MAR. 2020
PRICELESS
Revitalized Museum Tells Our Community’s Stories
Loudoun Now Your guide to Loudoun’s Entertainment Scene
NATIONAL WOMEN’S MONTH
WOMEN
WINEMAKERS
DINNER
MARCH 25TH AT 7PM $110 INCLUSIVE
featuring wines from some of the
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203 Harrison Street, Leesburg, VA 20175 tuskies.com 703 771 9300 2
GET OUT LOUDOUN
MARCH 2020
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Inside: Danny Paisley & the Southern Grass by Jordan August
GET OUT LOUDOUN Get Out Loudoun is a 10,000 circulation monthly distributed to entertainment, tourism and hospitality venues throughout Loudoun County. For the latest news on the music scene and other community events, go to getoutloudoun.com.
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CONTRIBUTORS Renss Greene Therese Howe Jan Mercker Kara C. Rodriguez Jim Sisley Norman K. Styer Patrick Szabo
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TUNES Loudoun’s booming music scene includes a strong roster of talented teen bands. The best of them will compete this month on the county’s biggest stage for the top title. HISTORY Founded a half century ago, the Loudoun Museum is under new leadership with a strong roster of programs and exhibits that will help both visitors and long-time residents understand more about their community’s history. FLAVORS Two newly opened eateries led by local restaurant industry vets are reaching to fill special niches in the county’s culinary scene.
ON THE COVER
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Renss Greene/Get Out Loudoun Loudoun Museum Executive Director Joseph Rizzo and Visitor Experience Manager Andrea Ekholm show off an antique press in the museum’s exhibit on the history of wine in Virginia.
ARTS SCENE Andrea Cybyk’s abstract creations can draw inspiration from a cooking holiday in Italy or use striking, colorful diagonal lines to reflect life’s hectic pace.
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BEST BETS Get Out Loudoun’s Picks for March.
TO ADVERTISE Susan Styer at 703-770-9723 or sales@loudounnow.com MARCH 2020
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Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center
The Smithsonian’s Steven F. UdvarHazy Center will feature a day full of hands-on activities, inspiring women, and fun challenges to celebrate women’s contributions to space, aviation, and STEM fields during a special Space Family Day on March 14.
Putting the Spotlight on Loudoun’s Leading Women March is Women’s History Month and Sunday, March 8 is International Women’s Day. Given that 2020 is also the 100th Anniversary of Women’s Suffrage, we’re in an auspicious cycle. Loudoun will commemorate women winning the right to vote when it hosts the 50th National Association of Commissions for Women’s annual conference at the Lansdowne Resort & Spa on July 19-22. But locals and visitors don’t have to wait until July for female forward programing or to celebrate dynamic and innovative Loudoun women. Saturday, March 7, from 8.30 a.m. to 2 p.m. is the sixth annual Power Up Women’s Conference for Women and Teens at the River Creek Club in Leesburg. Inspiring female keynote speakers will discuss everything from financial management and careers, to wellness and relationships, all to “ignite the power in you.” The following Saturday, March 14, the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center hosts Women in Aviation and Space Family Day—a celebration of women’s contributions to space, aviation and STEM fields. In between stories about pioneering pilot Amelia Earhart, kids can test their skills in flight simulators or join a Girl Scout troop in a “build your own flyer” design challenge. On Thursday, March 26 up to 35 women will enjoy a four-course French dinner paired with French and local wine at beloved 868 Estate’s 4
Grandale Restaurant, part of 868’s monthly women’s social known as The Vine, started by co-owner Nancy Deliso seven years ago. “My goal was to provide women with a place to go out with girlfriends and enjoy great food and wine,” Deliso said. “Seven years on it’s still going strong.” The theme for this month is Moulin Rouge thus the French menu and libations. Talking libations, Loudoun’s female distillers, vintners and brewers are trailblazers of the county’s booming beverage scene, so why not celebrate the suffragettes over a glass of their finest? Start with a classic Roundstone Rye Sazerac cocktail at chemical engineer-turned whisky-maker Becky Harris’ celebrated Catoctin Creek Distillery in Purcellville, before moving on to a peppery Cab Franc or summery Rosé at nearby Sunset Hills where Corry Craighill bottles her magic. If beer’s your thing, raise a glass of Juicy Lucy India Pale Ale at Solace Brewery in Dulles, home of brewer Sasha Kingry, a former chemist. Kingry is a supporter of Pink Boots Society, a female-led initiative that sells an annual beer to raise money to finance projects for under-represented groups in the beer industry. Time to celebrate. Happy Women’s History Month!
