workshop, Nakatani adapts the skills and tendencies of his volunteers to the unique acoustic setting of the performance. His overall approach is improvisational and experimental but draws influence from Japanese folk music. “I don’t compose in the normal music way,” he says. “I remember the gong sounds and I know how to layer and match them.” Nakatani views his role as a conductor more than a composer. “The gong orchestra is very limited in time,” he says. “I have to teach people how to bow the gongs and read my signs.”

Once the performance takes place on the evening of the workshop, the group then disbands, and Nakatani packs his gear into a van and drives on to the next stop. The experience lasts no more than half a day from start to finish, yet the effect is transformative for both participants and audience members. “I always feel it,” says Nakatani. “Everybody is so happy. Vibrationally, you get chills from that many gongs playing at the same time.”

The timbre and vibration of the gongs create a meditative atmosphere that is relaxing and restorative. Many say that the gongs produce frequencies that ultimately cultivate a heightened awareness of sound elsewhere. Nakatani likens this to the Japanese concept of ma, the idea that space can be created by defining non-space.

Though similar to gong baths and other rituals with sound waves, Nakatani notes that the events should not be mistaken for a spiritual ceremony. Rather, he places emphasis on the creative expression that comes from playing the gongs, stressing the importance of individuals finding their personal sound. “Sometimes people make unexpected sounds, but I try to use them in good ways,” he says. Much like the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi, the gong orchestra embraces imperfection as part of the beauty of performance.

The Nakatani Gong Orchestra will arrive in Charlottesville on September 12, making way for an evening performance at The Haven. Lap the Miles event coordinator Annie Dunckel helped organize the event. “I wanted to have the gong orchestra come to Charlottesville after I saw it last summer in Baltimore,” says Dunckel. “I was blown away by the fact that all the people were local and sharing this music with their friends and neighbors. I love how this will be a local show despite it being a touring artist.”

To gather the right mixture of participants, Dunckel asked area creatives to participate, and musician Davis Salisbury is one of the volunteers. As one half of experimental drone duo Grand Banks, Salisbury also performs solo work as Dais Queue and is attuned to improvisational music. “I use a lot of [similar] influences to steer my own performances, so I am a good fit for this kind of thing,” Salisbury says. “But I have never personally played a gong in a real musical situation, just played around with them in stores or when a friend had one.”

He hasn’t seen the orchestra perform, but volunteered to participate based on Nakatani’s past performances. “Tatsuya is something like a force of nature, and it is impossible to passively sit through one of his performances,” says Salisbury. “He is an extremely skilled and dynamic improvisor. He brings a real energy and commitment to what he is doing to the performance, but there is also a palpable joy and even humor to the performances that humanizes them and provides moments of real connection.”

Nakatani will take the stage prior to the gong orchestra to play an improvisational set with his varied set of instruments—most likely including drums, hammered gongs and singing bowls. “I think that just about anyone could go to a Tatsuya show and walk away feeling like they saw something unique and joyful,” says Salisbury.

What music do you meditate to?

Tell us in the comments below.

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A new leaf: UVA law library takes a bookish approach to art

McGuffey artists upcycle outdated books from UVA’s Arthur J. Morris Law Library in a collaborative show titled “Discarded." Photo: Courtesy the artist

As the school year gets underway, a group of artists from the McGuffey Art Center is hitting the books. Or rather, they’re cutting, sewing, painting and otherwise transforming books as part of a new exhibition at UVA’s Arthur J. Morris Law Library. Titled “Discarded,” the show draws its name quite literally from a common medium: discarded library books. You see, unlike other libraries, the law library regularly updates its collection with new editions as the laws and regulations in those books change over time.

The event has become an annual tradition for the library, as it seeks to “enrich the experience of our law school community and to give artists an additional venue for their creative productions,” according to law library director Taylor Fitchett.

Since launching in 1999, the library’s annual art opening has had various local connections. “We have drawn from the brilliant pool of creativity at McGuffey on numerous occasions, but for this show we are using the women of McGuffey exclusively,” says Fitchett.

One of these women is L. Michelle Geiger, an organizer of and contributor to the show. “As an artist I have spent a lot of time with paper, as a printmaker, collecting and making books,” she says. “This is really one of the first times that I have gone beyond the folded page and made a much larger, sculptural piece.”

