ArtNews February–March 2023

AT OPEN SPACE ARTS WE SEE OUR FAVORITE BOOKS AS WORKS OF ART–EACH LETTER A BRUSH STROKE OF BEAUTY AND GENIUS

ART NEWS

Vol. 2 Number 2 PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY

February / March 2023

CONTRIBUTOR

KOFI KARIKARI

CONTRIBUTOR

DONNELL TAYLOR

CONTRUBUTER

JOHN WOOTEN

CONTRIBUTOR

KWADWO ADJEI

CONTRIBUTOR

ADONIS DORSEY

CONTRIBUTOR

KC CLAURE

CONTRIBUTOR

AARON KIMMEL

CONTRIBUTOR

MORIAH KILGORE

CONTRIBUTOR

LUCAS DEAN

We are less lonely when we connect. Art is connection.

15000 Potomac Town Pl, Woodbridge, VA 22191, Wed- Sat 12-7pm Sun 12–5PM

Cover Designed by Kc Claure

-Nikki Giovanni-

Every year Americans for the Arts publishes the “Top 10 Reasons to Support the Arts.”

1. Unity. 72% of Americans believe “the arts unify our communities regardless of age, race, and ethnicity.”

2. Well-being. 81% of the population says the arts are a “positive experience in a troubled world.”

3. Economy. The arts are an $876.7 billion industry that supports 4.6 million jobs (2020)— 4.2% of the U.S. economy.

4. Tourism. Arts attendees spend $31.47 per person, per event, beyond the cost of admission on items such as meals, parking, and lodging.

5. Education. Students engaged in arts learning have higher GPAs, standardized test scores, and college-going rates as well as lower dropout rates—benefiting students across all socio-economic strata.

6. Innovation. Creativity is among the top five applied skills sought by business leaders—72% say it is of “high importance” when hiring.

7. Social impact. Arts in a city leads to higher civic engagement, more social cohesion, better child welfare, and lower poverty rates.

8. Healthcare. When the arts are part of healthcare, patents heal faster, take less medicine, and have less depression.

9. Military. The arts heal the mental, physical, and moral injuries of war for military service members, veterans, and their families.

10. Mental Health. The arts reduce depression and anxiety and increase life satisfaction.

Keep this list handy when you advocate, and you will always be ready to deliver a powerful arts message.

Visit 10 Reasons to Support the Arts in 2022 to download this 1-pager and social media toolkit for more details.

bit.ly/10Reasons2022

As we celebrate the history of Blacks in America, let us not forget to honor and celebrate the many arts organizations and leaders across the county that continue to share their talents and gifts through music, dance literary works and theatre. They tell the stories of the African American people through art, culture and the modern experience here in Prince William County. Meet the Artists pg.14

Sensory Art at Open Spaces

Tony Muller is a NoVA-based photographer who pairs his love of travel and the outdoors with an appreciation for color and symmetry in an attempt to forge memories into physical form. He works to capture the excitement, awe and thoughtfulness he felt in the moment, gifting that experience to the viewer. His works can be seen at Open Space Arts Gallery or visit his instagram @Toobamoo

Download this app for these photos to come alive

CREATIVE EXPRESSION?

From Rembrandt to Picasso: Why do artist paint over their works? This is something that many may have thought but never outwardly asked when discovering works that had been painted over. While we know this is nothing new, one has to ask….

What makes an artist completely change what we might perceive as a beautifully finished work that appeals to many? The thoughts that come immediately to mind as possible reasons:

To Save Money (reuse canvas)

Dissatisfaction

Not knowing when to stop

They come back to the Canvas and their mood has changed

We may never know exactly why, as even the Masters’ works of art have been discovered to have several layers of painting and sketches beneath some of their most inspiring creations. An interesting piece from history is Johannes Vermeer’s “Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window” (1657). It was only two years past that researchers discovered a naked cupid figure that had been painted over. Was this a sign of the times and possibly nudity was the issue, or was it just a change of heart or mood?

We may never truly know or even have a full understanding of what drives artists to do this, perhaps some may need someone standing close by to take the canvas away and

replace it with another. One thing for certain is this is still going on today with even our young artists.

What are your thoughts on this, and which piece would you have taken away of the above works from one of Prince William County’s rising artists?

Can it only be the artists that says a work is finished, or is there a need for a guide in the process sometimes. I know that we have all heard songs over sung and actors over acting to the point where it renders the work questionable, but can this same rule apply to visual arts?

