April rescues everyone from the restlessness of Winter. Event planners are seduced into mixing genre and geographical boundaries and artists are coaxed out of their secluded workshops embracing the colors and sounds of the season. The 9th Annual Open Studios Tour combines the opportunity to visit artists in their private studios with the opportunity to take in that seasonal beauty. A unique combination of fine art interaction, viewing and dance are intersecting at the Taubman Museum of Art and Hollins University is having a geographical and genre crossing exhibition of their own with the Art and Collective Memory Festival. The abundance of April extends beyond the traits associated to Spring with the jubilee of artists and art enthusiast responding to the call of the wild by getting out and mixing things up.
1) Event: Art and Collective Memory Festival
Location: Eleanor D. Wilson Museum, Hollins University
Date/Time: Saturday, April 18 from 10am to 3pm
Art and Collective Memory Festival caps off a collaborative venture between Roanoke College, Eleanor D. Wilson Museum at Hollins University, and the Taubman Museum of Art. It will be held at the Eleanor D. Wilson Museum of Hollins University in association with the In the Eclipse of Angkor exhibition of the newest photographic works by Binh Danh, 2009 Frances J. Niederer Artist-in-Residence at Hollins University. Participants include poet Robert Schultz, artist Jim Campbell, and art historian Ruth Epstein. Events include:
- A reading by Robert Schultz, Professor of English, Roanoke College
- Keynote lecture by Jim Campbell, internationally known electronic media artist
- Co-Lecture on Art & Memory by Johanna Ruth Epstein, Professor of Art History, Hollins University and Binh Danh, 2009 Frances Niederer Artist-in-Residence.
The series of events are an exploration into the culture, history, and art of Vietnam. Nationally-recognized poets and artists, along with members of the Roanoke Valley Catholic Vietnamese community are participants. In the Eclipse of Angkor is a collection of photographs shot with a daguerreotype which contemplate the victims of war and genocide in Southeast Asia. A daguerreotype is an early form of photography that produces an unduplicatible image burnt directly onto photo sensitive media. For more information go to http://www.hollins.edu/news-events/museum/index.htm or call (540) 362-6532
2) Event: The 9th Annual Open Studios Tour
Location: Throughout Roanoke
Date/Time: Saturday April 25th 10am-5pm, Sunday April 26th 12-5pm
The inner sanctum of several of South West Virginia’s most renowned artists are opening for Roanoke’s 9th Annual Open Studios Tour. This is an unequaled opportunity to get outside and take the family on a walking or riding tour of Roanoke. It is one of the most anticipated art events of the season. This year over 25 different artists are participating. The 10 different locations are grouped together to support walkers and riders. Brochures with maps will be available starting April 1 at The Market Gallery, Studios on the Square, Gallery 108, The Taubman Museum, Southern Graphics and many other popular retailers all over the Roanoke Valley. The map is also available online at http://www.openstudiosofroanoke.com and can be mailed to you by calling Mary Bullington at 540-904-2828. Artists’ studios will be clearly marked with signs and banners.
Take advantage of the extraordinary opportunity to visit artists in their natural environment and simultaneously experience Springtime in the Star City. Find more information about the 9th Annual Opens Studios Tour at http://www.openstudiosofroanoke.com or through one of the contributing studios.
3) Event: Assemblage Art Workshop and Ballet Performance
Location: Taubman Theater
Date/Time: Saturday April 11th 9:30 am-2pm
Workshop Cost: $25 members, $35 non-members
Performance Cost: $8 members, $15.50 non-embers
Join Katherine and this month’s guest artist, Devorah Sperver, for a 3 hour art workshop. View the creative way artist Devorah Sperver uses everyday materials to create art and construct an original assemblage of your own from equally unlikely materials. After getting your hands dirty attending the Art from Everyday Objects workshop enjoy the performance by the Southwest Virginia Ballet in the Taubman Theater.
Dance is an art form that is not typically pared with static artworks. This juxtaposition is made possible at the Taubman Museum of Art because two multipurpose stages are a part of its infrastructure. The Taubman Museum of Art offers more free and low cost programs and events than any one person can attend. The workshop and performance line up for April 11th is a particularly delightful choice to celebrate the beginning of Spring on Easter Weekend.
