In an effort to make the arts more accessible to young audiences, Tysons’ 1st Stage Theatre is rolling out a free subscription for local high school students.
The theater announced on Tuesday (Nov. 19) its new Youth Engagement Subscription (YES) Pass for high school students in Fairfax County. The YES Pass gives students one ticket per show for a year — a free subscription for all mainstage shows.
“Our YES Pass ensures that no student is denied access to live theater due to economic barriers and guarantees that all young people will have an opportunity to be part of the discussion and the artistic life of Fairfax County,” according to a press release from 1st Stage.
The free subscriptions are being sponsored by the Ruth and Hal Launders Foundation.
Students interested in the YES Pass can contact Deidra Starnes at [email protected] or apply online.
When the big top returns to Tysons next summer, people can expect a circus show about a power struggle.
Cirque du Soleil plans to bring “Alegría” to Tysons from July 28 to Aug. 30, according to a press release.
Attendees can expect gymnasts flying from one high bar to the next, a fire knife dancer, somersaults on trampolines and other acrobatics.
Here’s Cirque du Soleil’s description of the show:
Alegría (“joy” in Spanish) takes audiences at the heart of a once glorious kingdom now in decay led by the king’s fool and a dusty aristocracy. Carried by an intangible wind of change, an emerging movement from the streets strives to shake this established order, instilling hope and renewal to bring light and harmony to their world. With its joyful spirit, Alegría is a vital, energizing force driven by a thirst for a brighter tomorrow.
The show started in 1994. “To mark the show’s 25th anniversary, Cirque du Soleil is now revisiting its iconic ‘Alegría’ through today’s lens — including refreshed costumes and set design, a renewed acrobatic vocabulary, and modernized musical arrangements — to touch new generations of spectators,” the press release said.
Tickets are on sale now, and people can receive 40% off certain tickets Nov. 19-Dec. 2.
Tysons’ 1st Stage Theatre is one of seven arts organizations receiving a grant from ARTSFAIRFAX.
ARTSFAIRFAX awarded grants totaling $105,296 to local arts groups in Fairfax County for fiscal year 2020, according to a press release. The grants range in amounts from $1,000 to $30,000.
The grant for 1st Stage will allow the theater to work with the Maryland-based Olney Theatre on a co-production of “The Royale” — a story about the first African-American heavyweight boxing champion in the U.S. The show played at Olney from Sept. 25 to Oct. 27 and comes to Tysons in January.
“What we are witnessing is how these grants are helping propel the artistic growth of these grantees as their work reaches new audiences within and beyond the county,” Linda Sullivan, the president and CEO of ARTSFAIRFAX, said in a press release.
“Project awardees presented innovative and creative means to engage the community and bring people together to experience arts in fresh and unusual ways,” according to the press release.
Other recipients include the Greater Reston Arts Center, the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra and the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts.
Painted wooden benches raised thousands of dollars for the Vienna Arts Society during a recent auction.
The benches were auctioned off on Saturday (Nov. 2).
“Vienna Arts Society Auction brought in a capacity crowd,” Lu Cousins, the director of the art group, posted on Facebook. “My sincerest thanks goes out to the community for your support and of course to the artists, their families and the team that worked so hard to make this happen.”
Cousins told Tysons Reporter that the auction raised “well over $50,000.”
The funds will go toward the Vienna Arts Society’s Art Center and outreach activities.
Before the auction, the colorful benches adorned local businesses to mark the Vienna Arts Society’s 50th anniversary. Local businesses sponsored the cost of the Amish-built benches.
During the summer, two of the 42 benches were stolen, leading to extra security measures from the arts group and Vienna Police Department. One of the artists was able to paint another bench, letting Vienna Arts Society auction off 41 benches.
Cousins highlighted one bench in particular — Doré Skidmore’s bench, which features books, will honor Abby — “a beloved pup who enjoyed listening to children reading to her,” Cousins said.
“The public interest story goes out to Lamar Collier who — together with The Friends of Patrick Henry Library — had the winning bid for the bench to be placed at the library in honor of her precious dog Abby and the Read to a Dog, Woof and Paws program,” Cousins told Tysons Reporter.
