C-VILLE Weekly | December 17 - 23, 2025

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Tom Perriello makes Downtown garages nix another Congressional paper for parkers in run in the 5th P.9 favor of AI entry P.13

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CHARLOTTESVILLE’S FREE NEWS AND ARTS WEEKLY

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December 17 – 23, 2025

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Hello, Charlottesville.

12.17.25

Thank you for reading C-VILLE Weekly.

When it was predicted last summer that this year’s University of Virginia football team would finish near the bottom of the Atlantic Coast Conference, I thought, “Here we go again,” and calculated the number of weeks until college basketball started. As if to validate my low expectations, Chandler Morris, UVA’s new quarterback, threw an interception near the end of the second game of the season, and Virginia lost to North Carolina State. What would happen when the Cavs took on nationally ranked Florida State a few weeks later? They beat ’em.

And then the Hoos bested Louisville, Washington State, UNC, and Cal—and found themselves ranked No. 12 in the country. After taking down Virginia Tech to claim the Commonwealth Cup at the end of November, UVA’s regular-season record of 10-2 tied the 1989 football team for most wins in program history. Despite a heartbreaking overtime loss to Duke in the ACC Championship game, Virginia has a lot to be proud of, including an invitation to play Missouri in the Gator Bowl on December 27. And as Julia Stumbaugh writes in this week’s cover story (p. 20), Coach Tony Elliott had a three-word answer when asked about next season: “We’ll be back.”

C-VILLE copy editor and UVA sports super fan

This week’s contributors

Julia Stumbaugh has worked with C-VILLE since 2017. She developed her love for writing while growing up in Albemarle County, and her passion for sports journalism while attending William & Mary.

Read her work on page 20.

Kristie Smeltzer is a writer, writing coach, and teacher. Her fiction has been published by Scribes*MICRO* Fiction, MonkeyBicycle, and Atticus Review. Smeltzer earned her MFA in creative writing at the University of Central Florida. Read her work on page 33.

Hey, thanks! These generous benefactors of C-VILLE have supported our work through our (now tax-deductible!) Save the Free Word campaign. To contribute, follow the QR code.

Towns Ackerman Susan Albert Mary Allen Catherine Anninos Lori Balaban Timothy Bambury Catherine Barnes Julie Basic Susan Battani Josh Baumann Jennifer Beachley Mayanna Bean Susan Bender Denise Benson Anne Bergamesca Rebecca Berlin Kim Biasiolli Patrick Bird Paddy Bowman Olivia Branch Paul Brewer Susan Brickman Claudia Murray Brindle Sumner Brown Colette Brown Jack Brown Kate Buford Cathleen Burgess Carol Burger Patricia Burkett David Calhoun

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Ezra Hitzeman JoAnn Hofheimer Lisa Hogan Gina Hogue Laura Horn Christina Horton Robert Inlow Deb Jackson Garth Jensen Nina Johnston Nicole Jones Diane Jones Janet Jospe Jane Kamensky Brian Kelly Trish Kenney Tom Kirk Kathryn Kluge Julie Lacy Marcia Langsam Jacalyn LaPierre Aaron Lawrence Eric and Diane Lawson Elizabeth Lawson Frances Lee-Vandell David Lemon Linda Lester Sean Libberton Angeline Lillard Peppy Linden Jessica Lino

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Cynthia Van Osch Annette Osso Laila Ouhamou Annette Owens Timothy Palmer Michael Pantano Dashton Parham Susan Payne Amanda Peacock Joe Peacock Elizabeth Perdue Joann Peters James Peterson Damon Pettitt Andrew Pevsner Elayne Phillips Sandra Pollock Robin Powell Anne Price Ernest Pugh Harry Purkey Leslie Quenichet Frances Racette T. Radsky Scott Ransom Sarah Ratcliffe Stots Reele Marjorie Rein Cindy Richards Kevin Richardson David Robinson Diane Rosin

Julia Rubarth Tim Ryan Carol Gilbert Sacks Audrey Sarate Claudia Scenna Joan Schatzman Sandra Schmidt Eric Schultz Karen Schuyler Wendy Seay James Seitz Angilee Shah Elaine Shaw Chuck Shelton Paul Shettel Vaden Shields John Smith Kristina Smith Rod Smith Meredith Smoot Mickey Speck Maria Spence Jim Spencer David Stackhouse Mariah Steele Rod Stoner Robert Strickland Deborah Strong Nichole Taylor William Terrell Emily Thiede Reid Thompson

W. McIlwaine Thompson Jr. Prue Thorner John Titus Jessica Tobin Erica Toy Rose Trapnell Jill Trischman-Marks Susan Uland Rick Vergot Christina Walker Steven Ward David Waters Chris Waugaman Phoebe Weseley Kelly West Gary and Anne Westmoreland Richard Wiedemann John Whitlow Jay Wildermann Marcia Wilds Andrew Wolf Natalie Yancey Suzanne Yeaman Nura Yingling Kelly Zalewski Kathleen Zenker

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December 17 – 23, 2025

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IN THIS ISSUE

TREAT YOURSELF ONE YOU LOVE

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V.37, No. 51

FEATURE 20

A Signature Medical Spa Gift Card is a thoughtful way to give confidence, care, and a little time just for them....

Their winning season UVA football team defies the preseason critics.

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Tom Perriello wants his 5th District seat back.

10 Feeding students during winter break.

11 Amtrak reshuffles schedules; CPD chief on guv-elect’s transition team.

13 AI license-plate readers at downtown garages.

CULTURE 27

27 Stages: Shakey Graves plays the Jefferson.

29 The Works: Stacey Evans’ “Passenger Riding the Rails.”

33 Tried it in C’ville: Fired up about making glass art.

FOR FUN 40 40 Sudoku 41 Crossword 43 Free Will Astrology

CLASSIFIEDS 44 P.S. 46 Ruby Lopez Harper in The HotSeat

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ART DIRECTOR Max March max@c-ville.com CULTURE EDITOR Tami Keaveny tami@c-ville.com SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Nathan Alderman news@c-ville.com NEWS REPORTER Catie Ratliff reporter@c-ville.com NEWS CONTRIBUTOR Sean Tubbs ASSOCIATE CULTURE EDITOR CM Turner arts@c-ville.com COPY EDITOR Susan Sorensen CONTRIBUTORS Rob Brezsny, Dave Cantor, Matt Dhillon, Carol Diggs, Shea Gibbs, Mary Jane Gore, Maeve Hayden, Andrew Hollins, Erika Howsare, Matt Jones, Sarah Lawson, Lisa Provence, Sarah Sargent, Kristie Smeltzer, Jen Sorensen, Julia Stumbaugh, Jake Solyst, Paul Ting, Eric Williamson

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NEWS

Tom Perriello previously served as a Democratic Congressman in the 5th District from 2009-2011.

UVA | POLITICS | REAL ESTATE | CRIME

Back for seconds

Tom Perriello launches run for his former Congressional seat BY NATHAN ALDERMAN

JAMES CARTER

C-VILLE.COM

December 17 – 23, 2025

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NEWS POLITICS

“S

omeone asked me yesterday why I thought it was a good idea to jump off this cliff,” former Democratic Congressman Tom Perriello said at his campaign launch event on December 10.

“And I said that I knew if I jumped, there were hundreds of people ready to jump behind me.”

The shoulder-to-shoulder crowd packed into Charlottesville’s Random Row Brewing Co., straining the limits of the venue’s 200-person capacity, cheered loudly.

On December 9, Perriello announced his 2026 run for Virginia’s 5th Congressional District, which he previously held from 20092011. He says incumbent Republican Rep. John McGuire has failed to stand up for district residents: “He’s standing right in the way of good jobs and lower health care costs.”

Perriello criticizes McGuire’s cuts to rural broadband support and green energy jobs, and his lack of intervention in the Department of Justice’s attacks on the University of Virginia. “That is not only a university we’re all very proud of,” Perriello says, “but is the No. 1 employer in this region, and John McGuire allowed it to be turned into a political punching bag.”

At press time, McGuire’s office had not responded to a request for comment.

“People are facing way too much pain in this community in terms of rising costs of health care and child care,” Perriello says.

“It’s outrageous that tens of thousands of

people in this district right now are facing the threat of losing their health care or seeing their premiums triple because John McGuire and the MAGA Congress are choosing to prioritize tax breaks for huge corporations over the families that they represent.”

Perriello’s vote in favor of the Affordable Care Act may have cost him his seat in the 2010 election. But the candidate and his supporters now view that vote as an asset.

“I have health insurance right now because of Tom Perriello and that Affordable Care Act vote, as do a lot of people,” former Virginia delegate Sally Hudson said at the December 10 event. “As he will tell you, some things are more important than getting reelected.”

“I wish every single one of our elected officials had that sort of courage and conviction,” said Rebecca Wood at the campaign launch. At Perriello’s invitation, she flew in from Boston, where she’s attending law school at the University of Massachusetts. But Wood has roots in the area, having grown up in Roanoke, attended James Madison University, and previously lived in Charlottesville.

“My daughter was born at 26 weeks gestation in 2012,” Wood said. “She was the size of my hand. Without the ACA, her birth would have been considered a preexisting condition, and she would have exceeded her lifetime cap before ever coming home from the NICU, which meant she would have been uninsurable, and she wouldn’t have had ac-

cess to health care, and she wouldn’t be where she is now, as a typical 13-year-old.”