Spirted Thoughts: Kofi Karikari

Original Paiting: Kofi Karikari

Photo by: Lucas Dean

Rocking Around The

Boardwalk

Neabsco Regional Park had its second year of putting up wooden tree cut outs along their newly built boardwalk. Decorated by the Prince William community’s local groups and organization. This year they also expanded their holiday festivities to include a magical light display for the county’s residents.

This holiday weekends event was perfect for families and friends to enjoy. As you walked under the dripping lights, you’d feel as if you were walking into a blissful Winter Wonderland. The music cast an enchanting spell, filling the atmosphere with holiday cheer. For those looking to warm themselves up during this chilly time, there were enticing aromas of delicious treats from local food trucks.

The Unique Tree Display creations delighted you with feeling like a little kid waiting for Santa to bring your wishes. Veterans Park Preschool was one of the first trees along the walk, displaying the children’s creative skill with cute little painted ornament.

Girl Scout Troop 80112 decorated one of their trees with adorable little gingerbread men and delicious looking drawings of yummy Girl Scout Cookie. Santa himself may have been tempted to snag a cookie from this tree. Fred Lynn Middle School took advantage of this opportunity by displaying a QR code for visitors to scan and learn about an upcoming event, The Fred Lynn Comic Con in April. If you enjoy the nerdier side of life, get-

ting tickets may be the perfect gift for yourself. Manassas Cub Scout Pack 35 created a marvelously colorful, stained glass cut out for everyone to enjoy.

Homeward Trails Animal Rescue’s showed cute pictures of the pets they have up for adoption. So if you are wishing for a furry little friend Homeward Trails has just what you need.

Prince William Historic Preservation brought our vast history of the county back to life, by trimming their tree with pictures of historic sites and houses.

Walking along the board walks beautiful displays, reminded you of all the wonders our community has to offer that we can fill this next year with.

At night the boardwalk was glistening with lights that synced up with fantastic Christmas music. The views above captivated you with the feeling of walking through a blissful snowfall. Shooting stars shined down on children enjoying this magical time. Up on the lookout tower you could see a spectacular view of the colorful lights reflecting off the water creating a whole new world for you to dive into.

The Assistant Director of Parks, Recreation & Tourism, John Blevins, mentioned how Prince William County was happily surprised by this years turn out for the holiday event they put together. Knowing that Covid has impacted the residents of the county, this gave our county a chance to come together in celebration and

Story By: Moriah Kilgore

Photography By: Aaron Kimmel & Lucas Dean

appreciation for this community. Local law enforcement worked together with park rangers and volunteers to help direct traffic for this alluring event. When asked if they would be charging for entry next year due to the increase in popularity of the event; John said “It’s a large community wide event, not everything has to have a fee”. Neabsco Regional Park truly embraced the giving spirit this season, inviting you to partake in a magical time.

While interviewing residents about their holiday wishes, many wished

for joy amongst their friends and families in the coming year.

Members of the Blakey family are asking Santa for happiness for those around them and the newest Nintendo system.

The young couple, Britany and Jalen Nellum are hoping to add a sweet baby of their own to the family in the near future.

Three year old Amiya Porter talked about how much she loved all the colorful and unique trees, reminding us all to look for the beauty in our lives.

“What would you like for Christmas?” Was a question that little 2 year old Zoey Hartzlor was ready to answer while holding her candy cane. “A Happy New Year.” Zoey said, a holiday wish that all of us can share in.

Photo by: Aaron Kimmel

A Community of Artists

Black Art in PWC

Photos: KWADWO ADJEI

Entrepreneur, business owner, author (book: Knee ology-Prayer That Reaches God’s Heart), playwright, and lyricist Jacqueline Hudson Thomas is the Founder, Executive Director of GE Ministries (www.gemva.org) and GEM Theater Productions (www.gemtheaterproductions.org). GE Ministries teaches women godly principles through bible studies, conferences, workshops, and retreats. GEM Theater Productions is the avenue used to present Christ-centered stage plays through the ARTs.

GEM Theater Productions is a 501c3 not-for-profit organization. Playwright Jackie Thomas’ vision was to establish a local theater group using youth and adults from under served and local communities to provide quality theater. Community residents get to showcase their talents while building the self-esteem of young people giving them confidence in their abilities through the theater arts. Each production highlights real-life situations promoting unity and diversity.