Artists have freedom in how they approach their individual contributions. “Each artist was given a book—or many books in the case of some—and the only instructions were to use the book in some way,” says Geiger. “Ninni Baeckstrom encased one in cement; Eileen French has drawn the book flying toward the viewer; I deconstructed the books and made kinetic sculptures of seaweed and dipped smaller pieces of paper in wax to make barnacles. There was no wrong answer.”

“Discarded” features work by Baeckstrom, French, Fenella Belle, Cynthia Burke, Nina Burke, Brielle DuFlon, Stacey Evans, Judy McLeod, Janet Grahame Nault, Susan Northington, Kelly Doyle Oakes and Jeannine Barton Regan.

Many of these artists have worked in mixed media before and the attention given to the written word in the exhibit is interesting.

“I used a thick volume of Crimes and Punishment to make both of the pieces—not the novel but a textbook of [court] cases and verdicts,” says DuFlon. To assemble one of her pieces, titled “Bedtime Reading/Rest Assured,” she layered and coated pages of the book to create a paper-based fabric that she could sew into a pillowcase. Through pattern cutting, stitching and edging, she created the illusion of a lace-edged pillowcase using only paper. The art is assembled with a pillow stuffed inside and at first glance looks almost inviting.

“The idea behind this pillow was to create something that one could rest one’s head on, but after reading the literature that the pillowcase was made of, one wouldn’t want to,” DuFlon says. “I chose some truly disturbing and relevant cases to create this pillow… I’m interested in the way that we live with the awareness of what is happening around us. Some of us feel safe with the knowledge of a law enforcement system, others of us don’t. There are fair and unfair trials. All of these issues are enough to lose sleep over.“

An opening reception for “Discarded” will be held on September 3 at 5pm and will feature a live performance art piece by Anne Megibow. The exhibition will remain on display throughout the academic year and is open to the public during the library’s regular hours.

Ix Art Park sets the stage

This fall, the Ix Art Park will host an expanded schedule of community events thanks to a partnership with WTJU 91.1FM. Together, the two organizations teamed up to participate in the Levitt AMP Music Series. Organized by Levitt Pavilions, the music series was created in 2014 as a way to present free concerts for small and midsize towns around the country. It builds on the Signature Levitt Program, which does the same in large cities.

“It was just such a perfect fit for WTJU’s mission to bring people together through music, as well as the Ix Art Park’s mission to engage in creative placemaking,” says WTJU general manager Nathan Moore. We got together and put in an application.”

An online voting process then confirmed Charlottesville as one of 10 host cities, each of which receive funding to present 10 community concerts in 2015. “The community needs more opportunities to mingle, meet, break bread, dance and let go,” says Ix Art Park’s Brian Wimer. “It’s free. And everyone’s invited. We’ll have country, folk, funk, Latin (from Mexico to Brazil), jazz, marching band and even klezmer—plus, of course, lots of that indie rock which makes up Charlottesville’s strong music scene.”

To this end, some of the events in the series will be partnerships with local groups including The Bridge PAI, Tom Tom Founders Festival and Cville Sabroso. The list of performers includes plenty of local favorites like Lester Seal, John D’earth, Pantherburn, the (All New) Acorn Sisters and the Sally Rose Band. You can also expect to hear many of the performers from the series on WTJU, giving on-air interviews or in-studio performances to help get the word out.

The first of these Charlottesville concerts takes place on September 5 with Nashville musician and cartoonist Guy Gilchrist. “Getting him was a minor miracle,” says Wimer. Charlottesville’s own Red & The Romantics open. The free Levitt AMP Charlottesville Music Series continues through November 6.

What other types of art events does Charlottesville need?

Tell us in the comments below.

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Art on parade: New City Arts makes a move and opens a second gallery

New City Arts Initiative takes to the streets for a moving parade led by the non-profit organization’s team of volunteers. The new location will include a permanent gallery, office space and a studio to support it’s artist residency program. Photo: Maggie Stein

Last weekend marked the annual ritual of the UVA undergraduates move-in, when students and parents haul semester survival gear from SUVs to dorm rooms. This year, the weekend also celebrated a move of a different kind—one with less heavy lifting but far more gusto. On Saturday, New City Arts Initiative moved out of its office at The Haven in a parade of pinwheels as volunteers provided a spark of whimsy while carrying the local arts nonprofit to its new downtown home on Third Street NE.

