Hampton Roads Bravo - February 2012 Edition

MUSIC

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T H E AT R E

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VISUAL ARTS

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MUSEUMS

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DANCE

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FESTIVALS

FEBRUARY - JULY 2012

Architecture & the Art

performed within

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Speaking with One Voice for Arts & Culture

Portsmouth Museums Unveils New Name and New Website

Courthouse Galleries becomes Art and Cultural Center The City of Portsmouth’s Department of Museums announced that the Courthouse Galleries has changed its name to the Portsmouth Art and Cultural Center (PACC). Nancy Perry, museum director for Portsmouth Museums commented: “We changed the name to more closely reflect its mission, exhibits and programs. We also felt it was important to identify that it was in Portsmouth�, Perry added. The Portsmouth Museum and Fine Arts Commission has worked over the past three years to bring this to fruition.

The Portsmouth Art and Cultural Center (former Courthouse Galleries) will remain housed in the 1846 Courthouse, and continue to fulfill its mission – devoted to offering quality educational, cultural and aesthetic experiences in the arts and humanities, through rotating visual art exhibits, lectures, classes and performances.

Located directly across the street from TCC’s Visual Art Center, the Portsmouth Art and Cultural Center is within walking distance from several other art galleries. Its central location in downtown Portsmouth makes it an ideal spot for art enthusiasts to begin their visit.

With its new distinction, from gallery to art and cultural center, the new art center brings - a new logo, signage and website www.portsmouthartcenter.com, which was unveiled on January 1st.

Here’s a look at some of the 2012 exhibitions to be displayed at The Portsmouth Art and Cultural Center: January 28 – April 8, 2012 THE CHILD: TAA Artists Celebrate Children & the Arts February 25 – May 28, 2012, Main Gallery VISIONS IN CLAY: CDA Artists March 2 – October 14, 2012, Courtyard 2012 OUTDOOR SCULPTURE April 21 – July 1, 2012 Entrance Galleries ANECDOTES AND PARABLES

June 23 – October 14, 2012 Main Gallery THE BEAT GOES ON: Self-taught Artists and their Visionary Art July 14 – October 7, 2012, Entrance Galleries ENCOUNTERS: Photographic Portraits by Glenn McClure November 23, 2012 – December 31, 2012 WINTER WONDERLAND: The Coleman Collection Opening Weekend: November 23 – 25, 2012

For information on future exhibits and Concerts in the Courtyard visit www.portsmouthartcenter.com

Introducing the newest item on display at the former Courthouse Galleries.

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The Business of

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he Cultural Alliance has as its theme this y ear, “The Business of Art”. Programs and workshops for our constituents have focused around this theme. The arts and cultural organizations in our area are very valuable to our society, our economy and our well being! Strategic alliances and business partnerships are critical for arts and culture organizations to sustain themselves and continue to be vibrant and prosperous now and in the future!

A recent study by the Americans for the Arts indicates that the financial pie of giving to the arts is changing. The percentage of funding received by arts organizations from funding agencies and local governments is around 10%. Giving by individual donors is around 30%! The balance of funds (60%) received by arts organizations is earned revenue from sales and events. This study can be reviewed on the Americans for the Arts website.

Additionally, all arts and cultural organizations are challenged in similar ways—less and less funding; the graying of the audiences; fewer opportunities to create new works in theater and dance; an increase in the expenses of maintaining the venues; governing boards with special challenges! Arts organization have to ask the hard question, “What paradigm shifts do we need to make to sustain us now and in the future? “ The theme this year for the American For the Arts theme is “Building pARTnerships”! One sure way to improve the bottom line of arts and cultural organizations is to build partnerships with local businesses. Businesses, as well as arts groups, are also experiencing low bottom lines. Businesses, however, want to increase their client base, serve their local communities, and offer their employees a quality of life, which includes the arts. When a business is investigating a relocation, one of the main criteria they examine is the arts and cultural opportunities in the proposed area. They know, that not only do their employees need to have the arts in their lives and in the lives of their families, but they also know that the arts create the energy, economic impact, and interest in their business. The arts organizations benefit through the services offered by the businesses and the businesses benefit with new customers, by having employees who have balance in their work and personal lives, and the knowledge the business has contributed to the good of the community.

Today’s society is based on teams and people working together.

It is important that the arts and cultural organizations realize that working together will not only help create new audiences, but will add new and creative ideas to these institutions, increase the economics and bottom line for the organization, and assist in sustaining its future.

Many businesses can’t donate funding, but many offer in-kind services.

Businesses have programs that allow its employees to offer their expertise to arts organizations–such as marketing and advertising, legal

services, community development expertise, along with technological services. Specialized educational institutions in the community can offer interns who can create special projects such as business research studies , graphic design for brochures, technology assistance, or culinary projects for meetings.

Partnering with major industries is not new—it’s what many arts organizations already do; the health industry is often a great partner for the arts because everyone realizes the healing powers of the arts.

Many of our local established arts groups partner with each other.

The recent partnership of the Chrysler Museum and Virginia Stage for their production of “RED” was a successful partnership that brought audiences into both venues. Many new attendees came because of the wide marketing. Some groups have partnered with local writers and literary groups and sponsor “Readings of new creative works” in an effort to discover new plays for production! Of course, all of the arts groups partner with the school systems—it’s a given that we must offer these arts programs to our children. However, it is essential that arts and cultural institutions expand their territory and look for new ways of involving businesses and local industries in arts programs.

It is important to remember that a business wants to know, “What’s in it for me?” So when looking to develop partnerships, be very specific on how both you and the business will benefit by partnering with your organization.

The newly renovated Portsmouth Children’s Museum is an great example of the many businesses who partnered with the museum. The American Theater in Hampton, during its renovation, was another great example of how an entire community and community businesses assisted in the remodeling project.

New emerging arts groups can especially benefit from partnerships with businesses; the expertise offered by representatives from various businesses can assist these emerging groups in their growth and future planning. pARTnerships are WIN! WIN! For everyone!

Joan L. Rhodes-Copeland Executive Director Cultural Alliance of Greater Hampton Roads

The Cultural Alliance of Greater Hampton Roads has been an advocate for strong arts and cultural communities since 1983. The Cultural Alliance welcomes membership from all arts and cultural institutions and individuals. To learn more about the work of the Alliance, contact Joan Rhodes-Copeland at 757.889.9479 or visit www.culturalli.org

SINCE 1983 THE CULTURAL ALLIANCE HAS BEEN THE REGIONAL ADVOCATE ON BEHALF OF ARTS AND CULTURE.

OVERTURE

Friends of the

Arts

We usually think about art as something we find inside places – museums, theatres, performance halls – but often we fail to realize the art that is the place. In this issue of Hampton Roads Bravo!, we take a look at architecture as art — specifically, the Hampton Roads venues where art is performed.

From the Sandler Center for the Arts and The Christopher Newport University Ferguson Center for the Arts, to the historic Attucks Theatre and Harrison Opera House, to the repurposed Suffolk Performing Arts Center and Downing-Gross Cultural Arts Center in downtown Newport News, we are privileged to enjoy a wealth of beautiful venues where we can go to experience music, plays, dance and more.

Economic impact – to the tune of a half-billion dollars – includes not only ticket sales, but also restaurants, specialty shops, lodging and other tourism activity.

Studies show that the money local government spends on the arts is more than repaid, and it multiplies as it ripples through the economy. It’s clearly a win-win for everyone.

One of the nicest things about having so much variety, is, well … the variety.

With all these centers have come performances as varied as Tony Bennett and Bruce Hornsby at the Christopher Newport University’s Ferguson Center for the Arts to The Virginia Opera’s Tales of Hoffman. So if you’re not into opera, but you love the (Grand Ole) Opry, chances are, your definition of art will be accommodated.

There is no definitive meaning for art; it is subjective, and it fills our lives everywhere. As Tolstoy says, “We are accustomed to understand art to be only what we hear and see in theatres, concerts and exhibitions, together with buildings, statues, poems, novels . . . But all this is but the smallest part of the art by which we communicate with each other in life. All human life is filled with works of art by which we communicate with each other in life. All human life is filled with works of art of every kind – from cradlesong, jest, mimicry, the ornamentation of houses, dress and utensils, up to church services, buildings, movements and triumphal processions. It is all artistic activity.”

Some of us are compelled to express art on canvas, others with pen (or computer) to paper, others on stage. Some are schooled in their art, others are self-taught; but the art literally bursts forth from them, honestly but “primitively,” in a form we call folk art.

Just imagine if we embraced our call to express the art inside us, without self-consciousness, judgment or fear – what we could do! Perhaps that expression would take the form of making paintings or poems, but it’s just as likely that we might learn to play the piccolo, take up bonsai or make a really great crème Brule.

And while you’re deciding how you will express the art inside yourself, choose a few performances, and go experience someone else’s art.

Ultimately, art is life. We hope you celebrate it.

PUBLISHER

Paul Quillin Darden ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Jackie Darden ART DIRECTOR

Sherril Schmitz CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

John Dailey Joan L. Rhodes-Copeland Montague Gammon III ©Copyright 2012 by Darden Publishing. The information herein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable; however, Darden Publishing makes no warranty to the accuracy or reliability of this information. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without the written permission from the publisher.

All rights reserved.

