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Appearances by world-renowned musicians, performances by regional symphony, ballet and opera companies, original plays, fascinating exhibitions, a famous sidewalk “ephemeral” artist and even a silent-film classic accompanied by music are all on tap during the inaugural Roanoke Arts Festival, starting tomorrow and continuing through Sunday, Oct. 4-7.
The event is part of a year-long celebration of the 125th anniversary of the founding of Roanoke. The four-day extravaganza will feature “a moveable feast” of performing and visual arts appealing to a wide range of audiences. As envisioned by Roanoke Mayor Nelson Harris, and as a key part of the city’s 125th anniversary celebration, the Roanoke Arts Festival “will incorporate all components of the performing arts…The festival will become an annual event that will facilitate the involvement of our youth, as well as collaborative partnerships with the arts and cultural organizations, civic and community organizations, and businesses in our community. The festival is also designed to encourage regional tourism and economic development in our city.” “The Roanoke Arts Festival truly has something for everyone,” says Rick Salzberg, manager of the event. “Whether your interests lie in music, art, theatre or history, the Roanoke Arts Festival will transform our region into an arts center for Virginia and beyond, and provide residents with unprecedented view of our rich cultural heritage.” Ticket information, full calendar and venue details are available online at www.RoanokeArtsFest.org or by calling (540) 853-5900. Here is the exciting lineup: THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4
· The Ramsey Lewis Trio. 7:30 p.m., Jefferson Center. Internationally renowned composer, pianist and jazz legend Ramsey Lewis is an American treasure. Known as the “Great Performer,” this title reflects the great body of work for which this native Chicagoan received numerous Gold Records and three Grammy Awards. As well as hallmarks such as “The In Crowd,” “Wade In The Water,” and “Hang On Sloopy,” this performance will feature selections from With One Voice, the Trio’s latest award-winning release of gospel-themed jazz albums.
· “Paper Cup Ocean.” 7:30 p.m., Mill Mountain Theatre, Waldron Stage. This beautifully poetic play by Hollins University graduate Rachel Nelson explores the complex relationship between two sisters after the loss of their mother. As they drift on the tiny ocean of their insular world, the desire to move beyond the horizon is complicated by the need to let go of the relationship that matters most. A production of the Hollins theater department. Repeat performances on Oct. 6 at 2 p.m. and Oct. 7 at 5 p.m.
· “Hank Williams: Lost Highway.” 7:30 p.m., Mill Mountain Theatre. Hank Williams’ life is what country songs are all about. Lose yourself on the back roads of his songs. It just may be that the wrong turn is what put Hank on the map. Repeat performances on Oct. 5 & 6 at 8 p.m. and Oct. 7 at 2 p.m. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5
· Entrepreneurship Express Workshop: Cultivating the Business of Arts and Culture in the Roanoke Valley. 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Roanoke Civic Center Exhibit Hall. A workshop for individuals interested in starting or growing arts, tourism and other types of businesses in the Roanoke Valley, presented by the Virginia Department of Business Assistance. For more information and to register, go to www.vastartup.org.
· The Audubon Quartet: A Lunchtime Affair. Noon, Greene Memorial United Methodist Church. Acclaimed for their “strikingly beautiful, luminescent” sound, the Audubon Quartet has performed with notable success both nationally and internationally for more than 30 years. This performance is the first part of their Residency Engagement for the Arts Festival.
· Readings From Hollins. 2:30 p.m., 202 Market. Staged readings of poetry and fiction from works by faculty, students, and graduates of Hollins University’s graduate program in Creative Writing.
· “The Neon Man and Me.” 5:30 p.m., Science Museum of Western Virginia. This popular one-man show is a theatrical tribute to artist Mark Jamison, Roanoke’s late “Neon Man”, by performance artist Slash Coleman. (The show will be taped by PBS for a showing this fall.) Repeat performance on Oct. 6 at 12:30 p.m.
· An Evening with Judy Collins. 8 p.m., Roanoke Performing Arts Theatre. With her impressive career spanning more than 40 years, Judy Collins is an icon of American culture. From 1967’s “Both Sides Now” to the 1975 Grammy Award-winning “Send In The Clowns” to her newly released CD “Judy Collins Wildflower Festival,” Ms. Collins continues to delight audiences with her unique blend of interpretative folksongs and contemporary themes and to create music of hope and healing that lights up the world and speaks to the heart.
· “Hank Williams: Lost Highway.” 7:30 p.m., Mill Mountain Theatre. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 6
· The Downtown Living Tour. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., downtown residential district. In partnership with Downtown Roanoke, Inc. and The Arts Council of the Blue Ridge, this popular offering will be a unique part of the Roanoke Arts Festival. See some of the great living space in some of Roanoke’s most historic locations.
· “The Neon Man and Me.” 12:30 p.m., Science Museum of Western Virginia.
· The James Piano Quartet. 2:30 p.m., Greene Memorial United Methodist Church. The Quartet (formerly the James String Quartet) has performed throughout Virginia and will perform classic piano quartets by Beethoven and Brahms, as well as the Sonatina for Violin and Cello by Arthur Honegger. The Quartet is currently serving as ensemble-in-residence at the Wintergreen Summer Music Festival.
· “Paper Cup Ocean.” 2 p.m., Mill Mountain Theatre, Waldron Stage.
· “Music for Memories.” 2 p.m., Life Church. A free concert with gospel greats LuLu Roman, Dottie Rambo, and Kirk Talley will present Music for Memories: An Afternoon of Faith and Fun, to benefit the Alzheimer’s Association.