Registration fee for the workshop includes admission to the museum and art materials. It is limited to 15 students. Taubman Museum of Art members receive a discount on both events. Membership also offers additional privileges and discounts, most importantly the opportunity to visit the galleries for free as often as you like. To find out more about membership call 204-4132. For more information about the events go to http://www.taubmanmuseum.org/calendar.
4. “Women of a New Tribe” at the Harrison Museum of African American Culture
“Women of a New Tribe” is an awe inspiring tribute to the beauty, strength, character, and majesty of African American women as revealed through the black and white photography of Jerry Taliaferro. This nationally touring exhibition will also feature a special section on women from Roanoke. Come meet the artist at an opening reception on Thursday, April 30, 2009. The exhibition will be on view until September 26, 2009. www.blackartphotoart.com
5. “America’s Favorite Architecture” at the O. Winston Link Museum
The traveling exhibit America’s Favorite Architecture, curated by American Institute of Architects for last year for the 150th Anniversary celebration of AIA, is now touring the country. The projects featured in this exhibition were chosen in a public pool conducted by AIA. The 150 works of architecture – buildings, bridges, monuments and memorials – in this exhibition represents some of the best of America’s architectural heritage. At the O. Winston Link Museum. April 6th – May 31st 2009 101 Shenandoah Ave Roanoke, Va. 24016 Phone: (540) 982-5465 Monday thru Sunday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. www.linkmuseum.org
6. “Livable Communities for Virginia” at the O. Winston Link Museum
“Livable Communities for Virginia” exhibit is offered by Virginia Center. for Architecture. This exhibition offers a summary of the issues the association has identified as the 10 Principles for Livable Communities. The exhibition is to help engage citizens in civic dialogue to under the basic elements of community design. At the O Winston Link Museum. April 6th – May 31st 2009. 101 Shenandoah Ave Roanoke, Va. 24016 Phone: (540) 982-5465. Monday thru Sunday. 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. www.linkmuseum.org
7. “Beyond Words” by New Age Satirist Sally Mook at Art Pannonia
The Exhibition is between April 1 and June 2, 2009. Sally Mook is Blacksburg’s own beloved artist. She lived most of her life here. Her murals and painted gobblers decorate our street scenes. Her whimsical paintings can be found in more local homes than pictures by any other artist. A Meet the Artist reception will be held on Friday, April 3, 5 – 7pm in the gallery Art Pannonia. ART PANNONIA 114 N Main Street Blacksburg, VA 24060 (540)552-0336 www.artpannonia.org
8. “Artists on the Loose” at Gallery 108
Gallery 108 is hosting a group show by “Artists On The Loose”, a 16 member artist organization from the Rocky Mount / Smith Mountain Lake area. The show opens with a public reception during the April 2nd Art By Night and will remain on display through April 20. Works include acrylic, oil, watercolor and pastel. Also in April, work by new member, Bonnie Mason will be featured in the gallery window. Gallery 108 is located at 108 Market Street in Downtown Roanoke. Hours: Tue-Sat 10-5, Sun 1-4
9. “Rockbridge Twice Removed” at Nelson Gallery in Lexington
Lexington’s Nelson Gallery presents an exhibit by New York photographer Devon Banks from April 1 through 30. Her exhibit, “Rockbridge Twice Removed,” consists of ten square photographs. All of the images are unexpected and all creatively deal with the internal conflict between Bank’s daily life in New York, and her frequent imaginative flashbacks to the Virginia countryside of her homeplace.
Art by nine gallery members is also on display. An artists’ cooperative, Nelson Gallery is open daily from 11 to 5 but closed on Wednesday and Sunday. For more information call 540-468-9827 or visit www.nelsonfineartsgallery.com.
10. Judy Bates, Barbara Burlingame, and Linda Dickinson at the Little Gallery at Smith Mountain Lake
These featured artists work on display April 18 – May 9, 2009. Reception and Demonstration on Saturday, April 18, 1 – 3 p.m. The Little Gallery is the place to find the very best in fine art, sculpture, pottery, jewelry, glass and contemporary American crafts. Bridgewater Plaza, Lower Level Moneta, VA 24121 (540) 721-1596 www.thelittlegallerysml.com OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK.