Published semi-annually in partnership with CULTURAL ALLIANCE OF GREATER HAMPTON ROADS 5200 Hampton Boulevard 757-889-9479 www.culturalli.org DARDEN PUBLISHING

931A Shoal Creek Trail Chesapeake, VA 23320 (757) 389-5473 darden.publishing@cox.net www.HRBravo.net www.dardenpublishing.net Hampton Roads Bravo! is distributed by friends of Bravo! locations throughout Hampton Roads and our advertisers. Without them, none of this would be possible. To obtain a copy or to locate a Bravo! location near you, please contact Darden Publishing.

Thank you for your support.

Paul Darden, Publisher

Cover photo courtesy of Sandler Center for the Performing Arts

TRIVIA NOTE from the Publisher (former professional musician) If you ask yourself why ARTISTS (painters, photographers, singers, dancers, musicians or anyone who falls under the artist category) charge “so much” for performances / work... We don’t get paid vacation, we don’t get paid sick days, we don’t get bonuses for outstanding performances nor for Christmas.

We don’t have insurance plans. We sacrifice our family on special days so that we can bring happiness to others. Illness or personal affairs are not excuses for a bad performance. Next time you ask, remember that ARTISTS are ARTISTS because of the love of music & art but that love doesn’t pay debts.

As current President of the Cultural Alliance... Please Support the Arts.

Support the Arts and the Cultural Alliance www.culturalli.org

F E B R U A R Y- J U LY

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Cultural Alliance of Greater Hampton Roads OVERTURE from the Publisher

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Stayin’ Alive despite a tough economy Cultural Arts are here to stay in Hampton Roads.

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When Art Meets Architecture:

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Calendar of Events

A Symbiotic Intersection

Don’t miss the many exciting and culturally diverse events February through July 2012 in Hampton Roads.

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Festivals of Hampton Roads Celebrate with your community and heritage.

Enjoy our wonderful area!

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The Hampton Roads Cultural Arts Industry:

Stayin’ Alive despite a tough economy B Y M O N TA G U E G A M M O N I I I

Cultural Arts are here to stay in Hampton Roads.

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Yes, the arts are still alive in Hampton Roads. The big showplaces like the Ferguson Center for the Arts in Newport News, the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts and the Sandler in Virginia Beach impress the casual observer, while hard facts are even more convincing.

When viewed as an industry, arts and cultural organizations still employ more than any hospital or bank in the region, and it is twice the size of the telecommunications industry, according to a previous report sponsored by the Cultural Alliance of Hampton Roads and Old Dominion University.

Although it’s not always that cut and dried, studies show that money spent on arts organizations all over the region – in fact, in almost any region in the country – more than returns to local government and is multiplied as it ripples through the local economy.

The study showed that arts audiences have previously returned as much as $193.4 million per year to the economy on items such as meals, lodging and beverages before and after a show or exhibition. Artists, technicians and management staff spend money where they live or tour. And arts groups themselves need supplies and services.

Arts patrons are typically educated and possess disposable

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income. Industries benefit when their sponsorship of the arts captures patrons’ attention and, perhaps more importantly, their emotional loyalty.

Bill Biddle, executive director of Christopher Newport University’s Ferguson Center for the Arts in Newport News, offers persuasive anecdotal evidence about how arts support spreads through the community. Restaurant owners in his vicinity tell him that their tables are full before and after each show.

In the post 9/11 world, the weekend getaway is increasingly the vacation travel of choice. A short trip to see a show, visit a festival or attend a special museum exhibition fits perfectly.

Rob Cross, Virginia Arts Festival director, said that hotel and motel occupancy rates have risen as the Festival has matured. The Virginia Tattoo pulls folks in by the busload. Cross also cites visits by internationally acclaimed companies that have made Hampton Roads their only American stop. If you wanted to see them, you came here or went abroad.

Biddle also sees quality as being the factor that draws audiences long distances. A noticeable fraction of the Ferguson Center audience comes from Richmond, North Carolina and the Middle Peninsula, he says.

Biddle disputes the perceived impediment of travel across Hampton Roads. People from the South Hampton Roads, he asserts, aren’t discouraged by uncertainties of tunnel timing; they simply arrive in Newport News very early, and have dinner before the show.

All across Hampton Roads a fertile mix of municipal, commercial and popular support has created an environment that richly supports a region-wide, vibrant arts industry.

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EXPLORE THE ARTS! From opera and ballet to bluegrass and folk art, Hampton Roads is rich in choices.

COURTESY OF L. RANDY HARRISON

Every Hampton Roads community has its favorite arts groups. Every one has some unique event or institution, and every one has a rich variety of art for residents and visitors. Space doesn’t allow mention of all 350-plus arts organizations, but here is just a sampling of the many fine options available. With so much available, broaden your interests! Make 2012 the year to try something new!

Listed in alphabetical order:

CHESAPEAKE

EASTERN SHORE The Virginia Symphony plays almost everywhere, and one of its newest spots is the

COURTESY OF PORTLOCK GALLERIES AT SONO

Chesapeake is the place to find summer concerts “Under the Stars” and fresh air Shakespeare freshly done. It’s where a nascent public arts program sprouts and is home to one of Hampton Roads’ most worthy dance companies.

Lively, insightful and charming performances have earned Shakespeare in the Grove, at the Tidewater Community College Chesapeake Campus, a place at the head of the Hampton Roads summer theatre table. During the school year, TCC, like other area schools, has a regular series of genuinely worthwhile student shows.

Summer in Chesapeake also brings the Symphony to the Robert G. “Buddy” Bagley Stage at City Park for a mix of popular and classical works. The park also hosts a “Sundays Under the Stars” music series.

Another of those adaptive reuse accomplishments that seem a signature of local arts, the 1908 Portlock School #5 building was reworked in 2004 as the PortLock Galleries at SoNo, which offers exhibitions of Virginia and local artists and art classes, and is a focal point for the rejuvenation of Historic South Norfolk.

The Virginia Arts Festival comes to the Chesapeake City Hall each spring, traditionally bringing the Virginia Wind Symphony. The Courts Complex annually hosts the City Court Student Art Gallery, and Chesapeake’s Department of Parks and Recreation offers a public arts program. Sponsoring such arts events at the very seat of municipal government speak profoundly for the City’s commitment to culture.

Chesapeake’s museums include the Chesapeake Planetarium, which offers free public programs each week including telescope observations.

The Virginia Symphony performs on the Robert G. “Buddy” Bagley Stage at City Park in Chesapeake. The Park hosts a mix of popular and classical works as well as a “Sundays Under the Stars” music series.

Palace Theatre, a renovated art deco, former movie house in Cape Charles on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. The Palace is the home of Arts Enter, a determined small group of artists and arts advocates who are enlivening this small town near the southern tip of the Delmarva Peninsula.

Further up the shore in Onancock, the North Street Playhouse produces three series of shows every year. At 10 to 15 productions, it is two to three times more prolific than most of its urban theatrical cousins. It offers an eclectic mix of original

Chesapeake’s PortLock Galleries at SoNo, in a former elementary school in Historic South Norfolk, offers exhibitions of Virginia and local artists and art classes and is a focal point for the rejuvenation of the area. A glass exhibition is shown here.

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scripts, children’s shows, music and dance, along with dance, theater and art classes. The vacant storefront next door is its artgallery-to-be.

This charming rural area has a number of small museums, including the Cape Charles Museum and Welcome Center, which houses artifacts from the town since its founding in 1884; a Country Store Museum, also in Cape Charles; and Custis Tombs and Arlington, the site of a former plantation whose name was used for a plantation in Northern Virginia that later became Arlington National Cemetery.

The Charles H. Taylor Arts Center serves the Peninsula with juried shows, a permanent collection, changing exhibits, classes and workshops and arts events.

The American Theatre is routinely picked by subscribers of Hampton Roads Magazine as their favorite place to experience the performing arts. Director Michael Curry books an extraordinarily rich array of music, theater, dance, modern vaudeville, mini-circuses and every sort of performance one can conceive into the one-time vaudeville house/movie theatre/porn palace.

Museums include Fort Monroe’s moat-surrounded Casemate Museum, the Army’s coast artillery museum that also exhibits Fort Monroe’s role in the Civil War; the Hampton History Museum that preserves and exhibits artifacts from the city’s historic past; and St. John’s Church & Parish Museum, the oldest Englishspeaking parish in America; and the Virginia Air & Space Center, a nationally recognized science museum and home of the Apollo 12 Command Module.

HISTORIC TRIANGLE

COURTESY OF YORK COUNTY

COURTESY OF CITY OF HAMPTON

Colonial Williamsburg is a great museum, an exercise in historically accurate scenic, prop and costume design and realistic acting, and it’s just one of several places to encounter the arts in the Historic Triangle of Williamsburg, Yorktown and Jamestown.

The world-class Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Center celebrates the extraordinary efforts and The Hampton Roads Convention Center, with its 344,000 square feet of convention and accomplishments of untutored, creative souls exhibit space, is roomy enough to accommodate 14,000 people, yet versatile so that it can comfortably host small, intimate gatherings. who expressed themselves outside the mainstream of traditional art. The Aldrich and its side-by-side companion, the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum – which preserves, HAMPTON presents and interprets examples of artistic ability put to the Hampton arts start with The American Theatre and its service of practicality in the 17th through19th centuries – are both compatriot under the Hampton Arts Commission banner, the part of Colonial Williamsburg.

Charles H. Taylor Arts Center. The neighboring Hampton University Museum stands among the best of its kind anywhere.

Thomas Nelson Community College not only has its own student productions, but is also hosting the fully professional Playwrights Premiere Theatre from Williamsburg.

The Hampton Roads Civic Ballet marks its 68th year of pre-professional training for students who perform semi-annually in shows blending traditional and contemporary choreography.

