Car Stolen from Garage in Home — Someone entered a garage on the 2700 block of Mansway Drive yesterday (May 21), took car keys and stole a 2017 Nissan Murano. The incident happened at around 7:15 a.m. [Fairfax County Police Department]

Reston-based Parabon Tracks Germantown Man Accused of Raping Elderly Women — DNA evidence submitted to the lab helped police track Marlon Alexander, who was sentenced to life in prison, on Tuesday. Alexander was linked to a series of unsolved rapes dating back over 10 years. [Fox 5]

A Recap of the 28th Annual Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival — Greater Reston Arts Center (GRACE) held its acclaimed free-to-the-public, 28th annual Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival last weekend. The event featured more than 200 juried artists and offered “high-quality hand-crafted, one-of-a-kind artwork in the dynamic outdoor setting” at Reston Town Center according to GRACE. The Festival once again attracted an estimated crowd of 30,000. [The Connection]

Flickr pool photo by vantagehill

A solo exhibition featured the world of Maryland-based Douglas Moulden is on display at the Greater Reston Arts Center’s satellite gallery at the Signature apartments (11850 Freedom Drive) through August 29.

The exhibit, “A Purposeful Manner Towards a Vague Destination,” features a series of large-scale acrylic paintings on panels. The work is inspired by Moulden’s memories of woods near his Frederick, Md. home and the outskirts of the DC area.

GRACE said the following about the exhibit:

Calling on his expertise as a sculptor he makes his plywood panels, often utilizing non-traditional shapes, and then applies his paint in a unique fashion. His approach to research could be referred to as coddiwomple (v.), an obscure English slang word that gained popularity with globetrotters, meaning to travel in a purposeful manner towards a vague destination. 

This is not the first time Greater Reston Arts Center has featured Moulden’s work. In the 2009 exhibition The Empty Landscape, curated by Joanne Bauer, Moulden presented a large body of paintings and sculptures, different from the ones seen here. Since then, he has lost the ability to use his signature technique of using a paint-filled syringe to draw, similar to pointillism, and build up the painting’s complex surface.

This set-back has affected the way in which Moulden creates his work but his deep appreciation for nature and the joy found in making beautifully crafted objects is still his driving force. In this exhibition, GRACE presents three new works,Things Are Looking Up, Puzzle, and Globe Thistle, the first of this artist’s transition from one method to another to capture the abstract and mysterious beauty in our area landscapes.

A curator’s talk is set for August 8 from noon to 1 p.m. The exhibit is free and open to the public from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

Photo via GRACE

Hunter Mill District Supervisor Candidates Discuss Plans — Candidates running for the seat of Hunter Mill District Supervisor Cathy Hudgins answered questions posed by Greater Greater Washington. Topics explored include transportation, diversifying housing stock and affordable housing. [Greater Greater Washington]

Volunteers Needed for Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival — The Greater Reston Arts Center is looking for around 500 volunteers to help organize the festival, which takes place next weekend on May 17 through May 19. [Greater Reston Arts Center]

Les Miserables Performances Continue This Weekend — South Lakes High School’s theatre group continues performances through Saturday at the school’s auditorium. Shows today and tomorrow start at 7 p.m. [South Lakes High School]

Photo by Marjorie Copson

Wireless Service Available in Two-Thirds of Metro Tunnels –“Metro and the nation’s leading wireless carriers, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless announce that as of today approximately two-thirds of Metro’s tunnels are now wired for cellular and data service. This marks the near completion of underground wireless service in Virginia, with the addition of the newest tunnel segments on the Yellow and Blue lines that are “wireless ready.” [Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority]

Dense Fog Advisory Ends at 9 a.m. — The National Weather Service has issued a dense fog advisory, which means that driving “could be impaired due to reduced visibility.” [National Weather Service]

Opening Reception: A Purposeful Manner Towards a Vague Destination — Douglas Moulden brings his artwork to the Greater Reston Arts Center’s exhibition at the Signature (11850 Freedom Drive). The opening reception takes place today from 6-8 p.m. [Greater Reston Arts Center]

Photo by Joe Heflin

Dogs and their owners are invited to a Pup Social tomorrow at Hyatt Park in Reston Town Center (1800 Presidents Street). In this on-leash dog event, dogs and their owners can socialize with their neighbors from 2-4 p.m.