At the Vienna Town Council meeting on Monday, Mayor Laurie DiRocco lauded the Vienna Arts Society, artists and local businesses that helped with the bench art.
“It was fantastic to see the benches all around town for the six months they were there,” DiRocco said, adding that several benches will stay on display in the town.
The mayor added that she also got a bench with her husband. “We’re going to put it by the Freeman Store,” she said.
Oh no, Take a Seat, Vienna benches created by Vienna Arts Society members are about to go away. But wait…don't despair! You can snag one (or more) of these unique benches at a live auction November 2. Tickets available at VAS, 243 Church St NW, or https://t.co/D9z2HfNHnd. pic.twitter.com/2rcq92eL8P
— Town of Vienna, VA (@TownofViennaVA) October 19, 2019
Could it be a Berner and Yellow lab? #ViennaVA #ViennaArtsSociety #ViennaBenches #BerneseMountainDog #labradorretriever @TownofViennaVA # pic.twitter.com/ZcIpjCgqHK
— Msonmac (@msonmac) June 8, 2019
Spotted by the Ben & Jerry’s in Vienna pic.twitter.com/kBHL1VhPjf
— Catherine Douglas Moran (@c_douglasmoran) May 6, 2019
Photo courtesy Lu Cousins
What will the future hold for Tysons 30 years from now? Developers and business representatives tackled that question at the “Tysons 2050” event last night (Thursday).
Panelists imaged how people might live, work and play in Tysons several decades from now — and what needs to get done to foster a stronger sense of community.
Julie Clemente, the president of Clemente Development, said that one of the most important aspects to community development is cohesion in the planning process.
Clemente told the audience that Tysons lacks parks and community recreation centers. Without these things, she is worried that community members will become lonely and find it hard to break out of “silos.”
“For Tysons to be successful, it needs to be connected,” she said.
She mentioned the Spring Hill Recreation Center (1239 Spring Hill Road) as one of the closest opportunities for people in the Tysons area but said it wasn’t enough to meet the growing demand.
“The Spring Hill Recreation Center is overused and everyone goes there,” she said.
Clemente hopes that The View — a recently approved mixed-use project by the Spring Hill Metro station — will add the city center that she says Tysons lacks.
In addition to adding the tallest building in the region, the development plans to build a black box theater, an art walk, a seasonal ice loop and an open-air theater on the green, along with a Tysons Community Center at a nearby site.
“Tysons doesn’t have it now — a center of growth, a heartbeat — and that’s what we want it to be,” Clemente said about The View.
Deirdre Johnson, the vice president of asset management for Federal Realty Investment Trust and new Tysons resident, echoed Clemente’s concerns about connectivity and a sense of community.
“It’s been hard to find points of natural, authentic and emotional connection,” Johnson said about her time in Tysons. Places like shared green space and cafe seating — as well as art, medical services and religious worship — can help fill that void, she said.
While roughly 100,000 people work in Tysons during the day, only about 20,000 live in the area, Johnson said.
“After 5 [p.m.] is very important because it helps you become who you are,” she said.
She wants to fix this by creating places where people of all ages — but especially seniors and young people — can feel fulfilled in every aspect of their lives, noting that retail options that appeal to a wide age range and incomes is one solution.
Another idea from speaker Linda Sullivan, the president of ARTSFAIRFAX, is to institute an artist in residency or creative spaces pop-up program around Tysons.
Artists would have the opportunity to take advantage of affordable housing opportunities while focusing on their work, she said. She also threw out the idea of flex spaces hosting comedy clubs.
Ultimately, whatever the future holds for Tysons will likely focus on innovation around living, working and playing in the same community.
Paul Siemborski, an architect focused on designing performing arts facilities, said Tysons has the opportunity to “break the mold” and try new things.
“Art and play is not a luxury. It’s a necessity,” Siemborski said.
Actress Jane Seymour is coming to Tysons to showcase her art.
Seymour will make appearances at Wentworth Gallery’s two locations — Tysons Galleria and the Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda — this weekend.
Known for her roles in “Austenland” and the James Bond film “Live and Let Die,” Seymour has been creating oil and watercolor paintings and sculptures for more than two decades.
Her paintings vary from pastel beach scenes to vibrant flowers, along with many self-portraits and art depicting hearts and angels.