“People would share with me their stories of how the Affordable Care Act had saved their family from bankruptcy,” Perriello says.

“There’s a lot more we can do, but those things made a difference for people, and they know that it wasn’t an easy vote for me to take.”

By December 12, Perriello gained endorsements from Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner. Three of the six Democrats previously running for the nomination have suspended their campaigns and endorsed Perriello: Crozet’s Paul Riley, Charlottesville’s Adele Stichel, and Lynchburg’s Kate Zabriskie.

“I welcome the competition,” says Scottsville Supervisor Mike Pruitt, who’s staying in the primary race. “People are frustrated with the Democratic Party, right? They see it as a party that is running the same playbook, that is running the same message, that is running the same people. And they want new leadership.”

“I think I’m in a somewhat different lane than Tom Perriello is, offering something of an alternative to him,” says fellow Democratic primary candidate Robert Tracinski.

“I’m trying to create a campaign that would offer important things for the Charlottesville Democrats, but also have more appeal to independents [and] former Trump voters with a serious case of buyer’s remorse who are out in the rest of the district.”

Perriello says his experience and broad support make him the right candidate to win.

“I’ve done it before, and I’m going to do it again, because we have the grassroots support of stakeholders from across Central Virginia and Southside,” he says. “I think what people want right now is a fighter who is willing to work a double shift up in Congress and back here in the district to make a difference in people’s lives.”

“He wants to meet with people,” said local activist and cybersecurity expert Tanesha Hudson at the December 10 event. “He wants to hear your thoughts. He basically embraces everybody in this community. So, C why not Tom? If not Tom, who?”

Community matters

Winter break kicks off December 22 for Charlottesville City Schools, and with it a two-week pause on free midday meals for students. To cover that gap, community members are stepping up to ensure families are fed this holiday season.

On December 10, CCS announced an anonymous $140,000 donation, which the district will use to provide 1,400 $100 gift cards to Food Lion and Kroger.

According to the Virginia Department of Education, more than 52 percent of CCS students are economically disadvantaged. Gift cards are limited to one per household, and must be used to purchase food. Eligible families can find a link to the form on c-ville.com.

The surprise donation adds an extra layer of support for CCS families, but is only one element of the constellation of community care this holiday season.

For the sixth year in a row, sisters Zaneyah, Zeniah, and Zyahna Bryant are organizing a holiday mutual aid drive. This December they’re focusing the campaign on core necessities, but will also accept donations of traditional holiday gifts.

“Despite the fact that we have so many resources out there, and we have so many nonprofits, there are still some holes and some gaps,” says newly elected CCS school board member Zyahna Bryant. “That’s what mutual aid is all about—it’s about giving what you’re able to give, and getting whatever you need in that moment.”

Beyond household needs and groceries, the Bryant sisters will use any money donated to the drive to buy winter clothing, shoes, and books for local families, as needed. They will also hand out hot meals, care packages, and gift cards to unhoused Charlottesville residents outside The Haven on December 21.

IN BRIEF

All the news you missed last week (in one sentence or less)

Pulitzer Prize-winning science reporter John Noble Wilford, 92, dies of prostate cancer at his Charlottesville home December 9. University of Virginia Student Health and Wellness enacts online flu tracker. Nathaniel Jeremiah Yount Jr., 19, arrested December 10 in connection to shooting at roving party in Barboursville on Thanksgiving. UVA Board of Visitors holds closed session to discuss search for future president. Local officials break ground on $49 million Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail renovation. Albemarle County Police arrest Maryland man suspected of September rape in Charlottesville during an online date. Charlottesville Police Department determines suspected December 14 carjacking actually an incident of road rage. CPD investigating December 15 incident in which house on Stuart Circle was struck by gunfire.

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December 17 – 23, 2025

C-VILLE.COM

JAMES CARTER

TRANSPORTATION NEWS

“We take care of us,” says Bryant. “We have a lot of people who care deeply about each other in our community, and so I think that our annual mutual aid drive—or the first generation college student mutual aid initiative—just goes to show how powerful it is when neighbors take care of neighbors.”

More information on where to donate can be found at c-ville.com.—Catie Ratliff

Michael Kochis

Duty calls

Charlottesville Police Chief Michael Kochis will serve on the transition committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security Policy for Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger.

“It’s an honor to have the opportunity to contribute to the Governor-elect’s transition efforts and to share perspectives on public safety,” Kochis said in a December 10 press release announcing his appointment. “Helping develop thoughtful policy recommendations on important public safety topics is a meaningful way to ensure our communities remain safe while building trust and accountability.”

The committee will be led by Stanley Meador, Spanberger’s incoming secretary of public safety and homeland security.

Meador previously served as special agent in charge of the FBI’s Richmond field office until his retirement earlier this year.—CR

EZE AMOS (LEFT), SUPPLIED PHOTO (RIGHT)

Later start

Amtrak adjusting Northeast Regional schedule to accommodate bridge construction BY SEAN TUBBS

P

eople accustomed to ity. Currently up to 2 million catching a morning Amtrak passengers cross the train to Washington, current bridge as well as 3 milD.C., and other points north lion Virginia Railway Express will have to make some adjustriders. The existing structure is ments in the next few years as more than a century old and at Amtrak makes service changes 98 percent capacity. while a key construction projBefore construction of Long ect is underway.

Bridge is complete, the VPRA In December 2019, then-Gov. should have completed a projRalph Northam announced an ect to extend passenger serinvestment of $3.7 billion in rail vice to the New River Valley infrastructure as an alternative with a new station in Christo widening I-95. The Transtiansburg, which is expected forming Rail in Virginia initiato be online in 2027.

Ridership on the Northtive included creation of a Vireast Regional service beginia Passenger Rail Authority to purchase right of way and tween Roanoke and D.C. has make other investments. grown steadily since operaA major key to expanding The same number of Amtrak trains will stop in Charlottesville, but two daily routes from tions began in 2009. The passenger rail service in the D.C. to Norfolk and Richmond have been temporarily eliminated. average monthly ridership state is increasing the numincreased from 28,705 in FY2024 to 30,752 in FY2025. In all, VPRA ber of trains that can cross the Potomac Union Station at 8:55am, but it will now leave River. Construction on the Long Bridge helps Amtrak with the cost of 16 trains in at 12:45pm. The Crescent will continue to Project is underway and schedules must the Commonwealth. be scheduled to leave at 10:59am. shift to accommodate D.C. ordinances that One proponent of rail travel is glad that “Our goal is to offer as much service as require most work to be performed during the Long Bridge Project is underway, but is possible while working to upgrade our inthe daytime. Work is expected to be comhopeful the D.C. government can be perfrastructure, with the final result being more suaded to drop its restrictions on construcpleted in 2030. rail service throughout the Commonwealth,” VPRA’s executive director said the agency tion from 7pm. to 7am Stadtler said. knows that many will find the change difficult.

“It’s unfortunate that the D.C. governThere is no reduction in the number of “We evaluated every possible scenario to ment is forcing work into this narrow midday Amtrak trains that stop in Charlottesville. limit the disruptions while providing our work window, dragging out the project timeBut in order to make the construction winconstruction teams with the work window line and causing five years of disrupted train dows work, Amtrak has temporarily elimischedules,” said Rory Stolzenberg, a member they need to safely complete the project on nated two daily routes of service from D.C. of the city’s Planning Commission. time and on budget,” said DJ Stadtler in a to Norfolk and Richmond.

Stolzenberg points out that Metrorail alpress release.

The Long Bridge Project will include seven The first weekday Northeast Regional ready has an exemption from the noise ornew bridges, with one two-track span deditrain currently departs Charlottesville’s dinance for its own construction work. C cated to passenger rail. This will double capac-

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December 17 – 23, 2025

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Noon Year's Eve Celebration Wednesday, December 31 11:00 am–1:00 pm Enjoy lunch and dessert, dance to the sounds of the Flashbacks, and ring in the New Year with a champagne toast.

Open to all. Members $40; Guests $60.

Reservations required by December 26.

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Season’s Greetings Thank you for your support during 2025!

We can’t wait to see you in 2026!

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December 17 – 23, 2025

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DOWNTOWN NEWS

Annie Gould Gallery

You’re recognized City using AI-powered license plate readers to charge for garage parking BY SEAN TUBBS

A unique art gallery located in the heart of historic Gordonsville.

Fees for parking in the downtown garages will remain the same: free for the first hour, and $1 for every 30 minutes thereafter.

T

STAFF PHOTO

People will now drive their vehicles into either the Market Street or Water Street parking garage without taking a receipt.

Someone from the car must scan a QR code with a phone and then enter the license plate number, a phone number, and a method of payment. Metropolis will then debit an account on record when the vehicle leaves.

The first hour of parking remains free and the rate of $1 every half hour has not increased. According to the city website, downtown businesses can still validate parking by offering another QR code for people to scan.

There is no information on the city’s website about how the data Metropolis collects is used, but there is a phone number and an email address for those who are curious.

The Metropolis website clearly states that anyone using its service has provided consent to the company to gather information, including vehicle types, what kind of devices scan the QR codes, biometric information of passengers, and many other categories that might be sold to advertisers.

Metropolis will not delete the data.

“We may keep personal information for as long as necessary to achieve the purpose for which it was collected, our business needs, and any other purpose permitted under law,” reads the privacy page.

There is no alternative or backup system to anyone who doesn’t want to give their information to Metropolis.

“We offer [around] 1,000 free parking spots in the city,” says Schneider. “No one is required to use our parking garages.”

