From Sea to Shining Sea: Bob Anderson’s “American Landscapes” at Darrin-McHone Gallery

The Arts Council of the Valley presents “American Landscapes” by Bob Anderson to the Harrisonburg community. As part of First Fridays Downtown, the show opens on September 4th from 5-7pm at the Darrin-McHone Gallery in the Smith House at 311 South Main Street. There will be complimentary food and beverages for the public to enjoy as they savor the breath-taking landscapes of this accomplished painter.

New Window Art for One Court Square

Dear Eddie: I notice several new posters on buildings around downtown and new art on the One Court Square building. Can you tell me more about these projects and how they came about?

Blue and gold signs indicate businesses opening soon

From time to time Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance receives suggestions from downtown business people or the general public that can lead to positive changes. Barton Mercer, co-owner of Madison Interiors, commented that occasionally visitors to downtown see vacant buildings and assume there are no plans for occupancy. This led to HDR producing five attractive blue and gold signs announcing the plans for five new businesses to fill existing downtown space. Look for signs in the windows of Union Station, Pennybackers, Beyond, Polished*, and Digital Phenom, with additional signs for new businesses expected to be added soon.

Ann Cheeks at Darrin-McHone Gallery in August

The Arts Council of the Valley presents the paintings of Ann Cheeks at the Darrin-McHone Gallery in the Smith House. In coordination with the First Fridays Downtown, Cheeks’ show opens August 7th from 5-7pm. There will complimentary food and beverages for the public to enjoy while exploring the landscape, seascape and forest paintings. The pleasant use of color and texture encourages the viewer to simply look and appreciate the beauty in each piece.

The subject matter for Cheeks’ body of work is overlooked places and moments in nature. Cheeks explains that the places which she chooses to paint “calm and bring me back to what is real and important in the world”. The tranquil and often cathartic images reflect the elegance in nature and the power of existence itself. Moved by “the heat of the sun, the roar of the ocean, and the smell of the earth,” Cheeks creates paintings of places where one can “just be”. Although her subject matter may be simple, her method is surely not simplistic.

The large-scale paintings are mixed media, including acrylic, fabric and pastel. Cheeks’ technique for her paintings speaks to her personal experience and her past. Originally, Cheeks created traditional quilts but felt that the process for patchwork, appliqué and quilting stitches not only took too long but also resulted in pieces that were too stiff. She began to experiment, leading to the development of the technique she currently uses. In the body of work at the Smith House, the paintings are created by first making a loose painting on stretched canvas. Next she proceeds to add fabric to the foreground and finishes by adding in details with pastels. The variety of media adds interest to each painting as the viewer can observe the texture and depth in her work.

Cheeks, a Charlottesville resident, has a variety of experiences, both professional and personal, that have developed her skills and interests. After receiving her B.F.A. at Virginia Commonwealth University, she worked in Washington D.C. for a few years as a graphic designer. Cheeks then transitioned to mainly working as a freelance designer. Cheeks returned to her art and began teaching art to others after she took a pause while raising her two sons. Her work has been in solo and group exhibitions in The Nature Gallery at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Science, The Women’s Institute and Gallery in New Harmony, Indiana and Second Street Gallery, Charlottesville, Virginia. The National Institutes of Health, University of Virginia Cancer Center and the Martha Jefferson Hospital Women’s Center have all purchased work by Cheeks.  The restful and graceful quality of her paintings is evidenced in the buying of work by these health centers that seek to bring a sense of repose to their patients.

As a member of the McGuffey Art Center, Cheeks has served with this co-operative art center on the executive committee. She coordinated community outreach projects, such as “Planet Art” and “the Holiday Open House.” Cheeks also volunteered during the past year and a half on “Forest Discoveries”, an intense program that joined art and science for two Boys & Girls Clubs, culminating in a professional show at the McGuffey Art Center. Recently Cheeks has returned to her graphic design background as the need for clear communication grows. Apparent in her life of service, she has worked to make art accessible to many people. The Arts Council of the Valley is pleased to be showing her paintings and supporting the work of this community-oriented artist.

The Arts Council of the Valley’s monthly exhibitions are open to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday.  For more information, please visit www.ValleyArts.org or call 540-801-8779.