As New City Arts approaches its sixth anniversary, this move promises to be monumental for the young nonprofit. It’s been five years since NCAI went from working in coffee shops to its first office located in The Haven, Charlottesville’s day shelter for the homeless and very poor. With that move, NCAI Executive Director Maureen Brondyke gained her first office mates as well as a partner organization that would prove vital to her work.

Executive director of the Thomas Jefferson Area Coalition for the Homeless, Kaki Dimock shared an office with Brondyke at The Haven. “[Brondyke] understood the potential intersection between her work and The Haven’s work immediately,” says Dimock. She knew that disenfranchised people are often exploited in the name of making art and worked to create a respectful, nuanced, guest-centered experience at The Haven instead. She understood that the process was more important than the final product.”

Beginning in 2011, New City Arts operated an artist residency program at The Haven. Each year, selected artists would work with shelter’s guests: first as volunteers who interacted in a general way; then, as teaching artists, encouraging creative expression. “The Haven staff—many of whom are poets, artists and musicians themselves—had always hoped for artists to work with guests in some way,” says Brondyke. “The partnership was a natural fit.”

Nine individuals participated as artists during the program’s four-year run, adapting with each cycle for the creation of projects ranging from a community quilt to a collaborative mural. In exchange, New City Arts provided the artists with affordable studio space in order to develop skills and gallery exhibitions to reach the broader community.

With this month’s move, the artist residency program will continue to adapt. Artists who are interested in working with New City Arts can apply before September 1 to be considered for the residency program, which will be held at the Third Street location. For artists who wish to work with The Haven and its guests, however, the NCAI residency no longer has the same hands-on approach. Rather, Brondyke encourages these artists to get involved with the soon-to-launch collaborative project between The Haven and New City Arts known as Housing2Home.

“New City Arts emerged as a real force in this community in the last five years in large part because of Maureen’s vision, strategy and community-building efforts,” Dimock says. “While other arts organizations have struggled or faltered, New City Arts has grown its audiences, created meaningful collaborations and expanded its programming.” This is evident in Brondyke’s planning and execution of the artist residency program, and in her strategic decision to move the organization onto the Downtown Mall at this particular time.

As galleries like Chroma Projects, Warm Springs, and BozART have all been forced to shutter or move off the mall, Brondyke hopes her organization’s new home will help reinvigorate First Fridays. “I think it’s important for the local art community to have a presence on the Downtown Mall because it draws a diverse audience,” she says. “A gallery might not be a visitor’s destination, but if they happen into it by surprise and are exposed to new work, organic arts audience development might occur in a way that an event can’t always facilitate.”

NCAI’s new location will be the organization’s first experience with foot traffic on the Downtown Mall. The space will house the organization’s office and a studio for the revamped artist residency program as well as a gallery.

Since New City Arts will also continue its gallery partnership with the WVTF and Radio IQ studio, the move actually doubles its capacity for monthly exhibitions, which will take place at both galleries beginning in September.

According to Brondyke, we can expect more artist talks and a wider variety of types of work shown—expanding to include multimedia or installation art, and perhaps even performance art. “Once we have the funding for things like a PA system and chairs, we hope the space serves performance artists, musicians and writers in new and unique ways,” Brondyke says.

For now, basic renovations and new furniture are closer on the horizon, along with a crowdfunding campaign that’s expected to launch in about a month.

The New City Arts Initiative gallery will open with “Animals and Clouds” by Dean Dass and a First Fridays reception on September 4. For details, visit newcityarts.org.

What’s your favorite gallery?

Tell us in the comments below.

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Movable type: Virginia Arts of the Book Center makes a shift

Kirsten Miles of the Tupelo Press Teen Writing Center gives JMU student Mike Dozier a tour of the new collaborative Art On Ivy. Photo: Courtesy of VABC

If you only know one thing about the Virginia Arts of the Book Center, it’s probably that its tagline is “Beneath The Art Box.” This hints at the rich history of underground presses but also provides a literal reminder to help geolocate the community printmaking studio in its off-the-radar location. However, that motto needs an update as the VABC expands upstairs to join The Art Box in a new collaboration known as Art On Ivy.