The City of Charlottesville owns the Market Street Parking Garage but rents the Water Street Parking Garage from the Charlottesville Parking Center for a sum exceedC ing $1.8 million a year.

REALTORS® are members of the National Association of REALTORS®

hose who use public parking garages in downtown Charlottesville experienced big changes December 16 when the city moved to a system where access is controlled by new software.

“With the new system, residents and visitors will be able to enjoy an easy experience where their vehicle becomes their parking pass,” reads a press release sent out on December 12. “Metropolis technology will handle the rest, eliminating wait times and equipment failures.”

Metropolis was founded in 2017 in Santa Monica, California, and became the largest parking operator in North America when it acquired the company SP+ in May 2024. Charlottesville’s Office of Economic Development had selected the company that year to run the Market Street and Water Street garages.

The city’s website claims the move is being made now to address aging equipment and to reduce long lines out of the garages.

“The pay-on-foot has not worked properly in the last six months, so we needed a new system,” says Afton Schneider, the city’s director of communications and public engagement.

However, the technology is very much in line with Metropolis’ overall business strategy.

According to its website, Metropolis recently announced securing $1.6 billion in financing to help expand the use of AI into more sectors to replace existing ways of conducting business.

“With this new capital, we’re scaling our platform to realize the full potential of the Recognition Economy—building a world where infrastructure knows you, moves with you, and predicts your needs,” reads the website.

109 S. Main Street, Gordonsville, VA • (540) 832-6352 anniegouldgallery

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Very nice Townhouse in convenient River Run. New roof and gutter leaf filters. Well maintained. Easy access to town and Penn Park. Easy walking distance to the Community pool.82

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C-V I L L E R E S TAU RA N T WEEK

JANUARY 26 THROUGH FEBRUARY 1

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December 17 – 23, 2025

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RUN BAC FIVE REASONS UVA FOOTBALL FANS SHOULD STAY EXCITED FOR 2026

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December 17 – 23, 2025

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N IT CK

Harrison Waylee’s season included a 97-yard touchdown run, which broke a school record.

BY JULIA STUMBAUGH

JAMIE HOLT / UVA COMMUNICATIONS

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WHAT D O E S

MEAN TO YOU? Our 2026 theme, COURAGE, explores the choices we make to take risks, bridge divides, and shape a shared future. Through music, art, and conversation, we’ll examine how courage is cultivated: in our society, our communities, and our daily lives -- to spark dialogue and dream beyond the limits of what seems possible.

We want to hear from you. Where are bravery and resilience most needed right now? Your insights will help shape the conversations that will define this April’s Festival.

SHARE YOUR INSIGHTS ON COURAGE tomtomfoundation.org/2026-festival

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December 17 – 23, 2025

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S

cott Stadium has an official capacity of 61,500.

That’s why it was noticeable to both University of Virginia football Coach Tony Elliott and his players that home crowds averaged fewer than 39,000 fans in 2024.

“We need them,” Elliott said last October of the fans missing from those 22,000 empty seats. “We need folks to be in the stands, create an environment for the guys, and also make it tough on opponents.”

Just over one year later, Elliott got his wish.

More than 58,000 fans piled into Scott Stadium for UVA’s regular season finale against Virginia Tech on November 29, marking the program’s highest single-game attendance since 2011.

UVA responded to the hype by claiming a 27-7 victory that secured the program’s second-ever trip to the ACC Championship game.

“I think it gives us confirmation,” Elliott said about the game’s attendance. “It gives us motivation. It gives us encouragement, a

little bit of validation that we’re definitely headed in the right direction to make this a competitive rivalry and make Virginia a program of relevance.”

Virginia finished the regular season with a 10-2 record.

That’s not only the Cavaliers’ best record through Elliott’s four seasons in Charlottesville. The mark also tied the 1989 Cavaliers for the most wins in program history.

The Hoos ultimately fell just short of a trip to the College Football Playoff after suffering an overtime loss to Duke in the December 6 ACC title game.

Despite that heartbreak, the team, which was ranked No. 19 nationally at season’s end, is headed to the Gator Bowl to play the University of Missouri on December 27. And Elliott is hoping fans will return in droves to Scott Stadium in 2026.

Here are five reasons to get excited for the future of UVA football following the program’s best season in almost four decades.

1. Clutch plays

Tight end Sage Ennis, one of the UVA football team’s four captains, celebrates a win.

JAMIE HOLT / UVA COMMUNICATIONS

Back on September 6, when the Cavaliers were in Raleigh, North Carolina, for the second game of the season, Virginia was just 12 yards away from a touchdown that would have sealed a comeback win over North Carolina State.

That chance ended with an interception thrown by UVA quarterback Chandler Morris.

The loss dropped Virginia’s record to 1-1. More concerning, it seemed to show the continuation of a troubling pattern: The Cavs, in three prior seasons under Elliott, had struggled to score when inside the 20-yard line.

Elliott said after the game, however, he felt the Cavaliers “grew up a little bit as a football team” during the loss.

“We’re gonna own it. We’re gonna get better,” Elliott said.

The Cavaliers lived up to that promise. The team went on to win its next seven games.

The highlight of that stretch came on September 26, when UVA took on Florida State, which was ranked No. 8 in the nation at the time.

Cornerback Ja’Son Prevard sparked a field rush at Scott Stadium when he intercepted a pass intended for an FSU receiver during the second overtime, clinching the Cavs’ first home victory over a top-10 opponent since 2005.

Virginia then claimed OT wins over Louisville and the University of North Carolina in the following weeks to become the first team in program history to win in overtime three times in a single season.

In other words, UVA is stepping up in the clutch. The 2025 team saw its success rates jump from last season in both thirddown conversions (34 percent to 49 percent) and red-zone touchdowns (45 percent to 56 percent).

That is thanks, at least in part, to creativity shown by both the Hoos’ offense and defense.

This season’s win against Virginia Tech was secured by a touchdown in a trick play UVA tight end Sage Ennis said the Cavs had been working on for “weeks.”

“We put a lot of time into our goal-line packages,” Offensive Coordinator Des Kitchings said after the game. “You know, historically, you may get maybe 15 or 20 of those plays, roughly, give or take, throughout the course of the season. So, you spend a lot more time practicing than you actually get to do it in the game.

“But you have to, because when it arises, it’s so critical.”

It may be fitting, then, that UVA’s playoff hopes ended on a trick play in overtime of the ACC title game that resulted in a game-ending interception by Duke.

Given the Cavs’ overall improvement in coming up when it mattered, however, there’s plenty of reason to hope this program could go even farther in 2026.

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3. Returning players

Elliott and co. will also need to work on convincing players on the 2025 roster to return for another season in Charlottesville.

That includes junior linebacker Kam Robinson, who could return for his senior year after his junior season ended early with a torn ACL, as well as Maddox Marcellus, who excelled when stepping up in Robinson’s absence.

Fans could also see some of the 2025 team’s true freshmen get more playing time next season, as longtime Cavs like safety Antonio Clary, linebacker James Jackson, and defensive tackle Jahmeer Carter run out of college eligibility.

Elliott named defensive backs Corey Costner, Montino Williams, and Josiah Persinger; wide receivers Josiah Abdullah, Dillon Newton-Short, and Isaiah Robinson; offensive lineman Jon Adair; quarterbacks Grayson Reid, Cole Geer, and Bjorn Jurgensen; tailback Xay Davis; and defensive tackle Sichan John as freshmen who are “next in line” to step up next season.

The biggest question regarding UVA’s class of returning players hinges on whether Morris is able to return for a second season in Charlottesville.

Elliott confirmed in December the Cavs’ starting quarterback is exploring whether he could be granted another season of college eligibility by the NCAA. Bringing Morris back would give Elliott a head start on building a team that could take UVA back to the conference title game next year.

Quarterback Chandler Morris, another team captain, finished the regular season with 2,834 yards and 19 touchdowns.

2. Newcomers

Not everything went smoothly during the regular season.

Morris took a hit to the head in the second quarter of the Wake Forest game and didn’t return.

UVA and Morris ultimately dodged the worst possible outcome. The quarterback recovered in time to lead his team to a win over Duke the following weekend.

Morris finished the season with 2,834 total yards and 19 touchdowns, proving himself to be the most pivotal recruit of a busy last offseason for Elliott and General Manager Tyler Jones.

The quarterback was part of the largest transfer class in program history. That group also featured two of Morris’ top targets in Purdue transfer Jahmal Edrine and James Madison University transfer Cam Ross.

The offense was further transformed by J’Mari Taylor, a North Carolina Central transfer who finished his first FBS season racking up an ACC-high 997 rushing yards.

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December 17 – 23, 2025

Wide receiver Trell Harris (No. 11) proved invaluable to the UVA football team on offense this season.

On the other side of the ball, Louisville transfer Devin Neal finished the regular season with a teamhigh 70 tackles. Ohio State transfer Mitchell Melton meanwhile put up a team-high 10 tackles for loss.

UVA hopes to use the lessons learned from building that class to bring in another strong transfer group when the portal re-opens in January.

The team is also improving its high school recruiting, especially regarding top in-state prospects.

During an early signing period in December, the Cavs added six prospects from Virginia and another from the DMV (D.C., Maryland, and Virginia region). Elliott said UVA also made the “final cut” with other top players from the state.

“You can work as hard as you want, building those relationships with the folks at the school, but until you can put the product on the field …

We’ve got a little bit more to sell than just a vision,” Elliott said after the early signings. “It’s really coming to life.”

