Locals may spot a new sculpture outside Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library in the near future.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is slated to approve a public art donation from Promila and Krishan Chhabra at the meeting next Tuesday (Sept. 25).

The Chhabras want to mount a bronze, life-size sculpture by artist Dennis Smith of a girl reading a book outside the library’s front window.

The piece is meant to help beautify the library, according to county staff.

More from county staff:

After she retired from the Fairfax County Public Library (FCPL) system in 2017, Ms. Promila Chhabra and her husband, Krishan, looked for a way to express her gratitude to the county for her fulfilling career as a library aide at the library. The couple became inspired by the idea of donating a monument for installation on the library grounds…

The donors envision mounting the bronze on a 3-foot cinderblock pedestal with brick siding and a polished black stone pedestal top, with a small plaque on one side of the pedestal that states the dedication is made “in honor of Promila Chhabra’s years of service” to the library.

If the county board OKs the donation, the Chhabras would then select the contractor and pay for the construction costs.

Photos via Fairfax County

Two new art exhibits are set to debut in McLean this week.

Original artwork by Meghan Walsh and Miriam Mörsel Nathan will be on display from Thursday, Sept. 19, until Saturday, Nov. 16, at the McLean Community Center (1234 Ingleside Avenue).

The exhibits are presented by the McLean Project for the Arts.

Walsh’s “An Fharraige Fheargach: The Fiery Sea” will be located in the Emerson Gallery while Nathan’s “Some Pieces of the Nature of Things” will be displayed in the Atrium Gallery.

Nathan began her career as a poet and writer — hints of which can be found in her latest artwork which features calligraphy and fluid linear drawings.

Nathan said she did not know Walsh beforehand, but was excited to discover her work. “We have some similar sensibilities,” Nathan said.

Walsh is known for her mixed-media sculptures that incorporate rock and metal. “They speak of our quickly changing world, tapping into a deep historical perspective as they point out the dignity and beauty found in the communion of unexpected objects,” the event page said.

Though the exhibit doesn’t feature any pieces made specifically for the event, Nathan said all of her work was made within the last three years.

“I love the notion that people see art when they enter a building,” she said, adding that she is excited to have her work on display for the McLean community and was familiar with the center’s activities even before this opportunity.

There will be a free evening reception on Friday, Sept. 27, at MCC from 7-9 p.m. where the artists will speak about their work.

Image courtesy Miriam Mörsel Nathan

With summer nearing an end and days getting shorter, a new art exhibit in Vienna is focusing on shadows.

Titled “Shadows,” the exhibit opened earlier this week at the Vienna Arts Center (243 Church Street NW, Suite 100 LL).

Lu Cousins, the director of the Vienna Arts Society, told Tysons Reporter that the exhibit will run through October.

Artist Bob Magneson is set to come to a meeting next Thursday (Sept. 12) to demonstrate his application techniques for Impressionistic and post-Impressionistic paintings.

Events at the center are free and open to the public.

The art center is open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday.

Image courtesy Vienna Arts Society

A local sci-fi author recently teamed up with big names to expand his fictional world.

David McGoings is the creator of “Catharsis: 2066” and a Falls Church resident. He began the project as a book trilogy but decided to expand it into a multi-media project featuring Star Trek’s Robert Picardo and famous narrator Greg Tremblay.

“Catharsis: 2066” follows the lives of six characters interacting with aliens come to earth and change the world’s history forever. The storyline explores the characters’ feelings and struggles as they deal with a changing environment and the ripple effect of their actions.

“It’s about the breakdown of society and the interactions of the people,” McGoings said.

McGoings told Tysons Reporter that the first book is currently finished and is in the process of publication. Next, he wants to implement a video series and work on the last two books in the trilogy.

He isn’t sure when the first book will be released to the public. As a teaser, Tremblay and Picardo from “Star Trek: Voyager” agreed to narrate the first four chapters. There is also a trailer with artwork from Rob Joseph.

“It started out as just a pitch, but most people in the industry when putting their name on something or helping out with something, they have to like the product first,” said McGoings.

Within the first week of the narration’s release, he said he received more than 2,000 new social media followers and attention on several online forums encouraging art from people of color, including Planet Ebjon, a Facebook page dedicated to Marvel DC characters and the Entertainment Universe.

