Tuesday, September 14th, 2021
For Mike Wade, the memory of first falling in love with art is as vivid as a 64-pack of Crayola crayons. Though he was only 5 years old, Mike recalls going to the local five & dime store with his grandmother, Ada, like it was only yesterday. “She bought me the nice pack of crayons,
Tuesday, May 25th, 2021
Small art associations come and go. Struggles to survive seem to be part of the fabric as times change over the years. I joined the Blacksburg Regional Art Association (BRAA) in 2010 soon after arriving in town...
Wednesday, January 13th, 2021
No one would argue last year won’t go down in history as the year-of-cancellations. No concerts, no festivals, no trips abroad or, for that matter, even to a neighboring state. Most industries took, and continue to take,...
Tuesday, September 15th, 2020
What do small eclectic towns with local artisans and shops do when faced with a pandemic like they’ve never encountered? They find ingenious ways to stay well, be creative and bring their goods to customers in innovative...
Wednesday, May 6th, 2020
If Truman Capone’s life were a 3-act play, Act One would open in an elementary school in Pittsburgh. His artistic talent was recognized at a young age when he won contests for kids like drawing a poster...
Wednesday, May 6th, 2020
This year marks the Floyd Center for the Arts’ 25th year. Throughout two and a half decades, the Center has been an advocate for Floyd artists by providing studio space, fostering art sales and creating learning opportunities....
Thursday, January 16th, 2020
The arts can change people’s hearts, change their minds, and change their lives. – P. Buckley Moss, artist and philanthropist Famous American composer and pianist Philip Glass was the opening performer in the Moss Arts Center...
Sunday, July 7th, 2019
Fiber artist Fran Stafford of Newport has called herself many things in her career – spinner, knitter, crocheter, but the Livestock Conservancy would subsume all of those under one title, Sheep Employment Specialist. In a world where...
Monday, May 13th, 2019
We’ve all driven by the green and orange signs with the iconic banjo. Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail, designated as such by the Virginia General Assembly, is a 330-mile driving route that winds across 19 counties in the...
Monday, May 13th, 2019
He’s not under a spreading chestnut tree, but Joshua Langfitt IS making a living these days as a blacksmith. He is the lead blacksmith at Smithfield Plantation, which means he has trained apprentices, manages the forge and...