For more information, visit visitloudoun.org/getout
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MARCH 2020
loudoun A WEDDING SHOWCASE
SUNDAY, MARCH 15, 2020 West Belmont Place ı Leesburg, Virginia BUY TICKETS OR VIP ACCESS AT
VISITLOUDOUN.ORG/WEDDINGS
TUNES
Contributed
2019 Battle of the Bands runner up King St has qualified for the 2020 final, which will be held March 27 at the Tally Ho Theater.
Youth Bands Gear Up for Final Battle
L
oudoun’s top youth bands will take the stage at Leesburg’s Tally Ho Theater on Friday, March 27 for the finale of the annual Battle of the Bands competition.
Organized by Loudoun Youth Inc., the program provides middle school and high school youth bands and soloists with a free opportunity to perform in front of their peers and compete for $900 in cash prizes, studio recording time and private lessons with professional songwriters, and much more. The competition got started in December, when three acts were selected to compete in the finals after performing at the Cascades Overlook Event Center. Another preliminary round was held in January and the final three finalist slots were to be filled Feb. 28. So far, the March 27 line-up includes two top finalists from 2019. Alaska & Aurora is a four-member female alternative, indie pop band that formed in 2015 at Bach to Rock in Lansdowne. Since last year’s appearance, the quartet has continued writing music and performing around the region, 6
including the Hera Music Fest in Washington, DC, and the Crossroads Music Fest in downtown Leesburg. Also returning to the finals stage is Leesburgbased King St, the runner up in the 2019 battle. The four-member high school band has evolved from an instrumental jam group, into an ambitious, genre-crossing powerhouse. They are currently in the studio recording a new album with their newest member, Ella Levri, on vocals. Other performers who earned spots on the finals stage during the first two rounds of competition are Clique Bait, Echo, Oh, Lily, and The Kuckleheads. The 2019 battle winner, metal band KAGE, has had a busy year. They’ve recently adopted a new name, Skomucon, (not to be confused with the 1980s metal band, Kage) and have launched a weekly Metal Monday gig at the Döner Bistro in Leesburg. Last year’s Battle of the Bands finals was a fullcapacity sell-out. For updates and details, go to loudoun.gov/teens.
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MARCH 2020
LINER NOTES
MCDOWELL’S ‘LEAVING HOME’ SET FOR RELEASE Leesburg singer-songwriter Juliana MacDowell is gearing up for the release of her second studio album, “Leaving Home.” The formal unveiling will be held March 18 in Key West, FL, where the album was recorded under the guidance of British producer Ian Shaw at his houseboat studio. She’ll be back in Loudoun a week later to perform with her band as Jules & The Agreeables at the Barns at Hamilton Station Vineyard on March 28. The album’s title track tells the story of a singer who heads to Nashville and LA in pursuit of a music career, only to find the support she needed back in her hometown. Learn more at julianamacdowell.com. LEESBURG BAND LANDS RECORDING CONTRACT With a slightly new name, Leesburg band My Kid Brother in January inked a deal with Fearless Records, a Culver City, CA-label best known for its support of punk and alternative rock bands. The band celebrated the deal with the release of a new single on Jan. 14. “Native Tongue,” available on Apple Music and Spotify, includes a shout-out to the band’s hometown.
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HISTORY
Renss Greene/Loudoun Now
Loudoun Museum Executive Director Joseph Rizzo shows off an antique press in the museum’s new exhibit on the history of wine in Virginia.
Revitalized Loudoun Museum Exhibit Pours Out a Virginia Wine History Lesson BY JAN MERCKER
When you’re sipping a viognier at your favorite local winery, you may not be thinking about the bumpy, beautiful and fascinating history of wine in Virginia and Loudoun. But the new head of the Loudoun Museum has immersed himself in four centuries of Virginia wine. The museum’s new exhibit “Vintage Pursuits: Cultivating a Virginia Wine Industry.” For Executive Director Joseph Rizzo, the exhibit is part of a move to take a fresh approach to Loudoun history, with new hooks and unexpected shows, making the museum a more vibrant part of the county’s tourism landscape.
