"Concerts in the Park" at Cherry HIll, Capital Fringe Festival, Conversions, Salve Regina Gallery Show, and auditions for Anton CHekhov’s ‘The Seagull.’
Falls Church Arts along with the Falls Church Recreation & Parks Department and the Village Preservation & Improvement Society, present " Concerts in the Park" at Cherry Hill Park every Thursday evening through August 3. This Thursday, July 27 the Falls Church Concert Band plays while Karen Butler shows her drawings. Next Thursday, August 3, will feature Randy Barrett and the Barretones, and photographs by Bob Morrison. Art works will be on display, and for sale from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. each evening. Concerts begin at 7 p.m. Rain location for music and art work will be next door at the Falls Church Community Center. For more information call (703) 248-5077.
The inaugural Capital Fringe Festival runs through Sunday, July 30. General location varies, but is focused along 7th, 8th, and 9th St., and Pennsylvania Ave N.W., Washington, D.C. Events seem to be limited to stage productions of one sort or another. See www.capfringe.org for an exhaustive list of offerings, and to purchase tickets. One of the more off beat shows is a Mexican Puppet Company playing at Theater Alliance in The H Street Playhouse, 1365 H Street, NE, Washington, DC. Performances are at 8 p.m. Friday through Sunday, with an additional 6 p.m. show on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets for that show are $15, www.theateralliance.com.
‘Conversions’ through September 29 at the Ellipse Art Center, 4350 North Fairfax Dr., Suite 125, Arlington, VA. Ph. (703) 228-7710 Gallery Hours: Wednesday though Friday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Ellipse Art Center, along with the Washington Project for the Arts/Corcoran presents a dozen artists in it’s current show juried by : Dennis O’ Neil, collectors Heather and Tony Podesta, and Artist Sam Gilliam.
With Washington Color School painter Sam Gilliam on the judging panel it’s not much of a surprise that this show leans toward the abstract. It’s a varied collection of works in a wide assortment of media. It’s polished and serious high concept work, but not completely devoid of humor.
There are seemingly inscrutable pieces here. The row of plastic lawn chairs attached to the wall at chest level, above a floor of white landscaping stone, while an agonized voice track plays was one of those pieces you almost don’t want to know what it’s all about. Whatever it is, they aren’t happy.
On the other end of the spectrum, Tomas Rivas has three pieces, each composed of two 4×8 sheet rock panels. It’s certainly the most accessible work in the show, and possibly the most playful. Rivas has taken one of the most pedestrian building materials of contemporary disposable architecture, and used it to present images of traditional marble elements that evoke permanence. The juxtaposition is brilliant. Using the material to it’s fullest, Rivas’ used his razor blade as a drawing tool, then pealed the paper outer layer, and even carved the inner gypsum core. The unpretentiousness of simply leaning the panels against the wall, is the perfect final touch.
Thomas Rivas is also currently in a three person show at the Salve Regina Gallery on the campus of Catholic University, 620 Michigan Ave, NE. Washington DC. That show runs though Friday, August 11. Hours should be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Having said that, University gallery hours can be a bit whimsical, so you might want to call ahead. (202) 319-5282.
Artist Opportunities
Call for entries in the 2006 juried September 11 Commemorative Art Exhibit at Arlington Central Library. Two and three dimensional art work will be considered. Works submitted should express the themes of commemoration, intellectual freedom, democracy, and patriotism. Application and (slide or digital) photos of art work to be judged are due at the Arlington Central Library by Monday, July 31. See www.arlingtonva.us/library for complete details and entry form. Show is scheduled to run September 1 to 30.
Vpstart Crow Productions, Inc., a non-Equity professional theater company, will hold auditions for Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull on Sunday, July 30, from 6-9 p.m. and Monday, July 31, from 7-9 p.m., at The Cramer Center, located at 9008 Center St. in Old Town Manassas, VA. For more information, please contact director Carlos Fischler at 703-855-4563 or cfischler@ cox.net, Vpstart Crow at 703-365-0240, or see https://www.vpstartcrow.com/ The production will run Friday through Sunday Oct. 6-22.