More from the art gallery about the actress and painter:
British born, Jane Seymour most famous for her long-lasting and successful acting career, has evolved into a present-day Renaissance woman. In additon to writing, producing, fashion designing and charity work, Seymour has become an accomplished artist…
Seymour finds sanctuary and peace in her art studio. A lover of culture and nature, she has created exceptional oil paintings, watercolors and limited editions.
Her talent as a watercolorist, in fact, led to the production of a series of greeting cards sold to support her charities. One of her images was featured on a special Discover card, raising money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, following the work’s charity auction at the Guggenheim Museum.
“The Art of Jane Seymour” art show will include a meet and greet from 6-9 p.m. at Tysons Galleria on Saturday (Oct. 12). She will be in Bethesda on Sunday (Oct. 13).
Photo via Jane Seymour Art Show/Facebook
The Vienna Arts Society is seeking the public’s help to solve the mystery of the stolen painted benches.
The first bench was stolen between July 7-9, followed by the second bench between August 9-12. Vienna police are currently investigating.
The arts group sent out an email today (Tuesday) to our sister site ARLnow with the subject line: “VIENNA ART SOCIETY ASKS FOR HELP IN RECOVERING STOLEN BENCHES.”
“Art Center Director Lu Cousins, says ‘It’s possible someone witnessed their theft and they may no longer be in the immediate area. We have been working with the Vienna Police Department to secure the remaining benches and we’re hoping that anyone with information will come forward,'” the email said.
The benches are valued at $500 and $600, Sgt. Conor Tracy, who works in the Vienna Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division, told Tysons Reporter.
“To my knowledge, there is no video footage from security cameras of either incident,” Tracy said, adding that the police department does not have any leads or suspects at this time.
The Vienna Arts Society is determined to keep the remaining 40 benches painted by local artists available for public enjoyment until they get auctioned off on Nov. 2.
New security measures include bolting the benches to the ground and chaining them to nearby objects, Tracy said.
While the Vienna Arts Society recommissioned a bench to replace the missing one from Grass Roots Fitness, the artist of the other stolen bench won’t be painting a new one due to time constraints.
Anyone with information about the stolen benches can contact the Vienna Police Department at 703-255-6366.
Photo via Susan Scanlon
Car Tax Due Today — Fairfax County “mailed more than 800,000 annual bills to vehicle owners, and because Oct. 5 falls on a Saturday, this year’s deadline to pay [the] bill is Monday, Oct. 7.” [Fairfax County]
Expect Metro Delays Today — The Orange, Silver and Blue lines will be impacted today due to an overnight rear-end train collision outside Farragut West. [WMATA]
CaliBurger Coming to The Boro — “Locally, the West Coast-styled company’s fries and burgers are served out of a teal-toned NoMa food truck at Wunder Garten. Under a newly inked deal, Caliburger will open next spring in the splashy Boro Development coming together in the heart of Tysons.” [Eater DC]
Art Around Tysons Metro Stations — “Public art not only adds beauty to a place, it can also help people orient themselves and find their way around. Tysons is no exception… Let’s take a look at four public art pieces at Metro stations in Tysons.” [Greater Greater Washington]
Mystery Set at Tysons Mall — “Like [Ellen] Butler’s first two Karina Cardinal mysteries, the setting of the book is local, starting with a mystery criminal absconding with diamonds from a Tysons Corner jewelry store.” [Patch]
The Grass is Greener — “New artificial turf has been installed at Larry Graves Park, replacing the natural grass field where bad weather contributed to game delays and cancellations. City officials hope the revamped surface will be more durable to the climate as well as to its users, but the installation wasn’t well received by all.” [Falls Church News-Press]
County Chair on Explosive Growth — “Sharon Bulova first won political office in Fairfax County 31 years ago on a slow-growth platform. She’ll leave the stage in January having presided over perhaps the most explosive period of growth in the county’s history. It’s a contradiction that Bulova fully acknowledges, and embraces.” [Washington Business Journal]
As 1st Stage Theatre outgrows its current Tysons home, the theater is hoping to move to a proposed mixed-use development by the Spring Hill Metro station.
The theater’s artistic director Alex Levy told the Fairfax County Planning Commission Wednesday night that the theater is negotiating with the county and the developers of the proposed Tysons West development known as The View.
