For those interested in arts or crafts, there’s plenty to do around Reston this weekend.

The Greater Reston Arts Center will host a grand opening tomorrow of the new exhibit STRETCH, featuring work of artists responding to the prompt “if you could do anything, what would that be?”

Five local artists were selected to display work in the new exhibit.

The opening reception from 5-7 p.m. is free and open to the public. The exhibit will run until Feb. 9.

Tomorrow (Dec. 15)

Workshop: Handmade Holiday Ornaments (9:30-11 a.m.) — The Greater Reston Arts Center (12001 Market Street) will be hosting a class on building creative holiday ornaments. Tickets are $10 for Reston residents or $20 for non-Restonians.

Reston Town Center Winterfest (10 a.m.-9 p.m.) — The all-day Winterfest celebration at the Reston Town Center will include a carousel at the ice skating rink, face painting, a gingerbread man and more.

Balloon Twister (11 a.m.-1 p.m.) — A balloon show will be held in the Reston Regional Library, open to the public and for all ages. Balloon artists will be creating hats, giant birds and other creations as part of a holiday celebration. The library will also be hosting an open house from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. the same day with light refreshments, music and entertainment.

Christmas from Ireland (2 p.m.) — The Irish musical group Lúnasa will be hosting a performance at the Reston Community Center blending spoken word, dance and traditional Irish music. The performance is sold out, but those interested in the show are encouraged to come to the box office at 1 p.m. to see check and see if extra tickets are available.

Sunday (Dec. 16)

From Here to There (7 p.m.) — The Reston Community Center will host an opera performance by mezzo-soprano and Restonian Elizabeth Bishop. Tickets are $15 for Reston residents or $20 for non-Restonians.

Photo via Greater Reston Arts Center

The Greater Reston Arts Center has pushed back the completion of a new 50-foot steel sculpture in Reston Town Center from this fall to spring 2019. 

Reston Now previously reported the installation and an opening ceremony were expected in August.

Now, the sculpture’s anticipated unveiling is set for spring after the project faced construction delays, Lily Siegel, executive director and curator of the Greater Reston Arts Center (GRACE), told Reston Now.

“As we embarked on [the project], things have shifted and got a little bit delayed,” she said.

Titled “Buoyant Force,” the sculpture by artist Sue Wrbican is inspired by the work of Kay Sage, an American surrealist who was known for her paintings of scaffolded structure and furled fabric in barren landscapes. GRACE previously featured Wrbican’s work last fall.

Currently, the sculpture is being fabricated by two fabricators. The main 50-foot piece is getting welded together at one fabricator’s shop in Rockville Md.

Siegel said that the GRACE team has dropped in several times on the fabrication, describing the tall piece as reminiscent of scaffolding or the inside of a skyscraper. Even though the 50-foot piece is lying on the ground, “it’s very impressive,” she said. “The impact is pretty powerful.”

A second fabricator is making other steel structures that will get attached to the sculpture. Both sourced preexisting, pre-fabricated materials at Wrbican’s request. 

While the main work on the pieces is “pretty much done,” technical details still need finishing before installation. Once the pieces are on site, the installation will require a crane and boom lift, she said.

“Buoyant Force” marks Seigel’s first public sculpture — an undertaking that has taught her quite a bit throughout the process. For starters, the project initially planned to have one fabricator, before she decided the work required two people, she said.

“It’s taking a whole team of professionals to get this done,” Seigel said That team includes architects, inspectors, a concrete team, engineers, movers and — of course — the artist.

Seigel also took a new approach to fund the sculpture. For the first time, GRACE started a crowdfunding campaign to cover the costs. Locals can donate online.

So far, the campaign raised about $50,000 — nearly half of the required funds — in roughly five months, she said. The Reston Town Center Association, Reston Community Center, ArtsFairfax and Public Art Reston are some of the places that have donated.

Seigel said the “slow” fundraising efforts are not causing the delay.

