9 minute read
IN COUNTRY
In Country Calendar
COMPILED BY KATE OCZYPOK Spring has officially sprung in our In Country section! Here are some events in the Virginia countryside this month.
SATURDAY APRIL 16
EASTER BUNNY EXPERIENCE AT SALAMANDER RESORT & SPA Salamander Resort & Spa | 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Join the Salamander Resort & Spa for a wagon ride to visit the Easter Bunny and a private egg hunt afterwards.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2022-easterbunny-experience-tickets-277601472477
SUNDAY APRIL 17
BLUE RIDGE HUNT POINT-TO-POINT Woodley Farm | 1-7 p.m. The 72nd running of the Blue Ridge Hunt Races includes a Fox-Hounds Parade, Kids’ Zone, Easter Egg Hunt, an antique car show and more.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/blue-ridgepoint-to-point-races-tickets-296852262107 SATURDAY APRIL 23
MIDDLEBURG SPRING RACES Glenwood Park | 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Every third Saturday in April, thousands come out to Glenwood Park for Virginia’s oldest steeplechase (since 1911!)
https://www.middleburgspringraces.com/
SUNDAY APRIL 24
MIDDLEBURG CHERRY BLOSSOM 5K RUN AND 1 MILE POOCH PRANCE Middleburg Community Center | 8-11:30 a.m. Come out to walk, run or prance with your pooch to support breast cancer awareness. Proceeds go directly to the Cherry Blossom Breast Cancer Foundation.
https://cherryblossombreastcancerfoundation. org/get-involved/registration/
SATURDAY APRIL 30
MIDDLEBURG HUMANE FOUNDATION DENIM & DIAMONDS GALA The Middleburg Barn | 6-11 p.m. The 25th Annual Gala features a pasta bar, dessert selection, bar service and music by 8 Track Jones.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/denim-anddiamonds-gala-tickets-277609275817
107 W Washington Street | Middleburg MiddleburgAntiqueGallery.com | (703) 434-2380
ALL’S WELL FARM
Marshall, Virginia • $7,100,000
Prime Fauquier County location on the Atoka Road |88.34 acres w/ bold Blue Ridge views | Neoclassical brick home w/ state roof completely updated & expanded | 5 BR, 5 full, 2 half baths, 5 fireplaces, gourmet kitchen |10 stall barn with attached indoor arena | Pool, pool house, tenant house |Beautiful gardens | Superb condition
Paul MacMahon (703) 609-1905
LONG BRANCH
The Plains, Virginia • $1,950,000
Gorgeous 71 acre parcel in a wonderful location between Middleburg and The Plains | Rolling land with stone walls and 2 ponds | Enchanting property | Property is in conservation easement and may not be divided further
Helen MacMahon (540) 454-1930
info@sheridanmacmahon.com www.sheridanmacmahon.com RUTLEDGE FARM
Middleburg, Virginia
circa 1740 w/addition in 1820 | 6 BR, 5 fireplaces | 85 acres | 4 barns | Derby field | 218 x 80 indoor arena | 250 x 150 allweather outdoor arena | 80’ lunging arena | Polo field (or 2 grand prix fields) | 4 board, double fencing | Guest house | Farm office /3 BR house | Machine shed | Carriage house w/ apartment | Stone spring house/office | 3 BR apartment | Pond $5,750,000 (also available w/113.59 acres, $7,000,000 Paul MacMahon (703) 609-1905
JOHN MARSHALL HIGHWAY
Markham, Virginia • $997,160
3 recorded parcels in Markham, VA. | Frontage on Goose Creek, land rises to great views, mountain meadows on upper portion | Access over Railroad and creek | Excellent hunting land, surrounded by large tracts
Paul MacMahon (703) 609-1905 HALFWAY FARM
Middleburg, Virginia • $3,975,000
Privacy and 107 acres between Middleburg and The Plains | Residential enclave of great character within a rich array of natural resources | Classic Virginia stone and stucco c. 1820 | 4 bedrooms, antique floors and rich pine paneling Two guest houses, stone cottage, farm managers house, 2 stables, machine shed and work shop| Extensive Little River frontage and 2 ponds | Tremendous views Helen MacMahon (540) 454-1930
DOMINION HEIGHTS
Arlington, Virginia • $410,000
One bedroom, one bath condo | Minutes to shopping, dining, commuting routes & the Metro | Open floor plan with stylish kitchen featuring stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, & ample storage | A large private patio | Assigned Garage parking space | Secure Gold LEEDcertified building featuring guest parking, a courtyard w/ grills, & bike storage Brian MacMahon (703) 609-1868
110 East Washington Street Middleburg, Virginia 20117
With the Rise of NFTs, How Is the Art World Changing?
BY CHRISTOPHER JONES
While the modern art world is naturally one of upheaval, the meteoric rise of Non-Fungible Tokens or NFTs in the past pandemic year has left many wondering how new digital art and transaction technologies are shaping the artistic landscape. Will our aesthetic notions shift? What will become of the art marketplace?
The first NFT “Terra Nulius” was quietly minted on the Ethereum blockchain in 2014, but not much notice was taken of any NFT “art” until CryptoPunks, CryptoCats and CrytoKitties were launched in 2017, many circulated as “joke collectibles” that gained exponential market value with ensuing publicity.