where visitors are coming from and why they’re coming here, a lot of it’s the wineries, the breweries. Agrotourism is really starting to take off,” Rizzo said. “We can really tap into—no pun intended—what’s driving tourism.” The exhibit follows the history of viticulture and winemaking in Virginia from colonial times with a focus on Loudoun’s wine industry. “It’s really not about the nuts and bolts of wine growing. We wanted to focus on the social and political contexts surrounding it too,” Rizzo said. One of the most surprising things Rizzo found as he researched and planned the exhibit
“After spending some time learning about 8
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was how much of a focus there was on grape growing in colonial times. From the early days, wine and grapes played a significant role in Virginia’s laws, culture and politics, he said. In the 1600s, the colonies were required to grow grapes as England looked to offset its reliance on French wine. “The depths that colony and the state went to produce wine and make a wine industry is what stood out most to me,” he said. But it wasn’t an easy path. The native grapes that initially excited colonists didn’t make good wine, and climate and disease hampered early efforts, despite colonial governments bringing in European winemakers. “Nothing really seemed to work for the first couple hundred years,” Rizzo said. “One thing that stood out to me was simply how much failure there was with Virginia wine. When you look at the history, it’s centuries of failure by and large—for natural reasons, for political reasons, for social reasons. But in the past half-century, new technology and determined winemakers have finally achieved success in growing European grapes in Virginia’s humid climate, and Loudoun is at the epicenter of the new wave. For Rizzo’s colleague, Visitor Experience Manager Andrea Ekholm, those strides in the WINE HISTORY
MARCH 2020
ABOUT THE LOUDOUN MUSEUM The Loudoun Museum was founded in 1967, set up first in the 1764 log cabin silversmith shop on Loudoun Street and later expanded to two townowned buildings along Wirt Street. The museum’s collection of more than 8,000 artifacts includes documents signed by George Washington and James Monroe, as well as letters exchanged between freed slaves writing home from Liberia to their former masters, historic maps, fine arts, photographs, postcards, textiles, furniture and tools.
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A recent re-organization included the hiring of Joe Rizzo, a 19th century history specialist, as the new executive director. He is a native of western New York and earned a doctorate in history from West Virginia University with a focus on Civil War antebellum politics. Before taking over at the museum, he worked at the Drayton Hall historic site in Charleston, SC, while serving as an adjunct professor at College of Charleston.
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Curtis Allred opened Wild Wood Pizza next to Cobb Theatres in the Village at Leesburg neighborhood on Feb 12. Patrick Szabo/Get Out Loudoun
A beer hall, a wine lounge, a pizzeria BY KARA RODRIGUEZ
Serial restaurateur Curtis Allred has introduced his latest contribution to Leesburg’s dining scene. Wild Wood Pizza has opened its doors next to Cobb Theatres in the Village at Leesburg neighborhood. Allred, whose Delirium Café USA is a popular destination in downtown Leesburg, brings several of his passions together for the new venture, which includes an expansive beer and wine program, traditional and creative pizza items, all within a family-friendly restaurant setting.
Giovanni’s, La Villa Roma, Rocco’s, Rubino’s, and more. While he acknowledges that each restaurant has its niche and draws a sizable following, he believes that Wild Wood offers something different. He points to the expansive interior, with seating for up to 140 patrons and two semiprivate dining rooms. It’s the kind of pizza joint where you can take a Little League team after a game, take the whole family to dinner, or just enjoy a couple’s night out. And if the restaurant’s size weren’t indication enough of its kid-friendliness, Allred points to a dividing wall where kids can leave their mark on a large chalkboard.
Allred is keenly aware that a pizza restaurant is nothing new to Leesburg, a town that already counts fan favorites Fireworks, Solo, 10
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WILD WOOD
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19 W Market St, Leesburg, VA (703) 777-1665
Tickets Available at:
WWW.TALLYHOTHEATER.COM
Coming to Town this March! 3/6
GO GO GADJET
3/13
BALLYHOO!