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OLIVIA MCLUCAS (LEFT), JAMIE HOLT (RIGHT) / UVA COMMUNICATIONS

5. Culture

North Carolina Central transfer J’Mari Taylor helped transform the Cavs’ offense by racking up an ACC-record 997 rushing yards.

4. Funding

Victories alone are sometimes not enough to ensure top athletes stay with the same program.

Building winning teams also requires funding, both through providing players with name, image, and likeness deals as well as revenue-sharing with the university.

Athletics Director Carla Williams announced in June that UVA would spend the entire revenuesharing sum allowed under NCAA rules—for the 2025-2026 academic year that came out to $20.5 million—with student-athletes. Of that cap, schools typically direct about 75 percent toward football.

UVA football opened a new $80 million facility last August. The program then received four

multi-million-dollar donations in a span of 10 months between December 2024 and October 2025.

Virginia football has also been affiliated since 2023 with the NIL marketing agency CavFutures. Having the opportunity to earn brand deals in Charlottesville could help the team retain and recruit players.

So will having a coach who’s able to explain those opportunities. J’Mari Taylor said in December he chose to come to UVA after Elliott “opened my eyes about how the NIL process works.”

“He was really the only coach that sat me down, actually talked to me about that,” Taylor said. “That stuck out to me, because all the other coaches that I talked to didn’t really talk about stuff like that.”

Brand deals and fancy football facilities aren’t the only reasons Elliott and Jones hope to attract top players for 2026.

The Cavaliers want to enter this offseason as a desirable transfer destination, thanks to their team culture.

Elliott has been marketing his leadership style as H.E.A.R.T., an acronym that stands for humility, effort, accountability, respect, and toughness, since he joined the program in 2021 after 11 seasons as an assistant coach at Clemson.

He was able to make that click quickly with the 2025 team, despite massive turnover that saw over 50 new players, including more than 30 transfers, join the program.

“You start talking about bringing 54 new guys, how is that going to work … I didn’t know how close of a team they were going to be, and how quickly they could come together,” Elliott said in November.

Some of his players agreed. Ennis, a sixth-year senior, said in December the chemistry the 2025 Cavs had was “unlike any other team that I’ve been on.”

Elliott now knows what kind of players help build the locker room culture he’s looking for. He’ll look to use those lessons when making transfer portal and recruitment decisions this winter.

The next UVA football team will kick off the 2026 season with what Williams described as an “incredible opportunity” by traveling to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for an international game against NC State.

Getting the call for a nationally televised matchup is a sign that the NCAA is taking UVA seriously. Elliott hopes fans will too.

“I believe that they can see the potential of what the future can be, and I believe we all desire to be one of the top programs in college football, but we’ve all got to be invested and committed,” Elliott said about UVA fans after the ACC title game. “And they showed their part. We’re going to go back to work to continue to prove that we’re worthy of them showing up.

C “And we’ll be back.”

Coach Tony Elliott celebrates after his team defeated Virginia Tech 27-7, to regain the Commonwealth Cup and earn a trip to the ACC Championship game.

OLIVIA MCLUCAS (LEFT), JAMIE HOLT (RIGHT) / UVA COMMUNICATIONS

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CULTURE MUSIC | ART | BOOKS | FOOD | DRINK

SHAKEY GRAVES WITH CLOVER COUNTY A

n Austin, Texas, musician and actor with a history that runs through Los Angeles, Adept at pumping out an alternative fingering style that rides up the bass notes—interShakey Graves (Alejandro Rose-Garcia) does an admirable job writing dynamic changed with a straight picking downstroke and offset by taking less traditional avenues like Americana that avoids cliché. He’s amassed a discography of four full-lengths, a running distortion on an otherwise acoustic guitar—his playing supports the mellowed, light fistful of EPs, and a pair of compilations since gaining attention that netted him the unrasp of his voice. A lot of what he does inspires singing from his fans, especially on bigger usual position of official busker for a Mumford & Sons tour 14 years ago. numbers like the 2014 hit “Dearly Departed.” But audiences who know him are up to the task of participating throughout his sets: even the tempo-shifting, detuned blues of the title track As a young actor, music is his second go-around to fame, having taken on roles in films from his debut album, Roll the Bones (2011), prompts crowds to supply beat clapping, echoing like Spy Kids (2003) and Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (2014), as well as a few episodes of TV the rhythm Graves produces with his feet. shows like “Friday Night Lights” and “Dallas.”

While Shakey Graves’ music previously came with a full backing band, his current Another singer-songwriter with a cute stage name, Clover County (real name A.G. tour carries him back to his roots as a solo artist. Armed with a few guitars, effect pedals, Schiano) is the Athens, Georgia-based musician opening the show. A college-age vocala foot pedal-activated tambourine, and an altered kick-drum suitcase, ist and guitarist who can be heard with a pedal steel player, her he reimagines fully fleshed-out tracks that feel less skeletal in this THE JEFFERSON THEATER sound exposes a pop music addiction filtered through traditional Saturday 12/20 iteration than they do intimate. country.—CM Gorey SUPPLIED PHOTO

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December 17 – 23, 2025

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CULTURE TO-DO LIST Wednesday 12/17 music Jim Brickman: The Gift of Christmas. An unforgettable concert experience filled with music, laughter, and heartwarming stories. $42–67, 7:30pm.

The Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. theparamount.net Open Mic Night. Mic check to all musicians, poets, and everyone in between. All ages welcome. Free, 9pm. Holly’s Diner, 1221 E. Market St.

dance Weekly Swing Dance. Beginner-friendly swing dance lessons teaching the Lindy Hop, Charleston, Balboa, and blues. No partner needed. Stay for social dancing after the class. $10, 7pm. The Front Porch , 221 E. Water St. frontporchcville.com

stage A Christmas Carol. Charles Dickens’ timeless tale of redemption and generosity follows Ebenezer Scrooge as he discovers the true spirit of Christmas. $38–79, 7:30pm. Blackfriars Playhouse, 10 S. Market St., Staunton. americanshakespearecenter.com Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown.

A hot musical farce of female resilience takes you to sexy 1980s Madrid. $5–35, 7:30pm. Live Arts, 123 E. Water St. livearts.org

classes Paint + Sip: Holiday Cheer. Paint the supplied design in a step-by-step format. No experience necessary, all materials and first drink included. $44, 6pm. Pro Re Nata Farm Brewery, 6135 Rockfish Gap Tpk., Crozet. prnbrewery.com

etc.

Dürty Karaoke. Dive-bar karaoke for your hump days. Free, 8:30pm. Dürty Nelly’s, 2200 Jefferson Park Ave. durtynellyscharlottesville.com Not Bored Games. Play new and familiar games and eat snacks. For ages 11–18. Free, 5pm. Central Library, 201 E. Market St. jmrl.org

Thursday 12/18 music Adam Larrabee Jazz Residency. An unforgettable night of music with the dynamic trio of Larrabee on guitar, Brian Caputo on drums, and Randall Pharr on bass. $10, 7:30pm. The Batesville Market, 6624 Plank Rd., Batesville. batesvillemarket.com Berto and Vincent. A night of wild flamenco rumba and Latin guitar. Free, 7pm. The Bebedero, 225 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. thebebedero.com Betty Jo’s. Boogie-woogie takes on classics with a full horn section, groovy rhythm, shredding guitars, washboards, and the Queen of Boogie.

Free, 8pm. Rapture, 303 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. rapturerestaurant.com Charlottesville Music Showcase Xmas Jam. Longtime co-conspirators Tucker Rogers and BJ Pendleton host the annual holiday tradition where local musicians lay down the groove. $14, 8pm. The Jefferson Theater, 110 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. jeffersontheater.com Holiday Carols with John Kelly. Local singersongwriter with more than two decades of solo acoustic performing experience performs seasonal standards. Free, 5pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. eastwoodfarmandwinery.com Songwriter’s Open Mic. A space for all levels, styles, and ages. Limited to one original song per performer. Amps and mics provided. Free, 7pm.

Potter’s Craft Cider, 1350 Arrowhead Valley Rd. potterscraftcider.com

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December 17 – 23, 2025

SATURDAY 12/20

LOCAL LUMINARIES Ned Oldham and Jordan Perry come together to explore traditional tunes, choice covers, and engaging originals—with a focus on vocal harmonies and acoustic guitar. Oldham (The Anomoanon, Old Calf, Palace Music) and Perry (New Boss, Night Teacher) have been performing as a duo for nearly a decade, after bonding over a mutual appreciation for British folk artist Shirley Collins. Keen listeners will pick up on darker themes culled from musical precursors in Kentucky, Virginia, and the Americana scene. Free, 8pm. The Stage at WTJU, 2244 Ivy Rd. wtju.net Uncle Pen. Traditional bluegrass by consummate professionals. Free, 7pm. Dürty Nelly’s, 2200 Jefferson Park Ave. durtynellyscharlottesville.com

stage A Christmas Carol. See listing for Wednesday, December 17. $35–70, 7:30pm. Blackfriars Playhouse, 10 S. Market St., Staunton. americanshakespeare center.com Snowbound. A charming comedy about companionship and loneliness uncovers how opposites sometimes connect in the most unexpected, warm ways. $22–33, 7:30pm. Silver Line Theatre Exchange, 211 N. Lewis St., Staunton. silverlinetheatre.org Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown.