“It has motivated me as well as pushed the envelope a little on how far you can go when writing a book if you have the tenacity or drive to keep with it,” McGoings said.

Until this point, McGoings said all the proceeds for his book have come out of his pocket or from donations from friends and family. In hopes of reaching his $8,000 goal for the trilogy and a YouTube video series, McGoings started a GoFundMe where people can donate to support the project.

In the next few weeks, McGoings and Joseph will sponsor a social media contest for fans where people will have the change to enter for a piece of signed custom artwork. Fans can check out the book’s Facebook page for upcoming details.

Eventually, McGoings said he wants to write full-time and hire a literary agent, to help him market his books to publishers.

“It’s probably one of the hardest parts of the process, besides writing the book itself, is to find an agent,” McGoings said. “It’s hard to grab the attention of somebody.”

Images courtesy David McGoings

After extreme weather took a toll on Cherry Hill Park, the City of Falls Church has turned the remaining parts of the destroyed trees into art.

Recreation and Parks Director Daniel Schlitt commissioned a local artist to create statues from leftover stumps created by a violent storm last year that killed a few trees, Susan Finarelli, a city spokesperson, told Tysons Reporter.

Artist Andrew Mallon lives in Falls Church and specializes in chainsaw log-art. He began work on the installation in early August after Schlitt hired him for the job, Mallon told Tysons Reporter.

The installation includes four different statues, each scattered throughout the park.

The logs portray animals that would be found in neighboring forests, Mallon said. The art includes baby animals, because he thinks of parks as gathering places for families.

Mallon declined to say how much money the city paid him for the work, and Finarelli did not respond to a follow-up email.

The carvings were completed last Friday (Aug. 23) and are now on display for public viewing at 312 Park Avenue, Mallon said.

Cherry Hill Park will be a bit noisy the next few weeks. A local artist is using chainsaws to transform stumps into carved sculptures. Here are the "before" pictures. You're welcome to swing by to see the sculpting in progress! pic.twitter.com/LLauQN5RjF

— City of Falls Church (@FallsChurchGov) August 12, 2019

Photos via City of Falls Church

To celebrate new T-Rex stamps, the U.S. Postal Service will spotlight pictorial postmarks created by local kids with events at three Virginia post offices — including one in Vienna.

The U.S. Postal Service will issue Tyrannosaurus Rex Forever stamps on Thursday, Aug. 29.

More from the U.S. Postal Service about the stamps:

One design illustrates a face-to-face encounter with a T. rex approaching through a forest clearing; another shows the same young adult T. rex with a young Triceratops — both dinosaurs shown in fossil form.

The third and fourth stamps depict a newly hatched T. rex covered with downy feathers and a bare-skinned juvenile T. rex chasing a primitive mammal.

“The Nation’s T. rex,” the young adult depicted on two of the stamps, was discovered on federal land in Montana and is one of the most studied and important specimens ever found.

On Saturday, a T-Rex pictorial postmark created by a local 13-year-old will be available for “Customer Appreciation Day” at the Vienna Post Office.

The Vienna celebration will take place from 9-11:30 a.m. at 200 Lawyers Road NW.

The U.S. Postal Service also plans to host “Customer Appreciation Day” celebrations in Leesburg and Manassas.

“The event is an opportunity to show our customers how much we appreciate their business, answer their questions, and to celebrate a very special pictorial postmark specific to this community’s Post Office,” Postmaster Joquita Allen said.

Image via U.S. Postal Service

After two bench thefts, the Vienna Arts Society is determined to keep the remaining 40 benches painted by local artists available for public enjoyment.

When the first bench disappeared, Ken Britz, a Vienna Arts Society spokesperson, said that the art group was disappointed, but knew theft was a possibility.

When the second bench was snatched, though, the Vienna Arts Society decided it was time to work with local law enforcement to institute security measures.

The remaining benches will now be either padlocked or chained down. “It won’t stand in the way of a determined thief, but it will be a deterrent,” Britz said.

On top of the locks, Deputy Chief of Police Dan Janickey said at the Vienna Town Council meeting last week that law enforcement officers will keep a closer eye on the remaining benches.

The Vienna Police Department is still looking for a culprit and doesn’t have any leads yet, Janickey said.