The partnership is an outgrowth of efforts by The Art Box owner, Anne Novak, who launched the Art On initiative in 2009 in Lynchburg, followed by a second location in Crozet. “Through The Art Box, we try to bring the highest quality art supplies and framing to Central Virginia,” says Novak. “Through the Art On initiative, we endeavor to spread the joy of experiencing art through classes, gallery openings and studio spaces. Each Art On location has been designed to react to each community’s needs and interests.”

In Charlottesville, those interests presented themselves through the VABC. Originally formed in the McGuffey Art Center in 1995, the VABC moved to the Ix and joined the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities in 2004, before again packing up to move to Ivy Square in 2010. This summer brought another change when Art On Ivy was born—a timely transition for the VABC, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.

At Art On Ivy, you can caress paper stock, survey paint colors or run a paintbrush through your fingers before purchasing art supplies. You can also pick up the kerning and leading that create space on a letterpress page. Unlike with digital design and printing, the VABC has physical, movable type. Indeed, their collection currently hovers around 350 cases, each containing piles of lead and wooden type. “We’re the biggest publicly accessible repository of type in the commonwealth,” says VFH’s chief operating officer, Kevin McFadden. These thin pieces can be held between thumb and forefinger or delicately positioned with tweezers. And as other bricks and mortar art shops struggle and even close, the tactile nature of what Art On Ivy offers is ever more vital. “It’s really important for this kind of work. You just don’t know until you can touch it and feel it,” he says.

That’s not to say that digital artists and designers aren’t welcome. “We’re not technophobes at all,” McFadden says. The center specifically seeks to foster tactile talents though, in a world that’s increasingly more concerned about building apps than books.

“We get folks who walk in saying, ‘We have all these ideas but we just have to wave our hands in the air when we try to explain them because we don’t know how to make this stuff,’” says VABC program director Garrett Queen.

McFadden sees the gap as well. “It does surprise me that there are a number of younger class participants who have never used a paper cutter,” he says. To this end, the VABC continues to offer letterpress and binding courses, as well as upcoming etching instruction and possibly even screenprinting—an addition that was never possible due to space limitations. But that’s just one of the perks of the new partnership.

“As we were considering a similar Art On initiative concept in Charlottesville, Kevin and Garrett came by with an idea,” says Novak. “Rather than lots of studios, we created one studio with lots of artists.” The result? Much of the downstairs VABC workshop remains in place, but with added breathing room and private studios. The Art Box will remain in situ upstairs, shifted and consolidated slightly to make room for a new, shared gallery space.

The gallery showcases work made by VABC and Art On Ivy members, ranging from letterpress cards to woodcut prints. In the front window, a small Pilot Press also attracts attention, especially during demonstrations by local artist Lana Lambert. This more informal instruction is made possible by the unique relationship between non- profit and for-profit. Operating in tandem with The Art Box, the VABC is able to expand its hours of operation and member access without overextending its current staff. VABC members benefit as well, since longer hours result in more sales and exposure for their work.

Further, the expansion has multiplied member opportunities, extending the traditional VABC membership to include Art On Ivy memberships as well.  Not limited to book artists, these members range from photographer Robert Radifera to Tupelo Press, which has a display area for literary publications and public readings.

“Having this space where we can have a dedicated offering of our books is really exciting,” says Kirsten Miles, director of the Tupelo Press Teen Writing Center. “The most exciting thing for an author is knowing someone is reading their work, so being here and able to talk about our books and authors is really wonderful.”

The grand opening of Art On Ivy will be celebrated as part of the VABC’s 2015 Wayzgoose event, which will feature drop-in printing, public demonstrations, food and drink. To learn more visit virginiabookarts.org.

What is your favorite hands-on studio?

Tell us in the comments below.