At 148 years old, the Hampton University Museum is America’s oldest African-American museum, one of the oldest museums in Virginia and arguably the senior museum in Hampton Roads.

Its collection of traditional African, Native American, Pacific Island and Asian art, and Riverwalk Landing is the $10-million-dollar centerpiece of a $25-million renovation including African-American folk and fine art, is housed streetscape improvements throughout the village of Yorktown, restoration of York Hall, in a former library, the newly restored shoreline stabilization and a scenic riverwalk connecting the National Park Service museum to Huntington Building. the Yorktown Victory Center.

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scene in Newport News, other spots, such as the Peninsula Community Theatre in historic Hilton Village, and the neighboring Poquoson Island Players are also vital elements.

There’s also a Peninsula Youth Orchestra, plus the usual profusion of small cultural museums and art outlets.

The Virginia Choral Society, turning 85 this year, is a 130member choral group that does three concerts annually. Its repertoire runs from light vocal music through holiday tunes to the works of the great masters of serious art music.

“Art is what you make it,” proclaims the motto of the Peninsula Fine Arts Center. What it is making is available and lively.

Its exhibitions, each a mix of shows linked by a common theme, are supplemented by a hands-on Gallery for Kids, distance learning and an audio-visual collection.

Christopher Newport University’s Theatre & Dance Department, now at home in the Ferguson Center for the Arts, has a long-standing reputation of excellence and innovation. The

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Merchants Square, just between the restored area and the College of William & Mary, often plays host to outdoor concerts and art shows.

On the campus itself, the Virginia Shakespeare Festival fires up a couple of productions from the quill of the Sweet Swan of Avon every summer.

Next door to Phi Beta Kappa Hall, where the Virginia Shakespeare Festival holds sway and where William & Mary students perform during the school year, is Lamberson Hall and a rare gem called the Muscarelle Museum of Art. Just turned 29, this art gallery and museum serves up a treasure trove of visual arts in a mix of touring exhibitions and permanent collections showcasing artists as important as Picasso and O’Keefe.

Shifting from gown to town, the Williamsburg Players are also celebrating a significant anniversary. Fifty four years old this year, this all-volunteer troupe of enthusiastic community actors and support staff routinely brings folks from all over the region to see its mix of popular plays.

Also in Williamsburg, the St. Bede Catholic Church hosts the Virginia Symphony and Arts Festival performances. The Chamber Music Society of Williamsburg treats its audiences to visits by artists from all over the globe.

One of the most fertile of all Historic Triangle venues is the Williamsburg Regional Library & Arts Center. Its 260+ seat auditorium is equally likely to present the Virginia Symphony, a nationally renowned opera recitalist or a jazz concert and forum.

In Yorktown, the Riverwalk Landing Outdoor Performing Arts and Art Shows program along the York River serves up a healthy mix of art year-round. And no visit to the Historic Triangle is complete without a stop at the Jamestown Glasshouse, where contemporary artisans replicate the colony’s first attempt at arts-centric industry.

Museums include the Watermen’s Museum, Yorktown Arts Foundation and Colonial National Historical Park in Yorktown, and just across the York River in Gloucester is the Virginia Institute of Marine Science Aquarium Visitors Center.

NEWPORT NEWS Only Newport News has designated a thoroughfare as The Avenue of the Arts. It passes the Virginia Living Museum, sends a spur to the Peninsula Fine Arts Center and The Mariners’ Museum, then curves onto the campus of Christopher Newport University and to the Ferguson Center for the Arts.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF THE FERGUSON CENTER © 2005 ROBERT BENSON PHOTOGRAPHY

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COURTESY OF CITY OF NORFOLK

COURTESY OF CITY OF NORFOLK

well-regarded Art and Music Departments have their homes there, too.

The Ferguson Center itself, hosting everything from the Virginia Symphony to European opera companies, has almost single handedly put the Peninsula on the national map of sizeable, first-rate performance facilities.

It’s a triple-treat place. Smallest and most versatile of its three theaters is a “black box space” seating about 200, where the audience and staging areas may be almost infinitely rearranged. The intimate 440-seat Music and Theatre Hall is a lush rework of the old Ferguson High School theater. Grandest of all is the Concert Hall, seating as many as 1,700.

Executive Director Bill Biddle voices a commitment to quality programming, because quality seems to be the determining factor in what does and does not draw audiences, he says.

One of the main attractions near the Ferguson Center for the Arts and the Peninsula Fine Arts Center is the world-renowned Mariner’s Museum, one of the largest and The Wells Theatre originally opened in 1913 as a vaudeville venue and hosted some of the finest acts most comprehensive maritime museums in the in America, including Will Rogers, Fred and Adele world, which houses artifacts from the USS Astaire and John Phillip Sousa.

Monitor. Just up the road is the Virginia Living Museum, a hands-on education center that brings people in contact with more habitats, wildlife and plant species than would be community arts endeavencountered in a lifetime of outdoor adventures in Virginia. ors, profit-making Other museums include the Virginia War Museum, entertainment and the U.S. Army Transportation Museum at Ft. Eustis, art ventures and a Newsome House Museum and Cultural Center and concentration of seven Lee Hall Mansion. presenting venues join this quintet, which are NORFOLK informally called The Home to several professional arts groups – the Symphony, Seven Venues.

Opera, Chrysler Museum, the Stage Company and the Arts The Norfolk Botanical Gardens includes The Symphony Festival – Norfolk offers a lot to the Hampton Roads arts scene.

155 acres with more than 20 themed gardens that can be viewed by foot, was just turning 70 in Multiple dozens of smaller part-time professional, semi-pro and tram or boat.

1991, when the arrival of Musical Director JoAnne Falletta led this Christopher Newport University’s Ferguson Center for the Arts has become locally appreciated group to wider regard. It’s now included in an international force in just two years, presenting some of the finest every list of the continent’s top regional symphony orchestras. cultural attractions in the world. More than 300,000 people from throughout This year the VSO will crisscross all of Hampton Roads with Hampton Roads and beyond have experienced more than 150 attractions in the acoustically superb theaters. several classical, pops, family, education and outreach concerts, including side-by-side concerts with the student musicians of Peninsula Youth Orchestra, the Williamsburg Youth Orchestra and Bay Youth Orchestras of Virginia. The Virginia Symphony Chorus is another element in the mix of fine music it creates.

Besides playing Symphony concerts at venues across the region, it also provides orchestral support for the Virginia Opera, Virginia Arts Festival and Virginia Ballet Theatre.

The Chrysler Museum of Art vaulted to national prominence – and changed its name from The Norfolk Museum of Arts and Sciences – in 1971 when grand collector Walter P. Chrysler Jr. brought it the acquisitions of his lifelong, global search for the finest art works. Its collections of American and European painting and sculpture, contemporary art and decorative arts,

COURTESY OF CITY OF NORFOLK

else could. photography, and Chrysler’s speNorfolk offers other sources cial passion, the new live art glass of serious art music. The Feldman wing, are nothing less than Chamber Music Society presents world-class, as are the touring Hampton Roads concerts by exhibitions. nationally and internationally The Virginia Stage Company, important chamber ensembles. housed in downtown Norfolk’s The Hampton Roads Chamber historic Wells Theatre, is the Players approaches the same area’s only fully professional, resirepertoire with local musicians, dent theater group. Each annual The L. Douglas Wilder Performing Arts Center on the campus including a resident quartet of the season of shows, produced here of Norfolk State University seats 1,800 people in its beautiful concert hall. best pros around. with first-rate, national professionThe ODU Music Department al talent, aims at high theatrical offers symphonic and small group art and keeps in mind the unique performances, and its Diehn Fine and Performing Art makeup and interests of Hampton Roads. The production of new building hosts concerts by internationally known artists. The scripts is an important part of the VSC mission.

Virginia Wesleyan College Concert Series offers opportunities The Wells is also a venue for the occasional visiting perforto hear performances by exceptional musicians at its intimate mance, for shows by the Governor’s School for the Arts, and for Hofheimer Theatre, including performances by the Virginia joint ventures like recent events in conjunction with the Arts Wesleyan College Choir and The Wesleyan Singers.

Festival.

ODU, Norfolk State, Tidewater Community College and The Virginia Opera Association got national praise with its Virginia Wesleyan College theatre programs are just a part of first show, “La Traviata”, back in 1975, and has never looked back.

Norfolk’s theatrical richness.

The VOA first does lovely productions of classic grand operas and The 89-year-old Little Theatre of Norfolk, the the occasional operetta in Norfolk at its home, the Harrison professionally minded Generic Theater, and the family- and Opera House, then tours to Richmond and Fairfax. youth-oriented Hurrah Players have well defined audiences.

The Virginia Arts Festival, the youngest of the five arts Todd Rosenleib Dance, provides a boldly professional modgroups, is the sole, strictly presenting organization of the bunch. ern dance company with a New York feel.

Founded with the purpose of presenting Hampton Roads with Big venues like Chrysler Hall, Scope and the ODU Ted top-notch musical, theatrical, dance and mingled arts from all over Constant Convocation Center host celebrity performers, the world, the Festival has spurred arts and cultural tourism and touring professional shows and local artists. The finely renovated raised Hampton Roads’ cultural profile worldwide.

Crispus Attucks Cultural Center presents national and Norfolk’s resident Virginia Ballet Theatre, another of its regional performers who target the African-American community, venerable institutions, has historically been the leading light while fostering artistic accomplishments that cut across social and among local dance troupes and schools. Its students routinely go ethnic boundaries. on to significant professional careers, and it has strong ties to The TCC Jeanne and George Roper Performing great companies such as the Joffrey Ballet.