3/21
BOAT HOUSE ROW
MARCH 2020
7:00PM
7:00PM
7:00PM
3/7
80’S NIGHT WITH THE REAGAN YEARS
3/14
SEVERAL SPECIES: THE PINK FLOYD EXPERIENCE
3/28
LIVE WIRE: THE ULTIMATE AC/DC EXPERIENCE
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WINERIES 1 868 Estate Vineyards 14001 Harpers Ferry Rd, Purcellville 868estatevineyards.com 2 The Barns at Hamilton Station 16804 Hamilton Station Rd., Hamilton thebarnsathamiltonstation.com 3 Bluemont Vineyard 18755 Foggy Bottom Rd., Bluemont bluemontvineyard.com 4 Bogati Winery 35246 Harry Byrd Hwy, Round Hill bogatiwinery.com 5 Boxwood Estate Winery 2042 Burrland Rd., Middleburg boxwoodwinery.com 6 Breaux Vineyards 36888 Breaux Vineyards Lane, Hillsboro breauxvineyards.com
7 Cana Vineyards of Middleburg 38600 John Mosby Hwy, Middleburg canavineyards.com 8 Cardamon Family Vineyards 12226 Harpers Ferry Rd., Hillsboro cardamonfamilyvineyards.com 9 Carroll Vineyards 29 South King St., Leesburg leesburg-vintner.com/vineyards 10 Casanel Vineyards 17952 Canby Rd., Leesburg casanelvineyards.com 11 Chrysalis Vineyards 39025 John Mosby Highway, Aldie chrysaliswine.com 12 Corcoran Vineyards & Cider 14635 Corkys Farm Lane, Waterford corcoranvineyards.com 13 Creek’s Edge Winery 41255 Annas Lane, Lovettsville
creeksedgewinery.com 14 Crushed Cellars 37938 Charles Town Pike, Purcellville crushedcellars.com 15` Doukenie Winery 14727 Mountain Rd., Hillsboro doukeniewinery.com 16 Dry Mill Vineyards & Winery 18195 Dry Mill Rd., Leesburg drymillwine.com 17 Fabbioli Cellars 15669 Limestone School Rd., Leesburg fabbioliwines.com 18 Fleetwood Farm Winery 23075 Evergreen Mills Rd., Leesburg fleetwoodfarmwinery.com 19 Greenhill Winery & Vineyards 23595 Winery Lane, Middleburg greenhillvineyards.com
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20 Hidden Brook Winery 43301 Spinks Ferry Rd., Leesburg hiddenbrookwinery.com 21 Hiddencroft Vineyards 12202 Axline Rd., Lovettsville hiddencroftvineyards.com 22 Hillsborough Vineyards 36716 Charles Town Pike, Hillsboro hillsboroughwine.com 23 Hunters Run Wine Barn 40325 Charles Town Pike, Hamilton huntersrunwinebarn.com 24 Lost Creek Winery 43285 Spinks Ferry Rd., Leesburg lostcreekwinery.com 25 Maggie Malick Wine Caves 12138 Harpers Ferry Rd., Hillsboro maggiemalickwinecaves.com 26 Notaviva Craft Fermentations 13274 Sagle Rd., Hillsboro notavivavineyards.com
27 Otium Cellars 18050 Tranquility Rd., Purcellville otiumcellars.com 28 Quattro Goomba’s Winery 22860 James Monroe Hwy, Aldie goombawine.com 29 Stone Tower Winery 19925 Hogback Mountain Rd., L’burg stonetowerwinery.com 30 Stonehouse Meadery 36580 Shoemaker School Rd., Purcellville stonehousemeadery.com 31 Sunset Hills Vineyard 38295 Fremont Overlook Ln, Purcellville sunsethillsvineyard.com 32 Tarara Winery 13648 Tarara Lane, Leesburg tarara.com 33 Terra Nebulo 39792 Old Waterford Rd., Waterford terranebulo.com
1 Adroit Theory Brewing 404 Browning Ct., Purcellville adroit-theory.com 2 B Chord Brewing Company 34266 Williams Gap Rd., Round Hill bchordbrewing.com 3 Barnhouse Brewery 43271 Spinks Ferry Rd., Leesburg barnhousebrewery.com 4 Bear Chase Brewing 33665 Bear Chase Ln, Bluemont bearchasebrew.com 5 Belly Love Brewing Company 725 E. Main St., Purcellville bellylovebrewing.com 6 Beltway Brewing Company 22620 Davis Dr. Ste 110, Sterling beltwaybrewco.com 7 Bike TrAle Brewing 101 Loudoun St. SE, Leesburg facebook.com/BikeTrAleBrewing 8 Black Hoof Brewing Company 11 South King St., Leesburg blackhoofbrewing.com 9 Black Walnut Brewery 210 S. King St. Leesburg blackwalnutbrewery.com 10 Crooked Run Brewing Central 22455 Davis Dr., Sterling crookedrunbrewing.com
11 Crooked Run Brewing Market Station, Leesburg crookedrunbrewing.com 12 Dragon Hops Brewing 130 E. Main St., Purcellville dragonhopsbrewing.com 13 Dirt Farm Brewing 18701 Foggy Bottom Rd., Bluemont dirtfarmbrewing.com 14 Dog Money Rest. & Brewery 50 Catoctin Circle NE, Leesburg dogmoney.squarespace.com 15 Harper’s Ferry Brewing 37412 Adventure Ctr. Lane, Hillsboro harpersferrybrewing.com 16 House 6 Brewing 4427 Atwater Dr., Ashburn house6brewing.com 17 Lost Rhino Brewing Company 21730 Red Rum Rd. #142, Ashburn lostrhino.com 18 Loudoun Brewing Company 310 E. Market St. Leesburg loudounbrewing.com 19 Ocelot Brewing Company 23600 Overland Dr., #180, Dulles ocelotbrewing.com 20 Old 690 Brewing Company 15670 Ashbury Church Rd., Hillsboro old690.com