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Hold the slaw: Blues, Beats & BBQ share the stage for Music Resource Center benefit

The Music Resource Center holds its 20th anniversary fundraiser this Saturday with locally made BBQ and of course a variety of blues jams. Photo: Music Resource Center

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Music Resource Center, the music education community for youth located in downtown Charlottesville. But rather than the customary anniversary gift of china, you can show your support for the MRC this week at the Blues, Beats & BBQ benefit event on August 15 at the Ix Art Park.

As part of a new push to raise public awareness of the local nonprofit’s work, the event will showcase some of the talented students and instructors who are involved with the MRC while raising funds to support ongoing programs. “We have this beautiful foundation of people knowing about us and what we do, but a lot of other people don’t really understand what happens in this church with the guitar in front of it,” says Executive Director Pia Donovan. “We’re trying to not just stick to the people that know us, but to branch out.”

Since joining the staff in January, Donovan has focused her efforts on solidifying the organization’s sustainable infrastructure and raising its public profile through community performances as well as partnerships with Mudhouse Coffee and Albemarle Baking Company, among other local businesses. And it seems to be working. “We’ve seen a huge spike in membership,” says Donovan. “I’d like to think part of that is a factor of us being more out there.” In 2014, the Music Resource Center served more than 525 kids. “I think we’ll see a much bigger number [for 2015],” she says.

The sometimes overlooked center is, in many ways, a cultural hub for local youth. On any given afternoon, students stream in through the former church’s side door, entering a zone that’s equal parts club house, green room and recording studio. Some make a beeline for the rehearsal rooms or recording studios; others observe the choreographed chaos from one of the overstuffed couches in the lobby. Music echoes through the halls, beats and riffs filling every corner of the building.

“Sometimes people think of us as a music school for singer-songwriters but it’s so much more than that,” says Donovan. “We have kids that start taking guitar lessons or come in and want to learn how to make beats. By the time they’re done, they’ve recorded an album, played out a bunch of times and they have this whole marketing machine behind them.”

Working with a members council made up of older and more involved students, Donovan led the creation of MRC Management to expand these offerings even further. This program incentivizes youth leadership through a points system that revolves around engagement in the organization itself. When members volunteer to help with events or other tasks, they earn points that can be traded in for professional artist management services such as head shots, web marketing or press kits. “You’re not a kid here,” says Donovan. “You are a fellow artist.”

This hints at the fact that the MRC increasingly provides a non-traditional form of vocational training, instilling job readiness and leadership skills in participants. Donovan says that, after working with MRC artistic director Damani Harrison, “we help them get hired for jobs as audio engineers.” But the basics are never far away, and staff and volunteer instructors still teach everything from beginner instrument skills to booking, management and promotion. The volunteers range from MRC alumni who return after graduation to professional musicians who live locally and offer diverse and experienced perspectives to their students.

Jon Spear is one of these volunteers, bringing with him the knowledge that comes from a career in music as well as leadership in the Central Virginia Blues Society. “I got involved with MRC a couple of years ago at the suggestion of a friend [who] told me MRC is the type of place we would have loved to have had when we were kids,” says Spear. “That struck a chord with me because I remember the friendships and mentoring I found as a teenager at a music store in Port Chester, New York. I know how much good it can do for kids to be involved in something that they relate to and can give them positive feedback.”

Spear will perform at the Blues, Beats & BBQ event along with MRC alumni Willie de, YKG, Eli Cook and JWillz, showcasing a variety of hip-hop, rap and blues throughout the afternoon. “Pia saw the Blues, Beats & BBQ event as a great opportunity to showcase blues music for a younger audience along with the other genres that are popular today,” says Spear. “Blues is at the root of many modern music forms—even metal and rap—and we hope more young people will see and feel that connection, and fall in love with the blues as much as we have.”

Blues rock musician Cook felt a natural connection to the fundraiser. “Rarely has such an event fit so well with both my personal interests and style of music, so I jumped at the opportunity,” he says. The event will have free samples of local BBQ, as well as larger portions available for purchase. “Everyone knows that blues and BBQ go perfectly together,” says Spear.

Blues, Beats & BBQ is an all-ages event and admission is $5. Details can be found at musicresourcecenter.org.

What is your favorite blues tune?

Tell us in the comments below.