GEM provides internships, letters of reference, and opportunities for young people to train in all areas of stage production. Past interns have gained acceptance to Duke Ellington School of the Arts and Berklee School of Music. For more information, contact us by phone at 703.687.9450 or email at gemtheaterproductions@gmail.com.

Kevin Carroll, Born and raised in Norfolk, Virginia, started his training at the age of fifteen at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing Arts, Governor’s School for the Arts. furthering his education, the artist migrated to New York City, where he attended The Academy of American Musical and Dramatics Conservatory, (AMDA), where he first planted his seeds in theatrical aesthetics. He holds a B.F.A in Dance + Choreography from the Virginia Commonwealth University and continued

KEVIN CARROLL

JACQUELINE THOMAS

his studies with Sidra Bell Dance New York Module, Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, and the Bates Dance Festival. He is currently continuing his developmental exploration with the KD/Kinetic Collective+, and serves as a dance educator within Montgomery County Public Schools. The KD/KC+ mission is to generate work that speaks to diversity and inclusivity, while serving as a bridge for performance, education, and community engagement throughout the DMV and beyond. The collective work encompasses maximizing the extreme spectrum of physicality while exploring innovative theatrical concepts. His practice continues to challenge and seek truth while cultivating and celebrating the art of creation and innovation. Kevin gives an abundance of gratitude to his creator, family, and those who continue to give support.

Denise M. McPhail, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Creative and Performing Arts Center, founded in March 16, 2002, in Prince William County, Virginia, has worked along side her board to ensure that the arts are for everyone. CAPAC is designed to entertains, and encourage diverse youth, teens, and adults in Northern Virginia to ignite STEAM curiosity, creativity, and problem-solving skills as a formula to diversify and sustain STEAM -science technology, engineering, arts and math workforces for lifelong success.

Kojjo Opoku-Reeves- Artistic Director of Heritage Village, has been making impact in communities across Virginia through dance, mime and drum presentation for several years. He has been facilitating workshops in prisons around the country in addition to producing energized performances Kojjo along with his Village of drummers, dancers and singers have played in festivals across the US. In his work with youth, he challenges young people with the same encouragement that he got from his mentors that, whatever you dream about, you can become if you are willing to pay the price. Kojjo will offer programing and special classes in music and African Dance at the Open Space Arts Center in the coming months so don’t miss your chance to learn from a master.

Sheyna Burke – Sheyna Burt, Attorney and Violinist Board Chair of the Hylton Performing Arts Center President of Old Bridge Chamber Orchestra President of Youth

Orchestras of Prince William

for World Doctors Orchestra Co-Chair of Entertainment Committee of the Prince William County Bar Association

Consultant

SHEYNA BURT

KOJJO OPOKU-REEVES

Board Member of Court Appointed Special Advocates – Children’s Intervention Services and the ACLU of Virginia

The arts are the soul and ambition of Prince William County. Through

our arts we express our unique history, future, cultural diversity, concerns, ego, humility, values, roots, fresh energy, and, perhaps above all, our hopes.

The arts in Prince William County present an opportunity for individual and collective expression, and they also reflect the County’s practical sensibilities. We use the arts to help our young people to be well-rounded, thoughtful, and successful learners. The accessibility of our arts scene attracts families which attracts the kind of business development that stimulates our local economy. The opportunity to observe and participate in the arts improves the quality of life for our residents and visitors in magical and pragmatic ways.

The arts in Prince William County represent challenges. Will we tol-

erate financial barriers to access to the arts in schools, galleries, and performance spaces? Do we value diversity, equity, and inclusion in our arts, and if so, can we prove it? How should we prioritize the arts given the other competitors for our attention and resources?

The arts in Prince William County are vibrant and alive. What a privilege it is to be part of this amazing symphony of humanity.

John Wooten is the Artistic Manager of the Clearbrook Foundation is an effort to promote and conduct artistic and educational activities in the eastern end of Prince William County, Virginia, and the public appreciation of these activities in both public and private venues, including the Tackett’s Mill Center. The Clearbrook Center of the Arts is a work space for such projects. The Center has over 5,000 square feet, (currently available to view by appointment only) as a non-purposive free space for artists to explore their talent and their place in our community. The Clearbrook Foundation anticipates its Center of the Arts will become a meeting place for cultural

“I have created nothing really beautiful, really lasting, but if I can inspire on of these youngsters to develop the talent, I know they possess, then my monument will be in their work.”