34 Two Twisted Posts Winery 12944 Harpers Ferry Rd., Hillsboro twotwistedposts.com 35 Village Winery 40405 Browns Lane, Waterford villagewineryandvineyards.com 36 Willowcroft Farm Vineyards 38906 Mount Gilead Rd., Leesburg willowcroftwine.com 37 The Wine Reserve at Waterford 38516 Charles Town Pike, Waterford waterfordwinereserve.com 38 Walsh Family Wine 16031 Hillsboro Rd., Purcellville northgatevineyard.com 39 Winery 32 15066 Limestone School Rd., Leesburg winery32.com 40 Zephaniah Farm Vineyard 19381 Dunlop Mill Rd., Leesburg zephwine.com
BREWERIES 21 Old Ox Brewery 44652 Guilford Dr., Ste 114, Ashburn oldoxbrewery.com 22 Old Ox Brewery Middleburg 14 S Madison St, Middleburg, VA 23 Phase 2 Brewing 19382 Diamond Lake Dr, Lansdowne Phase2Brewing.com 24 Quattro Goomba’s Brewery 22860 James Monroe Hwy, Aldie goombabrewery.com 25 Rocket Frog Brewing Company 22560 Glenn Dr. #103, Sterling rocketfrogbeer.com 26 Solace Brewing Company 42615 Trade West Dr., Sterling solacebrewing.com 27 Sweetwater Tavern 45980 Waterview Plaza, Sterling greatamericanrestaurants.com 28 The Craft of Brewing 21140 Ashburn Crossing Dr., Ashburn thecraftob.com 29 Twinpanzee Brewing Co. 101 Executive Dr., Sterling twinpanzee.com 30 Vanish Farmwoods Brewery 42245 Black Hops Lane, Lucketts vanishbeer.com 31 Wheatland Springs Farm 38454 John Wolford Rd., Waterford
FLAVORS
Serving Up Comfort Food and Community BY NORMAN K. STYER
Leesburg residents Mark and Kristi Hanlon are restaurant industry veterans who have spent three decades serving up meals at some of the area’s most popular eateries. Now, they are doing that their own way at their new Wicket Door Pub in Ashburn’s University Center neighborhood. The husband and wife team hope to provide more than a great place for comfort food and a breakfast destination. They want the pub to be a gathering point for the surrounding community that includes residents, business employees, students from the George Washington University campus across the street, and police officers at the law enforcement training academy nearby. After being open just a few weeks, they’re already 14
After decades in the industry, Mark and Kristi Hanlon are striking out on their own with their first restaurant, the Wicket Door Pub, in Ashburn.
Norman K. Styer/Get Out Loudoun
seeing longtime neighbors connecting with each other for the first time around their tables. “It’s really cool to see people discovering us and then discovering each other. It’s been fun,” Mark said. The couple met in 2003 while working for the Great American Restaurant Group. They moved on together to work at the Blue Ridge Grill in Leesburg and then in Brambleton. Over the years, they’ve each held every front-ofthe-house and back-of-the-house job in the
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past few decades are the most remarkable thing she learned in preparing the exhibit. “The ups and downs for the last 400 years and then what’s happened in the last 40 is just insane,” Ekholm said. In fact, things are moving so fast in Loudoun, the museum team, along with Visit Loudoun, had to quickly redo a map created for the exhibit to include a brand new winery that recently opened near Purcellville. And while the exhibit tackles winemaking in Virginia at large, it reserves a special place for Loudoun’s wine industry with a focus on pioneering wineries like Leesburg’s Willowcroft Farm Vineyards and Middleburg’s Chrysalis Vineyards. The exhibit features objects from Willowcroft’s first days in the early ’80s, including a small press and one of the thick, gnarly vines that grew from the vineyard’s first plantings. The show also explores Chrysalis’ successful efforts to revive the Norton grape, a hybrid varietal created in 19th century Virginia that was nearly wiped out during prohibition. Rizzo’s vision is to get folks who stop at the museum out to wineries and also to bring the exhibit to winery visitors. The museum has duplicated the exhibit’s informational banners to take the show on the road. They’ll be moving to wineries and set up in tasting rooms and cellars, giving wine lovers a little education with their tastings. “Vintage Pursuits: Cultivating a Virginia Wine Industry” opened to the public on Feb. 14. It will formally kick off Thursday, March 5 with a lecture and book signing with Andrew Painter, author of “Virginia Wine: Four Centuries of Change.” Regular admission is free. Tickets for the author talk are $5 for Loudoun Museum members and $10 for non-members. For tickets and information, go to loudounmuseum.org.