Attendees will also get the chance to get a professional portrait of owners and their dog. Attendees can also enter a raffle for a $100 RTC gift card. Refreshments will be provided by EagleBank. The event is hosted by Public Art Reston.

Tomorrow (April 27)

• Woofie’s Grand Opening (11 a.m. to 2 p.m.) — The business, which offers pet sitting, dog walking and a mobile pet spa, will host a grand opening event at Jimmys Old Town Tavern (697 Spring Street).
• Community Yard Sale (9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.) — Eighty families will sell a variety of items in this event hosted by Reston Association at 1900 Campus Commons Drive.
• Spring Carnival (10 a.m. to 1 p.m.) — The spring carnival by Reston Children’s Center includes food, carnival games, fire truck visits, a treasure hunt and more. Entrance is free but game tickets cost 50 cents per ticket. The carnival will take place at Reston Children’s Center (11825 Old Crafts Drive).
• Opening Reception of Things That Don’t Have Names (5-7 p.m.) — Join the Greater Reston Arts Center (12001 Market Street) for the opening reception of  this exhibit by DC-based artist Stephanie Williams. The exhibit of objects apparently doesn’t have names.
• Annie (8 p.m.) — Reston Community Players kicks of a performance about the comic strip heroine, Little Orphan Annie. Additional performances are planned through May 18.

Sunday (April 28)

• Bird Walk (7:30-10:30 a.m.) — Beginners and experts will search for birds across a variety of sites starting from Glade Stream Valley Trail. The event is for adults only and registration is not required.
• Healthy Kids Day (9 a.m. to 12 p.m.) — Kids can awaken their imagination by exploring new activities and healthy habits with activities like swimming in a pool and a petting zoo. The event takes place at the YMCA in Reston (12196 Sunset Hills Road).
• Bike Drive for Kids and Bike Maintenance Check (12-4 p.m.) — Athletes competing in the Reston Sprint Triathlon and the BeAMYazing Reston Youth Triathlon can get free bike safety checks at The Bike Lane (1150 Sunset Hills Road). Event organizers will also accept like-new or gently-used bikes for low-income kids.

More than 200 fine artists from across the country will come for Greater Reston Arts Center’s 28th annual Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival.

The outdoor festival will take place at Reston Town Center (11900 Market Street) on May 17 through May 19 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.

On Friday (May 17), town center merchants will offer “Festival Friday” deals. A “Festival Party” on Saturday (May 18)  from 7-10 p.m. will feature this year’s awards of excellence. Food is catered in-kind by Not Your Average Joe’s and the event is sponsored by M Group Architects. The party is free for GRACE’s sponsors, supporters, and all festival artists, according to event organizers.

A movement installation by Heidi Latsky will celebrate the beauty of differences. The performance is sponsored by Reston Community Center and will take place on Saturday (May 18) at 7 p.m. during the party and at Reston Town Square Park on Sunday (May 19) at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Artists featured in the festival were selected by an independent panel of professional jurors, with some help from GRACE’s curatorial staff. Sofia Blom, GRACE’s gallery and communications manager, said the following about the selection process:

The three highly qualified jurors for the 2019 Festival are Nehemiah Dixon III, a widely exhibited native Washingtonian artist; Lauren Hilyard, a Washington-based art advisor with 20 years of experience working for the Guggenheim Museum and Christie’s Auction House among others; and Laura Roulet, an independent curator and writer and frequent contributor to Sculpture Magazine. These three jurors will also judge each artist booth on Friday and Saturday to select the ten Awards of Excellence. Each winner will receive a $500 cash prize, a blue ribbon for booth display, and automatic acceptance into the 2020 Northern Virginia FineArts Festival.

Over 500 volunteers are needed for the event. Signup is available online.

Photo by Charlotte Geary

D.C.-based artist Stephanie J. Williams is bringing an exhibit of objects that apparently don’t have names to Greater Reston Arts Center.

Williams’ work includes animation, sculptures and costumes and “explores themes of identity through omission and inclusion,” GRACE says. Williams’ recent Instagram posts showcase pink, animated objects with meat-esque appearances.

“Things That Don’t Have Names” opens next Saturday (April 20) at 12001 Market Street, Suite 103. An opening reception will be held on Saturday, April 27, from 5-7 p.m.