“The stunning new venue that was designed in The View was built specifically for a thriving company like ours,” Levy said. “It will serve as the heartbeat of an exciting and thriving new development.”
Levy told Tysons Reporter last year that the theater has been growing in attendance by 15% year after year — creating capacity issues at the theater’s current space at 1524 Spring Hill Road.
While the theater wants to expand, Levy has said that 1st Stage wants to stay in Tysons.
Levy praised the county and developers for working on the art spaces with specific users in mind and aiming to offer reduced rent for a not-for-profit company, like 1st Stage.
“What makes 1st Stage’s success remarkable is it happens in a landscape in which most of the D.C. region has strong arts funding and subsidized venues,” Levy told the commissioners.
Paul Kohlenberger, the president of the Greater McLean Chamber of Commerce, told the commissioners that he supports the idea of subsidizing the lease for 1st Stage at The View.
“Visionary Project”
Vienna-based Clemente Development Co.’s development would add six buildings, including a 600-foot-tall office building that would snatch the “tallest building in the region” title from Capital One’s headquarters in Tysons East and the Washington Monument.
Plans for The View also include a 455-foot-tall office building, a 394-foot-tall building for hotel and residential uses and a 108-foot-tall building with retail and office space.
“We think the diversity of height in and around Tysons is absolutely critical,” a representative for the developer told the Planning Commission.
Known as the Iconic Tower, the tallest building would capitalize on its height with a publicly-accessible botanical garden and observation deck.
While the commissioners have lingering concerns about making the buildings bird-friendly and the logistics with an athletic field tied to the project, they were mostly supportive of The View — especially its focus on the arts.
“One thing that doesn’t work is a theater that is designed for everyone,” John Carter, the commissioner for the Hunter Mill District, said. “Those tend to fail because there’s no such design that works for everybody.”
That’s Entertainment
In addition to the planned black box theater, The View wants to have an art walk, seasonal ice loop, open-air theater on the green and a Tysons Community Center at a nearby site.
“The arts are essential to thriving and robust communities,” Linda Sullivan, the president of ARTSFAIRFAX, said, along with pointing out that Capital One’s planned performance hall and The View will be “important anchors and drivers” of the arts locally.
The Landing Public Sky Park would include an outdoor amphitheater. Meanwhile, the Theater on the Green — also known as the Common Green — would be located between The Landing and one of the buildings.
“The Theater on the Green will provide space for outdoor dining, an open lawn, wayfinding, special paving and banding to visually guide pedestrian flow, a stage for events and performances, outdoor seating, outdoor games, artful lighting, access to multi-modal paths and a continuation of the Art Walk Loop,” according to county documents.
The 20,000 square-foot theater would be available for 35 years.
More from the developers’ plans for the black-box theater:
The proposed development anticipates that the applicant will construct the 199-seat black-box theater, which will be leased to an arts, entertainment, or theatrical group at a very significantly discounted rate. The theater will include “back of house” space for rehearsal, set construction, and other support activities.
The applicant has been in discussions with local theaters and arts groups, as well as national experts in this field; these discussions have continued to inform the design and practical parameters of the proposed theater space.
“The arts can have a ripple effect,” Sullivan said, adding that national studies have shown that arts have a positive economic impact.
Phillip Niedzielski-Eichner, the commissioner for the Providence District, deferred the decision on the “visionary project” to next Thursday, Oct. 10.
The View heads to the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, Oct. 15.
Images via Fairfax County
A community space for textile and fabric arts is now open in the City of Falls Church.
TINT opened last weekend at 417 W. Broad Street, Suite 100, according to a Facebook post.
“TINT is a space for modern makers quilt, sew, knit, spin, crochet, and more,” the website says. People can also find fabric, yarn and other materials for sale.
TINT plans to offer workshops and classes, and starting next week, people can take part in a lunchtime series of workshops about self-care. Art therapist Jennifer Baldwin is scheduled to stitch a fabric mandala on Wednesday, Sept. 25, from noon-1 p.m.
The space is open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Saturdays, noon-4 p.m. on Sundays, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. on Wednesdays and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Fridays, along with appointment-only times, according to the website. TINT is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Photo via TINT/Facebook