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Visitor Experience Manager Andrea Ekholm, who hails from Gainesville, has a master’s degree in museum studies from George Washington University specializing in collection management and object handling. Her role includes improving visitor experience while also working with volunteers to inventory the museum’s extensive collection and identify which objects are relevant to planned exhibits. Their mission is to come up with more out-of-the-box concepts at the downtown museum while working with other local organizations to boost tourism and educate visitors about Loudoun’s heritage. The museum is located at 16 Loudoun St., SW, in downtown Leesburg. The hours of operation are Friday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free. The museum also offers private openings for educational tours, private event space and research opportunities. Learn more at loudounmuseum.org.
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ART SCENE IMAGE SOURCE
Andrea Cybyk’s Floating Forms collection evolved from shapes—lentils, olives, grapes and wine bottles—that she observed on an Italian vacation.
BY JIM SISLEY
The abstract characters in her paintings are multicolored ribbons on a bright white surface intersecting like architectural trusses under a bridge on a clear summer day. Another series of her work presents oval forms that read like a handful of massive jewels snatched from King Solomon’s mines. These painted images have breadth and depth dimensions that feel to the viewer like they are 3D. The work is attractive in that it draws us in for a closer look and compels us to interact, question what we see and investigate. These qualities combine for a visual experience designed and produced exclusively for the viewer by Andrea Cybyk (see-bik). All without using a paint brush. I first heard of Andrea as the curator of the 868 Winery’s Art@868. She is a Northern 16
Virginia native and prior to her art career she “worked in the software industry, studied painting and printmaking along the way, and finally abandoned the techie world to paint full-time.” She is an award-winning artist and very involved in the art scene around the DC region as a curator, art performer and member of several creative collectives. Abstract art is one of the most interesting expressions of painters, sculptors in myriad formats and mediums. The good stuff, like Andrea Cybyk’s work, has real thought and intent behind it rather than some slap-dash intuitive toss of paint. These thoughts are the all-important concept that are the foundation of important artistic work. Where representational art works present a recognizable character or
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scene that the creator more or less “got right,” abstract art asks us to see what we will. And people see many things when viewing abstract work. That’s what drives abstraction and when well executed, creates a much more personal experience for you the viewer because it is personal, it’s what you see that matters. Andrea explains that “the long, exacting diagonals of juicy pigment in my Color Strand paintings echo the hectic pace of our busy lives. ... It’s a very precise chaos.” The organic contours of her Floating Form paintings evolved from the abundance of lentils, olives, grapes and wine bottles that she observed on an Italian vacation. She is equal parts painter, print maker, designer and organizer. She has a deft sense of color, composition and construction. Her creative process is, itself, fascinating to watch. She uses Brayers to roll out thin layers of acrylic paint on paper to create a translucence that is labor and time intensive. When viewed, there is little evidence of the artist’s hand.
Most art patrons are attracted to certain artists’ work because it provides an emotional experience that they can’t or don’t receive any other way. Yes, some tiny fraction of art consumers buy very expensive paintings as an investment. Those multi-million dollar artworks serve as the haute cuisine of the visual experience. But Andrea Cybyk’s locally produced contemporary art is artisanal, handmade and consumed as the comfort food of the art world. You buy her work because you are hungry, thirsty or otherwise starving for visual fulfillment. And like comfort food, its affordable, available without a reservation and no need to don your Sunday best. Jim Sisley is the owner of the Tryst Gallery, located at 312 E. Market St. Suite F in downtown Leesburg. The gallery is open Thursday through Saturday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and First Friday 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. each month.
The Middleburg Concert Series Presents
Russian Reflections Featuring the
Illinois Arts Trio Performing works for piano, cello and violin
Sunday, March 22nd at 4PM Middleburg United Methodist Church 15 W. Washington St., Middleburg, VA A “meet the artists” reception will follow the performance. Tickets available at www.eventbrite.com and at the door. Admission: $20 per person. Students and guests under 18: Free For more information visit www.middleburgconcerts.com. Email: middleburgconcerts@gmail.com • Phone 540-592-1660 MARCH 2020
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3.7 JOHN HARDY: RATTLESNAKE March 7, 7:30 p.m. Franklin Park Arts Center This Gold Star Performance stars John Hardy, who performs in his original play featuring 16 characters who populate a narrative spanning 30 years and two continents. The performance received funding from the Virginia Commission for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Friends of Franklin Park Arts Center. Tickets are $20 in advance, and $25 at the door. To purchase online, go to franklinparkartscenter.org
3.6 ANDREW MCKNIGHT “TREASURES IN MY CHEST” March 6, 7:30 p.m. Franklin Park Arts Center Singer-songwriter Andrew McKnight and his band appear for a special evening performance to celebrate the release of his new full-length album and book based on his family history research over the past several years. Tickets are $15 in advance online, or $20 at the door. For more information, including a link to buy tickets, go to andrewmcknight.net. MICHELEN STAR CHEF WEEKEND WITH CHEF BOBO CEREA & ANNA FENDI March 6-8
TAYLOR CARSON WITH MARK WILLIAMS
Salamander Resort & Spa Star Chef Bobo Cerea appears at Salamander for a culinary weekend that includes two sixcourse dinners, cooking class, a wine launch with fashion house icon Anna Fendi, as well as a farewell brunch. Cerea is a member of the celebrated family whose Italian restaurant Da Vittoria received its third Michelin star in 2010. Prices for each event vary; go to salamanderresort.com for details and to register.