-Augusta Savage-

JOHN

WOOTEN KIM MILLER

events, workshops, and showings. They are not there yet! Your support at this early phase is greatly appreciated and will help them achieve their goal.

Kim B Miller the former Poet Laureate of Prince William County, was the first African American Poet Laureate for the region. Her poems have been published in African Voices magazine, a Portuguese haiku anthology, a DC newspaper, an interfaith anthology and several websites and books. Kim performed at The National Black Theater, The Atlas

Performing Arts Center, Northern Virginia Community College, University of Pikeville (in Kentucky) and many other venues.

Kim is a teaching artist and a facilitator. She creates and develops her own training material. Her interactive workshops are fun and informative. She facilitated an online workshop for University of California, Berkeley. She also facilitated a seminar at her alma mater Rochester Institute of Technology at their 2022 Women in Leadership Summit.

Kim’s a motivational speaker that cultivates growth. She uses her words to connect people to their strength. She was one of the commencement speakers at Bard High School Early College DC.

Kim is the host of a podcast called Poetically Thinking.

Carylee Carrington, author, entrepreneur, literacy advocate and Founder of Read With Carylee, Inc. Is a Northern Virginia resident with my two amazing boys, that enjoys an active lifestyle. Originally from the island of Jamaica, she grew up in New York City, before making Northern Virginia her home. Known as the “accidental author,” because this was not where she thought her path would lead. Though she loves writing, being a children’s author was the furthest thing from her mind. Now she works to ensure that children have access to diverse literature, and this has become her mission and drive as an author and advocate. Carylee says, “My fight for diversity in children’s literature is a personal one. My son was told in Kindergarten, by a class-

mate, that he should only be playing with children of his own skin color. Coming from a mixed family, that did not sit well with me. Most school systems don’t start teaching diversity until middle school, when the divisions are more prominent. We need to make teaching diversity a priority at an early age, so that we have the next generation having more knowledge and understanding of each other. For me diversity is more than skin deep.”

Susan Furr is an expressive visionary artists and member of the long-standing Prince William Arts Society and represents the group as a member of Prince William Arts Council. Originally from England she now resides in Manassas, VA and produces works that even without knowing her intention, seems to speak to people when they see it hanging in the Open Space Arts Gallery. Her work is often discussed by visitors to the gallery as magical and spirited. Her presence is extremely grounding and loving. People always look forward to her new works.

DENISE MCPHAIL

SUSAN FURR

CARYLEE CARRINGTON

Get Interactive with 3D art

@radicalsketcher

@wanchotusami on twitter

Interact with me

How does 3D art inspire you to level-up your approach to creativity?

ARTfactory to Present

“Stories That End in Freedom”

Solo Art Exhibit

by DC-Native Artist Lory Ivey Alexander

Exhibit dates: February 3-March 18

Artist Reception: Saturday, February 4, 6 pm – 8 pm

(Hosted by the Prince William County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.)

9419 Battle St, Manassas, Free & open to the public RSVP Here: Tinyurl.com/LoryIvey

Artist Talk: Saturday, March 4, 2 pm-4 pm

Stories That End in Freedom

Through the works in this exhibition, the artist explores themes of Black and Indigenous American perseverance, resilience, and healing. The abstract paintings and figurative collages here were inspired in part by the fluidity and power of water and its ability to transport people across the world and across sensory experiences.

About Lory Ivey

Lory Ivey Alexander is a DC-native artist exploring history, memory, and identity. Best known for her use of color, sculptural paintings, and lyrical writing, Lory facilitates meditations on the richness of Black and Indigenous American identity. A connector of people and dots, Lory’s project BlackBreathing.com is a social practice to promote trauma healing in Black and Brown communities. In 2018, she founded the Abstract Sisterhood to support abstract and conceptual women artists in the African Diaspora. Find Lory online at loryivey.com or on Instagram at @loryiveyart.

Contact:

ARTfactory, Gallery Director: Jordan Exum | jexum@virginiaARTfactory.org | 703-330-2787

Gallery Hours: Monday-Saturday, 10 am – 5 pm | 9419 Battle St, Manassas, VA 20110

VirginiaARTfactory.org/manassas-art-gallery | Instagram: @virginiaartfactory

Attachments: Lory Ivey Alexander, “What I Said When They Asked If I Was a Queen”, mixed media collage. Lory Ivey Alexander, “Learning to be like water”, Acrylic painting.