The Arts Council of the Valley presents the paintings of Ann Cheeks at the Darrin-McHone Gallery in the Smith House at 311 South Main Street. In coordination with the First Fridays Downtown, Cheeks’ show opens August 7th from 5-7pm. There will complimentary food and beverages for the public to enjoy while exploring the landscape, seascape and forest paintings. The pleasant use of color and texture encourages the viewer to simply look and appreciate the beauty in each piece.

Lynda Bostrom featured at Darrin-McHone Art Gallery (Smith House)

From the Daily News-Record, posted 2009-06-25:

The Arts Council of the Valley will host the work of Lynda Bostrom at the Darrin-McHone Art Gallery at 311 S. Main St. In conjunction with First Fridays Downtown, the show opens from 5-7 p.m. on July 3.

The exhibition includes works from “Loss and Learning” and “Conversations and Speech.” Through ceremonial pieces and large paintings, Bostrom’s art reveals her per-sonal life and inspirations while communicating in a universal manner, organizers say.

A visual artist from the Tampa Bay area, Bostrom graduated from the Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, Fla., before working as the Chief Exhibitions Coordinator of the Art Center of Sarasota.

Bostrom brings a new perspective to the Shenandoah Valley with her unique upbringing and wide range of celebrated skills. Though it is her visual art that will be showcased at the Smith House, Bostrom is also a talented musician with her own album “The Trees Knees and Pretending” (Arkain Records, Richmond).

For more information on exhibitions or the First Fridays Downtown initiative, visit www.ValleyArts.org or call 801-8779.

You Made It! Turns Six, Throws a Month-Long Bash

David Miller and Joan Clasbey, co-owners of YOU MADE IT! POTTERY STUDIO in

Historic Downtown Harrisonburg, celebrate their 6th year anniversary with a NEW LEASE AND A BIG BASH CELEBRATION PARTY!  May 31st of this year marked the end of the first 6 years for You Made It.  We are happy to report that we have signed on for 5 years more at our present location at 163 South Main St. Harrisonburg, VA across from the Massanutten Regional Library.    

Says Clasbey, “The climate of ‘recession’ in Harrisonburg compels us, more than ever, to provide a place for people to spend time with friends and family and to have fun while enjoying meaningful moments!  Producing art, whether it is painting ceramics, throwing clay on the wheel or fusing colorful glass creations at You Made It is a wonderful release from the stress and uncertainty of our times”.

To celebrate signing our new lease, You Made It is hosting several events during the month of June.  “We are very excited to expand our offerings to the public,” says Miller.  “We opened a new Pottery Wheel Room where people may take throwing lessons or, for just $8 per hour, practice their artistic skills on the Potter’s Wheel.  I will be showcasing the wheel with demos on our front steps during First Friday (June 5th) from 5-7pm.”

“Another exciting addition to our studio is the new warm glass room due to open later this month,” reports Clasbey.  “Here people may come in and design their own jewelry and other glass pieces such as plates and bowls.  We’ll fire them on site in our new glass kiln.”

To celebrate SCHOOL’S OUT and SUMMERTIME, You Made It is hosting a “Pottery Potluck” on Friday, June 12th from 6-8pm.  Everyone is welcome to bring a dish to share with new friends while we provide beverages, plates, utensils, etc. and pottery to paint, of course!  We’re big on family celebrations so we haven’t forgotten Father’s Day on Sunday, June 21st, where families painting with Dad save 1/2 off their studio fees.

Our BIG CELEBRATION EVENT is CUSTOMER APPRECIATION DAY on Saturday, June 20th from 12– 6pm.  David Miller, also co-owner of Midtowne Market says, “We’re serving up the best hot dogs in town from Midtowne Market and cutting the anniversary cake at noon.  We’ll be having storewide specials throughout the day.  The public may also preview our summer art camps for children, as well as check out our new pottery wheel room and our brand new warm glass room.  Everyone is welcome!”