See listing for Wednesday, December 17. $5–35, 7:30pm. Live Arts, 123 E. Water St. livearts.org

etc.

Brewery Puzzle Hunt. An escape room meets a pub crawl. Visit the Preston Avenue breweries, crack codes, unravel riddles, and sample Charlottesville’s best brews.

Players get $1 off pints at each brewery. $15, noon.

Starr Hill Brewery, Dairy Market. puzzledbee.com Crafters Cinema. An evening of crafting while enjoying a movie with other makers. This month’s film: Emma (2020). Ages 16+. Free, 5:30pm. Central Library, 201 E. Market St. jmrl.org Music Bingo Night. Bring your luck and love of music for three rounds of title-matching fun. Free, 6:30pm. Hardware Hills Vineyard, 5199 W. River Rd., Scottsville. hardwarehills.com

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Thursday Evening Holiday Series. Get into the holiday spirit with local artisanal gifts and live entertainment amid seasonal décor. Free, 5pm. Carter Mountain Orchard, 1435 Carters Mountain Trl. cartermountainorchard.com Vineyard Puzzle Hunt. Like an escape room but at a winery. Crack codes and unravel riddles while sampling Charlottesville’s best wine, beer, and cider.

Play when you want and go at your own pace. $15, 5pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. puzzledbee.com

Friday 12/19 music Blake Hunter & The Gatherers. Featuring Hunter, Eric Knutson, Paul Rosner, and Brian Wahl. $10, 7pm. The Batesville Market, 6624 Plank Rd., Batesville. batesvillemarket.com Bob Bennetta Trio. Live jazz. Free, 6:30pm. Afghan Kabob House, 200 Market St. afghankabob-house.com Brandon Wayne & His Lonesome Drifters x Ian Gilliam & the Fire Kings. Rockabilly, rock ‘n’ roll, blues, and honky-tonk. Free, 8pm. The Southern Café & Music Hall, 103 S. First St. thesoutherncville.com Eli Cook Band. Music from the crossroads of blues, the highways of rock, and the backroads of country.

Free, 9pm. Holly’s Diner, 1221 E. Market St. Holiday Carols with Sue Harlow. Local Americana-folk singer-songwriter performs seasonal favorites. Free, 5pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. eastwoodfarmandwinery.com

Jack Marion. Appalachian singer-songwriter.

Free, 8pm. Dürty Nelly’s, 2200 Jefferson Park Ave. durtynellyscharlottesville.com KC Jones & Daniel Coolik: A Very Melancholy Christmas. Holiday music for our times. $20, 8pm. The Front Porch, 221 E. Water St. frontporch cville.com Ken Farmer & the Authenticators. A priceless night of rocking good fun. Free, 6pm. Glass House Winery, 5898 Free Union Rd., Free Union. glasshouse winery.com Local Open Mic Night. Award-winning musician Nicole Giordano hosts an evening introducing singers, songwriters, and performers. Free, 5:30pm.

Albemarle CiderWorks, 2545 Rural Ridge Ln., North Garden. albemarleciderworks.com Love Canon. Taking music of the ’80s on a bluegrass-tinged joyride. $32, 8pm. The Jefferson Theater, 110 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. jefferso ntheater.com Night Teacher. A mix of originals, old folk and country covers, and maybe even a Christmas tune or two. Adam Bechtel performs in support. Free, 6pm. Potter’s Craft Cider, 1350 Arrowhead Valley Rd. potterscraftcider.com

stage A Christmas Carol. See listing for Wednesday, December 17. $35–70, 7:30pm. Blackfriars Playhouse, 10 S. Market St., Staunton. americanshakespeare center.com SUPPLIED PHOTO

THE WORKS CULTURE

Big Head Fight Improv Comedy Night. Eight funny grown-ups with kids and mortgages weave multiple storylines into one ridiculous episodicstyle show. $10, 7pm. Live Arts, 123 E. Water St. livearts.org Snowbound. See listing for Thursday, December 18. $22–33, 7:30pm. Silver Line Theatre Exchange, 211 N. Lewis St., Staunton. silverlinetheatre.org Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown.

See listing for Wednesday, December 17. $5–35, 8pm.

Live Arts, 123 E. Water St. livearts.org

classes Paint + Sip: Holiday Wineglasses. Paint the supplied design on provided glassware in a stepby-step format. No experience necessary, all materials included. $40–45, 7pm. Hazy Mountain Vineyard & Brewery, 240 Hazy Mountain Ln., Afton. hazy-mountain.com

etc.

Brewery Puzzle Hunt. See listing for Thursday, December 18. $15, noon. Starr Hill Brewery, Dairy Market. puzzledbee.com Trivia with Olivia. Get the weekend started with beers and trivia. Free, 6pm. SuperFly Brewing Co., 943 Preston Ave. superflybrewing.com Vineyard Puzzle Hunt. See listing for Thursday, December 18. $15, 5pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. puzzledbee.com

Saturday 12/20 music 7th Grade Girl Fight. A Christmas full of funk.

Free, 2:30pm. Albemarle CiderWorks, 2545 Rural Ridge Ln., North Garden. albemarleciderworks.com Brian Franke. Independent award-winning singer-songwriter and cover artist. Free, 12:30pm.

Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. eastwoodfarmandwinery.com Deja Vu. A classic rock band based out of Richmond covers music of the ’60s and ’70s. Free, noon. Keswick Vineyards, 1575 Keswick Winery Dr., Keswick. keswickvineyards.com Ian Gilliam and Charlie Bell. An evening of old school country born out of a love for blues, rock ‘n’ roll, honky-tonk, rockabilly, and other classic American music. $10, 7pm. The Batesville Market, 6624 Plank Rd., Batesville. batesvillemarket.com Jimmy O. Guitarist with a unique style of classic rock, oldies, and a rockin’ country mix. Free, 2pm.

DuCard Vineyards, 40 Gibson Hollow Ln., Etlan. ducardvineyards.com Ned Oldham & Jordan Perry. Local luminaries explore traditional tunes, choice covers, and originals with a focus on vocal harmonies and acoustic guitar picking. Free, 8pm. The Stage at WTJU, 2244 Ivy Rd. wtju.net Shakey Graves. A gentleman from Texas performs solo. $100–150, 8pm. The Jefferson Theater, 110 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. jeffersontheater.com The Michael Elswick Gathering. Jazz, blues, ballads, and Latin tunes. Free, 2pm. Glass House Winery, 5898 Free Union Rd., Free Union. glasshouse winery.com The Oratorio Society of Virginia: Christmas at The Paramount. Celebrate the joy of the season with Music Director Michael Slon and more than 100 of Central Virginia’s finest voices in this treasured Charlottesville holiday tradition. $11–63, 2:30pm and 7:30pm. The Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. theparamount.net The Wavelength. Vintage rock, blues, originals, and more. Free, 5pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. eastwoodfarmandwinery.com CONTINUED ON PAGE 31 SUPPLIED PHOTO

Fleeting glimpses

Stacey Evans captures ephemeral perspectives from a window seat BY SARAH SARGENT

S

tacey Evans began taking photos from trains more than 20 years ago. What started casually, with a couple of images snapped on a trip, evolved into a serious body of work produced over 44 separate train journeys, along 14 different routes. “Passenger: Riding the Rails” at Second Street Gallery features photographs taken by Evans along the Charlottesville/New York portion of Amtrak’s Northeast Regional line.

For Evans, the word passenger includes the notion that we are all passengers traveling through life. “I realize I’m floating through this universe on a sphere; I’m not in control, nor do I know the final destination,” she says. “I’m a bunch of atoms moving along with everything else. One may wonder why—why are we here? What do we want to leave behind? I don’t have biological kids, I have photographs. I’m a passenger collecting data to leave for the future—at least that’s my hope.”

Evans grew up in the Shenandoah Valley where public transportation was nonexistent, and she was in her 20s when she first boarded a train. As a newbie rail passenger, Evans was attuned to the experience in a way that might elude a more seasoned train traveler.

Observing how the terrain shifts between different regions, and transitions from rural to urban, Evans began to consider how we occupy and transform the land, and how connections are made through infrastructure.

Inspired by the work of Walker Evans and Robert Frank, Evans wanted to photograph the American landscape, but in the beginning she felt vulnerable as a female on her own.

The train offered subject matter and also provided a sense of security. “I felt safer on the train,” she says, “which became a moving studio tethered to the earth, giving me access to the American landscape.”

At Second Street, the three largest photographs in “Passenger” are images of bridges. For Evans, these structures are potent symbols of progress, innovation, and connection, integral components of the network of transportation and industry linking us all.

Bridges are one of the things Evans “collects,” repeatedly photographing them, along with power lines, intersections, water towers, monuments, industrial clouds, and above-ground pools, all of which appeal for how they look and what they represent.

Riding the Northeast Regional, you pass through farmland, industrial swaths, residential areas, urban centers. You see fleeting glimpses of lives lived, and because trains aren’t routed near fancy neighborhoods, poverty. A series of what Evans refers to as

See Stacy Evans’ “Passenger: Riding the Rails” at Second Street Gallery through January 23, 2026.

visual poems reveals moments of interest along the route—like the stark white Virgin Mary frozen in focus in a shabby cemetery, or a backyard covered in beach umbrellas for a celebration, or the atmospheric image of the deer stand in a stretch of misty woods, which catches both speed—the blurry trees—and stillness embodied in the sharply defined aluminum ladder.