Jordan Exum, Gallery Director

virginiaARTfactory.org 703.330.2787 9419 Battle St., Manassas, VA 20110

ROOM TO GROW

Come Join Us

In looking over the past few months of working with local young artists across Prince William County, there is something that is clear to me. The untapped talent that live and work here is beyond belief. I know from my personal development in the arts that the arts have the power to engender equality; to enable expression and exploration of the self, of ideas; can give voice to those who don’t have a platform to be heard; and can create a sense of kinship, of community. As I work daily with the creative youth of PWC I worry about how disconnected we are as a society, about the frankly terrifying political context we’re in. Yet! I remain excited and inspired by these local young creatives who are rising up, raising their voices. And I believe that together we can make change.

From conversing with our youth I know for certain that they often feel disempowered, disillusioned, and uncertain. I can honestly say that since starting my position here in

Prince William County as Arts Recreation Specialist I have felt, with over 30 years of experience in the arts a bit of this myself.

As they continue to create, they are also grappling with their place in society and it’s hard to know how to effect change when what we’re dealing with is climate change, economic crashes and political crises. It quite literally feels like the end of the world.

No government, local or federal can afford to ignore the rich artistic, creative, emotional and spiritual benefits gained from actively engaging in the arts. People’s lives can be transformed through participating in the arts – by strengthening their self-esteem, self-respect and sense of identity, by working together and developing a feeling of belonging, by seeking a measure of connectedness and coherence through different arts experiences.

I know that our young people are thinking long and hard about every-

thing. In some ways young people are greater participators than ever before. They aren’t merely consumers of content; through the internet they have become creators. And they can use that to become participators, co-creators, change makers. We all must realize that the creative collaborative processes can enable any person, young or old, to build up a strong sense of who they are by empowering them to believe in themselves and take responsibility for their own lives and for those of others.

—Herb Williams

If you have a purpose in which you can believe, there’s no end to the amount of things you can accomplish.

--Marian Anderson

Artwork by: Kc Claure

Castaways Repertory’s Christmas Chaos

Celebrating The Holidays With Castaways

The Arts news team Lucas Dean, Vaze Haze and Herb Williams recently had the luxury of descending upon Castaways Repertory Youth Theatre at the Woodbridge Ferlazzo building. The theater group under the direction of Trena Weiss is composed of multiple students from different backgrounds in Prince William County.

The Castaways Repertory Theatre is a non-profit Community Theater that performs in Woodbridge, Virginia. The membership consists of volunteers from all over the area and all walks of life who come together to provide quality live theater to the community.

The Castaways were formed in 1981 and continue to give award-winning performances, involving themselves with the community, and enjoy coming together to produce a show.

Our mission is to provide quality live theatrical performances to our community members and visitors while involving those same com-

munity members in the theatrical arts through education, participation, and enlightenment.

Synopsis of the play

Gadzooks! The Royal Shakespeare Company hasn’t arrived as promised to perform their stirring rendition of “A Christmas Carol.” So our intrepid band of hapless actors and technicians must put together their own production in only seven hours! What a pity that they are not quite up to the task, even though they give it their all. Have you ever experienced backstage mayhem? Well, you haven’t seen anything yet! The play focuses on these poor but dedicated thespians doing their best while chaos is all around them: two kids fighting over who gets to play Tiny Tim, a confused actor who thinks she’s in another show, a haughty lead actor, one actor playing both Bob and Mrs. Cratchit, an out-of-control director, thrown together props and costumes, ridiculous scenery, and tons of flubs and confusion. Most of the actors in

the show play multiple roles in this extremely fast-paced and physical comedy. Even the light and sound board operators are characters in the show! The play is a hilarious backstage comedy that pokes fun at the classic novel and everything that can go wrong with a theatrical production.

Story By: Donnell Taylor Photograpy By: Lucas Dean

Photo by: Lucas Dean

Photo by: Lucas Dean

“The November 16th Producer Showcase was a night to remember. From the moment the lights dimmed and the music started, the audience was captivated by the incredible lineup of beatmakers that had been assembled that evening. Featured artist CY Muzik was also celebrating their 30th birthday that evening, so the showcase also doubled as a birthday celebration. Follow Clearbrook Center of the Arts on Instagram @clearbrookdmv and Facebook @contacttackettsmill for more information on future Producer Showcase events.”

