Dear Arts Patrons, Aficionados and Supporters,
We are excited to report some successes that our organization achieved for the arts and culture industry in April. Plus, please join us on May 10th for a County Board Democratic Candidate Debate on the Arts in Arlington. See below for all the details.
2021 Arlington Arts Groups Performances and Events
Calendar of Live Events (Subject to Change)
May – July
3/27-5/29 – “Light Over Water,” Studio 10 Artists, Dominion Electric (5053 Lee Highway)
3/27-6/5 – “Stretched,” Exhibition various artists, Arlington Arts Center
3/27-6/5 – “From an Abyss,” Exhibition by Ryan McCoy, Arlington Arts Center
4/26-5/28 – “Patterns” Exhibition, Gallery Underground (Focus Gallery)
5/1-5/30 – New Works Exhibition, Gallery Underground
5/13 – Artist talk with Ryan McCoy (registration required), Arlington Arts Center
5/22 – “Four Seasons of Vivaldi,” National Chamber Ensemble, Gunston Arts Center, Tickets here.
5/27 – “Stretched,” Artist talk (registration required), Arlington Arts Center
Calendar of Arlington Arts Organization Online Productions/Events
11/1-5/20 – “Dance for PD,” Bowen McCauley Dance Company, (Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays), Sign up at dance@bmdc.org.
11/5-5/6 – “Signature Vinyl,” Signature Theatre, Tickets here.
5/22 – “Live from a Parking Lot,” Jane Franklin Dance, Tickets here.
5/26 – “25th Season Virtual Opening Performance from Kennedy Center Terrace Theater, Bowen McCauley Dance Company, Info here.
To view the entire calendar, as well as the continuously streaming events, click here.
Embracing Arlington Arts Hosting Democratic Candidate Debate on the Arts:
We are hosting a (Virtual) Democratic County Board Candidate Debate on May 10th featuring Takis Karantonis and Chanda Choun to hear their views and vision for a vibrant and healthy arts and culture industry in the County. How will they help invigorate the arts in a post-COVID world and what initiatives will they pursue to help are two questions that will likely come up, along with YOUR questions. Registration is required; email janetk@embracing-arlington-arts.org. For more details, see the flyer.
Lee Highway Alliance Vision 2050 Video
The Embracing Arlington Arts President Janet Kopenhaver was honored to be asked to participate in the Lee Highway Alliance Vision 2050 video. In the video, Janet talks about the importance of the arts, the initiative to have a quality and flexible performing arts venue built in Arlington and how the arts impact us. View the video here here.
County Board Approves “Arts Resiliency” Grant Program
As a direct result of advocacy work done by Embracing Arlington Arts, including the compilation of the “State of the Arts Survey” in Arlington and the submission to the County Board of several “Partnership Suggestions” they could implement (including a request for pandemic relief funds) to help this critical industry, County Board Vice Chair Katie Cristol successfully inserted an amendment to the 2022 Arlington County budget for a one-time $50,000 resiliency grant program for arts organizations and individual artists. Here is a link to a video recording of the budget mark-up session – arlington.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=3905. Katie talks about her amendment at the 1:21:19 marker.
Here is the language:
Arts Resiliency Grants: Allocate $50,000 in one-time money for the Cultural Affairs Division and the Arlington County Commission for the Arts to award as “resiliency grants” to Arlington arts organizations and individual artists. With this allocation, the County Board highlights the potential grantmaking priorities of 1) addressing the impact of the pandemic on arts organizations and individual artists and their opportunities for recovery, and 2) pursuing opportunities consistent with the Commission’s new Equity Statement on arts in Arlington. The specific grantmaking criteria and timelines for awards of the resiliency grants should be developed by CAD and the Commission and reflect the contexts, needs and administrative considerations of the Arlington arts community.
County Board Approves Purchase of Buildings on Four Mile Run
The County unanimously voted to purchase two buildings that sit at 2700 South Nelson Street. The intention for the site by County staff is to tear down the buildings and to use the open space for outdoor arts activities through a variety of pop-up events. It is also anticipated that the mobile stage would be installed at the site.
Here is an excerpt from the County’s Press Release: In an effort to realize a vision of the Four Mile Run Valley Area Plan as well as the goals of the Public Spaces Master Plan and the County’s Arts and Culture Strategy, the Board voted 5-0 to exercise its option to purchase two building parcels located at 2700 S. Nelson Street/2710 S. Oakland Street near the County’s current Cultural Affairs space. Staff demonstrated how this additional property, which encompasses nearly 19,000 sq. ft. of land, could be activated as an interim use for performing arts, outdoor movie screenings, festivals, and/or an outdoor market and provide a critical anchor to a potential future arts and industry district.
More info is available here. We at Embracing Arlington Arts will continue to monitor developments with the project and help ensure that it is most beneficial to our artists and arts organizations.
Corporate Sponsor of the Month:
This month we are honoring JBG SMITH as our Corporate Sponsor of the Month. JBG SMITH is an S&P 400 company that owns, operates, invests in, and develops a dynamic portfolio of high-growth mixed-use properties in and around Washington, DC. Through an intense focus on placemaking, JBG SMITH cultivates vibrant, amenity-rich, walkable neighborhoods throughout the Capital region, including National Landing where it now serves as the exclusive developer for Amazon’s new headquarters. JBG SMITH’s portfolio currently comprises 20.8 million square feet of high-quality office, multifamily and retail assets, 98% at our share of which are Metro-served. It also maintains a robust future pipeline encompassing 18.7 million square feet of mixed-used development opportunities.
“Embracing Arlington Arts Talks” Podcast:
What a fantastic group of guests we had on the “Embracing Arlington Arts Talks” podcast during the month of April. First, we welcomed back the Artistic Director of Woolly Mammoth Maria Manuela Goyanes to get the latest on the theater’s upcoming digital season, as well as learn about the wonderful partnership program she implemented with the Miranda Family Fellowship to help young theater professionals from historically excluded communities.
Two other professionals making up the Artistic Collaborative managing Avant Bard Theatre Company – Actor Alyssa Sanders and Director Megan Behm – discussed their new theater business model of shared responsibility and their respective roles. Following that interview, the fifth artist of the Avant Bard leaders Dina Soltan rounded out the series by explaining her role as in charge of “Donor Relations,” as well as provided details about her upcoming performance with Mosaic Theater.
We ended the month chatting with Visual Artist Kate Fleming who talked about her ambitious “50 States Project” which is capturing the United States at a specific – and tumultuous – time. Find out where they have been and where they are now headed, as well as how they decide which places to visit in each state.
To listen to any of our interviews, follow this link.
Media Hits:
Arlington arts organizations continued to publish Community Post columns in ArlNow through a subscription that Embracing Arlington Arts underwrites. The Arlington Artists Alliance published a column with all the details about their “Urban Soul” exhibition featuring the works of Gustavo Forselledo. Encore Stage & Studio also wrote about their exciting array of summer camps being held in person this year.
If you would like to support the work Embracing Arlington Arts by making a donation, here’s how:
* Make tax-deductible contributions online.
* Tax-deductible contributions by check: check made out to Embracing Arlington Arts and sent to Embracing Arlington Arts, 754 North Vermont Street, Arlington, VA 22203
* Make Embracing Arlington Arts your AmazonSmile charity and shop with this link.
Every dollar helps us help the arts organizations in so many ways. Thank you in advance!
Embracing Arlington Arts 