We would be happy to provide more details and photography or schedule a media visit.  You Made It! Pottery Studio is a member of the National Contemporary Ceramic Studios Association and is located across from the Massanutten Regional Library on Main Street in Historic Downtown Harrisonburg.  You can visit us at www.youmadeit.net  or call

540-434-4500 for more information.David Miller and Joan Clasbey, co-owners of YOU MADE IT! POTTERY STUDIO in

Historic Downtown Harrisonburg, celebrate their 6th year anniversary with a NEW LEASE AND A BIG BASH CELEBRATION PARTY!  May 31st of this year marked the end of the first 6 years for You Made It.  We are happy to report that we have signed on for 5 years more at our present location at 163 South Main St. Harrisonburg, VA across from the Massanutten Regional Library.    

Says Clasbey, “The climate of ‘recession’ in Harrisonburg compels us, more than ever, to provide a place for people to spend time with friends and family and to have fun while enjoying meaningful moments!  Producing art, whether it is painting ceramics, throwing clay on the wheel or fusing colorful glass creations at You Made It is a wonderful release from the stress and uncertainty of our times”.

To celebrate signing our new lease, You Made It is hosting several events during the month of June.  “We are very excited to expand our offerings to the public,” says Miller.  “We opened a new Pottery Wheel Room where people may take throwing lessons or, for just $8 per hour, practice their artistic skills on the Potter’s Wheel.  I will be showcasing the wheel with demos on our front steps during First Friday (June 5th) from 5-7pm.”

“Another exciting addition to our studio is the new warm glass room due to open later this month,” reports Clasbey.  “Here people may come in and design their own jewelry and other glass pieces such as plates and bowls.  We’ll fire them on site in our new glass kiln.”

To celebrate SCHOOL’S OUT and SUMMERTIME, You Made It is hosting a “Pottery Potluck” on Friday, June 12th from 6-8pm.  Everyone is welcome to bring a dish to share with new friends while we provide beverages, plates, utensils, etc. and pottery to paint, of course!  We’re big on family celebrations so we haven’t forgotten Father’s Day on Sunday, June 21st, where families painting with Dad save 1/2 off their studio fees.

Our BIG CELEBRATION EVENT is CUSTOMER APPRECIATION DAY on Saturday, June 20th from 12– 6pm.  David Miller, also co-owner of Midtowne Market says, “We’re serving up the best hot dogs in town from Midtowne Market and cutting the anniversary cake at noon.  We’ll be having storewide specials throughout the day.  The public may also preview our summer art camps for children, as well as check out our new pottery wheel room and our brand new warm glass room.  Everyone is welcome!”

We would be happy to provide more details and photography or schedule a media visit.  You Made It! Pottery Studio is a member of the National Contemporary Ceramic Studios Association and is located across from the Massanutten Regional Library on Main Street in Historic Downtown Harrisonburg.  You can visit us at www.youmadeit.net  or call

540-434-4500 for more information.

On May 31, You Made It! Pottery Studio celebrated six years in business at 163 South Main Street across from Massanutten Regional Library. The paint-your-own pottery studio has signed a lease for an additional five years in the building and is celebrating throughout the month of June with new classes, specials and demos.

In a press release, co-owner Joan Clasbey stated that “the climate of ‘recession’ in Harrisonburg compels us, more than ever, to provide a place for people to spend time with friends and family and to have fun while enjoying meaningful moments! Producing art, whether it is painting ceramics, throwing clay on the wheel or fusing colorful glass creations at You Made It is a wonderful release from the stress and uncertainty of our times.”

New at You Made It!

• a new pottery wheel room where people may take throwing lessons or, for just $8 per hour, practice their artistic skills on the potter’s wheel. David Miller, the store’s other co-owner, will be showcasing the wheel with demos during First Friday (June 5th) from 5-7pm.
• a warm glass room due to open later this month. Here, people may come in and design their own jewelry and other glass pieces such as plates and bowls to be fired on-site in their new glass kiln.
• “Pottery Potluck” on Friday, June 12th from 6-8pm. Everyone is welcome to bring a dish to share with new friends. Beverages, plates, utensils, and pottery to paint will be provided.  
• Father’s Day on Sunday, June 21st. Families painting with dad save 1/2 off their studio fees.
• Customer Appreciation Day on Saturday, June 20th from 12–6pm. Free hot dogs from Midtowne Market on Water Street (which Miller also co-owns) and cutting the anniversary cake at noon. Storewide specials throughout the day and public previews of the warm glass room, pottery wheel room and summer art camps for children.