Arts Center, another downtown venue, not only serves the Norfolk is also home to the region’s culturally focused mass Norfolk TCC Campus, but gives artists a medium-sized performmedia. WHRO Television brings Hampton Roads a wealth of ance venue.

PBS, children’s, educational and locally produced shows from its In the rapidly self-rejuvenating downtown, the d’Art Norfolk headquarters.

Center gives visual artists a place to work and sell their product WHRO radio – our classical station – has a sister station and the public a way to watch them in their studios. The Selden in WHRV, devoted to public broadcasting for music, news and Arcade – the City’s Cultural Arts Center and home to offices of commentary. Few regions in the country can tune in two culturally its Cultural Affairs activities – houses d’Art and two other city-run attuned radio stations, and these voices of culture and the arts galleries. pull the region’s offerings together, and help it all gel, as no one

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Newest of all Norfolk’s galleries are One Eleven Art Gallery and Studio and ODU’s The Baron and Ellin Gordon Art Galleries.

Museums include Nauticus, a contemporary global maritime commerce museum; Hampton Roads Naval Museum, featuring a real battleship and various military displays; the Norfolk Botanical Gardens, 20 theme gardens covering 155 acres; and The Hermitage Foundation Museum, offering contemporary art exhibitions, 12-acre gardens, seasonal events and multi-media art classes.

Others include the MacArthur Memorial Museum, the final resting place of the General and Mrs. MacArthur; and various historic houses including Hunter House Victorian Museum, the Moses Myers House and the Norfolk History Museum at the Willoughby-Baylor House.

SMITHFIELD Smithfield Little Theater has produced a regular series of well received plays annually since 1962. Besides a host of commercial arts and crafts galleries, the town also has a lively visual arts programs under the auspices of the Isle of Wight Arts League.

The Arts League is responsible for the Smithfield Cultural Arts Center, a converted mansion in the Historic District. The Center hosts arts classes for all ages, presents rotating arts exhibits in three galleries and provides studio space to resident artists.

Summertime in Portsmouth means PortsEvents. Year round, there’s Willett Hall, community theater, an array of museums and small arts galleries, and one of the least-recognized, almost accidental, collections of one of the most practical of all art forms.

That’s Old Towne Portsmouth, a locally unique concentration of early 18th-century homes and historic buildings that escaped the wrecking ball of urban renewal.

Among the lower High Street’s neat old facades is the Portsmouth Art & Cultural Center. This big red brick ante-bellum building shows off its collections in two sizeable galleries and a courtyard. Workshops, art classes and programs as varied as magic shows, theatrical readings and show and tell observations on local history, all supplement and enrich the offerings.

City-operated Willett Hall, a couple of miles up the road, books in everything from R&B to Italian opera, from touring shows to local children’s theater. It’s the venue of choice for Portsmouth Community Concerts Inc., a 78-year-old group that brings in artists of notable variety.

PortsEvents fills downtown Portsmouth every summer with an array of musical and dance events “from retro rock to Russian opera.”

The Children’s Museum of Virginia, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Museum, Railroad Museum of Virginia, Lightship Museum and the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame are among the museums in Portsmouth.

COURTESY OF SUFFOLK CENTER FOR CULTURAL ARTS

PORTSMOUTH

The Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts, a former school building, now offers an exciting variety of performers.

The Arts League co-sponsors a Summer Concert Series with The Smithfield Times and joins with Smithfield Music to produce concerts at the Smithfield Little Theater. The Virginia Symphony Chamber Orchestra Series also makes regular visits to the Little Theater.

There are a number of historic homes and museums in town, including the Hattie Drummond House, the Schoolhouse Museum, the Old Courthouse of 1750, Isle of Wight Courthouse of 1800, Historic St. Luke’s Shrine, Boykin’s Tavern Museum and Historic Fort Boykin.

The Isle of Wight County Museum has galleries dedicated to the history of the Civil War, the Smithfield Ham and the early meatpacking industry, Native American artifacts and other rotating exhibits.

SUFFOLK The Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts is the onetime Suffolk High School reworked to house a state-of-the-art theater, art galleries, teaching studios, rehearsal space, administrative offices, a small restaurant space and a ballroom/meeting hall.

The renovations are on the level of art themselves.

The Suffolk Museum displays visual art works of all sorts in a one-time library, and gives the Suffolk Art League, the culmination of a long city and private partnership, a base for its workshops and classes.

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COURTESY OF CITY OF VIRGINIA BEACH

The Center, now going into its 10th full year of operation, hosts stars including Percy Sledge and Dionne Warwick, touring entertainers, professional shows for young people, and national tours of Shakespeare. Classes and workshops in pottery, photography, ballroom dancing or shag are part of the mix; so is a film series.

Two other art galleries, the Shooting Star Gallery and Red Thread Studios, join with the Suffolk Museum and the Art League for semiannual joint exhibitions and art-centric events.

The Seaboard Station Railroad Museum, the restored Main Street train station, displays a tworoom HO-scale model of Suffolk in 1907, as well as other railroad memorabilia.

Virginia Beach’s newest attraction is King Neptune, a 34-foot-high bronze statue rising from the Atlantic Ocean at 31st Street and Atlantic Avenue, overlooking Neptune Park.

VIRGINIA BEACH All eyes in Virginia Beach, and across the region as well, are on the Sandler Center, the newest of Hampton Roads big city-centric performance venues. It’s a long-awaited home for the Virginia Beach Chorale, the Virginia Musical Theatre and Symphonicity (formerly the Virginia Beach Symphony). The Norfolk-based Virginia Arts Festival, Virginia Symphony, Governor’s School for the Arts and Hurrah Players are on the guest list. Big outside acts stop by as well.

The Chorale, at 58, is the oldest continuously active performing group in the city, serving up semi-annual performances. The VMT is the professional troupe devoted to the quality production of musical theater, mixing imported pros with local talent to conspicuous success.

Symphonicity is the biggest of the Beach-based classical

groups, but Bellissima, a Women’s Choral ensemble, deserves mention too, as do the widely regional Cantata Chorus and the Virginia Art Song Society.

The Little Theatre of Virginia Beach is going strong at its home on Barberton Drive. The Hampton Roads Shakespeare Festival, one of several performance and educational projects offered by Summer Shakes Inc., thrives in the open air a few blocks away.

Regent University students, many of them just a step from full-time careers in the arts, stage plays that routinely draw near-capacity audiences.

For cutting-edge visual arts in Hampton Roads, the newly named Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art, just a few blocks from the Oceanfront, is the place to go. VMCA presents exhibitions, studio classes and workshops, and special events that bring the most forward-thinking

artists to the region.

Museums include the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center, the Francis Land House, a 200-year-old plantation now open to the public; the Adam Thoroughgood House, one of the oldest surviving colonial homes in Virginia; the Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Museum that displays wildfowl art and artifacts including extensive exhibits of decoys; and the Old Coast Guard Station.

Norfolk native Montague Gammon III obtained a degree in theatre from a small liberal arts college, which had no theatre department.

He promptly came home to work in a fluctuating mixture of used car sales, local theatrical production and local writing. (Reprinted with publisher edits.)

COURTESY OF THE VIRGINIA AQUARIUM & MARINE SCIENCE CENTER

Virginia Beach is known for its beautiful beaches and family atmosphere. A favorite outing is the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center, featuring the state’s largest aquarium, hosting 700,000 gallons of aquariums and live animal habitats, three touch tanks, more than 300 hands-on exhibits, an outdoor aviary, 10 acres of marsh habitat, and a three-mile nature trail. Highlights include sharks, sea turtles, harbor seals, river otters, stingrays and more.

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When Art Meets Architecture: A Symbiotic Intersection

BY JOHN DAILEY

Town Center, Virginia Beach COURTESY OF THE CITY OF VIRGINIA BEACH

“I call architecture frozen music”

— Goethe

Like the poetry of Goethe, the relationship between architecture and the art performed within its structures can be both obscure yet revealing. A complex blending of shape, color, sound and memory, the very look of a building housing an entertainment venue affects the performances within.

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Exterior features, the shape of the performance space, acoustic engineering, even the selection of color and fabrics, all contribute to the quality of the artistic experience for both audience and performer. And if all these factors are not considered from the very beginning of the design process, the result can be a disaster.

Hampton Roads boasts dozens of entertainment venues that reflect these values. From buildings with a very specific function, like the Harrison Opera House, to multi-use structures like the Suffolk Performing Arts Center, local designers have been improving the quality of our entertainment for decades, and the average patron scarcely knows why.

Not surprisingly, turning a vacant lot into a quality performance venue is a long, complex process that only begins with an architectural vision. Once the client and architect have made some

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basic decisions about the project, they must assemble an extraordinarily diverse team of talented professionals to see the job through to a successful conclusion. Interior designers, decorators, theater design consultants, aestheticians and the performing artists – whether directors, singers or actors – all play a key role in realizing the client’s dream for an entertainment space. It requires the ability to think broadly while still paying attention to a myriad of fine details.

COLLABORATIVE CREATIVITY Greg Rutledge, historic preservation architect at Hanbury Evans Wright Vlattas + Company, architects and planners in Norfolk, explains that building a venue is really an “outside-in” sequence, meaning that the architect must begin with the opportunities and limitations placed on the design by the external environment.