—John Wooten

TREE LIGHTING

Working with Stone Bridge special events staff Melissa Hendricks, OSA youth arts member Vaze Haze and arts council Marketing Chair Harper pulled off a great night of fun and entertainment for families during their Annual tree lighting event. Over 200 guest came through Open Space Arts to take part in face painting, carols, and other holiday activities. A fun night to be had by all.

PRODUCER SHOWCASE

Photo by: Jacob Henry IG: @Nerdyboystudiospgr

AI Medium or the Artist

Art by: Dolley 2 (AI)

There is no secret that art, like the artists who create it, is mostly influenced by the different aspects and situations around them; although endeavors to express this, use different techniques of creation, both consciously and unconsciously.

It is only natural that there is an involvement of science and technology for using these techniques, which often leads to the argument of how scientists and artists collaborate and contribute in promoting culture and knowledge. Any true lover of art knows that art is always associated with emotions by looking into the ‘why’, while science works to convince through raising the question of ‘how’. Artists are using science as an available mean to express their vision, as scientists use coherent lines, shapes, and models to explain the world. Here we will briefly explore the relation of art, science, and technology as three inseparable concepts, how they were able to explore new perceptions of the world, and how this

relation has been useful in promoting culture and knowledge. However, we will leave it to you to determine how you view art and technology as an artist or a lover/collector of art.

Photography in Art

Looking at modern science and art, photography offered a new interpretation of our world and changed the artistic perception, technically and philosophically in only a few years. It rapidly became an art movement on its own. Photography led to a new perception for artists seeing the physical world becoming a tool for drawing in the 17th and 18th Century. Then From the 1850’s to 1870’s the emergence of illustrative Photographs (http://martademenezes.com/portfolio/proteic-portrait-2/), which was like the storytelling style of painting at the time. Much like today where there are some artists who protest AI, in 1862 there were artists who protested photography, considering it a mechanical process.

Impressionists being fascinated by painting nature, and, landscape, while photographers were affected by impressionists led to the emergence of “Pictorialism”, a style of photography that concerns with aesthetics and personal emotional response to a subject.

Modern and Contemporary Art Role

Important concepts of the relation between art and science are Modern and Contemporary Art which explore several aspects of science and technology. Several artists in contemporary life are creating artworks through the integration of art and science, developing a “critical thinking”.

Internet has also a great impact on the mutual relation of Art and Technology, which is represented in the field of digital art.

The Relation of Art and Science in an Academic Context

Yes, the previous examples show the contemporary contact of art with scientific and technological fields. Let’s not be slighted by those as there is always a need for discussing and exploring this subject in an academic context.

Here we find that the artistic interest in light, Kinetic art, electronic art, video art, and new media art, and the interaction between artist and audience through the artwork are very important issues for art and art education.

With the views of this short research… art, science, and technology cannot be separated. Many issues are reflected by this tripartite collaboration by many local artists and students of both artistic and scientific fields who debate various issues brought out by technology itself. What we find is, generating specific results are useful for accepting different possibilities, for taking advantage of new technologies to pursue more development, or to define “ethical boundaries”.

(Sobanova, P. (2016). Useful Symbiosis: Science, Technology, Art & Art Education. Palacký University Olomouc. Czech Republic. PP. 84-86. ISBN 978-80244-4853-4)

Creativity is nothing but a mind set free.

–Torrie T. Asai-

Artwork by: Dolley 2 (AI) -Robots as painters vs photographers

December 10th concert marked the 20th anniversary of the Manassas Symphony’s (MSO) family concert featuring local talent. John Ross, a senior at Patriot High School continued MSO’s tradition for featuring a high school student as soloist. John’s skillful rendition of Weber’s “Andante and Rondo Ungarese, Opus 35 for viola was a highlight of the show.

Christina Maxted, Gainesville High School’s theatre teacher, delighted the audiences with her rendition of favorite Puccini arias. This is the second time Ms. Maxted has performed with the MSO. This past summer she played the role of Mother Abbess in MSO’s and Prince William Little Theatre’s production of “The Sound of Music.”

Popular Director of Orchestras at Charles J. Colgan Senior High School, Ben Bernstein composed an original work based on Bob Staake’s new book, “The Path.” Bob Staake is a well-known children’s book author and illustrator for the “New Yorker.” Narration was provided by Dr. Rick Davis, Dean, College of Visual and Performing Arts at George Mason University.

The symphony collected several hundred dollars in donations for Birmingham Green Nursing Home.