More information at www.youmadeit.net  or by calling 540.434.4500.

Garden Week Comes Downtown

Every year, the Garden Club of Virginia ushers in the spring season with Historic Garden Week, the oldest and largest statewide house and garden tour event in the nation. Tours benefit the restoration of important historic grounds and gardens throughout the state. The Harrisonburg chapter of this organization, the Spotswood Garden Club, will continue this Virginian tradition on April 22nd with the style and grace of this year’s tour, Old Town Revisited.

Formal and cottage gardens, beautifully renovated historic properties as well as artwork and priceless antiques all contribute to the tour’s attractions. The chair of this Harrisonburg event, Brenda Ashworth, has enjoyed working with the Spotswood Garden Club for 6 years and attributes the success of the event to community support. Alexis Morehouse, Promotions Manager for Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance, is excited to cross-promote this event with downtown attractions ,“We are thrilled to have the Spotswood Garden Club feature our downtown residential neighborhood as well as some of our popular community attractions. Downtown is becoming a popular place to visit and to live.”

The tour begins at 10am and ends at 5:00pm on April 22nd. Five distinct residential properties will be showcased along with downtown community cultural attractions. Stops include:

• 486 Andergren Drive
• 281 East Grattan Street
• 270 Paul Street
• 475 Ott Street
• 424 Monticello Avenue
• 301 South Main Street (Virginia Quilt Museum)
• 174 South Main Street (Massanutten Regional Library)
• 212 South Main Street (Hardesty-Higgins House)

TICKETS: Advanced tickets or block tickets, $20; Full ticket, $25; single-site admission, $10. Tickets may be purchased at any of the homes on tour day. Children 13 ages 6-12, half-price.

REFRESHMENTS AND QUILT DISPLAY: The Virginia Quilt Museum, 301 S. Main St., will feature a display, “Floral Abundance.” Light refreshments will be served by The Spotswood Garden Club. Admission is free with Harrisonburg area tour ticket. Restroom facilities available.

SPECIAL ACTIVITIES: Demonstrations of “Container Gardening” by Lynn Hess of Hess Greenhouse will be held at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the Massanutten Public Library, 174 S. Main Street, Harrisonburg. FREE to all holders of Harrisonburg Garden Day tickets.

MACRoCK Returns!