While the facade and the two ends (Concert Hall (on left) and Music & Theatre Hall (on right) comprising the Ferguson Center for the Arts are "new," most of the old Ferguson High School which is nestled between and behind the new sections, was retained and rehabbed for use as classrooms and offices. The Ferguson Center, proudly named after and sponsored by Ferguson Enterprises, was designed by Pei Cobb Freed & Partners Architects in collaboration with Hanbury Evans.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE FERGUSON CENTER © 2005 ROBERT BENSON

But the designer effort hardly stops at the lobby. As the team member that assumes the role of middleman between the performers and the architect, the interior designer must act as both artist and scientist. Page, who helped renovate The Wells Theater in Norfolk, chose everything from the tiles in the lobby floor to the color scheme of the auditorium to the material and shape of the tapestries that line its walls.

And, as Greg Rutledge reminds us, it’s not only about the audience. “The performers need feedback, too,” he says. “I was in a theater in Miami once where the actors on stage right couldn’t hear their counterparts on stage left. It was an untenable situation all around, and you had to lay the blame right at the feet of the design team.” To avoid the same fate, he routinely contracts the services of subject matter experts that know theater.

“There aren’t many of them around, but we couldn’t do a quality job without them.” They are called theater design consultants and aestheticians and are charged with “fine tuning” the performance space to optimize the feel and sound of the room for everyone involved. “In one venue, we actually made a slight change to the slant on the front of the balcony – it improved acoustic feedback for the actors, which in turn made for a better show for the audience.” He also insists on tweaking things in and around the proscenium arch, the façade that surrounds the stage area. “We use an adjustable mechanism called a four stage reflector to get just the right sound. It’s an amazing tool, although you wouldn’t even notice it unless you put it there yourself.”

C E N T E R S TA G E

“First, you have to take local zoning laws into account before moving indoors to the actual performance area,” he says. Rutledge, who does extensive restoration work, knows that “what is past is prologue,” and it can effectively limit his design options. “For instance, if the original building is in an historical district, you generally don’t submit a contemporary design unless that’s what the client desires – which is rare.”

Zoning statutes may also limit how tall the structure can be, how far it can protrude into the street – even how wide it is.

But does the final exterior “look” of the building affect what goes on inside? Rutledge’s colleague, architect Rob Reis, certainly thinks so. “A building may look cold, warm, inviting, upbeat, even inspirational,” he says. Since engaging in an artistic performance is an interactive, emotional experience, the feelings of the audience as it enters the building can create a more receptive mood. “The look of the building can act as a catalyst that gets the emotional juices pumping.”

But once the exterior aesthetic is fixed, who comes next in the creative daisy chain? The interior designer determines the shape, look and feel of the interior, from the lobby all the way backstage, which may encompass rehearsal and dressing rooms.

The lobby has evolved into a required social area, where the audience (members) first comes together. They put their coats up, meet their friends, even sip a little champagne before the curtain. In fact, when Hanbury Evans was commissioned to restore The American Theater in Hampton, one of the charges was to design and construct a lobby and new dressing and mechanical rooms, which nearly doubled the floor space of the original building. Entertainment venues without lobbies are a thing of the past.

C E N T E R S TA G E

“When we first designed the Sandler Center, there was no Westin Hotel in the picture,” he says. “But when you plop one of the tallest buildings in Virginia right next to your new arts center, it changes things. You simply have to take that into account.” So the CMSS team actually “flipped” the design, altering the concept so that now the Sandler Center opens up onto the Westin instead of facing more directly into Town Center.

“If you look at something like The Met at Lincoln Center in New York, you see a stand-alone building, which is fine for that venue,” he says. “But we wanted something different for the Sandler Center; we wanted it to connect organically with the surrounding environment. I think we succeeded there.”

While the challenge of restoring an old building to its former greatness presents one kind of challenge, designing a brand new structure, while barely limited at all, nevertheless presents the design team with distinct challenges. Michael Ashe, a principal in the Virginia Beach-based architectural firm of CMSS, was the lead designer for the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts that recently opened in Virginia Beach, as well as The Suffolk Cultural Center for the Arts, a restorative project. “Sandler was indeed a challenge, and the end product turned out to be distinctly different than the original conception.

The lobby of the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts illustrates how a great lobby serves both to set the mood for a performance as well as provide a social area before the curtain comes up.

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COURTESY OF THE SANDLER CENTER

THE ARTIST AND THE ARCHITECT But does all that “flipping” actually enhance the artistic experience for the theatergoers? “Absolutely,” Ashe says. “As you make your way toward the (Sandler Center) complex from the parking garage, you feel drawn to the place, anticipating a real ‘event’ with every step. You pass through the plaza area in front of the building, and make almost a seamless transition to the lobby through a large glass façade. Your inspiration grows with every step you take.”

JoAnn Falletta, director of the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, could not agree more strongly. “The Sandler Center is a wonderful example of how culture integrates with the public square,” she says. “To experience a fulfilling evening of beautiful music and then emerge from the building to an area where you can review the experience over a meal or coffee with friends is what integration is all about. We’re so very fortunate to have such a place in Virginia Beach.”

“My musicians definitely perform at a higher level when they feel an intimate connection with the audience. If the audience is too large or the room to big, we get less feedback from our listeners, and it alters the way we play. Both venues asked for our opinion, and the result has been two of the most acoustically perfect spaces I’ve ever played in.”

Ashe recalls a moment during the final phase of the Sandler Center design process that illuminates the combination of teamwork, attention to detail and flexibility required to get the job done right. “We had decided to purchase a particular kind of seat for the auditorium,” he says. “I thought the seats looked perfectly fine, but our acoustic engineers at Kirkegaard, a Chicago area firm, asked if they could have a closer look. After their analysis, they found flaws in the chairs that would reduce the sound quality in the hall if left uncorrected,” he says. Reluctantly, they approached the manufacturers about the problem. “Believe it or not, they agreed to the changes. I was amazed.”

Jeff Meredith knows the value of an acoustically fine-tuned entertainment space. He returned to Virginia Beach from New York to open his own theater in 1991. The theatre eventually became the Virginia Musical Theater, which he operated in the Virginia Beach Convention Center for years until the city decided to build Sandler. “While the building itself was available and underused, it was a stand alone, cold-looking, multipurpose place with poor acoustics,” says Meredith. “The performers just didn’t feel connected to the audience, and I think our shows suffered as a result.” Moving the performances to The Sandler Center radically changed all that.

“The Sandler Center seems to draw you in as you approach it, and you can feel the excitement building with each step,” he says. “The aesthetics of the whole layout are so powerful that you

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE SANDLER CENTER

Light and glass define the exterior of The Sandler Center, but attention to acoustic perfection – down to the seat selection – defines the performance hall.

just have a different sense of the moment than you do anywhere else.” His feelings about the new venue are neither unique nor overstated among the performing arts community.

The Sandler Center’s external appearance was altered in a dramatic and beautiful way on September 16, 2011 as the Sandler Center dedicated Virginia Beach’s newest piece of public art. Lin Emery's latest work, Wings, is a large-scale kinetic sculpture given by Tom and Juanita Felton. The aluminum artwork in the Sandler Center Plaza enhances the façade of the Sandler Center and aesthetically complements the outdoor plaza and surrounding Town Center businesses.

The Virginia Beach Public Art Program has grown to over fifty pieces of public art that the visitors and residents enjoy everywhere from the oceanfront to Town Center. The Sandler Center for the Performing Arts is proud to host two of the public artworks and continues to demonstrate and exemplify the unique connection between art and architecture.

PEOPLE POWER To be sure, the construction of large, multipurpose entertainment venues, especially in urban settings, can and does consistently produce profound economic improvements. Such complexes spawn any number of new restaurants, shops and ancillary businesses, but there is definitely more to the effect than mere dollars and cents.

Myra Oberndorf, former mayor of Virginia Beach, was a strong proponent of a new cultural center at Town Center from the very beginning. While the architectural vision was not unimportant – and the economic impact would certainly be significant – her prime concern was its impact on the city culture at large.

“I have always believed that we must do what we can to ensure the arts are available and thriving for both the present and future generations,” she says. “There is a warmth and charm that is special to The Sandler Center, which helps create a sense of excitement and appreciation for the arts.” People will “remain in our community to work, raise a family and be a part of our city” because of the availability of such a fine venue, Oberndorf says.

Linda T. Johnson, mayor of the City of Suffolk, has similar feelings about the new Suffolk Cultural Center for the Arts. While she feels that the SCCA is unique in the intimacy that it creates between the artist and audience, the new facility has an even broader appeal. “The Suffolk Cultural Center for the Arts has the capability to feed our spirits and our souls,” she says. “The connection between the performers and the audience stretches well beyond the bounds of the theater itself.”

Ask any artist, artisan or professional designer about the rela-

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COURTESY OF TCC ROPER PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

Above: TCC Roper Performing Arts Center in Norfolk is warm and intimate.

Left: The Attucks Theatre, built in 1919, has played host to a great number of famous entertainers through the 20s, ‘30s, ‘40s and early ‘50s, including Norfolk’s Gary U.S. Bonds and Portsmouth’s Ruth Brown.

COURTESY OF THE ATTUCKS THEATRE

tionship between a building and the performances it houses and you’ll get a dozen different enthusiastic responses – and nary a disagreement. The connection between the collaborative team put together by the architect is close and critical. Without this bond of understanding, an otherwise warm, intimate, magical place can be reduced to a mere warehouse where lifeless productions are stored and forgotten.