MSO’s March concert “Inspirations” welcomes back pianist Joseph Kingma with Beethoven’s “Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor. Mr. Kingma receives rave reviews from music critics: “[He] coaxed the listener into the music’s poetry from the very first notes…though his technique emerged through the program as one which is capable of anything, it was always used in the service of the music itself.” -New York Concert Review. He won First Prize and Best Interpretation of a Work by Franz Liszt (Sonata in B minor) in the American Liszt Society’s 2017 Franz Liszt International Piano Festival and Competition. Mr. Kingma will be teaching a master class for advanced piano students. This is not to be missed concert.

Manassas Symphony Orchestra

Art by: Dolley 2

FEB

1-25

African American Voices and Visions Art Show

FEB

3

African American Voices and Visions Reception

FEB

18

The Business of Art –Preparing to Hang Artwork in Galleries

FEB

25

Scott McDonald’s Bob Ross Investigating Oil Painting

MAR

1-26

Page Turning Literature –Reflecting on Women’s Point of View in Art

MAR

3

Reception for March Show

MAR TBA Lecture – Women Authors

APR

March 29- April 30

Emerging Student Art Show (Young Adults ages 15-25)

MAR TBA

The Business of Art –Preparing to Hang Art in Galleries

“You can’t sit around and wait for somebody to say who you are. You need to write it and paint it and do it.”

Faith Ringgold-

Prince William NAACP Arts Competition

Prince William County NAACP held its 2020 inaugural local ACT-SO competition for high school students with participants from Prince William, Fairfax, Culpeper and Alexandria, Virginia. ACT-SO acronym for Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological & Scientific Olympics, started in 1978 by journalist Vernon Jarrett. It is a year-long academic achievement and enrichment program culminating in 34 competitions covering STEM, Business, Humanities, Visual, Performing and Culinary Arts, with more than half the competition being in the Arts.

The 2022 event was held at Northern Virginia Community College - Woodbridge Campus. In the area of the Arts, students submitted projects in original Poetry, Dramatics, Original Essay, Painting, and Photography. In addition, students entered several music competitions including Music Instrumental Classical, Music Vocal Classical and Music Vocal Contemporary.

The PWC NAACP is currently recruiting high school students, judges and sponsors for the 2023 local ACT-SO com-

petition on Saturday, April 29, 2023. Although the program targets African American students and Prince William County students, the competition is open to all students and other Northern Virginia localities. The application deadline was recently extended to February 15, 2023.

Students are judged based on criteria developed by industry professionals in three winning categories: Gold Medal, Silver Medal and Bronze Medal. In addition to cash prizes, all winners receive a personalized portfolio and several educational gifts. Gold Medal winners were eligible to compete in the National ACT-SO Competition with all expenses paid by the PWC NAACP.

Student participants and judges are needed for the following competition categories.

Humanities, Visual Arts, and Performing Arts

For an application and more information contact Michael Artson at mikeartson@ yahoo.com or Carolyn Custard at custarcm@pwcs.edu.

Akata Boi: Kofi Karikari

2023 Open Space Arts American History Celebration

BLACK HISTORY Exhibition Performance

Exhibition featuring works of artists across Prince W illiam County Performance by professional theatre artist Herb Williams The Performance is a ticketed event.

Diversity + Equity + Inclusion + Art

Exhibit Opens

February 1, 2023

12: 00 PM

Acknowledging the Past

Examining the Present

Shaping the Future

Please note the Exhibit if free of charge .

Reservations Required for Performance

Use QR Code to Purchase Tickets at Eventbrite

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...Let the blare of Negro jazz bands and the bellowing voice of Bessie Smith singing Blues penetrate the closed ears of the colored near-intellectuals until they listen and perhaps understand. Let Paul Robeson singing Water Boy, and Rudolph Fisher writing about the streets of Harlem, and Jean Toomer holding the heart of Georgia in his hands, and Aaron Douglas drawing strange black fantasies cause the smug Negro middle class to turn from their white, respectable, ordinary books and papers to catch a glimmer of their own beauty. We younger Negro artists who create now intend to express our individual dark-skinned selves without fear or shame. If white people are pleased, we are glad. If they are not, it doesn’t matter. We know we are beautiful. And ugly too. The tom-tom cries and the tom-tom laughs. If colored people are pleased, we are glad. If they are not, their displeasure doesn’t matter either. We build our temples for tomorrow, strong as we know how, and we stand on top of the mountain, free within ourselves.