From the Daily News-Record

MACRoCk Descends On Harrisonburg Posted 2009-03-27

Music Junkies Line Up For Next Wave Of Rock Stars

By Kate Elizabeth Queram

An audience gathers at JMU’s Memorial Hall during last year’s MACRoCk. Courtesy Photos MORE PHOTOS Harrisonburg might feel a bit different next weekend. Crowded. Excited. Pulsating. And maybe just a little bit …. rockin’. Which can only mean one thing: it’s MACRoCk time again. MACRoCk (the Mid-Atlantic College Radio Conference), started in 1996 and perpetuated largely by student volunteers from WXJM, James Madison University’s radio station, brings together dozens of independent musical groups to play in showcases at local venues, such as The Little Grill or Clementine Café. The groups span the spectrum of musical genres, from metal to bluegrass. Some have fans, some are virtually unknown, but all attract music lovers from around the country to Harrisonburg. “You can always tell it’s MACRoCk because there’s a whole bunch of funky-looking vans and a bunch of cars pulling trailers full of music equipment, and it’s just fun to see all those kind of folks rolling in,” said Chris Howdyshell, part-owner of The Little Grill whose band Red River Rollercoaster has played MACRoCk in the past. “It’s absolutely a fun time for those who are attending.” That sense of community, and the recognition it brings to Harrisonburg, are part of what MACRoCk is about, according to head coordinator John Reiss. “It’s promoting interaction between music fans and also local businesses,” Reiss said. “For a city that’s grown to raise us as MACRoCk, it’s our chance to give back.” That’s a shift from how MACRoCk was run initially. In the very beginning, Reiss said, shows took place mostly in students’ basements. When the conference was adopted by JMU, the venues were moved to campus locations. Now a non-profit organization run by a volunteer committee, MACRoCk is run independently – a change most noticeable in the use of downtown hotspots as stages for the bands. The shift, said Clementine general manager Jeremiah Jenkins, makes the festival a Harrisonburg signature event, and encourages locals beyond just college students to get involved. “Now that the venues are mostly downtown, there’s kids walking around all over the place with guide books,” Jenkins said. “It’s certainly a noticeable presence in town.” During MACRoCk, each of the downtown venues has its own presence as well. Each place is booked with bands playing similar types of music, giving each spot a specific atmosphere. Court Square Theater, for example, will host the “mellow rock” showcase, according to Reiss, whereas the bands at Clementine will have more of a traditional rock n’ roll vibe. Each showcase features a mixture of headliners, booked bands – groups sought out by the organizing committee – and bands that applied to be included. The majority of the bands, Reiss said, are the latter. “[Last year], out of 110 bands, three-fourths were applied bands and one-fourth were booked,” Reiss said, adding that the MACRoCk committee tries to solicit bands largely from the eastern half of the United States. “We draw from the Northeast and the East Coast, New York down to Florida.” Because the bands are unsigned, most are largely unknown outside of their hometowns – ever heard of Power Pill Fist, Eternal Summers or Red Clay River? – but some hit it big after playing at MACRoCk, meaning festival-goers may have a chance to see the next rock-star group before they’re famous, Howdyshell said. This year’s on-the-cusp band is Obits, a Brooklyn group led by Rick Froberg, former member of bands Pitchfork and Hot Snakes. “They’re big-time,” Jenkins said of the group, which headlines the Saturday rock showcase at Clementine. “They just released a new album, it’s really exciting that we were able to get them. I think it’s going to be definitely a highlight of MACRoCk.” Other MACRoCk highlights include a label expo where bands and record companies can rent tables to sell merchandise and share information and a handful of panel discussions on music industry topics, ranging from self-publishing to a panel where band frontmen share stories from the road. Both the expo and the panels are free, and help make MACRoCk more than just a two-day concert, Jenkins said. “It’s really become one of the most recognized and attended music festivals on the East Coast …  it puts Harrisonburg on the map, in many ways,” he said. “I just think that MACRoCk is really great for Harrisonburg, it’s great for downtown …  and it’s awesome that Harrisonburg plays such a vital role in supporting independent music.” Rock out: MACRoCk hits Harrisonburg Friday, April 3, and Saturday, April 4. Showtimes and bands vary by location; for a complete schedule, check www.macrock.org. Tickets for the entire weekend are $15 in advance, $18 the day of; tickets for Friday only are $10 the day of, tickets for Saturday only are $12 the day of. Tickets can be purchased online at www.macrock.org/registration or through the Court Square Theater box office at 433-9189.

“The Nest” to Open in Downtown Harrisonburg

At least one new business plans to take up roost downtown this Spring.  Opening in April, The Nest will offer high-end studio photography from the top floors of the Houck Building on Main Street (next to the Bank of America Building), which also houses Blue Ridge Design Studio and Eugene Stoltzfus Architects.

High-end studio photography? What’s that?

The Nest photographers/owners Rebekah Girvan Budnikas and Katie Stoops seek to offer a different choice to families and couples looking to document their lives through photographs. Like many, I remember Family Photo Day as a grueling affair where we all hiked to the mall dressed in matching outfits, posed unnaturally close together and were punished for not smiling at the right moment and ruining the shot. The only consolation was that Family Photo Day, like visiting the dentist, only happened once a year.

At The Nest, the process will be much more relaxed, and the product is art with you as the subject. Seeing is believing: check out Budnikas’ wedding and family portfolio here and Stoops’ wedding portfolio here. If their work looks very different from the posed studio shots you remember from your childhood, it’s because it is.

Photo by Katie Stoops, Open Air Photography (skyelark2.bigfolioblog.com)

Why Downtown? The Houck Tannery

Perched on the uppermost floors of one of the tallest buildings downtown, when it opens The Nest will already come with an old soul. The building housing the studio served as the Houck Tannery from 1870 to the 1920s – hooks used in the process of turning hides into leather still hang from the ceiling. Read more about the Houck Tannery in this recent article in eightyone magazine.