The art group said keeping the benches aesthetically appealing for visitors is their main concern when it comes to adding security measures.

“We don’t wanna make it unsightly or emphasize the thefts,” he said.

Joann Meginley is the owner of Grass Roots Fitness in Vienna and the sponsor of the first missing bench. In coordination with the studio and the arts society, the artist of the bench agreed to recommission a new bench for the location.

Meginley said that it should be completed by Labor Day and will be placed in the missing bench’s original location, outside Meginley’s fitness studio.

The second stolen bench will not be recommissioned, because the artist is on vacation and will not have time when they return, Britz said.

The benches are available for public viewing throughout the town until they go to auction on Nov. 2.

Photos in the last image via Susan Scanlon and the Vienna Arts Society/Facebook

Look around Tysons and you’ll find art near every Metro station.

Tysons Reporter has rounded up the outside artworks in the area that are Instragram-worthy and easy to walk to.

“Early Bird”

Maybe you’ve spotted the dozens of bronze birds scattered around The Plaza outside Tysons Corner Center (1961 Chain Bridge Road). If you haven’t — just take a look around at the seating and railings.

The birds depict five species — the morning dove, the red-tailed hawk, the robin, the crow and the cardinal — and were created by a trio of George Mason University artists, according to the university. In total, there are 63 birds.

Fun fact: “Early Bird is the name of Intelsat’s first communications satellite. It was launched into orbit on April 6, 1965,” according to the university.

“The Thought”

It’s hard to not notice the nearly 16-foot-tall bronze sculpture outside the Walmart (1500 B Cornerside Blvd) in Tysons West where an enormous face rests its chin on a hand.

Robert Cole created the structure with copper pipe before covering it with welded bronze plates. His assistant, Josh Yavelberg, helped with the creation of the piece, according to the D.C.-based Robert Cole Studios.

Cole, who had art at other Metro stations and around the D.C.-area, died in 2013.

“Solar Sails”

Known for his use of glass, artist Ray King created “Solar Sails” outside the Tysons Corner Metro station (1943 Chain Bridge Road) in 2015. The laminated glass panes and tension pulled steel measure 50 feet long outside, according to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.

“By creating dynamic interactions with the sun and refracting light into colors — rainbow-like emanations that shift and change as the viewer moves or as the light source changes — King creates an environment that appeals to viewers’ sense of wonderment and delight,” WMATA’s website says.

“Hoop-La” 

Alice Aycock created the aluminum and powder-coated steel sculpture in front of the Capital One headquarters (1680 Capital One Drive) by the McLean Metro station.

According to a description from Capital One:

For the Capital One project, Alice tried to visualize energy, thoughts and ideas as a series of spiral vortexes gathering momentum — each emerging from the vortex below as whirlpools of thought. She designed the work to appear to spin off into the air, forming a dynamic, three-dimensional mixture of forms.

The sculpture is a metaphor for the way ideas connect in energetic and unpredictable ways in the pursuit of knowledge.

Much of Alice’s work in both public and private spheres has been a meditation on the philosophical ramifications of technology, from the simplest to the most advanced tools. Many of these works have incorporated images of the wheel and turbines and references to energy.

“Voyagers”

Located on the ground level at the McLean Metro station mezzanine (1824 Dolley Madison Blvd) are 26 laminated glass panels. Martin Donlin hand painted and airbrushed the panels, which include etchings of poetry from Virginia Poet Laureates, in 2015.

“‘Voyagers’ represents both the physical and cognitive idea of travel and transportation,” the WMATA website says.

“Eccentricity”

Standing 40 feet tall, the stainless steel and concrete work by Barbara Grygutis greets people outside the west entrance pavilion plaza outside the Spring Hill Metro station (1576 Spring Hill Road), according to WMATA.

More from WMATA about the sculpture:

This large iconic columnar sculpture and plaza demarcate the Spring Hill Road Station along WMATA’s Metro Silver Line. The sculptural form displays shifting moiré patterns as the viewer moves about the piece — from pedestrians at ground level and above on the train platform, to vehicles and bicyclists passing at varying speeds. The plaza includes an offset concentric ring design in two shades of concrete with poetry by previous Poet Laureate of Virginia Lee Pelham Cotton in aluminum within the concrete. In the evening, the pillar is illuminated to create a peacemaking feature around the clock.