March 7, 7 p.m. The Barns at Hamilton Station Vineyard To say Taylor Carson is on a roll is an understatement; his new album “After The Tamer Is Gone” debuted at #2 on iTunes Singer/ Songwriter Chart and he was a guest on Counting Crows’ Underwater Sunshine Series. He will be joined by the extraordinary guitarist/ producer Mark Williams. The Songs, Stories and Gas Money concert series features a BEST BETS
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LEADING THE FIELD: ELLEN EMMETT RAND Through March 22 National Sporting Library & Museum This is the last month to catch portrait artist Ellen Emmet Rand’s exhibition of renowned sporting figures including Fletcher Harper, Master of the Orange County Hunt (now Orange County Hounds); Dr. Howard Collins, Master of Millbrook Hunt; and Charlotte Noland, founder of the prestigious Foxcroft School and Joint-Master of Middleburg Hunt. Based on her 1936 solo show, this exhibition shares the stories, personalities and relationships behind the paintings. A special tour features the female subjects in the exhibition, focusing on women who were celebrated Masters of Foxhounds and skilled equestrians in the 1920s and ’30s. Go to nationalsporting.org for more details. TAKE LOUDOUN HOME EXPO
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listening room environment, with “quiet service” and a no-talking policy for patrons. Doors open at 7 p.m. for mixing and conversation. Concert begins at 8 p.m. sharp. Tickets are limited, advance purchase is recommended, at thebarnsathamiltonstation.com.
3.14 INAUGURAL STARK PADDY’S DAY March 14, noon Wheatland Spring Farm + Brewery Wheatland hosts an inaugural Bavarian Starkbierfest combined with a St. Patrick’s Day celebration for an epic party. Starkbierfest is a smaller German beer festival that features “strong beers” and Wheatland will be celebrating with a Doppelbock—a “bigger and strong version” of German-style bock beers, according to craftbeer.com. They’ll also have an Irish Stout “or two” to honor St. Paddy’s day, and live music by progressive bluegrass band The Plate Scrapers. Tickets are $10; go to their website for a link to purchase. MARCH 2020
March 14, 1 p.m. Loudoun Heritage Farm Museum and Claude Moore Recreation and Community Center Get a head start on the Community Supported Agriculture season and meet Loudoun’s growers and producers at this free expo taking place at two locations. Purchase your seasonal subscription to receive regular packages of local produce, meats, dairy and other products directly from Loudoun farmers. You can sample food from the CSAs and purchase wine tastings at the event. For more info, go to loudounfarms.org. BLUEMONT SHAMROCK RACE March 14, 9 a.m. Great Country Farms The sixth annual 5K and 10K race will take place once again through the country roads of western Loudoun County, followed by a celebration at Dirt Farm Brewing. Proceeds benefit educational programs at Bluemont Community Center. The 10K starts at 9 a.m., followed shortly afterward by the 5K race. Registration is $35 until March 11 for the 5K, $40 for the 10K. From March 12-14, fee is $45 for the 5k, $50 for the 10k. To register, go to bluemontshamrockrace.com.
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MARK FORREST CONCERT, FEATURING SEASONS March 15, 3 p.m. Franklin Park Arts Center Irish tenor Mark Forrest takes the stage with Celtic/American folk band Seasons for an inspirational and uplifting afternoon of Celtic music. All ages are invited to the show. Tickets are $20 in advance, and $25 at the door. To purchase online, go to franklinparkartscenter. org
3.21 SEVERAL SPECIES: THE PINK FLOYD EXPERIENCE
NOVA NERDFEST 2 March 21, 1 p.m.
March 14, 8 p.m.
Crooked Run Brewing, Sterling
Tally Ho Theater This 11-member band based in Baltimore, which has been dedicated to recreating the Pink Floyd concert experience since 1996, makes a return to the stage at the Tally Ho Theater in Leesburg. Tickets are $30-75. Go to tallyhotheater.com for details.
