5th Annual Alexandria Festival of the Arts
September 8 – 9, Saturday from 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., Sunday from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. The show will be held on several blocks of King Street, beginning at the water front. The show features individual booths displaying the work of some 200 artists from around the country.
This is an amazingly big event considering its age. Then again, they weren't exactly starting at square one, seeing how it's on the doorstep of the Torpedo Factory, the largest depository of artists in the entire D.C. Metro area.
The Torpedo Factory itself will host numerous events on Saturday from Noon – 4 p.m. My favorite of the bunch would have to be the Champagne Cork Chairs Workshop by Lisa Schmaier in First Floor Studio 16. We assume this is an offshoot of the annual Design Within Reach champagne cork chair competition (www.dwr.com), which has nothing on the competition now, but will late in the year. For more information on the Torpedo Factory events this Saturday, see www.torpedofactory.org.
There is no official Festival web site of any value, just keep in mind King Street will be full of art booths. Cross streets will be blocked off to keep you from driving over artists and hordes of spectators. Parking will be catch as catch can, with a parking garage across from the Torpedo Factory.
There will be a fireworks display at 8 p.m. Saturday night in Oronoco Bay Park, located between Pendleton and Madison Streets.
Wendy Lawrence
Through Saturday, Sept. 8, at the Lee Arts Center (5722 Lee Highway, Arlington). 703-228-0560. Gallery Hours: Monday through Friday 9:30 a.m. – 10 p.m., Saturday 9:30 a.m. – 6 p.m. www.arlingtonarts.org/leearts.htm:
Lee Center's visiting artist in residence for September is showing her work for three days before returning to Wales. Inspired by the rich textures in eroded rock, and ancient man's imposition on the landscape, Lawrence describes her pottery as unconventional attempts to capture both structure and disorder. She utilizes glazes of highly reactive and eruptive materials, yielding work of rich textural surfaces.
Vintage Poster Show
September 7 through 17, at Renaissance Fine Arts, Wildwood Shopping Center (10307 Old Georgetown Rd., Bethesda, Md.). 301-564-4447. Gallery Hours: Monday through Friday 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Sunday Noon – 4 p.m.
You never know what you'll see at these vintage poster shows, but no matter how many you see, there always seems to be wealth of new images you've never seen before.
Falls Church City Art Openings This Friday Night
Two dimensional printmaking collages and functional ceramics by Gisele Nimic that will be on display, through September. Music will be provided by the Argentine Tango Quintet, with lead singer Claudia Gargiulo. Art and Frame of Falls Church (111 Park Avenue) 703-534-4202. 6 – 8 p.m., Artist Talk at 6:45 p.m.
Agricultural Landscapes of Quebec, Canada by Robin Hoffman will be on display at Curves (240 West Broad St.) 703-536-0140. 7 – 8:30 p.m. As always with Curves events, if you miss the opening reception, men must make an appointment to see the work at a later date.
Artist Opportunities
Vpstart Crow Productions will hold auditions for Howard Burman's “An O. Henry Christmas” on Sunday, Sept. 9, from 6 – 9 p.m., and Monday, Sept. 10, from 7 – 9 p.m., at The Cramer Center, located at 9008 Center St. in Old Town Manassas, Va. Callbacks, if necessary, will be held Tuesday, Sept. 11, from 7 – 10 p.m. For more information, contact Ms. Lange at artistic@vpstartcrow.com or 800-660-8580, or visit www.vpstartcrow.com.
The group is seeking to cast five men and three women, ages 18 and up. No appointment is necessary, and auditions and callbacks will consist of cold readings from the script. Some who are cast may be asked to play multiple roles. Each actor will be paid a small stipend covering all rehearsals and performances at the end of the run. The show will run from November 8 – 18, Thursday through Sunday nights, with an additional Sunday 3 p.m. performance.