NFT artwork had escaped most people’s awareness until last March when Christie’s sold Beeple’s “Everydays: The First 5000 Days,” a pastiche of the NFT artist’s 13 years of daily digital output – the aesthetics of which were derided by many critics – for a shocking $69.3 million. At Christie’s, contemporary specialist Noah Davis called the sale a “paradigm shift.” In 2020, the famed auction house had sold only a single NFT for $131,250… but in the first half of 2021 the “number was more than $100 million.”
“Within a few short months, the NFT went from a digital product utilizing a technology most people had barely heard of to the art world’s newest obsession, even though many traditional art collectors would be hardpressed to explain how the process works or what to do with one,” wrote Ted Loos of Gallerie Magazine.
Soon a host of celebrities – Paris Hilton, John Cleese, Jay-Z, Alec Baldwin, Snoop Dogg, the Weeknd, Jimmy Fallon, and even the fake German heiress Anna Sorokin – joined the NFT minting and buying mania, with major league sports, the fashion industry, former first ladies like Melania Trump (Did anyone actually buy her white hat NFT yet?) and just about anyone else with some ether in their crypto wallet and access to the Ethereum blockchain where NFT exchanges are to be found. Even Saturday Night Live did a skit on NFTs they soon issued as an NFT.
In search of a better understanding of how the art world has been affected by NFT art, The Georgetowner spoke with a few experts. First, we talked to Dr. Lisa Strong, director of the art and museum studies MA program at Georgetown University and former manager of curatorial affairs at the Corcoran Gallery of Art to give us a basic understanding of NFTs and their effects. “NFTs are a form of digital barcode that can be attached to a file and stored on the blockchain [a decentralized, distributed record of digital transactions on the internet]. The token [a digital certificate of authorization akin to a deed or receipt] both authenticates ownership of the file and, by recording the transfer from one owner to the next, documents provenance,” she said.
With verifiable provenance and publiclylisted transactions, much of the uncertainty surrounding the history of ownership for an art work is eliminated. For art dealers and buyers, this is a transformative change. “Dealers would agree that the monetary value of an artwork rests in its authenticity. You can, in large measure, establish the authenticity of an artwork through documenting its provenance,” Strong said.
Since blockchain technology allows for the creation of “smart contracts,” artists can now structure new payment arrangements and insure higher remuneration for their works. “I believe many artists using NFTs are able to set up a system of royalties, so they’re
Beeple’s NFT “Everydays: The First 5000 Days” which sold for $69.3 million at a Christie’s auction in March, 2021. Photo courtesy Wikipedia and Beeple-crap.com.
automatically paid each time the artwork changes hands,” Strong said. “On the one hand, recording ownership is crucial for artists because it allows them to sell digitally born artwork. Otherwise, their files could be copied and circulated infinitely, destroying their market value. Tokenizing digital art theoretically makes it possible to sell it and thus attractive to work in that medium.”
Since blockchain technology is so new, however, it is not without its risks for artists and collectors. “My understanding is that it is not yet possible to guarantee that a token and its file can remain connected and recorded on the blockchain indefinitely.”
VISIT GEORGETOWNER.COM FOR THE FULL ARTICLE
Arts Watch
BY KATE OCZYPOK
This month’s Arts Watch includes good news from the GALA Hispanic Theatre, news of additions at the Anacostia Playhouse and National Museum of African American History and culture, and more.
Stephawn Stephens has joined the Anacostia Playhouse as its new Artistic Executive Director, bringing over 30 years of experience. Stephens will be managing all day-to-day operations for the venue as well as leading fundraising programs and artistic and community engagement.
“Stephawn brings a combination of energy, leadership and creativity that will serve the Playhouse well into the future,” said Pat Martin, board chair. “We expact Stephawn to not only continue the Playhouse’s excellent programming, but to expand it to reach more members of the community.”
NEW HEAD OF ADVANCEMENT AT NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE
The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture welcomed Adele Hixon-Day as its new head of advancement last month. Hixon-Day brings with her over a decade of experience. Before joining the NMAAHC, she was vice president of development for the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
“Adele’s experience in non-profit management and leadership development makes her especially suited to join the museum at this time,” said Kevin Young, the museum’s Andrew W. Mellon Director. “As a skilled professional in fundraising and philanthropy, she has experience with both the financial and visionary aspects of executing a national endowment campaign and is dedicated to leading and uplifting our equally gifted team.”
GALA HISPANIC THEATRE AWARDED $150,000 GRANT
GALA Hispanic Theatre was approved to receive an American Rescue Plan grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. The theatre will receive $150,000 and use the funding to save jobs and fund day-to-day operations, health and safety supplies and more.
“We are thrilled to have been selected to receive an American Rescue Grant,” said Rebecca Medrano, executive director of the GALA Hispanic Theatre. “These funds are critical to our recovery from this devastating pandemic and will help us retain Latinx staff and support general operations.”
Let this be a reminder of how we are living through history — the Smithsonian National Museum of American History is continuing to document the current pandemic. Curators are considering artifacts offered through emailing inquiry@si.edu. The museum has responded to over 500 donation offers. They’re currently working on the evolution of personal protective equipment, from tennis champ Naomi Osaka’s Black Lives Matter masks to one worn to a wedding and another worn by a 2020 poll worker in New York City.