· Southwest Virginia Ballet. 4 p.m., Jefferson Center. The Spanish-themed French classic Paquita (1846) and an original Pas de Deux will be performed by this accomplished and popular regional company.
· “The Great American Concert.” 8 p.m., Roanoke Performing Arts Theatre. This original Americana-themed production by the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra and Opera Roanoke will include works by George Gershwin, Leonard Bernstein, Richard Rodgers, John Philip Sousa, and Carlisle Floyd. Hear Maestro David Wiley at the Steinway piano with the RSO performing Gershwin's exciting "Rhapsody in Blue." Plus, special honored guest Sergeant Bob Slaughter, D-Day veteran and author of "Omaha Beach & Beyond" will do a special tribute narration to members of our armed forces while the RSO performs Barber's stirring Adagio for Strings. Also on the program is Richard Rodgers' "Sound Of Music" a tribute to Louis Armstrong, an Irving Berlin Medley, and the Armed Forces Salute.
· “Hank Williams: Lost Highway.” 8 p.m., Mill Mountain Theatre.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 7
· The Downtown Living Tour. 1-5 p.m., downtown residential district.
· “Hank Williams: Lost Highway.” 2 p.m., Mill Mountain Theatre.
· “The General.” 3 p.m., Grandin Theatre. Love, Locomotives and Laughs: Buster Keaton’s The General (1926) is considered one of the greatest of silent film comedies (and undoubtedly the best train film ever made!). Matt Marshall will perform live accompanying music.
· “Roanoke Primeval.” 3 p.m., Dumas Center. An original production by the acclaimed Roanoke Ballet Theatre with music performed by the Audubon Quartet. This new work will explore the myths and mysteries of Roanoke’s earliest known inhabitants.
· “Paper Cup Ocean.” 5 p.m., Mill Mountain Theatre, Waldron Stage.
· Little Feat. 5 p.m., Jefferson Center. A great American band, performing for more than 33 years, Little Feat still plays a mixture of Blues, R&B, Country, New Orleans funk and Rock 'n' Roll. These musical heroes of more than three decades now have legions of fans and admiring fellow musicians, many of whom have played with them, such as Jimmy Buffett, who is on their upcoming CD.
ONGOING
Exhibitions on view throughout the Festival:
· “Ephemeral Art.” Downtown. Michael William Kirby, international muralist and “ephemeral artist” (as seen recently on the “Late Show with David Letterman”) will create a major three-dimensional street drawing in chalk at SunTrust Plaza, and offer a workshop for artist as part of the City’s expanding Public Art Program.
· “Civil War Photographs from the David L. Hack Collection.” O. Winston Link Museum. This exhibition from the Chrysler Museum of Art features 50 rare and seldom- seen photographs made from the original glass-plate negatives. Includes such icons as Alexander Gardner’s classic Lincoln photograph "Lincoln and Tad", haunting images of Andersonville prison, and Gardner’s dramatic series of the hanging of the Lincoln conspirators in 1865. These extraordinary period photographs are complemented by the contemporary Civil War Redux: Civil War Pinhole Photographs by Willie Anne Wright, featuring pinhole photographs by the internationally acclaimed Virginia photographer.
· “Look Here: Speed.” Eleanor D. Wilson Museum at Hollings University. Remarkable works comprising an exhibition from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts: All over the world and throughout history, speed and motion in art can mean much more than just going fast. . . from the sleek beauty of a racing yacht to the pageantry of an African dance, expressions of speed in art can communicate motion and emotion. The Eleanor D.Wilson Museum will be having special Sunday hours the weekend of the Arts Festival. The Museum will be open Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 1-5 p.m.
· “City Treasures: Photographs of Historic Roanoke.” History Museum of Western Virginia. A comprehensive exhibition of fascinating and compelling photographs from the earliest days of the City of Roanoke, part of the Museum’s important permanent collection.
· “In the Glow: The Science Behind the Art of Neon.” Science Museum of Western Virginia. From the Star on Mill Mountain to the vintage signs downtown, Roanoke loves its neon! This exciting new exhibit, opening October 5, explains how neon works and why it is so appealing, while featuring works by local and nationally-known neon artists, including the “Neon Man” himself, the late Mark Jamison. Developed by the Science Museum of Western Virginia especially for this First Roanoke Arts Festival, the exhibit will travel nationally after it closes on January 13, 2008.
ARTS FESTIVAL POSTERS FOR SALE
Signed, limited-edition Art Festival commemorative posters are available for sale. Designed by Roanoke silk-screen artist John Reburn of Roanoke Valley Printworks, these beautiful mementos are available for $75. For details, visit www.RoanokeArtsFest.org. VIRGINIA TECH STUDENTS TO SERVE AS FESTIVAL VOLUNTEERS
The inaugural Roanoke Arts Festival is pleased to announce that more than 150 students from Virginia Tech’s “Residential Leadership Community” will serve as volunteers and hosts during the four-day event. The Residential Leadership Community is the only program of its kind in the nation. The group is comprised of Virginia Tech’s most promising incoming students and sophomores. Members of the group will provide assistance at all Festival venues. Their efforts are a prime example of positive city-university collaboration. EverythingNRV will keep you up-to-date with daily calendar of what events are scheduled for the day.
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Innocent XI was elected to the papacy because of his purity of character and unselfish and openhanded benevolence. His election was opposed by Louis XIV, with whom he had a long, bitter quarrel over Gallicanism, a Roman Catholic tradition of resistance to papal authority. As Pope, he passed strict ordinances against nepotism among the cardinals and lived very parsimoniously, exhorting the cardinals to do the same. What were the Gallican Liberties?