Additionally, the architect, engineer, concrete company and transportation company are providing pro bono work — a donation of its own kind, she said.

Siegel said a community celebration to mark the grand opening will happen.

After that, she plans to host programming, including dance, poetry and education, around the sculpture, which is expected to be on view for five years. “We’re looking for different ways to bring the community back around the sculpture” with different perspectives, she said. “We are incredibly excited about this project.”

Images 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

Wegmans cements deal in Reston Crescent project — The supermarket chain will set up shop by Reston Parkway. [Washington Business Journal]

Try out American mahjong — Drop in to try out the game using tiles instead of cards for free at the Reston Community Center. [Reston Community Center]

“Green is the Secret Color to Make Gold” — There are only a few days left to see the photography exhibition by Caitlin Teal Price. [Greater Reston Arts Center]

Keep an eye on the Metrorail’s schedule — Riders can expect reduced hours and track work tomorrow and over the weekend. [WTOP]

Photo by Bill Burton

If you’re looking for somewhere fun and outdoorsy to take the kids this weekend, Saturday afternoon is Kids Day at Reston Town Center.

From 3-5 p.m., a children’s band, Rocknocerous, will be performing, with face painting, balloon animals, treats and costumed character appearances.

For something more indoors, author Laura Renauld will host a morning story time to read from her first children’s book “Porcupine’s Pie”. The event will be held at Scrawl Books at 11911 Freedom Dr. on Saturday at 11 a.m.

(Editor’s Note: This is just a limited list of all the events taking place in the Reston area this weekend. If you have an event you would like to ensure is listed on the website, be sure to submit it to our Events Calendar.)

• This weekend is the last chance to catch The Diary of Anne Frank performed by Herndon High School’s theatre class in the school’s Black Box Theater. Performances are tonight and Saturday, from 7-9 p.m. and a matinee performance on Sunday from 2-4 p.m. Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for adults and can be ordered at the door or online.
• Saturday afternoon, Dorothy Moss, a curator of the National Portrait Gallery, will be hosting a discussion at the Greater Reston Arts Center (12001 Market Street). The event starts at 3 p.m. and is free and open to the public.
• Saturday evening, the YMCA Fairfax County Reston (12196 Sunset Hills Rd) will be hosting its 19th annual community gala. The event starts at 6 p.m with a silent auction and cocktails, with dinner at 9 p.m. and dancing until 11 p.m.
• On Sunday, the Audubon Society of Northern Virginia and The Bird Feeder store are cosponsoring a free bird walk through Reston. The group will meet at Glade Drive and Twin Branches Road for a tour along the Glade Stream Valley Trail. The walk runs from 7:30-10:30 a.m.
• If you’re feeling less outdoorsy, Professor Harry Butowsky will host a lecture on the History of World War II from 2-4 p.m. in the Reston Regional Library.

Photo via Reston Town Center

Greater Reston Arts Center will expand its classroom arts immersion program in the coming months after receiving a grant from ARTSFAIRFAX. Fairfax County’s designated local arts agency.

Funding will help the organization boost its Emerging Visions program, which provides opportunities for K-12 students to directly engage with contemporary art in their classroom.

ARTSFAIRFAX, legally known as the Arts Council of Fairfax County, is a nonprofit organization that is funded by the county, corporations, foundations, individuals, the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts. It seeks to foster a dynamic and diverse local arts community.

“Over the years GRACE has become known and loved for its GRACE Art and Emerging Visions art enrichment programs,” said GRACE Executive Director and Curator Lily Siegel. “With the generous support of ARTSFAIRFAX 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.”

GRACE offered the following information about Emerging Visions:

Emerging Visions provides art enrichment content to educators based on a GRACE exhibition. Focusing on one exhibition a year, GRACE–working directly with Fairfax County Public School (FCPS) art educators–will develop content and supporting concepts to integrate into classroom curriculum for each stage of schooling, K-12. Previously, the program was only available at the high school level and GRACE-produced content was more limited. The selected exhibition for 2018-19 is Green Is the Secret Color To Make Gold, featuring new work by Caitlin Teal Price, currently on view.