Photo by Rebekah Girvan Budnikas (rebekahgirvan.blogspot.com)

The decision to open downtown, especially in these economic times, was a calculated risk on the part of the owners, but being artists, was not without some romance. Says Budnikas, they wanted The Nest to be downtown in order to share their creative space with the community.  At their open house on Friday, April 17, they plan to display photographs of famous local characters, including quotes from the subjects ruminating about downtown.  You can suggest people to be included in the “Faces of Downtown” project here on this blog (Too late – I’ve already nominated Eddie Bumbaugh).  Opening night will also include a photo booth where members of the public can take photos of themselves with various props, and the owners are already anticipating participating in the Spring and Fall Museum and Gallery Walks, hosted by Arts Council of the Valley.

“[The Art Walk] is a great opportunity to meet other people who are interested in the arts,” says Budnikas. “There’s no other hub for that in town.”

This Weekend’s Events 1/16/08-1/18/08

Soup and Socks

The Friendly City Takes the Chill Off
Jan 18,11am-3pm | Court Square | Free

Free bowls of chili will be served at this event focusing on hunger and homelessness. The public is asked to bring canned soup for donation to local food banks and soup kitchens, as well as warm socks of all sizes, which will be donated to local agencies serving homeless people and families. Visit the above link for background information on the event.

Friday Jazz Jam

Free to Play, Free to Listen
Jan 16, 5-8pm | Adona Music | Free

Enjoy a night of jazz with players from beginner to advanced at Adona Music at 34 South Main Street (540.434.2099).

Visiting Artisans Series Continues

George Lange woodworking
Jan 16-17,11:00am | Hardesty-Higgins House | Free
George Lange exhibits woordworking and practical wood crafts such as spoons and ladles. Lange also designs creative kitchen tools in beautifully crafted wood.

Independent & Foreign Film Series

Featured Films: Frozen River and Synecdoche NY
Jan 16-20,times vary | Court Square Theater | $6 at the door; $5 for students on Friday

FROZEN RIVER
A powerful and unflinching tale of two women who make tough decisions in order to survive. (R; 97 min.)
Fri 4:15 & 9:45; Sat 7:00; Sun 4:15; Mon 7:00; Tue 4:15

SYNECDOCHE NY
Phillip Seymour Hoffman stars as a theater director in the surreal comedy by Paul Kaufman. (R; 124 min.)
Fri 7:00; Sat 4:15 & 9:45; Sun 7:00; Mon 4:15; Tue 7:00

Art and Yarn at Clementine

Art Show: Kat Corrin
Jan 16 | Clementine | Free
Featured artist Kat Corrin screen prints and sculpture.

Music: Yarn
Jan 17, 9pm | Clementine | $5
Americana band from Brooklyn. Their album Empty Pockets is currently holds the number 5 spot on the AMA Americana Radio Chart.

Downtown Events Receive a Makeover in the New Year

We mentioned in an earlier post about planned changes to the Tour of Virginia (Seven Projects to Be Excited About in 2009), which include keeping the bicycle races entirely in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County and holding professional and community races from the downtown to Reddish Knob. Tour organizers are still looking to secure a title sponsor for that event, and you’ll hear it here as soon as we hear more.

Other changes to recently formed events are planned for this year.  This year, Court Days Festival is reinventing itself as the Court and Market Days Festival with events centrally located around the Downtown Harrisonburg Farmers’ Market. Like in years past, this June event will feature historic reenactments and culture from 1850’s Shenandoah Valley, with an eye this year toward the area’s living tradition of the central farmers’ market. Expect 19th century traditions like shape note singing and a traveling medicine show to share space with modern craftsmen and musicians in this unique one-day festival.

As always, HDR needs volunteers to serve on event committees and day-of-event volunteers, as well as sponsors. Please contact Kris Ludwig if you can assist in anyway with the Tour of Virginia, Court Days Festival, or any of our other Spring or Summer events. 540.432.8922 or krisl@harrisonburgva.gov.