Inaugural Earth Day celebration coming to Reston Town Center

Reston Town Center (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

An arts-inspired Earth Day celebration is coming to Reston Town Center.

Organized by the Reston Town Center Association and Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art, the inaugural event on April 20 will feature a variety of activities, including a special art installation at the Mercury Fountain Plaza by Arkansas-based artist Danielle Hatch.

The installation, called “All Is in Motion, Is Growing, Is You,” is inspired by Reston’s origins and founder Bob Simon’s vision of community building.

“Art often serves as a lens to help us understand the world around us, and artists have the unique ability, through their work, to spark conversation around contemporary issues, including the earth, land, and environment,” Tephra ICA Executive Director and Curator Jaynelle Hazard said. “This collaborative event with RTCA presents a special opportunity to celebrate reverence for the natural world and the impact that art and artists can have in shaping sustainability.”

Hatch is expected to build on the installation with a performance during the Tephra ICA Arts Festival, which is scheduled to take place at Reston Town Center in May.

Other festivities include:

• Curator-led tours of the “Pressing” exhibition at Tephra ICA
• An environmentally themed concert with George Mason University professor Victor Provost’s steel pan ensemble
• Afternoon art activations in Reston Town Square Park, such as poetry readings, a meditative sound bath, plant repotting and rehabilitation, printmaking workshops, community composting and face painting
• A free screening of the documentary “Anthropocene: The Human Epoch,” with an introduction and post-film Q&A led by GMU professor Jeremy Campbell

The movie screening is sponsored by and will be held at Reston Town Center’s LOOK Dine-In Cinema (11940 Market Street).

RTCA Executive Director Robert Goudie says the Earth Day celebration aligns with the association’s desire to promote “art experiences that both enrich and educate.”

“We always welcome the chance to partner with Tephra ICA, a content leader in the DMV,” he said in a statement. “With support from Reston Community Center, ArtsFairfax, George Mason University, and LOOK Dine-In Cinemas at Reston Town Center, we think we have something that will capture the imagination and bring forward the importance of this day in a compelling way.”

An opening ceremony is set for 10 a.m. The event is free and open to all.

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