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A face for radio: WTJU launches ‘BottleWorks’ video series

Roanoke band Eternal Summers gets some couch time with “BottleWorks” host Jenn Lockwood (right). The band is featured in the fourth episode of WTJU’s new video series. Photo: Tom Daly

Since Nathan Moore joined WTJU 91.1FM as general manager in 2011, the community radio station has embraced change with new energy. His influence led the station to launch WXTJ 100.1FM, featuring solely UVA students as DJs. He was also instrumental in WTJU’s expansion into Richmond as 102.9FM and 1430AM. The most recent change under Nathan’s leadership is a new video series known as “BottleWorks.”

Though WTJU records many of its live performances, the resulting videos have been typically documentary in nature with a single camera trained on musicians from a slight distance. They record the performance but never quite capture the experience of listening to the music. The personalities of the performers and their approaches to making music have remained ineffable as well. “BottleWorks” takes a different tack.

Primarily focused on rock music, but embracing the many subgenres within it, “BottleWorks” is the brainchild of WTJU DJs Greg Sloan and Dave Moore. The series aims to blend performance and interview footage to present a more nuanced view of bands and their members. Both Sloan and Dave Moore began volunteering at the station before Nathan Moore’s tenure, filling in as substitute DJs, running audio production for in-studio performances and eventually hosting biweekly rock shows of their own. Their familiarity with the station and the local music scene inspired the idea for the series and, after workshopping the idea with friends, the two pitched “BottleWorks” as a new endeavor for WTJU. “Greg and Dave approached me about this and I think my reaction was along the lines of, ‘So you want to create some awesome content with bands we like under WTJU’s name? Yes, absolutely,’” says Nathan. And so “BottleWorks” was born.

Now in production, the series remains a project among friends, featuring a crew of some of the best local video and music production folks around, many of whom are musicians in their own right. Together, they do everything for the series, from video and audio production and editing to moving set furniture and getting snacks for the bands. “[They] are doing the production as volunteers, and I love that there’s this avenue for them to share their passion for excellent music through WTJU—just in a different way than our usual on-air broadcast,” says Nathan.

The first two “BottleWorks” episodes feature Corsair and Y’all—each with strong ties to the area and members who live locally. As Charlottesville’s version of an MTV VJ, Jenn Lockwood hosts the series, interviewing and joking with bands to create the casual ease and camaraderie of a backstage hangout. “We just try to create a relaxed, fun environment where the bands can let their personalities shine,” says Sloan.

Nathan saw the potential as soon as Corsair launched the series in April. “It was super well-produced and it made me realize how cool this series really could be,” he says.

As a band, Corsair is heavy and loud, with plenty of extended guitar shredding interludes. Arguably, selecting a metal band for the first episode was a risk, but the audio engineering of the performance is well-balanced and captures the band’s sound in all its depth. The performance footage is a marked improvement on other WTJU videos and alternates with interview segments between songs. The first episode is a production success, though it relies heavily on the band members for its personality.

With the second episode in June, the “BottleWorks” crew made a couple of dramatic changes and, as a result, the episode is better than the first and sets the ideal tone for the series in the future. Featuring Y’all, episode No. 2 is more dynamically edited so that transitions between interview and performance segments are less abrupt but more frequent. The interviews are also less formal, even leaving room for slapstick outtakes, and the onscreen energy never dips below madcap.

“I think we managed to capture the infectious fun of those guys, and how much they care about each other,” says Dave Moore. Unfortunately, this means there’s less continuous footage of the band playing full songs together, but it’s the right trade-off to make for a more entertaining and energetic show.

“Each episode will showcase the idiosyncrasies of the session,” says Sloan. “In my mind, the episodes will morph and change to reflect the nature of the band, the performance and where they are at that time. Ultimately, we want to create content that is informative for the novice viewer, rewarding for the die-hard fans, and entertaining to all.”

Two additional episodes of “BottleWorks” have been shot, and the third installment with Charlottesville band New Boss, was released in July. A fourth episode is currently being edited and will feature Roanoke’s Eternal Summers. The crew hopes to film other bands in the near future, including acts from Harrisonburg and Richmond. “We don’t think of this as specifically ‘for locals’ only,” says Sloan. “We hope to have regional and touring bands join us as often as possible.”