There are spots Evans photographs every time she rides the route, like the banana tree in front of a house on Charlottesville’s Albemarle Street, or the Washington Monument. “I love the scene of crossing the Potomac and try and take it every time I go,” she says. “So there are certain photos I anticipate.” But other shots, she takes as they come. As an artist, she embraces the challenges that come with photographing from a train, managing to consistently produce strong compositions despite the fact she has only a fraction of a second to do so. “I can’t control what’s happening outside, or the movement, or the light,” she says. “But I can control what’s happening in the camera and I can control my attention.”

“Often, when we’re passing something and we’re going fast, I have to swing the camera around to catch the shot, causing the image to blur.” Other times, she’s shooting into the sun. What might be considered faults in other photographs, works here, adding layers of experiential authenticity to the images—blurring conveys movement, over-exposure can impart a dreamy, nostalgic quality, and reflections speak to the train car that surrounds the photographer.

C-VILLE.COM

Evans rarely takes photos of train interiors—the striking image of the scarlet wall and travel poster is an exception—but it makes its presence known in reflections that appear in her shots, as does the occasional person, or their reflection. These remind us of the experience of being in the shared space of a train car, surrounded by strangers, all on different journeys that encompass the full range of human emotion and experience.

In one photograph of the Washington Monument, Evans pulls off the neat trick of capturing the parallel realities of the inside and outside of the train simultaneously through the use of reflection. She also uses reflections like visual flourishes. You see this in the sunset shot where the luggage rack and its ambient lighting parallels the band of rosy light on the horizon.

Over the years, Evans has compiled a substantial collection of train images. Inspired by her job as senior digital imaging specialist and project coordinator at UVA’s Shannon Library, she began to crave a proper organizational system and has set to work assembling her archive.

Working with the UVA Scholars’ Lab, she’s also produced an interactive ArcGIS map, accessible through the gallery. It not only tells you the location of each of her 998 train images, but also things like season and route.

“It’s hard to say what it is that the train gives me and it’s hard for me to articulate exactly why I’m doing it,” says Evans. “It’s something that’s grounded me over the years. I’ll go off and do other things, but then C I always come back.”

December 17 – 23, 2025

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30

December 17 – 23, 2025

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TO-DO LIST CULTURE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 29

Saturday 12/20 stage A Christmas Carol. See listing for Wednesday, December 17. $35–70, 2pm and 7:30pm. Blackfriars Playhouse, 10 S. Market St., Staunton. americanshakespearecenter.com Immodest Opulence Burlesque Holiday Edition. A campy, decadent, holly-jolly extravaganza.

Ages 18+. $25–38, 9pm. The Southern Café & Music Hall, 103 S. First St. thesoutherncville.com Snowbound. See listing for Thursday, December 18. $22–33, 7:30pm. Silver Line Theatre Exchange, 211 N. Lewis St., Staunton. silverlinetheatre.org Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown.

See listing for Wednesday, December 17. $5–35, 8pm.

Live Arts, 123 E. Water St. livearts.org

classes Collage A Card. Get sentimental and make a oneof-a-kind greeting card with local artist, writer, and patient advocate Jess Walters. Ages 16+. Suggested donation $10, 10am. The Scrappy Elephant, 1745 Allied St. scrappyelephant.com Gelli Printed Holiday Cards or Tags. Learn a quick and easy method of printing that uses a gelli plate, paint, and paper to easily create monoprints.

Ages 16+. $30, 10am. The Scrappy Elephant, 1745 Allied St. scrappyelephant.com Upcycled Journal Making and Beginning Book Binding. Put together a journal using up-cycled items such as fabric, paper, cardboard, and string.

Ages 12+. $45, 3pm. The Scrappy Elephant, 1745 Allied St. scrappyelephant.com

SATURDAY 12/20

etc.

The Oratorio Society of Virginia presents Christmas at The Paramount, an annual celebration of the season that’s become a Charlottesville tradition. Music Director Michael Slon leads more than 100 of Central Virginia’s finest voices in a festive concert featuring Camille Saint-Saëns’ Christmas Oratorio with harp, organ, and string orchestra. Sparkling new arrangements of holiday classics and audience sing-alongs round out the performances, with special appearances by the Trailblazer Elementary School Chorus at the 2:30pm show, and Voces Laetae youth choir at the 7:30pm concert. $11.75–63.75, 2:30pm and 7:30pm. The Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. theparamount.net

11th Annual Wassail. A day and night filled with live music, mulled cider, fire pits, and sing-alongs. $22, noon. Potter’s Craft Cider, 1350 Arrowhead Valley Rd. potterscraftcider.com Brewery Puzzle Hunt. See listing for Thursday, December 18. $15, noon. Starr Hill Brewery, Dairy Market. puzzledbee.com Ride the Downtown Express. Electric trackless train rides explore the heart of downtown. Departing next to the fountain at Central Place. Free, 10am.

Downtown Mall. friendsofcville.org Storytime. Featuring readings from recent storybooks and the classics kids know and love. Rain or shine. All ages welcome. Free, 11am. New Dominion Bookshop, 404 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. newdominionbookshop.com Vineyard Puzzle Hunt. See listing for Thursday, December 18. $15, 5pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. puzzledbee.com Winter Craft Market & Critter Crafts. Shop local vendors and create your own hanging decorations while learning the secrets to keep native wildlife happy and healthy this holiday season with Rockfish Wildlife Sanctuary. Free, noon. Albemarle CiderWorks, 2545 Rural Ridge Ln., North Garden. albemarleciderworks.com

SPIRITED SEASONALS

Sunday 12/21 music An Lár Traditional Irish Band. Fast-paced jigs and reels alternating with lyrical waltzes, melancholy airs, and Irish folk ballads of love and adventure.

Free, 2pm. Batesville Market, 6624 Plank Rd., Batesville. batesvillemarket.com DJ Williams Band. Funky holiday jams. $20, 8pm.

The Front Porch, 221 E. Water St. frontporchcville.com

Ty Burkhardt. Fingerstyle guitarist whose technique transforms a single instrument into a full-band experience. Free, 2pm. Potter’s Craft Cider, 1350 Arrowhead Valley Rd. potterscraftcider.com

stage A Christmas Carol. See listing for Wednesday, December 17. $35–70, 2pm. Blackfriars Playhouse, 10 S. Market St., Staunton. americanshakespeare center.com

Jon Spear. A solo acoustic performance of folk, oldies, and more. Free, 2pm. Glass House Winery, 5898 Free Union Rd., Free Union. glasshousewinery.com

Snowbound. See listing for Thursday, December 18. $22–33, 2:30pm. Silver Line Theatre Exchange, 211 N. Lewis St., Staunton. silverlinetheatre.org

Pat Anderson. A roots rocker with tough-minded country-rock sensibility. Free, 2pm. DuCard Vineyards, 40 Gibson Hollow Ln., Etlan. ducardvineyards.com

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown.

See listing for Wednesday, December 17. $5–35, 2pm.

Live Arts, 123 E. Water St. livearts.org

classes Crochet for Beginners. Learn the basics of crochet. Leave with a crochet hook and a small crocheted washcloth. Ages 12+. $25, 11am. The Scrappy Elephant, 1745 Allied St. scrappy elephant.com Learn to Knit. Learn the basics of knitting. Leave with a pair of knitting needles, the beginning of a scarf, and enough yarn to finish it. Ages 12+. $25, 1pm. The Scrappy Elephant, 1745 Allied St. scrappyelephant.com Solstice Embroidery. Celebrate the winter solstice with some cozy out-of-this-world embroidery. Supplies and templates provided. Ages 9+. Free, 1:30pm.

Central Library, 201 E. Market St. jmrl.org CONTINUED ON PAGE 33

SUNDAY 12/21

BUDDY UP Warm your body and soul at the ninth annual Brew & Buddy Run and Elf screening. Start by running a loop around town, stopping for beers at Kardinal Hall and Three Notch’d Brewing Company. Then, return to the Downtown Mall for Elf on the big screen, preceded by a festive costume contest. As Buddy says, “The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear”—and nothing helps loosen up the vocal chords like a few pints of your favorite local lager. $11.75–32, 4pm. The Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. theparamount.net

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TRIED IT IN C’VILLE CULTURE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 31

Sunday 12/21 etc.

Brewery Puzzle Hunt. See listing for Thursday, December 18. $15, noon. Starr Hill Brewery, Dairy Market. puzzledbee.com Ninth Annual Brew & Buddy Run and Elf Screening. Run a loop around downtown stopping for beers before ending at the theater for a festive film screening. $11–32, 4pm. The Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. theparamount.net

Blooming in winter What do you give people who have everything—especially if they’re decluttering? Experiential gifts have been the answer to that question for some in my family. We did a paint-n-sip night once and had a lot of laughs, made memories, and left with our own (kinda) matching piece of art. Studio 1050°, a local flameworking and glass art studio, offers a variety of hands-on classes to make things like tiny blooms in a vase, plant-watering globes, and winter wonderland ornaments.—Kristie Smeltzer

Santa is Coming. A special visit from St. Nick with opportunities to take your own photos with Santa, and milk and cookie flights available for kids. Free, noon. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. eastwoodfarmandwinery.com

WHAT

Spades Night. Show off your skills or learn the game at one of the designated beginner-friendly tables. Free, 6pm. Ethos Wine & Tea, 817 W. Main S. ethoswineandtea.com

WHY

Vineyard Puzzle Hunt. See listing for Thursday, December 18. $15, 5pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. puzzledbee.com

Monday 12/22 stage A Christmas Carol. See listing for Wednesday, December 17. $35–70, 2pm and 7:30pm. Blackfriars Playhouse, 10 S. Market St., Staunton. american shakespearecenter.com

words Storytime. A magical storytime adventure where the pages come alive and imagination knows no bounds. Free with museum admission, 10:30am.