After last year’s successful launch of Northern Virginia Nerdfest, Crooked Run is expanding the event with more tournaments, prizes, games and vendors. Tournament registration is $10 and begins Feb. 22. Tournaments include Smash Bros. Ultimate, Smash Bros. Brawl, Street Fighter II and Street Fighter V. For updated news and information, go to their Facebook page at facebook.com/CrookedRunBrewing.
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SALUTE TO VALOR
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March 21, 6:30 p.m.
LOVE LOUDOUN: A WEDDING SHOWCASE
Join in a musical celebration that brings together the Celtic spirit of Saint Patrick’s Day and the honor and tradition of those who serve our nation. Performers include the U.S. Armed Forces Alumni Drumline; All Ireland Guitar Champion Josh Dukes and Old Bay Ceili Band; U.S. National Scottish Fiddle Champion Séan Heely; and the City of Alexandria Pipes and Drums. A portion of the proceeds will benefit local veterans in Loudoun County. Tickets $3075. Details and tickets at ionitc.com.
ION International Training Center
March 15 12 p.m. or 1 p.m. West Belmont Place, National Conference Center If you or someone you know is getting married, this daylong showcase offers a one-stop opportunity to meet Loudoun’s top wedding professionals and venues. General admission is $10, VIP tickets are $25 and include early entrance, swag bag, reserved table seating for the Fashion Show, and more. For details and a link to buy tickets, go to Visit Loudoun’s Facebook page at facebook.com/VisitLoudoun.
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MARCH 2020
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3.22 RAILROADS IN NOVA: WHY THEY WENT, WHERE THEY WENT, AND WHEN THEY WENT THERE March 22, 2 p.m. Thomas Balch Library Charlie Grymes, a George Mason University geography professor and formerly with the US Department of the Interior, leads this free lecture on the politics and economics behind the railroad track placements in Northern Virginia. He traces the history of how proposed tracks in southern Loudoun were scrapped leading up to the completion of Potomac Yard in 1906. Program takes place in the library’s Lower Level Meeting Room. For details, go to leesburgva.gov/ government/departments/thomas-balch-library.
3.28 DANNY PAISLEY & THE SOUTHERN GRASS March 28, 7 p.m. Lucketts Community Center Danny Paisley, IBMA’s 2016 Male Vocalist of the Year, carries on the band started by his father, Bob Paisley. Come for a night hard-driving, pure bluegrass with Danny’s son, Ryan Paisley, on the mandolin, Mark Delaney on banjo, Bob Lundy on bass, and his brother TJ Lundy on fiddle. Doors open 6 p.m. Tickets are $17 adults, $5 youth cash at the door. For details, go to luckettsbluegrass.org. MARCH 2020
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WILD WOOD FROM 10
Art is a sizable centerpiece of the restaurant, with “graffiti” tagged on the beer draft lines and murals and paintings throughout the restaurant that pay homage to old-school New York City subway cars, as well as downtown Leesburg and the Village at Leesburg. They are the works of Purcellville-based Kevin Bednarz and Rodrigo Pradel, with Banksy prints in the rear of the space. Wild Wood Pizza is open for dinner service only, although Allred hopes to expand to include lunch service soon. — By Kara C. Rodriguez WILD WOOD PIZZA 1600 Village Market Blvd., Suite 120 Leesburg, Virginia 703-443-1600 wildwoodpizzeria.com
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industry, except ownership—until now. They know the hard work it takes to run a successful restaurant, but say the payoff is worth the effort. “If you’re not afraid to work, it’s fun work,” Kristi said. “There is no greater joy for us than to have this building full and to see everyone enjoying each other, enjoying our food, enjoying our setting— that carries you a long way,” Mark added. “We want people to be happy. It makes us happy. That drives us.” When setting up their menu, the two talked about what they liked over the years and what they liked making at home. “We like comfort food, but we like stepping it up a notch,” Mark said, noting they cure their pork belly and smoke their meats in house, and make their own sauces, pickles and dressings. “It’s a little extra work but we feel the results are well worth it.” 22
The restaurant’s name also is a result of their partnership. Mark knew he wanted to have a pub in the old English style of a community gathering place. Kristi came up with the wicket door—a small pedestrian door within a larger door or fence—to emphasize hospitality and providing access to everyone. “We’re just excited to have our own place. We’re excited to be business owners. We’ve lived in this county for a long time and we’ve served this county for a long time. It’s cool to be the ones who are guiding the ship and we’re looking forward to what this can bring,” Mark said. — By Norman K. Styer WICKET DOOR PUB 44921 George Washington Boulevard Ashburn, Virginia 703-687-3876 wicketdoorpub.com
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