Dear Arts Patrons, Aficionados and Supporters,
2019/2020 Arlington Arts Groups Performances and Events
November 2019
10/29-1/5 – A Chorus Line, Signature Theatre
11/8-11/23 – Last Summer at Bluefish Cove, Dominion Stage, Gunston Theatre 2
11/19-11/23 – Soul Divas, Cabaret Series, Signature Theatre
11/22-11/24 – Artful Weekend, Arlington Artists’ Alliance, Fort Smith
11/23 – Bailey’s Upper Dance Company, Jane Franklin Dance, Theatre on the Run
11/23 – Splatter, Jane Franklin Dance, Theatre on the Run
11/23 – Dance with Rachel Luebbert, Jane Franklin Dance, Theatre on the Run
11/24 – Fall Concert, Washington Balalaika Society, Kenmore Middle School
December 2019
12/3-12/21 – A Motown Christmas, Cabaret Series, Signature Theatre
12/3-12/29 – Snow Queen, Synetic Theater
12/6 – Opening Reception, Arlington Artists’ Alliance, Gallery Underground
12/6-12/15 – CSI: Christmas Scene Investigators, Encore Stage & Studio, Gunston
12/9 – Ay Gerald, SigWorks, Signature Theatre
12/12-12/13 – The Boy Who Cried Wolf…For Real!, Educational Theatre Co., Glebe ES
12/13 – Opening Reception, Arlington Artists’ Alliance, Gallery Clarendon
12/14 – Holiday Cheer, National Chamber Ensemble, UU Church of Arlington
January 2020
1/3 – Opening Reception, Arlington Artists’ Alliance, Gallery Underground
1/7-1/11 – Frank Sinatra, Cabaret Series, Signature Theatre
1/10 – Opening Reception, Arlington Artists’ Alliance, Gallery Clarendon
1/10-1/19 – Narnia, Encore Stage & Studio, Thomas Jefferson Community Theatre
1/18-3/28 – Action Exhibit, Arlington Arts Center
1/18-3/28 – Jung Min Park Solo Exhibition, Arlington Arts Center
1/25 – Family Performance, Jane Franklin Dance Co., Theatre on the Run
1/25 – Forty+, Jane Franklin Dance, Theatre on the Run
1/28-2/23 – Gun & Powder, Signature Theatre
1/31-2/15 – Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson, Dominion Stage, Gunston II
To view the entire 2019-2020 Calendar of Events, click here.
Arts Budget Advocacy:
Do you think Arlington should be investing more in arts and culture? If so, then please tell the County Manager. As the 2021 budget process begins, he is asking Arlingtonians for their input in determining spending priorities for the County. Some ideas that you might consider including are more funding for arts grant program, financial assistance to build a quality flexible performing arts center, permanent funding for the extremely effective Challenge Grant program, and whatever else you think will allow Arlington to have a healthier and more vibrant arts and culture scene. Fill out the form at this link and urge your friends to do the same, If we do not let our decisionmakers know what we want, then we will never get more spending on arts and culture.
Recommendations of the Community Arts Advisory Committee:
Following the massive outcry from Arlingtonians in opposition to the proposed draconian budget cuts, the County Manager reversed this proposal and appointed 15 arts stakeholders and experts to serve on the Community Arts Advisory Committee (CAAC). The Embracing Arlington Arts President Janet Kopenhaver and Board member Sara Duke both served on this Committee. Earlier this month, the group formally presented its recommendations to the County Manager on four major issues that were under threat. Here is a summary of those recommendations:
Scenic Studio – The County should make a commitment to a long-term goal of moving the Studio to South Four Mile Run Drive as part of the Arts and Industry District, if and when the District is established. In the meantime, the facility should remain at Gunston and first steps would be made to establish the Studio as a “community resource for any group or individual who needs and wants to create large scale aids for performance and/or to teach others how to do this.”
CostumeLab – Create an agreement with Signature Theatre to develop and manage a costume inventory service by merging their own and the CostumeLab’s costume collections, and the equipment (sewing machines, dye vat and other items) should be moved into 3700 South Four Mile Run Drive and offered as part of a Maker Space pilot program.
Mobile Stage – The County should dispose of the Mobile Stage and contract with a vendor on behalf of arts organizations.
Joint Use Scheduling Process – Two new scheduling mechanisms should be established which would be used as the means of addressing the specific challenges of timing of allocations and scheduling conflicts. These new mechanisms are: an arts organization-only performance and rehearsal planning calendar, which is completed by groups before discussions are held with the schools; and an APS/Arts organization operations and coordination group to oversee coordination and liaison of scheduling and make decisions on any changes of operational policy. A County staff member should oversee the process.
To read the report in its entirety, follow this link.
Corporate Sponsor of the Month:
Our corporate sponsor of the month is JBG SMITH – an S&P 400 company that owns, operates, invests in and develops a dynamic portfolio of high-quality 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. To get a bird’s eye view of some of the improvements they are planning for the area, follow this link.
“Embracing Arlington Arts Talks “Podcast:
The podcasts in October were extremely interesting and diverse. The first featured Encore Stage and Studio Education Program Director Madeline Langston who discussed their National Endowment for the Humanities “Changing the Narrative” project entitled “Flip the Script” that centered around Arlington’s history and desegregation. Then we “traveled” to Russia with a fascinating interview with Founder and Artistic Director of the Russian Chamber Art Society Vera Danchenko Stern.
Closer to home, we chatted with the relatively new Executive Director of the Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization (CPRO) Kim Klingler about her goals for the Pike and some events they are hosting. Cathy Hix and Mark Benbow from the Arlington Historical Society served as an appropriate continuation of the Arlington’s desegregation discussion. They also gave us background on some interesting landmarks here in the County.
Our focus then returned to the performing arts with our interview with Dominion Stage Marketing guru AJ Campbell and actor Judy Lewis who gave us all the details about their upcoming show “Last Summer at Bluefish Cove.” Finally, we ended the month learning about opera and targeting younger audiences from Opera Nova’s Founder Miriam Miller and Treasurer David Ryan.
To listen to these interviews, or any others in the past, follow this link.
Media Hits:
As reported in the last Update, we are producing a series of podcast interviews with the Artistic Directors from the five most successful theater companies in the region. Embracing Arlington Arts sent out a Press Release announcing the series, and InsideNova included an article about it in a recent issue.
Also, several Arlington Arts organizations submitted Community Post columns using the EAA subscription that were published in ArlNow. Synetic Theatre wrote about its background and diversity in this piece. This was followed by a submission by the National Chamber Ensemble which gave details about their Classics Re-Imagined concert. Jane Franklin Dance published an interesting column about their many performances coming up this fall. Rounding out the month was an article by the Washington Balalaika Society giving details about their upcoming concert on November 24.
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
Embracing Arlington Arts 