Beethoven • Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor Coleridge-Taylor • Idyll Rutter • Suite Lyrique (for harp and strings) Melanie Young • Harp Chadwick • Symphonic Sketches Tickets $25 • FREE for Children through College with ID Groups of 10+ Discount at Box Office

OSA CLASSES

Painting a seascape in oil will taught by Scott McDonald on January the 28th, 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. On February 25 he will offer a follow up session on landscapes. These classes will be perfect for those who have never touched a brush or could use a refresher. Scott will explore the basics of landscape painting, covering brush work, color mixing and creating a composition. Students will complete a 16“x 20“oil painting of this beautiful and easy seascape “Tranquil Seas.”

These will be the third and fourth lesson in a series on “How to Paint a Landscape.” Scott McDonald is an official instructor in the Bob Ross Method. All supplies will be furnished by the instructor. Cost per student $75.00. Limited to 10 students – 16 years of age or older. To register send an email to scottypaints54@gmail.com

Pysanky Easter Eggs (1 session - $30.00)

Limited to 10 students

Traditions of coloring eggs have been around for many centuries. The Pysanky Easter Eggs (Ukrainian Eggs) have evolved from geometric designs to more contemporary designs reflective of current events happening in the world.

Join Millie Adams on Saturday, March 25, 2023, from 10:00 – 3:00 to explore creating Pysanky Easter Eggs at Open Space Arts Gallery at Stonebridge Shopping Center. Investigation on different egg designs from Russia, Ukraine, Germany, and many other countries will be featured.

Contact Penny Shaw at shawonesent@gmail.com or (540) 7640874 to register for the class and reserve your dye kit. A materials list will be provided at the end of the class. This class may be repeated at another date depending on interest.

Learn the Wet-on-Wet Technique of Oil Painting with a Certified Bob Ross Instructor ®

All materials are provided. Cost is $75.00 per student

Class Dates:

January 28 Tranquil Seas Seascape

February 25 Falls in the Glen

March 25 Waterfall in the Woods

April 22 Covered Bridge

All classes run from 1:00 - 5:00 pm in the Open Space Arts Workshop, Stonebridge Shopping Center, Woodbridge, VA

Spider Man Digital Tom Holland as Spider Man in No

Way Home: Adions Dorsey

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Arts Council FY22/23-FY23/24:

Chair: Alice Mergler

Treasurer: Peter Alten

Secretary: Kelly Haneklau

Vice Chair For Marketing: Victor Harper

Vice Chair For Programming: Susan Bardenhagen

Vice Chair For Nominations: Debora Madsen

APPOINTEES

Ronnie Rigger Coles District

Wanda Smith Neabsco District

Catrina Stroman

Potomac District

Jay Torres Woodbridge District

Kelly Haneklau

Dawn Franklin

Brentsville

Gainesville District

Angel Lopez Occoquan District

Brenda Johnson

Herb Williams

At Large

Arts Recreation Specialist

The Arts COUNCIL is more than art it’s an opportunity!

How are you inspired?

Side scroller with goal being the end with portals

Blazing racers racing game uses ai racers (longer than a month)

Made models through unity

Digital Game design with Forest Park students

OSA held programming during the month of November on Arts and Technology put together by Penny Shaw that featured Forest Park students that had created their own video games and animations. The Students in the course of months went from plotting and structuring their ideas through power points to encoding their designs into utility and visual studio. The video games ranged from side scrollers with pixels created in Photoshop to first person shooters made through blendr. The feat of creating a video game has changed over the last 4 decades, what use to take a whole studio building to create in the span of a year now has become a solo accomplishment for highschool students in the span of at least 3 months. With the assistance of websites and software like Unity, and visual studio, coding has become an easier step to the language these fun past times rely on. However this doesn’t mean this makes the completion process any easier, there is still rigorous work put into the designing and testing phases along with the general coding. Below we feature some of the students and their dreams along with their works.

Side scroller just get to the end and defeat enemies, Mario inspiration

Roller ball, platformer get to the end and survive

Justin Burns 12th side gig

Animation tortoise and the hare showing the animated tale and then made an fps called survive

Koby Ashun 12th side gig

Wesley (Blake) Parker (career path) Wants to work at Nintendo.

Tristan Napoliello 11th already experienced Pixel sprites, the lost pixel. Goal to get home from the start

“Not everything that is faced can be changed, But nothing can be changed until it is faced.”