With the series established, WTJU’s team is ready for more. “I think the sky is the limit right now,” says Dave Moore. “We have the space, the crew, the equipment and the sound ability to create a product that is on par with any video series out there, and WTJU is just the station to showcase these emerging and established rock acts.”

View episodes of “BottleWorks” below or go to wtju.net.

What bands would you like to see on “BottleWorks”? Tell us in the comments below.

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The last VHS tape: A eulogy for the Sneak Reviews experience

Mark Tramontin closed the doors at Sneak Reviews (for real this time) in mid-July. A portion of the 45,000 title video collection will go to UVA and other universities. Photo: Christian Hommel

“I’m proud of what we’ve done for more than 21 years. It’s the little guys, the small business that really get to make an impact on the community,” says Mark Tramontin, owner of Sneak Reviews. This month, the local video store closes its doors, marking the end of one of Charlottesville’s most beloved experiences. Because that’s what it was to go to Sneak Reviews: an experience.

It used to be that the front doorbell jangled when you arrived—a sound that was an oft-repeated refrain on busy days, as customers entered to return videos and rent new ones. Inside, it was a movie buff’s dreamland: floor to ceiling movie posters, 16mm film reels dangling from the ceiling like chandeliers, and, of course, shelves upon shelves of new releases. There was always a wall of staff picks to help inspire, from Kieslowski‘s Blue to the latest from Pixar or a local filmmaker.

Upstairs, the real exploration began. Sections weren’t always genre-specific in the traditional sense; more often, films fell into categories of country, arranged by director. Whether British, Japanese, Iranian or Czech, shelves of seemingly endless films created a maze that you could explore time and time again. “It’s always been a place for anyone who’s interested in film… the film knowledge they left with was extraordinary. You learned your directors in no time at all,” says Tramontin. Indeed, Sneak Reviews served as an ad hoc community film school for thousands of residents and UVA students over the past two decades.

The store’s slogan was “where video returns to the art of film” and the beauty of the layout was that it forced browsing. If you tried to find a specific title, there was a good chance you’d have to inquire about the director, and then you’d be sent upstairs to root it out, discovering along the way another film or five that also caught your attention. Tramontin recalls, “You’d have families in different rooms upstairs and they’d spot each other and it’d be, ‘Well, what did you see?’ You don’t have any one person making recommendations, you have the community recommending to the community. That’s always been half the fun. But that’s something that’s disappearing from our society.”

Tramontin bought the store in 1993. “We didn’t have that big of an inventory, but it just kept growing and growing,” he says. “I knew that I wanted to establish a place that was a library and so we didn’t get rid of things, we just kept them.” The last count brought the total to about 35,000 unique titles, totaling approximately 45,000 movies once you account for duplicates. With the store closing, many of these have already found new homes at UVA and other universities.

As the Media Collections Librarian at UVA, Leigh Rockey is helping secure a legacy for the collection by absorbing some of the titles into their circulating video library. “We are set to buy around 13,000 titles,” she says. “The purchase will greatly augment the UVA library’s collection of LGBT, foreign, documentary, horror and major release feature films as well as children’s movies and television series.”

“It’s a collection we admire,” Rockey says. “Everybody in town knows about the wonders of Sneak Reviews.”

A local filmmaker, Zach Keifer, is also working to preserve a lasting memory of the popular rental spot. “I have the distinct memory of the excitement about movies that I got when I entered the store for the very first time,” he says. “It’s one of the last and best examples of what a ‘rental store’ could be. I wanted to film this store because of the fear that it would one day disappear.” Since October 2014, Keifer has filmed interviews with Tramontin and store manager Robert Merkel. “He is more passionate about film than anyone I have ever met,” says Kiefer about time spent with Tramontin. He also remains hopeful that, in the coming weeks, he’ll be able to film additional interviews with customers and former employees in order to preserve the Sneak Reviews experience even after it’s closed.

The store survived one flirtation with obsolescence at the end of 2012, facing a sharp decline in rentals and mounting unpaid late fees from customers. The community rallied though, and it was soon back to business as usual for Sneak Reviews. Since then, streaming sites and alternatives to the traditional movie rental model have grown, as has the historic late fees debt. Combined, these factors were insurmountable. “We don’t want to [close]. We’re doing it because we have to,” says Tramontin. The store stayed open for business through the July 4th weekend, and hosted a sale of all remaining movies, posters and furniture on July 10-11. They have to be out of the space by the end of July.