However, thanks to the collective vision of designers, creative directors, financiers and politicians, Hampton Roads is no longer the sleepy little port city of the past. From the Ferguson Center for the Arts and American Theater on the Peninsula to The Sandler Center at the Beach, the Cultural Center for the Arts in Suffolk, and the TCC Roper Center for the Arts iin Norfolk, just to name a few, locals have their pick of high quality entertainment options all year round. Whether their interest is live theater, music of all kinds, modern dance or even classroom opportunities in art, photography or creative writing, Hampton Roads has emerged as a first-class arts and entertainment landscape.

(Reprinted with publisher edits)

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Flip the switch.

Make Concepts Easy.

Use the Arts!

For over half a century, Young Audiences of Virginia has enhanced the teaching process through interactive workshops & performances for public, private & home school associations.

Visit www.yav.org, call 800-314-ARTS or join us on Facebook to learn more.

Serving Schools & Young Summer Camps Audiences in Virginia of Virginia

2012 February Thru Feb 4

Fabulous Forgeries 2012, popular annual exhibition and sale by artists who re-create paintings after the Great Masters, or carry them a step further, or use a bit of humor in the re-creations and giving homage to the Great Masters.

A surprise visit from one of the great masters himself, who will present the PEOPLES CHOICE AWARDS. Special Catherine Toscano Kastenbaum Memorial Award of $500. Opening reception, Jan 6, 6:30-8:30 pm. Refreshments, parking, free and open to public; The Artists Gallery, 608 Norfolk Avenue, Virginia Beach; 757-425-6671; www.theartistsgallery.org

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In the Mood, America’s premiere Big Band Revue, celebrating America’s Greatest Generation and the 1940s through song, swing dance and music of Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman, The Andrews Sisters, Frank Sinatra and more … with music arrangements, costumes and choreography that are as authentic as it gets! 7:30 pm; $22, $44, $54, $69; Sandler Center for the Performing Arts, 201 Market St., Virginia Beach; 757-385-2787; www.sandlercenter.org

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Bettye Lavette, Often hailed as the Great Lady of Soul, Bettye LaVette.

Winner of numerous awards and citations, Bettye returned to Carnegie Hall this year as a featured performer in the tribute event to Neil Young. She regularly appears on The Today Show, Late Night with David Letterman, the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Tavis Smiley and others. She performed for President Obama’s inaugural at the Lincoln Memorial, January 2009.

The American Theatre, 125 East Mellen Street, Hampton; 7:30 pm; $27.50, $32.50; 757-722-2787; www.hamptonarts.net

Thru The Hampton Arts League’s Annual Open Members Exhibition, One Feb 26 of few non-juried shows in the region features recent works by many of the 250 artist members of the Hampton Arts League. Paintings, drawings, portraits, prints, photographs, crafts, sculpture and watercolors. Awards totaling $850 several Honorable Mentions - selected by Juror Carolyn F. Davis; The Charles H. Taylor Arts Center, 4205 Victoria Blvd., Hampton; 757-727-1490; www.hamptonarts.net 2

Trio Voronezh, Three virtuoso musicians were “discovered” playing in the subways in Frankfurt, Germany. Since then, they have become one of the most sought-after trios in the business, appearing at major festivals around the world and on major concert stages. Made up of domra, bayan and the double bass balalaika, the Trio plays Russian tunes and classics in an entirely fresh, convincing and fun filled way. Irresistible humor and wonderful stage presence will have you tapping your feet and yelling for more! The American Theatre, 125 East Mellen Street, Hampton; 7:30 pm; $25-30; 757-722-2787; www.hamptonarts.net

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One Piece at a Time, Filmed in 20 countries on 5 continents, this film by Turk Pipkin looks at the possibility of providing basic human rights to every child. Q&A session after with director. The American Theatre, 125 East Mellen Street, Hampton; 2:30 pm; 757-722-2787; www.hamptonarts.net

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Arlo Guthre – BOYS NIGHT OUT with Abe and Krishna Guthrie, Longtime American Theatre favorite folksinger, musician, songwriter and storyteller, Arlo brings tunes from more than 25 albums to his concerts. He carries on the musical legacy of his renowned father, Woody Guthrie, cultivating an entirely new generation of fans. Playing piano, guitar, harmonica and a dozen other instruments, Arlo entertains with hilarious tales and experiences woven seamlessly into each performance. The American Theatre, 125 East Mellen St, Hampton; 7:30 pm; $27.50, $32.50; 757-722-2787; www.hamptonarts.net

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Cabin Fever Concert Series, Wipe the winter blues away as local musicians engage and interact with audience members. Yorktown Freight Shed; 7 pm; Tickets required. Seating is limited. Free; 757-890-3500; www.visityorktown.org

10 thru Be There, and Be Square!!, A special exhibition of paintings sized in Mar 3 SQUARE format, image only, (10 inches square to 36 inches square) priced to sell at $100 per foot, (such as : one foot and under, $100, two feet x two feet, @ $200) Frame priced separately. Collectable, affordable, colorful, unique, and creative. Opens with reception Friday, Feb. 10, 6:30-8:30 pm. Refreshments, parking, free and open to public; The Artists Gallery, 608 Norfolk Avenue, Virginia Beach, 757-425-6671; www.theartistsgallery.org 10-12

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Carousel, Virginia Musical Theatre presents a dramatic, heart-felt testimony to the power of love, set to a beautiful, bountiful and beguiling score. Treat yourself and the one you love to the perfect Valentine gift; Feb 10 & 11, 8 pm; Feb 11 & 12, 2 pm; Fri & Sat Night: start at $47; Sun Matinee: $47, $52; Sat Matinee: $37, S42; Sandler Center for the Performing Arts, 201 Market St., Virginia Beach; 757-385-2787; www.sandlercenter.org Yasmin Levy, Yasmin’s emotive and distinctive style brings a new interpretation to the mediaeval Ladino/Judeo Spanish song by incorporating more modern sounds from Andalusia and Persia. Her second tour of the U.S. includes concerts in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco. She has played more than 80 shows in 19 different countries on her recent tour which coincided with the release of her latest CD, Sentir. The American Theatre, 125 East Mellen St, Hampton; 7:30 pm; $27.50, $32.50; 757-722-2787; www.hamptonarts.net

17, 19 Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana in La Pasion Flamenca, Vibrant influences from Africa, the Americas and the Middle East are incorporated into one of the world’s most dynamic and irresistible forms of expression Flamenco. The American Theatre, 125 East Mellen St, Hampton; Feb 17, 8 pm; Feb 19, 2:30 pm; $30, $35; 757-722-2787; www.hamptonarts.net 18

Mad River Theatre Works in Freedom Bound, An original play with music, tells the story of Addison White, a slave escaped from Kentucky ended up in Ohio. There he was befriended by a farmer. Addison worked for his meals and learned to read and write with the help of the farmers daughter.

Addison was discovered by his former master. Federal Marshall’s came to arrest him and return him to slavery. But, more than 100 citizens demanded they set Addison free. The American Theatre, 125 East Mellen Street, Hampton; 2 pm; $8 – no discounts apply; 757-722-2787; www.hamptonarts.net

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Symphonicity: Bruckner & Respighi, From the sparkle of Rome to the city of music, Vienna, this concert contains an array of melodic delights. 3 pm; $19, $24, $29, $35; Sandler Center for the Performing Arts, 201 Market St., Virginia Beach; 757-385-2787; www.sandlercenter.org

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Mardi Gras with Nw Orleans’ Own Hot 8 Brass Band, Nothing epitomizes New Orleans street music more than New Orleans’ own Hot 8 Brass Band back again to celebrate Mardi Gras in true French Quarter style.

The American Theatre, 125 East Mellen Street, Hampton; 7:30 pm; $27.50, $32.50; 757-722-2787; www.hamptonarts.net

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Golden Boys: Frankie Avalon, Fabian, & Bobby Rydell, Frankie Avalon, Fabian, and Bobby Rydell performing together as The Golden Boys in packed venues through the country since 1985, has been called “one of the most exciting acts in show business.” 7:30 pm; $50, $65, $80, $125; Sandler Center for the Performing Arts, 201 Market St., Virginia Beach; 757-385-2787; www.sandlercenter.org

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Virginia Symphony Orchestra: The Grieg Piano Concerto, From the opening notes, you’ll recall this familiar melody that has been heard for years on concert stages and in pop culture. 2:30 pm; $22, $44, $54, $69, $87; Sandler Center for the Performing Arts, 201 Market St., Virginia Beach; 757-385-2787; www.sandlercenter.org

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The Kennedy Center Presents: Locomotion, Award-winning novelist Jacqueline Woodson has turned her Coretta Scott King Honor Book into an inspiring play about the journey of an eleven year African American boy as he moves from tragedy to hope, from silence to expression, and from losing one family to gaining a new one. 10 am; $10, $15, $20, $25; Sandler Center for the Performing Arts, 201 Market St., Virginia Beach; 757-385-2787; www.sandlercenter.org

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Virginia Beach Forum: Scott Turow, Mr. Turow is a writer continues to work as an attorney concentrating on white collar criminal defense. 7:45 pm; $50; Sandler Center for the Performing Arts, 201 Market St., Virginia Beach; 757-385-2787; www.sandlercenter.org www.hrbravo.net

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M A R C H - J U LY 2 0 1 2 E V E N T S

March 1

Gretshen Parlato, This hot new American jazz singer has been creating waves throughout the international jazz world. The American Theatre, 125 East Mellen St, Hampton; 7:30 pm; $27.50, $32.50; 757-722-2787; www.hamptonarts.net

2-thru Artists Who Teach, Annual Juried Exhibition. Artists currently teaching in April 8 the four Peninsula Colleges and Universities & artists who teach in the public, private and parochial schools are featured with more than 115 works. All media. Cash awards totaling $850 - Juror, Amy Brandt, McKinnon Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk.