Photo via Facebook

Students score art awards — “South Lakes High School students swept the Fairfax County Art Region’s 2019 Regional Scholastic Art Awards, securing 24 honors. Twenty students earned a total of twenty-four awards, eight Gold Key, ten Silver Key and six Honorable Mentions.” [Connection Newspapers]

“Ambient Eye” performance — Ambient Eye is a multimedia collaboration between visual artist Monica Stroik and musician Doug Kallmeyer. They will improvise visual and auditory techniques at 7 p.m. at the Greater Reston Arts Center at Signature. The performance is free. Prosecco and petits fours will be provided by Balducci’s Food Lover’s Market. [GRACE/Facebook]

Run/walk from Reston Town Center — The Reston Runners will spend 50 minutes out and back from Potomac River Running in Reston Town Center starting at 6:30 p.m. [Reston Runners]

Photo courtesy Mark Yates

What good is sitting alone in your room? Come hear the music play — “Come to the Cabaret!” at Lake Anne Plaza.

The performance will be held at the Washington Plaza Baptist Church (1615 N. Washington Plaza). The suggested $10 door donations will go toward the church’s upcoming 2019 annual Christmas concert.

Attendees can also snack on some light refreshments and food.

The show starts at 7 p.m.

Tomorrow (March 16)

• Family Art Day (11 a.m.-3 p.m.) — Join GRACE for a free celebration of Youth Art Month on St. Francis Street. Families can look at student artwork in the exhibit and participate in art-making activities.
• Herndon Library Board Games (1-3 p.m.) — Adults can play classic board games at the Herndon Fortnightly Library.
• Youth Arts Showcase Explosion (6 p.m.) — The Reston Chapter of The Links, Incorporated is set to perform for free at the Kennedy Center.
• Common Ground: Candice Bostwick & Friends (7-9 p.m.) — You can enjoy jazz and pop music at ArtSpace Herndon for $20.
• “Time Stands Still” (8 p.m.) — Saturday is the last evening to watch the Reston Community Players’ production of a play about a couple making a living out of documenting the horrors of war.

Sunday (March 17)

• History of World War II (2-4 p.m.) — Dr. Harry Butowsky from George Mason University will present the first part of his six-part lecture series on “World War II: On Our Way, USA 1939-1942” at the Reston Regional Library.
• Once Upon a Time–Princesses & Lollipops (4 p.m.) — The RCC Hunters Woods’ free annual concert will feature music from Disney movies and theater favorites played by the Reston Community Orchestra. Girls can go dressed up in gowns, crowns and tiaras. The afternoon will include singing, dancing, a parade of princesses, a raffle of two baskets and the presentation of the RCO Community Service award.

Sunday is also St. Patrick’s Day — Reston Now has a separate list of local events in Reston, Great Falls and Herndon.

Photo via vantagehill/Flickr 

(Updated at 5:05 p.m. on March 4) Starting Saturday (March 2), a student art exhibition will be on display at the Greater Reston Arts Center (GRACE).

The exhibit features art by students at Fairfax County public schools, who are participating in GRACE’s education program called “Emerging Visions.”

GRACE reworked the program to include grades K-12, inviting elementary and middle schools to participate for the first time, according to a press release from the arts center.

“We are now able to take the best parts of our existing programs, expand those in close conversation with FCPS and make a greater impact on more young artists,” Executive Director and Curator Lily Siegel said in the press release.

In addition to the three longstanding participating FCPS high school schools — Herndon, Oakton and South Lakes high schools — the exhibit includes student art from Dogwood, Hunters Woods and Hutchinson elementary schools and Rachel Carson Middle School.

The exhibit is based on Caitlin Teal Price’ exhibit last year titled “Green is the Secret Color To Make Gold.”

GRACE worked with art educators at the schools to develop content and concepts to include into the curriculum, according to the press release. After educators, students and their families had the chance to view the exhibition and meet the curator and artist, students were able to respond to the theme by creating their own artwork.

FCPS released additional information about the students and their art on March 4:

One student, who is non-verbal, experiences art and, primarily painting, as a ritual or routine, according to this teacher. He makes repetitive marks with varying color and layers them to refer to different subject matter, such as a landscape. Another student has made at least one artwork a day for multiple years on topics from space-like environments to designs that involve flags of the world. South Lakes students shared their artist statements, explaining the process for creating their works.

