Students and community members filled the Betsy and John Casteen Arts Grounds Sunday, eager to enjoy performances and gain more knowledge on various art organizations. Consistently one of the Art Department’s largest events, the Annual University Arts Welcome Picnic features several organizations, student and local performances and free shirts, bags and miscellaneous items available to all.
n 1990, American historian Sue Peabody was researching her dissertation on enslaved peoples’ pre-revolutionary freedom lawsuits in France when she came upon an intriguing story. In 1817 on Île Bourbon (now Réunion), a French-colonized island in the Indian Ocean, a 31-year-old enslaved man named Furcy Madeleine brought legal proceedings before the Saint-Denis District Court against his master Joseph Lory. Furcy’s suit contested his status as a slave and claimed his “ingenuity” — his freedom of birth.
In August, the Virginia Film Festival welcomed director Bill Banowsky in conversation following a showing of his film, “A Savage Art: The Life & Cartoons of Pat Oliphant.” The film features archival footage and hundreds of Oliphant works, and the showing was a homecoming of sorts, since the University of Virginia Library houses Oliphant’s archive, which was critical in the making of the film.
From the moment it opened on October 11, 1975, the McGuffey Art Center was a hit. Half a century later, the vibrant arts organization is still humming along, providing affordable studio space and a supportive environment for artists while delivering art shows, receptions, classes, open studios, and performances to the public.
Commerce Street Books — in business since June 28 — hopes to pull its customers both closer to literature and closer to one another. The independent bookstore was founded by Class of 2015 alumnus Philip Lorish, who hopes to support what he calls the “practice of reading” in the Charlottesville community.
A student-favorite tradition — and one of the first of the school year — Rotunda Sing is a chance for the University’s a capella world to join forces and share their pride with the student body. 17 musical groups performed on the Lawn Wednesday, marking the 37th annual Rotunda Sing.
For decades, the books were believed lost, numbering among the pieces of University of Virginia history that fell victim to the 1895 Rotunda fire. Then Amanda Greenwood, an archivist in the University’s Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, discovered centuries-old medical and anatomical texts.
The Charlottesville Chamber Music Festival is happening from September 7 to the 20th. For Arts This Week, we spoke with Nathalie Hokanson.
You’re listening to WTJU Charlottesville. The fourth annual Mad Jazz and Wine Festival is happening this September 6, from 11 to 5pm at the Prince Michel Vineyard and Winery. For Arts This Week, we spoke with Eric Mayberry, founder and organizer of the event.
Former University President Jim Ryan demonstrated genuine support for student arts organizations through his attendance at countless student-organized events and administrative support over the course of his term. As the University enters a new chapter, students and alumni are reflecting on Ryan’s impact and involvement in the University arts scene, while also voicing hopes for growth, at a school where creativity and freedom of expression are deeply ingrained in the culture.
As the fall semester begins, University students are looking forward to enjoying the constellation of arts that the University and Charlottesville have to offer. This fall’s arts season does not disappoint, boasting a breadth of events from trusted University drama department productions to momentous visits from big names like Adam Sandler and Tyler Childers.
After earning his doctorate in religious studies from the University of Virginia’s Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, Philip Lorish’s path hasn’t been a traditional one. He first worked as a consultant for startups looking for insight into the intersection of technology and ethics, then decided to pursue his dream of opening an independent bookstore in Charlottesville.