WMATA commissioned Grygutis to create the piece, which was finished in 2016, according to the artist’s website. People can see it driving or walking along Leesburg Pike by the Metro stop.

“Tysons Luxury Lilies”

People getting off the Greensboro Metro station and folks heading to the Tysons Biergarten have surely seen the massive mural featuring water lilies at 8346 Leesburg Pike.

Created by Lawrence Atoigue, professionally known as Naturel, the 100 by 200 foot mural was launched in 2016 as part of a placemaking effort by Tysons Partnership.

The mural, located on a wall owned by Beacon Capital Partners, was inspired by Claude Monet’s “Water Lily” series, according to Tysons Partnership.

“Technology Triangle Colonnade”

Columns standing 21 feet tall are located on opposite sides of Leesburg Pike at the Greensboro Metro station (8304 Leesburg Pike). David Dahlquist created the metal, fiberglass and concrete columns with LED lights in 2016.

“The symbolic triangle, representative of the connection of government, industry, and consumer, becomes a dramatic iconic marker,” according to the WMATA website. “The sculptural columns create a dynamic connection to the station.”

People who look closely can spot the poetry by Virginia Poet Laureates in the bands around the base of each column.

(Updated at 1:45 p.m.) Another painted bench commissioned by the Vienna Arts Society has gone missing in the Town of Vienna.

The Vienna Police Department said that a member of the Vienna Arts Society reported that one of their benches was stolen from in front of Ghaffari Orthodontics (100 Church Street NE) between Aug. 9-12 — nearly one month after another painted bench was reported stolen.

The benches are two of the 42 benches painted by local artist and placed around the Town of Vienna. The benches are slated to be sold at a charity auction in November.

The bench taken this month was called “Big Wave” by Artist Viktoriya Maslova.

Kenneth Britz, the artist of another bench, told Tysons Reporter that the Vienna Arts Society is currently working on a way to deter any attempted thefts in the future.

“We are still trusting of the town,” he said, adding that “anything can be stolen from anywhere.”

Britz said that the arts group hasn’t determined yet if Maslova will paint another bench for the town.

He added that the arts group is cooperating with the Vienna Police Department.

The bench that disappeared from outside Grass Roots Fitness (512 W. Maple Avenue) in July was painted by Mary Ellyn Perkowski and featured pink and purple flowers against a black background.

Deborah Kennedy, a spokesperson for the Vienna Arts Society, previously told Tysons Reporter Perkowski plans to paint another bench similar in design to the stolen one — it is unclear when the replacement will be finished or where it will be placed.

Earlier in August, Britz published an open letter in the Sun-Gazette on behalf of the organization condemning the July theft as “an affront to the town and a show of blatant disrespect to its residents and visitors.”

Juan Vazquez, a spokesperson for the Vienna Police Department, said that the department cannot comment on the cases since they are still being investigated.

Photo via Vienna Arts Society/Facebook

MPAartfest is returning to McLean in October with a long list of artists set to perform.

Hosted by the McLean Project for the Arts, the free festival is a one-day juried fine art show and sale that features the work of visual artists, along with mini art galleries, live music, food from local restaurants and activities. MPAartfest returns Sunday, Oct. 6.

Here’s the hour-by-hour breakdown on who’s playing:

• 10 a.m. — Djangolaya will kick off MPAartfest with gypsy jazz
• 11 a.m. — Takoma Park-based fiddler, banjoist, singer and scholar Jake Blount will perform with composer Clara Delfina
• noon — Great Guitars featuring three guitarists will take the stage
• 1 p.m. — Bumper Jacksons will bring jazz rhythms and country swing harmonies
• 2 p.m. — DC-based outfit Black Masala will perform Balkan, gypsy, klezmer sounds
• 3 p.m. — Artist Caz Gardiner will bring a 60’s-infused soul-pop sound
• 4 p.m. — Blues Alley Youth Jazz Orchestra, a 15-piece youth swing big band, will close out the festival

The lineup was curated by radio host Ken Avis, according to a press release from the art organization.

While the festival is free, donations and funds raised during the event support MPA exhibitions and programs.

MPAartfest will take place from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. in McLean Central Park (1468 Dolley Madison Blvd).

Photo courtesy McLean Project for the Arts