[Another] student described the artwork as expressive of the mental illness she has been diagnosed with and says her work shows “that I’m locked inside myself and can’t get out of the emotions in my head.” She uses symbols indicative of psychological and emotional states. A team of two students uses found objects to which they apply paint, glue, and other materials, embracing their sense of humor and love of experimentation to provoke a sense of play and curiosity in their audience.

A third student uses her art to define herself through her own values and beliefs, not through the culture of her home country. She uses layering as a metaphor for memory and experience relevant to her life today. One student used a found piece of wood to which she responded with color and brush strokes ranging from tumultuous to more gentle; another uses her responses to daily events, observations, and feelings to create her paintings. One student submitted a photography display using a camera from a bin of broken cameras, kept by his teacher for spare parts, and fabricated a pinhole lens for the camera. Using a 30-second exposure, he took a series of photos that didn’t meet his expectations but he came to like for their abstract quality and colorful texture that “had a kind of painterly approach.”

Several free events are based around the exhibit.

The opening reception for the exhibit is set for tomorrow from 5-7 p.m. GRACE plans to host an open mic for kids on March 16.

The exhibition will be on display until March 30 at the gallery located at the Reston Town Center (12001 Market Street #103).

Photo via FCPS

There’s plenty to do around Reston and Herndon this weekend. Audubon enthusiasts can enjoy a recently opened exhibit showcasing award-winning bird photography.

The Audubon Photography Awards Show opened today (Feb. 8) at the Walker Nature Center (11450 Glade Drive). The exhibit displays the winning bird photographs from the 2018 Audubon Photography Awards, which were selected from more than 8,000 entries submitted by photographers across the country, along with opportunities to learn more about local birdlife.

The exhibit is set to have a free open house on Sunday (Feb. 10) from 1-3 p.m. where visitors will be able to meet representatives from Nature’s Best Photography, which helped to judge the international competition. Visitors can take part in bird walks and activities, along with enjoying refreshments.

“We were thrilled to be selected as a host site of this amazing traveling show for a second year,” Nature Center Manager Katie Shaw told Reston Now, adding that the partnership with Audubon Society of Northern Virginia has many Reston members who share a passion for “the feathered wonders of this beautiful world.”

The exhibit focuses on the many bird species protected under the 100-year-old Migratory Bird Treaty Act. It will run until Feb. 27.

“We know that everyone who comes over to see the exhibit will get a fresh view on a some familiar species as well as an eye opener to species perhaps never seen before,” Shaw said.

Tomorrow (Feb. 9)

• Handmade Valentine Card Workshop (9:30-11 a.m.) — The Greater Reston Arts Center will lead a workshop for participants to create cards. Tickets cost $5 for Restonians.
• 10th Annual Fine Art Photography Competition Reception (7-9 p.m.) — Arts Herndon is presenting an exhibit featuring finalists in the annual Fine Art Photography Competition.
• Bookworms Club! with Sue Fliess (11 a.m.) — Head to Scrawl Books for a book club event for young readers. Sue Fliess will read her new book “Ninja Camp” and others.
• “In Their Own Words: STRETCH curator’s talk” (3 p.m.) — Co-curators Erica Harrison and Don Russell will discuss the process of organizing “STRETCH” and their thoughts on trends in contemporary art practice. The event is free.
• Ride with Reston Bike Club (10 a.m.-1 p.m.) — Join the Reston Bike Club for a bike ride starting from ArtSpace Herndon’s parking lot.
• An Evening with Broadway Legend Baayork Lee (8 p.m.) — Lee will talk about her career, the state of Broadway today and her work with the National Asian Artists Project, a nonprofit which showcases works by artists of Asian descent, at CenterStage. Tickets cost $15 for Restonians and $20 for everyone else.

Sunday (Feb. 10)

• Walk or run with Reston Runners (8 a.m.) — Join the Reston Runners for either a 3-mile walk, 6-mile walk or 10-mile run starting from the Sunset Hills Commuter Lot.
• Sunday Afternoon Dance (2:30-4:30 p.m.) — Dancers of all skill levels can learn how to foxtrot, swing, cha-cha and waltz at RCC Hunters Woods. Partners are not required. Tickets cost $5 for Restonians and $10 for everyone else.
• Country Western Dance (5:30-8 p.m.) — Participants can take part in line dance, two-step, shuffle and swing to popular country western tunes played by RCC’s DJ at RCC Hunters Woods. Tickets cost $5 for Restonians and $10 for everyone else.