Virginia Discovery Museum, 524 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. vadm.org

Tuesday 12/23 music Tuesday Jazz with Jeff Massanari. A cast of great player joins the guitar virtuoso each week.

Free, 6pm. Rapture, 303 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. rapturerestaurant.com Vincent Zorn. Lively flamenco rumba with a unique percussive technique that incorporates a diverse range of strumming styles, rhythms, and taps. Free, 7pm. The Bebedero, 201 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. thebebedero.com

stage A Christmas Carol. See listing for Wednesday, December 17. $35–70, 2pm and 7:30pm. Blackfriars Playhouse, 10 S. Market St., Staunton. american shakespearecenter.com

classes Printing with Legos. An exciting printmaking workshop where participants of all ages can explore the art of relief printing in a fun and creative way.

Ages 5+. $75, 9am. The Scrappy Elephant, 1745 Allied St. scrappyelephant.com Ultrasimple Upcycling: Centerpiece. Rethink what you may have lying around and make something beautiful, fun, and unique. Ages 10+. $12, 3pm. The Scrappy Elephant, 1745 Allied St. scrappyelephant.com

etc.

Geeks Who Drink Trivia. Good trivia, good times.

Teams of two to six people compete to win prizes like gift certificates and pint glasses, plus bragging rights.

Free, 7pm. Firefly, 1304 E. Market St. fireflycville.com Met Live in HD Holiday Encore: The Magic Flute.

Presenting the groundbreaking broadcast from December 30, 2006, that launched the Met’s heralded Live in HD series. $13–19, 2pm. The Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. theparamount.net TRISTAN WILLIAMS

Taking a Tiny Blooms class at Studio 1050°

To make a gift and scope out the studio as a potential experiential get-together with family.

HOW IT WENT I overcame some fear of burns and got an adorable little (somewhat Seussian) vase of glass flowers for my efforts.

Arriving at the building with a friend, the placards by each door led us to the glassblowing studio where we were welcomed by a dog resting in an armchair, basking in warmth from a nearby heater. The pupper looked so utterly content, that I took it as a sign of good things to come.

We read and signed an agreement/waiver before beginning the process—fairly standard when participating in potentially dangerous activities. A brief studio tour highlighted safety features, and we learned more about its operation. In addition to group classes, the studio offers memberships to glassworkers, individual instruction, and offsite flameworking demonstrations.

Then it was time for a tiny bloom-making!

Owner Elder McMurtrey gave us gloves and safety goggles. For folks with bigger glasses, he has clip-on flip-up options—very ’90s.

He pointed out the torches we’d be using, and showed us how to light and control them. Let me tell you, friends, I was not prepared to control what seemed similar to a baby dragon.

We looked at examples of vase shapes and flower varieties. Then we walked over to the supply end of the large workbench.

McMurtrey gave us options of glass rods in different colors that could become our blooms’ stems and petals. After we chose materials, we returned to our torches. Full disclosure: I was very frightened that I would have to light the torch myself. I don’t know if McMurtrey always lights it for firsttimers, or if he read the terror on my face, but I didn’t have to worry about that. He lit our torches and again showed us how to throttle the flame.

From tiny flowers to winter wonderland ornaments, Elder McMurtrey’s Studio 1050° offers a variety of classes for individuals and small groups.

McMurtrey demonstrated everything step by step. First, we pulled our flowers’ stems free from the longer glass rods in the flames.

Color-wise, we chose basic greens, but people could go as whimsical with their selec-

Studio 1050° Studio-1050-101822.square.site tions as they liked. Next he showed us how to shape one end of the stem into a little ball to be the center of our tiny blooms. Then McMurtrey did the petal demo. Afterward, we adhered small molten blobs of our petal color onto the stem. We repeated this for

several rounds to build up the size. When we built up enough petal glass, we heated the dots and then compressed them between hot tips of large tweezers—learning that what McMurtrey had made look easy just moments ago was not so easy in our novice hands.

Occasionally, a torch popped harmlessly and I squealed. We laughed as we went, trying to make our petals less abstract. I only burned myself once. And in the end, we made these wonderful little funky flowers in tiny groovy vases. I’ve decided to keep mine, to have a memento to remind me of the happy memory. Now I have to see if my family members are up for playing with fire and making winter wonderland ornaments. C

Occasionally, a torch popped harmlessly and I squealed. We laughed as we went, trying to make our petals less abstract. I only burned myself once. And in the end, we made these wonderful little funky flowers in tiny groovy vases.

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FOR FUN PUZZLES SUDOKU

#1

#2

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#1 solution

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December 17 – 23, 2025

#2 solution

C-VILLE.COM

#3 solution

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PUZZLES FOR FUN CROSSWORD BY MATT JONES

The freemix ACROSS

#3

55. Go for a spare?

60. “Alias” equivalent 61. Fuming 62. Streamline, in a way 64. Billiards bounce 65. Meme caption once described as “arguably the most loathed Far Side strip ever” 66. Performs excellently 67. Highly abbreviated sign-off

1. It’s represented by an octothorpe 8. “Count me out” 13. Slow cuisine?

15. Apres-ski drink 16. Laugh during a monologue?

18. “Crying in ___: A Memoir” (2021 Michelle Zauner book) 19. 9 of 12, for short 20. Printouts 22. It’s somewhere below 2 or 3 24. Corrida creature 25. Like some key soccer shots 28. Vacuum-seal, as a steak, maybe 29. ___ Grand (David Copperfield’s Vegas venue) 32. Quarters sharer 33. Is being awful online?

34. Fireplace residue 36. Old United rival 37. Official 39. What rappers rock 41. Pt. of some three-day weekends 42. Bangers 44. Lobbyist gp.

46. Harem ___ (Toronto hard rock band, not to be confused with an Elvis film) 48. Deep-fried general 49. Hamburger complaint?

50. Screen part 51. “Let’s be honest” 54. Dr. ___ Skoda of the “Law & Order” franchise

1. Surname of three acting brothers 2. Within human discovery 3. Blame bearers 4. “I doubt it!”

5. Corner 6. Title for a Turkish military leader 7. Lose it 8. Blood of Greek gods 9. Knit hat toppers 10. Palm fruit 11. Miffed 12. H.S. seniors’ exams 14. “There She Goes” band 17. Sketcher’s eraser 21. Live in harmony 23. Day, in Hebrew 26. What some filters filter 27. Actor who plays villainous leader McCone in 2025’s “The Running Man” 30. Follow the first part of an itinerary, perhaps 31. With higher chances

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Piece out R A P S L O B S C R O W S E C U H A D T O R U L E D I N D I A P A R T Y D O W N R O O M C L E R K S I G H A R O D S T O K E R S A S T O R I A S E T K N O W B Y S I G H T E M U E V E A T O M A I R S B I C Y C L E S H O P S P Y P E S S T R A I N S T H E R A P Y R E D O Q U I T E K E E N U P A T K E E P G O I N G U L T R A O T T E R A N I I S A I D E S S I E N S F K A T E Y

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35. Photo that takes a while to capture 38. Surfaces 40. XLI times V 43. Plushie for the little ones 45. President of France, 19952007 47. “All the Devils ___ Here” (2025 film) 52. Attention-getting noises 53. Vulcan on “Star Trek: Voyager” 55. Camera roll contents 56. ___ history 57. “Trooper” prefix 58. “Eye of ___ and toe of frog ...”

59. “___ & Kim” (2000s Australian sitcom with a failed U.S. remake) 63. World Series winners in 2004 or 2005, briefly

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C-VILLE.COM

December 17 – 23, 2025

41

TIME FOR A CLICK DATE

Snap, sip, swoon.

Calling all singles for a fun, first-date adventure. Each duo starts with a portrait session with a local photographer, capturing those first-date sparks, and then heads to a nearby bar for drinks and conversation. It’s part photo shoot, part cocktail hour—and all about seeing if you…click.

Head to bit.ly/cvilleclickdate for more details and to throw your hat heart in the ring.

42

December 17 – 23, 2025

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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY FOR FUN

By Rob Brezsny

Capricorn

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19): In Greek mythology, Proteus was a sea god famed for his ability to change his shape endlessly to evade capture. But now and then, a persistent hero was able to hold on to Proteus through all his transformations, whether he became a lion, serpent, tree, or flame. Then the god would bestow the gift of prophecy on the successful daredevil. I suspect that in the coming months, you will have an exceptional power to snag and grasp Proteus-like things, Capricorn. As a result, you could claim help and revelations that seem almost magical.

Aquarius

(Jan. 20-Feb. 18): In Florence, Italy, the Accademia Gallery houses several of Michelangelo’s sculptures that depict human figures partially emerging from rough blocks of marble. They seem to be caught in the process of birth or liberation. These works showcase the technique Michelangelo called non-finito (unfinished), in which the forms appear to struggle to escape from the stone. In the coming months, Aquarius, I foresee you undergoing a passage that initially resembles these figures. The good news is that unlike Michelangelo’s eternally trapped characters, you will eventually break free.