“Everyone’s just adjusted to the fact that, like a lot of good things in Charlottesville, this is going out. Charlottesville is going to lose its own personality and it’s just going to become an extension of Northern Virginia, at the rate that it’s going,” says Tramontin. As Sneak Reviews and others close their doors for good, it’s apparent that the loss of such cultural institutions has as significant an impact as their contributions to our community once did.

Which former local businesses do you miss?

Tell us about it in the comments.

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Guest work: McGuffey’s celebrates its emerging artists program

Kelly Doyle Oakes shared McGuffey’s Incubator Studio with four other local artists over the past year. Her painting “Chopsticks“ is part of the summer group show on exhibition through August 17. Photo: Adrienne Eichner

What if there was a farm league for artists? This is one of the central questions raised by a new program for emerging artists at the McGuffey Art Center.

In the past, the only way for an artist to join the art cooperative was to participate in a juried application process for associate or renting membership. The primary difference between these two levels of members is a question of a single precious commodity: downtown studio space. Renting members get it; associate members don’t. With the launch of the Incubator Studio, there’s a new option that allows some artists to share a McGuffey studio for a year as they work to further develop their skills.

“We felt the need to offer a space to foster and mentor emerging artists who needed more studio time before applying for membership,” says Eileen French, a current renting member. “McGuffey is home to many established artists who have years of experience to share.”

Charlottesville-based artists Nina Burke, Brielle DuFlon, Deborah Rose Guterbock, Jeremiah Morris and Kelly Doyle Oakes were selected as the inaugural class of Incubator artists for 2014-15. They have spent the last year sharing a low cost studio space in McGuffey and, this month, their work is featured in the McGuffey Art Center’s Summer Group Show.

As the center approaches its 40th anniversary in October, it’s heartening to see it evolving and adapting to the current needs of the local arts community. Presently, there are approximately 140 artists who are McGuffey members, though only 45 or so are renting members. Many of the current artists have been members for years if not decades, so it can be quite competitive for artists looking to find a new space. The Incubator Studio begins to address the very real need for accessible resources and studios, as part of the McGuffey Art Center’s mission.

For the artists in the Incubator Studio, the low cost studio space (between $75 and $110 per month) and mentorship opportunities with other artists have already demonstrated the value of such a program. Many simply needed a place to focus on their art and develop new ideas, away from the stresses of daily life and its numerous commitments. Equally important though, they needed support, encouragement and guidance from fellow artists.

“I decided to apply to be in the Incubator because I really like the McGuffey Art Center and wanted to experience being an artist there,” says Oakes. By day, Oakes is an art teacher at the Covenant School and, during her time in the Incubator, she also volunteered to run a weekly figure drawing session. “I love working with other artists around me and interacting with the public when they come into your studio when you are working,” she says.

Guterbock finds value in the immersive environment. “As an art student, I was accustomed to working around other artists, critiquing each other and fueling a sort of collective creative energy,” she says. “After I graduated, I was left feeling alone with fewer opportunities to work towards creative goals.”

The Incubator Studio also provides a space to engage the broader McGuffey community. “[McGuffey artists] have all been encouraged to stop in and get to know [Incubator artists] and get a feel for how we could help them,” says French. Some of the established artists shared equipment and materials; others offered advice and expertise on what it takes to make a living as an artist.

“There are wonderful individuals [at McGuffey] who have a wealth of knowledge to share and are more than willing to help,” says Guterbock.

So, what’s next? The first Incubator class has already moved out of McGuffey, opening the studio space to a new round of artists who moved in at the beginning of July and will spend the next year working together with the McGuffey community.

And as for the outgoing Incubator residents, after their group show they will each move on to new studio spaces and continue their artistic practices a little wiser than before. Some will surely get called up to the major league at some point. “My goal is to work hard for the next six months and try to jury in to be a [McGuffey] member,” says Oakes.

The Summer Group Show featuring work from the Incubator Studio will remain on display at the McGuffey Art Center through August 17, with a First Fridays reception on August 7.