Photos courtesy of Nature Center 

Updated at 9:05 a.m. — “STRETCH” closes Saturday (Feb. 9).

“STRETCH” closes today — GRACE’s third biennial exhibition closes today with a curator’s talk at 3 p.m. Co-curators Erica Harrison and Don Russell will discuss the process of organizing “STRETCH” and its major themes, followed by a Q&A. The talk is free. [GRACE]

Black History Month exhibit — The Reston Museum is celebrating Black History Month with a new exhibit showcasing how the Reston community combated racism during the 1960s and celebrated African American arts and culture with the creation of the annual Black Arts Festival. [Reston Museum]

RA is hiring — Want to join Member Services at the Reston Association? Check out the recently posted job openings. [Reston Assocation]

Cupid’s arrow hits Great Falls restaurant  — OpenTable recently unveiled its “100 Most Romantic Restaurants in America” ahead of Valentine’s Day next week. French restaurant L’Auberge Chez Francois in Great Falls made the list. [Cision]

New bank for Great Falls — “The founder and former CEO of a prominent Reston bank is building a new one. Meet Trustar Bank.” The bank, which is awaiting FDIC approval, will be based in Great Falls. [Washington Business Journal]

Abby Wendle, the producer of NPR’s “Invisibilia,” will spill her thoughts on art as a part of Greater Reston Art Center’s “Creative Response” events.

One Thursday of each month, GRACE invites an expert in their field to respond to the work on view in the gallery with an open discussion. Presenters may range from poets to dancers, from writers to musicians.

Wendle was a farm reporter for Harvest Public Media in rural Illinois and helped launch This Land Radio in Tulsa, Okla. Her work has appeared on NPR News, the BBC, CBC and ABC in Australia.

In her spare time, she enjoys creating experimental sound art, according to GRACE. In fact, she has an ongoing collaborative sonic experience called “~1652Hz (the howling dome)” in which people are invited to make noises they associate with a pain or grievance in their life.

Maryam Ovissi, the chief executive officer and founder of Beloved Yoga in Reston, will provide a “sonic introduction.”

The free monthly event is sponsored by Reston Community Center. The event starts at 7 p.m. tonight (Jan. 17) at 12001 Market Street, Suite 103.

Photo via Greater Reston Arts Center

If you could do anything, what would that be?

The Greater Reston Arts Center selected five artists based on their answers to that very question for an upcoming exhibit called “STRETCH.”

The exhibit, slated for Dec. 15 through Feb. 9, will present new work by James Huckenpahler, Monroe Isenberg, Katie Kehoe, Melanie Kehoss and Harry Mayer.

The website provides a glimpse into what some of the artists plan to create.

Huckenpahler, a D.C.-based artist who works mainly in digital media, will make large digital prints of a three-dimensional landscape of his X-rayed laptop.

Isenberg, a sculptor and installation artist who mostly uses wood and steel, will create an immersive installation that “investigates the relationships that become apparent in the space between the spirit world and ourselves.”

For the exhibit, Kehoss, who focuses on light boxes, plans to explore the “origins of food-related phenomena related to the history of sugar.”

While specifics for the exhibit are not available yet, the website says Kehoe is currently diving into ecological concerns in places that are expected to go underwater due to climate change. Kehoe, who works in performance, interdisciplinary sculpture and drawing, documents herself carrying or wearing hand-made life-jacket, life ring, bodyboards and buoys made from salvaged materials.

Lastly, Mayer, who draws upon mundane experiences and humor to create his sculptures from construction materials, “proposes to give the viewer a visceral experience that encourages a sense of playfulness.”

“STRETCH” is curated by Don Russell, a guest curator, and Erica Harrison, the associate curator and festival director of the art center. This exhibit marks Greater Reston Arts Center’s third biennial exhibit with a guest curator supporting local artists.

The Greater Reston Arts Center plans to host a reception — free and open to the public — from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 15.

Photo via Greater Reston Arts Center website