Pisces

(Feb. 19-March 20): To prepare you for 2026, I’ve gathered three quotes that address your most pressing need and urgent mandate. I recommend you tape this horoscope to your bathroom mirror. 1. “We cannot live in a world interpreted for us by others. An interpreted world is not a hope. Part of the terror is to take back our listening, to use our own voice, to see our own light.”—Elaine Bellezza 2. “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”—Ralph Waldo Emerson 3. “The ability to tell your own story, in words or images, is already a victory, already a revolt.”—Rebecca Solnit

Aries

(March 21-April 19): Nine hundred years ago, Sufi philosopher Al-Ghazali provided rigorous advice that’s not very popular these days.

“To understand the stars,” he said, “one must polish the mirror of the soul.” Here’s my interpretation: To fathom the truth about reality, you must be a strong character who treasures clarity and integrity. It’s highly unlikely you can gather a profound grasp of how life works if your inner depths are a mess. Conversely, your capacity to comprehend the Great Mystery increases as you work on purifying and strengthening your character. Everything I just said is good advice for all of us all the time, but it will be especially potent and poignant for you in the coming months.

(Nov. 22-Dec. 21): According to legend, the genius composer Mozart heard entire symphonies in his imagination before he wrote down any notes.

That’s a slight exaggeration. The full truth is that SAGITTARIUS he often worked hard and made revisions. His inspiration was enhanced by effort and craft. However, it’s also true that Mozart wrote at least five masterful works in rapid succession, sometimes with remarkably few corrections on the manuscript. They included his last three symphonies (Nos. 39, 40, and 41). I predict you will have a Mozart-like aptitude in the coming months: the ability to perceive whole patterns before the pieces align. Trust your big visions!

Taurus

(April 20-May 20): The sound of a whip cracking is a small sonic boom. The tip breaks the sound barrier, creating that distinctive snap.

In my astrological reckoning, Taurus, life has provided you with the equivalent of a whip. During the coming months, you will have access to a simple asset that can create breakthrough force when wielded with precision and good timing. I’m not referring to aggression or violence. Your secret superpower will be understanding how to use small treasures that can generate disproportionate impacts. What’s your whip?

Gemini

(May 21-June 20): Some Japanese potters practice yohen tenmoku. It’s a technique used to create a rare type of tea bowl with shifting, star-like iridescence on deep, dark glaze. The sublime effect results from a process that’s unusually demanding, highly unpredictable, and hard to control. Legend says that only one in a thousand bowls achieves the intended iridescence. The rest, according to the masters, are “lessons in humility.” I believe you can flourish by adopting this experimental mindset in the coming months.

Treat your creative experiments as offerings to the unknown, as sources of wonder whether or not your efforts yield stellar results. Be bold in trying new techniques and gentle in self-judgment. Delight in your apprenticeship to mystery. Some apparent “failures” may bring useful novelty.

Cancer

(June 21-July 22): A fair-weather cumulus cloud typically weighs over a million pounds and yet floats effortlessly. Let’s make that

one of your prime power symbols for 2026, Cancerian. It signifies that you will harbor an immense emotional cargo that’s suspended with grace. You will carry complex truths, layered desires, and lyrical ambitions, but you will manage it all with aplomb and even delight. For best results, don’t overdramatize the heaviness; appreciate and marvel at the buoyancy.

Leo

(July 23-Aug. 22): Every 11 years, the Sun reverses its magnetic polarity. North becomes south, and south becomes north. The last switch was completed earlier this year. Let’s use this natural phenomenon as your metaphorical omen for the coming months, Leo. Imagine that a kind of magnetic reversal will transpire in your psyche. Your inner poles will flip position. As the intriguing process unfolds, you may be surprised at how many new ideas and feelings come rumbling into your imagination. Rather than resist the cosmic acrobatics, I advise you to welcome and collaborate with them.

Virgo

(Aug. 22 to Sept. 22): The sculptor Louise Bourgeois was asked why she worked so often with the image of the spider. She said it was a tribute to her mother, who was deliberate, clever, patient, soothing, helpful, and useful—just like a spider. In the coming months, I invite you to embody her vision of the spider. You will have the wherewithal to weave hardy networks that could support you for years to come. Be creative and thoughtful as you craft your network of care.

Your precision will be a form of devotion.

Every strand, even fragile ones, will enhance your long-term resilience.

C-VILLE.COM

Libra

(Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Researchers studying music theory know that dissonance—sounds that feel “wrong” or create tension—is in part culturally determined. Indonesia’s gamelan music and Arabic maqam scales are beautiful to audiences that have learned to appreciate them. But they might seem offkilter to Westerners accustomed to music filled with major thirds and triads. Let’s use this as our starting point as we contemplate your future in 2026, Libra. Life may disrupt your assumptions about what constitutes balance and harmony. You will be invited to consider the possibility that what seems like discord from one perspective is attractive and valuable from another. My advice: Open your mind to other ways of evaluating what’s meaningful and attractive.

Scorpio

(Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In the Sonoran Desert of the southwestern United States, Arizona bark scorpions are hard to see at night. Scientists who want to study them can find them only by searching with flashlights that emit ultraviolet light. This causes the scorpions’ exoskeletons to fluoresce and glow a distinct blue-green or turquoise color, making them highly visible. Let’s use this scenario as a metaphor for you. In the coming months, you may reveal your best brilliance under uncommon conditions. Circumstances that seem unusual or challenging will highlight your true beauty and power. What feels extreme may be a good teacher and helper. I urge you to trust that the right people will C recognize your unique beauty.

Expanded weekly audio horoscopes and daily text message horoscopes: RealAstrology.com, (877) 873-4888

December 17 – 23, 2025

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P.S. THE HOTSEAT Arts counciler The City of Charlottesville and the surrounding region’s robust arts community has lacked a centralized arts council since the Piedmont Council for the Arts shuttered in 2017. A new effort to establish an equitable, accessible, and focused arts organization is now in the works, facilitated by independent consultant Ruby Lopez Harper. The initiative invites artists, creative workers, and residents from across the area to participate in the Charlottesville Area Arts Community Needs Assessment & Input Survey, accessible online at newcityarts.org through December 26. Ahead of that deadline, we put Harper in the HotSeat to learn more about the arts and culture leader.

Name: Ruby Lopez Harper

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the entryway, and a stick of cinnamon over the door.

Best advice you ever got: No is a full sentence.

Most embarrassing moment: It’s an everyday kind of moment— when people wave, and I think they are waving at me but it’s actually the person behind me.

Proudest accomplishment: I’m blessed to live in gratitude and abundance so I love every little win. In fact, I just gave board chair remarks for the Maryland State Arts Council board and that was the center of the message: Celebrate every win, the small ones and the big ones. They all count.

Favorite Charlottesville restaurant: The pitfall of being a consultant is that I don’t always get a lot of spare time to dine around.

Age: 53 Pronouns: She/her/ella Hometown: Bellflower, California

Favorite Charlottesville gallery/ museum: I got a chance to see a recent show at the McGuffey Art Center—I love the space!

Job(s): Consultant in the arts; mom; wife; Sligo Middle School PTSA president; adjunct professor, George Mason University; executive director, Craft Emergency Relief Fund

Favorite Charlottesville landmark/attraction: I hear a lot about First Fridays, and the Grand Illumination. I’m looking forward to checking out the Holiday Market at McGuffey.

What’s something about your job that people would be surprised to learn? Focusing on my consulting work, I would say it’s way more work than people think it is.

Bodo’s order: Everything bagel with cream cheese

What is art to you? Expression, connection, and reflection

Do you have any pets? We have one cat now, Po. Our hamsters, Mango and Pippin, died earlier this year.

Favorite movie and/or show: “Ted Lasso” and “Schitt’s Creek” Favorite book: The Old Farmer’s Almanac Who’d play you in a movie?

Salma Hayek or Brett Goldstein as Roy Kent What’s your comfort food/meal?

White rice, brown gravy, and peas Go-to karaoke song: “Son of a Preacher Man” by Dusty Springfield Subject that causes you to rant: Depends on the day and the audience.

Best journey you ever went on: In the immortal words of Prince, ”this thing called life.”

Next journey: We are moving back to California from Maryland.

Why is supporting the arts important? It’s our core—without it we have no reference to who we are, why we are, and how we are.

Describe your perfect day: Delicious meals I didn’t cook, an exploration outing, a nap, and time with my family sharing laughter and wonder.

What are you working on right now? I’m in between projects, but I love making fabric origami butterfly brooches in the evenings.

If you could be reincarnated as a person or thing, what would you be? It would be my cat, Po— she lives the best life!

Favorite exhibition venue: I love unusual spaces like side rooms in bars or lobby spaces, but my favorite venues are third spaces like libraries and recreation centers.

If you had three wishes, what would you wish for? Abundance, prosperity, and rest for everyone

Hottest take/most unpopular opinion: Mayo, not Miracle Whip; Heinz, not Hunt’s; couldn’t care less about The Ohio State University; and Pepsi, not Coke.

Are there any superstitions you abide by? Several. I carry a lucky button and a prosperity talisman in my wallet. We have a money frog and a lucky cat in

What have you forgotten today?

Hahaha—this question always makes me think about a comedy special by Suzy Eddie Izzard: “Did I leave the gas on? No! I’m a squirrel.”

Favorite artist: Woof, I love them all! I shop a lot of markets and festivals. My current obsession is

comfy cozy

Favorite word: My safe-for-work word is “rutabaga;” I’ve been told I use “careening” a lot; and I have a very colorful vocabulary when I’m not at work.

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