Also Kristin Skees: Recent Works, Winning the Best in Show last year, Kristin has a solo exhibition. The Charles H. Taylor Arts Center, 4205 Victoria Blvd., Hampton; 757-727-1490; www.hamptonarts.net 3

Chesapeake Bay Wind Ensemble Concert: Impressions, Dr. Mary T. Christian Auditorium, Thomas Nelson Community College, Hampton, 7:30 pm; Tickets $5 for adults, free for children under 18; www.cbwe.org

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Proof, Walnut Street Theatre presents a stunning production of David Auburn's Pulitzer Prize-winning play. Proof tells the story of Catherine – a young woman who has given up college so that she can take care of her brilliant, yet mentally ill, father. The American Theatre, 125 East Mellen St, Hampton; 8 pm; $27.50, $32.50; 757-722-2787; www.hamptonarts.net

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Chesapeake Bay Wind Ensemble Concert: Impressions, Williamsburg Regional Library, 515 Scotland Street, Williamsburg, 3 pm; Free concert; www.cbwe.org The Soul of Morocco, The American Theatre’s favorite movie maker Rick Ray returns with his stunningly beautiful documentary about Morocco.

The American Theatre, 125 East Mellen St, Hampton; 2:30 pm; 757-722-2787; www.hamptonarts.net

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Ballet Folklorico de Antiquia, A celebration of music & dance inspired by the cultural richness of Columbia. The American Theatre, 125 East Mellen Street, Hampton; 7:30 pm; $30, $35; 757-722-2787; www.hamptonarts.net

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Cabin Fever Concert Series, Wipe the winter blues away as local musicians engage and interact with audience members. Yorktown Freight Shed; 7 pm; Tickets required. Seating is limited. Free; 757-890-3500; www.visityorktown.org

9 thru It’s Raining Cats & Dogs, Annual fundraiser for Virginia Beach SPCA. April 7 Paintings, sculptures, ceramics, jewelry, all for our four-legged friends who need our help to survive. Donation of a toy, baby blankets, towels, tins of kitten food, or dog food is appreciated. PEOPLES CHOICE AWARDS! Vote for your favorite work of art. Opening reception Mar 9, 6:30 - 8:30 pm. Cat or dog costumes, and makeup welcome. Open House, Mar 10, childrens day with refreshments, 12 Noon - 4 pm. Refreshments, parking, free and open to public; The Artists Gallery, 608 Norfolk Avenue, Virginia Beach, 757-425-6671; www.theartistsgallery.org 10

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Cirque Musica, An all encompassing experience that artistically blends the grace and thrills of today’s greatest cirque performers with the top classical and pops music featuring veterans of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey and Cirque due Soleil. 4 pm & 8 pm; $27, $37, $47, $57; Sandler Center for the Performing Arts, 201 Market St., Virginia Beach; 757-385-2787; www.sandlercenter.org Chieftains: St. Patrick’s Day Celebration, Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with Paddy Moloney and the Chieftains as they mark their 50th year of bringing traditional Irish music performances to the world! 7:30 pm; $40, $50, $60, $75; Sandler Center for the Performing Arts, 201 Market St., Virginia Beach; 757-385-2787; www.sandlercenter.org Celtic Nights – Journey of Hope, Voices of the Celtic World showcased against a thundering backdrop of expert dancing & music in this incredible new show. The American Theatre, 125 East Mellen Street, Hampton; 7:30 pm; $30, $35; 757-722-2787; www.hamptonarts.net

Hampton Roads Bravo! www.hrbravo.net

15

TAO: The Art of the Drum, Athletic bodies and contemporary costumes meet explosive Taiko drumming in this worldwide phenomenon. 7:30 pm; $25, $35, $45, $50; Sandler Center for the Performing Arts, 201 Market St., Virginia Beach; 757-385-2787; www.sandlercenter.org

16

Zakir Hussain and the Masters of Percussion, Indian tabla virtuoso Zakir has garnered worldwide fame for his masterful performances. The American Theatre, 125 East Mellen St, Hampton; 8 pm; $27.50, $32.50; 757-722-2787; www.hamptonarts.net

17

Harriet Tubman & The Underground Railroad, Book and Lyrics by Douglas Jones. Music by Ron Barnett. This stirring play is a tribute to the great American who freed herself and hundreds of her people from the bonds of slavery. Co-produced by the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia.

The American Theatre, 125 East Mellen Street, Hampton; 11 am & 2 pm; All seats $8 – no discounts apply; 757-722-2787; www.hamptonarts.net

18

Symphonicity: The Moods of Beethoven, Ludwig van Beethoven was a man of many moods-his forceful side is displayed in the massive and bold “Emperor” Piano Concerto No.5. Beethoven was also a lover of nature, and his Sixth Symphony (Pastoral) offers a glimpse into nature, which can be both stormy and serene. 3 pm; $19, $24, $29, $35; Sandler Center for the Performing Arts, 201 Market St., Virginia Beach; 757-385-2787; www.sandlercenter.org

25

Matt Haimovitz, Cellist in Beyond Bach, World renowned as a musical pioneer, cellist Matt Haimovitz inspires classical music lovers and countless new listeners. The American Theatre, 125 East Mellen Street, Hampton; 2:30 pm; $25, $30; 757-722-2787; www.hamptonarts.net

30

Diana Krall, Modern jazz vocalist and pianist brings her classics including When I Look in Your Eyes, Almost Blue, and Quiet Nights. 8 pm; $60, $80, $100, $150; Sandler Center for the Performing Arts, 201 Market St., Virginia Beach; 757-385-2787; www.sandlercenter.org

30-31

Julius Caesar, The Acting Company & The Guthrie Theatre presents William Shakespeare's classic political thriller. Q & A session with the cast after the performances. The American Theatre, 125 East Mellen St, Hampton; 8 pm; $27.50, $32.50; 757-722-2787; www.hamptonarts.net

April 1

Burma: Reflections on a Hidden Land, Patricia Keith and Sean Cassidy explore the beautiful and culturally rich land of Myanmar. The American Theatre, 125 East Mellen St, Hampton; 2:30 pm; 757-722-2787; www.hamptonarts.net

1

Virginia Symphony Orchestra: Tango With Guitars, The sensuous sounds of Latin-inspired music will permeate the concert hall as we perform the Suite from Carmen and a tango for two guitars. 2:30 pm; $22, $44, $54, $69, $87; Sandler Center for the Performing Arts, 201 Market St., Virginia Beach; 757-385-2787; www.sandlercenter.org

3

Milos Karadaglic, guitar, Milos is a rising star of classical guitar who being hailed for his brilliant technique and transcendent musicality. The American Theatre, 125 East Mellen St, Hampton; 7:30 pm; $25, $30; 757-722-2787; www.hamptonarts.net

4

Virginia Beach Forum: Mia Farrow, Following her young life in 1940s Hollywood as the daughter of Hollywood royalty, Farrow gained national attention through her role in the television classic Peyton Place. Farrow went on to star in over forty movies. 7:45 pm; $50; Sandler Center for the Performing Arts, 201 Market St., Virginia Beach; 757-385-2787; www.sandlercenter.org

10

DanceBrazil, For over thirty years, DanceBrazil has thrilled audiences across the Unites States and throughout the world with its dazzling artistry, which is inspired by the cultural tapestry of Brazil. 7:30 pm, $23, $29, $39, $49; Sandler Center for the Performing Arts, 201 Market St., Virginia Beach; 757-385-2787; www.sandlercenter.org

12

Dailey & Vincent, Back on our stage by popular demand after their sold out show last year, Dailey and Vincent continue to take the bluegrass world by storm. The American Theatre, 125 East Mellen St, Hampton; 7:30 pm; $27.50, $32.50; 757-722-2787; www.hamptonarts.net

13 thru Inspiring Places,Vistas and Spaces, Juried exhibition of original May 2 paintings, drawings, photography, jewelry, carvings, and much more, by talented local and regional artists. Gala Opening Reception Apr 13, 6:30 - 8:30 pm. Judged for awards. Refreshments, parking, free and open to public; The Artists Gallery, 608 Norfolk Avenue, Virginia Beach, 757-425-6671; www.theartistsgallery.org 14 thru Virginia Watercolor Society 33rd Juried Exhibition, Annual May 27 exhibition showcases more than 100 works of art by many of Virginia’s finest watercolor painters. Nationally known painter and instructor Dan Smith will serve as juror. The Charles H. Taylor Arts Center, 4205 Victoria Blvd., Hampton; 757-727-1490; www.hamptonarts.net 15

Virginia Symphony Orchestra: Tchaikovsky Finale, It’s Tchaikovsky’s “other” piano concerto, and it boasts its own unique beauties. Experience this hidden jewel long with two other musical gems at the 2011-2012 season finale. 2:30 pm; $22, $44, $54, $69, $87; Sandler Center for the Performing Arts, 201 Market St., Virginia Beach; 757-385-2787; www.sandlercenter.org

20

Steve Wilson, Alto & Soprano Saxophone and flutes. Hampton native Steve Wilson returns to The American Theatre stage with an all star jazz quartet. The American Theatre, 125 East Mellen St, Hampton; 8 pm; $27.50, $32.50; 757-722-2787; www.hamptonarts.net

21

The House at Pooh Corner, Visit your friends Piglet, Tigger, Eeyore and, of course, Winnie the Pooh! The American Theatre, 125 East Mellen St, Hampton; 11 am & 2 pm; All seats $8 – no discounts apply; 757-722-2787; www.hamptonarts.net

27-29

Honky Tonk Angels, Springer Theatre presents this raucous & entertaining juke box musical about three women with a dream to sing country music.

The American Theatre, 125 East Mellen St, Hampton; April 27-28, 8 pm; April 29, 2:30 pm; $25, $30; 757-722-2787; www.hamptonarts.net

27- 29 Virginia Symphony Orchestra: Tchaikovsky Finale, Broadway’s big, fat musical comedy hit. A sweet, infinitely spirited, bubblegum-flavored confection of deliriously tuneful songs. Winner of eight TONY© Awards including Best Musical! 27 & 28, 8 pm; 28 & 29, 2 pm; Friday & Saturday Night: start at $47; Sun Matinee: $47, $52 Sat Matinee: $37, $42; Sandler Center for the Performing Arts, 201 Market St., Virginia Beach; 757-385-2787; www.sandlercenter.org

May Thru Virginia Watercolor Society 33rd Juried Exhibition, Annual May 27 exhibition showcases more than 100 works of art by many of Virginia’s finest watercolor painters. Nationally known painter and instructor Dan Smith will serve as juror. The Charles H. Taylor Arts Center, 4205 Victoria Blvd., Hampton; 757-727-1490; www.hamptonarts.net 5

Planet Earth, Inc., Lee Bryan (That Puppet Guy) teaches us how to Go Green in this fun show which combines hand puppets, magic tricks and live original songs. The American Theatre, 125 East Mellen Street, Hampton; 11 am & 2 pm; All seats $8 – no discounts apply; 757-722-2787; www.hamptonarts.net

6

The Singing Revolution, In Estonia, song was the weapon of choice that played a crucial role in the collapse of the Soviet Union. Film screening.

The American Theatre, 125 East Mellen Street, Hampton 2:30 pm; 757-722-2787; www.hamptonarts.net

6

Symphonicity: All That Jazz, Broadway’s big, fat musical comedy hit.

A sweet, infinitely spirited, bubblegum-flavored confection of deliriously tuneful songs. Winner of eight TONY© Awards including Best Musical! 3 pm; $19, $24, $29, $35; Sandler Center for the Performing Arts, 201 Market St., Virginia Beach; 757-385-2787; www.sandlercenter.org

11 thru Bloom, an exhibition of floral and garden paintings, drawings, photography, Jun 2 glass, sculpture, clay, jewelry, & more, celebrating Spring by local and regional artists. Gala opening reception May 11, 6:30 - 8:30 pm. Judged for awards.

Refreshments, parking, free and open to public; The Artists Gallery, 608 Norfolk Avenue, Virginia Beach, 757-425-6671; www.theartistsgallery.org 12

Chesapeake Bay Wind Ensemble Concert: ...And All That Jazz, Dr. Mary T Christian Auditorium, Thomas Nelson Community College, Hampton, 7:30 pm; Tickets $5 for adults, free for children under 18; www.cbwe.org

12, 19 Yorktown Market Days, Fresh produce, meat and seafood, baked goods, 26 coffee, specialty cut flowers, quality art, entertainment and much more; Riverwalk Landing, Yorktown; 8 am - 12 pm; Free; 757-890-3500; www.visityorktown.org 23 - 24 Lyric Opera: Bizet’s Carmen, LOV’s “jewel-box” production of Bizet’s Carmen captures this sizzling story of a gypsy girl and the soldier she betrays.

7:30 pm; $19, $24, $29, $35; Sandler Center for the Performing Arts, 201 Market St., Virginia Beach; 757-385-2787; www.sandlercenter.org

June 1-12

Yorktown Maritime Weekends, Yorktown is proud to be an affiliate port with OpSail 2012 Virginia hosting events during the first two weekends of June. Activities will include free public tours of character tall ships docked at Riverwalk Landing in Yorktown, free concerts, and a maritime themed farmers market. Riverwalk Landing, Yorktown; Times vary; Free; 757-890-3500; www.visityorktown.org

2 thru July 8

Painting, Featuring recent works by Hampton Roads artists. Still life, landscape, portrait and the human figure plus contemporary themes prevalent in contemporary art. The Charles H. Taylor Arts Center, 4205 Victoria Blvd., Hampton; 757-727-1490; www.hamptonarts.net

2, 9,16 Yorktown Market Days, Fresh produce, meat and seafood, baked goods, 23, 30 coffee, specialty cut flowers, quality art, entertainment and much more; Riverwalk Landing, Yorktown; 8 am - 12 pm; Free; 757-890-3500; www.visityorktown.org 7, 14 21

“Shagging on the Riverwalk” Beach Music Series, Put on your dancing shoes and join us for this annual concert series featuring a variety of beach music for all ages to enjoy. Bring lawn chairs and blankets for seating.

Riverwalk Landing, Yorktown; 6:30 - 9:30 pm; Free; 757-890-3500; www.visityorktown.org

8 thru Annual SUMMERSCAPES Exhibition, Features local artists work July 28 celebrating summer in the Hampton Roads area. Oils, watercolor, acrylic, glass, clay, fiber, jewelry. Open Houses each Saturday at the Artists Gallery with refreshments, 12 - 4 pm. Door prizes. Refreshments, parking, free and open to public; The Artists Gallery, 608 Norfolk Avenue, Virginia Beach, 757-425-6671; www.theartistsgallery.org

July 7, 14, Yorktown Market Days, Fresh produce, meat and seafood, baked goods, 21, 28 coffee, specialty cut flowers, quality art, entertainment and much more; Riverwalk Landing, Yorktown; 8 am - 12 pm; Free; 757-890-3500; www.visityorktown.org 12, 19 “Shagging on the Riverwalk” Beach Music Series, Put on your 26 dancing shoes and join us for this annual concert series featuring a variety of beach music for all ages to enjoy. Bring lawn chairs and blankets for seating.

Riverwalk Landing, Yorktown; 6:30 - 9:30 pm; Free; 757-890-3500; www.visityorktown.org

www.hrbravo.net

19

2012 March

June

Spring Craft Show, Virginia Beach, 417-7771

OpSail 2012, Norfolk, 441-2345

Daffodil Festival, Gloucester, (804) 693-2355

Greek Festival, Newport News, 872-8119

April Easter Decoy & Art Festival, Chincoteague, 336-6161 Daffodil Festival, Chincoteague, 894-2334 International Children’s Festival, Hampton, 727-8311 Cruisin” Auto Show, Virginia Beach, (800) 822-3224 Historic Garden Week, Hampton Roads, (804) 644-7776 Gospelfest, Virginia Beach, (800) 822-3224 International Azalea Festival, Norfolk, (800) 368-3097 Atlantic Coast Kite Festival, Virginia Beach, (800) 822-3224 23rd Newport News Children’s Festival of Friends, 926-1400 East Coast Crab Classic, Virginia Beach, (800) 822-3224

May 44th Annual Seafood Festival, Chincoteague, 787-2460 PANorama Caribbean Music Fest, Virginia Beach, (800) 822-3224 Monsters on the Beach, Virginia Beach, (800) 822-3224 5th Annual Great Dismal Swamp Birding Festival, Suffolk, 986-3705 Beach Music Weekend, Virginia Beach, (800) 822-3224 Jamestown Day, Jamestown, 229-1733 Jamestown Landing Day, Jamestown, 253-4838 Greek Festival, Norfolk, 440-0500 Stockley Gardens Spring Arts Festival, Norfolk, 625-6161 Chesapeake Jubilee, Chesapeake, 482-4848 Drum Fest, Virginia Beach, (800) 822-3224 Amusements of America Festival, Hampton, 838-4203 Memorial Weekend Events, Virginia Beach, (800) 822-3224

King-Lincoln Music Festival, King-Lincoln Park, Newport News, 926-1400 16th Annual American Indian Festival, Chesapeake, 382-6411 Blackbeard Festival, Hampton, 727-8311 Latin Festival, Virginia Beach, (800) 822-3224 13th Annual Phelps Brothers Music Festival, Chesapeake, 467-2149 Virginia Arts Festival, Hampton Roads, (800) 822-3224 Hampton Jazz Festival, Hampton, 671-8100 Afrikan American Festival, Hampton, 727-8311 Viva Elvis, Virginia Beach, (800) 822-3224 Phoebus presents The Spirit of America Festival, Hampton, 570-4147

July Stars in the Sky, Newport News, 926-1400 Stars & Stripes Explosion Festival, Virginia Beach, (800) 822-3224 Great American Picnic & Fireworks, Norfolk, 441-2345 Liberty Celebration, Yorktown, 253-4838 Stars & Stripes Spectacular, Suffolk, 923-2360 Mid-Atlantic Hermit Crab Challenge, Virginia Beach, (800) 822-3224 Watermen’s Heritage Festival, Yorktown, 887-2641 Pirate Party on the Beach, Virginia Beach, (800) 822-3224 Pork, Peanut and Pine Festival, Surry County, 294-3625 Annual Chincoteague Island Blueberry Festival, Chincoteague, 824-3868 Chalk the Walk ARTsplosion, Virginia Beach, (800) 822-3224 Chincoteague Pony Swim & Auction, Chincoteague Island, 336-6161 Gloucester County Fair and Carnival, 804-693-235 Call for more information, times and dates.

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