Student artwork will be exhibited as part of the Emerging Visions exhibition at GRACE in March 2019.

Photo by Charlotte Geary

Ahead of Veterans Day on Monday, the Fairfax Jubil-Aires will perform patriotic a cappella barbershop tunes to honor those who currently serve or have served in the U.S. Armed Forces.

The event is set for Saturday at 3 p.m. Below is a limited list of other events taking place in the Reston area this weekend. If you have an event you would like to ensure is listed on the website, be sure to submit it to our Events Calendar.

• Herndon High School’s advanced theatre class kicks off performances of The Diary of Anne Frank tonight at 7 p.m. and into the weekend at the school.
• Celebrate international games week at Reston Regional Library with classic board games and some new options from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday.
• Vera Kochansky presents her autobiography of her father, Boris, who lived through the Holocaust. The event is set for Saturday at 2 p.m. at Scrawl Books.
• Caitlin Teal Price, a DC-based photographer known for her photographs of people, offers a talk about her work at Greater Reston Arts Center on Saturday from 3-5 p.m.
• Donna Ulisse, a veteran songwriter and singer, performs during the Bluegrass Barn Series at Frying Pan Farm Park on Sunday at 7 p.m.
• Build a machine powered by an electric motor that rolls and goes home from 2-3 p.m. on Saturday, at Reston Regional Library.
• South Lakes High School students are raising money for the school’s band by organizing a mattress sale at the school on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Take a drive into the history of World War II with this six-part series led by Professor Harry Butowsky from 2-4 p.m. at Reston Regional Library.

Photo via Reston Town Center

For the second time in two years, Greater Reston Art Center‘s gallery will be transformed into a public performance space for the Monster Drawing Rally, a live drawing event, and fundraiser.

The event, set for Dec. 1 from 1-5 p.m., draws artists from the Greater Washington area and challenges them to create artwork on-site using their preferred medium. The artwork is hung on the wall and available for purchase for $75 each. If more than one person wants to purchase the artwork, a draw of cards determines the winner.

In a new addition this year, Jessica Stafford Davis, founder of The Agora Culture, a national online multicultural arts platform, and the team at STABLE, a DC-based studio complex, will help event organizers select and invite participating artists.

All proceeds benefit exhibition programming at GRACE.

Here’s more from organizers about Davis and STABLE:

Jessica Stafford Davis is the founder of The Agora Culture LLC (TAC), a national online multicultural arts platform that supports emerging artists of color and collectors at all level through educational programming, art salons, and the annual Art on the Vine exhibition in Martha’s Vineyard. Art on the Vine is one of the only contemporary African-American art fairs presenting critically-acclaimed, institutional level work in the United States, and features a four-week residency created by Ms. Stafford Davis to give young artists of the African diaspora a space to continue to explore their practice.

Ms. Stafford Davis is the 2018 and first recipient of the Arena Stage Emerging Leader Award. She currently serves on the board of The Smith Center for Healing in the Arts, is a member of the George Mason University School of Art Advisory Board and ArtTable. She previously served as a member of the board of Washington Project for the Arts. She received her Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science from George Mason University. Jessica resides in McLean, Virginia, with her two sons.

STABLE is a DC-based studio complex that provides visual artists with an active, affordable workspace to pursue their profession. STABLE’s mission is to strengthen DC’s contemporary visual arts community by providing sustainable studio space, fostering an engaged, diverse community, and extending access to local, national, and international audiences through partnerships, programming, and exhibitions. STABLE was co-founded by  Tim Doud, Linn Meyers, and Caitlin Teal Price.

Photo via GRACE

No fare hikes — Metro doesn’t plan to raise fares next year, which it typically does every other year. But that also means there no immediate plans to increase service. [WTOP]

‘Midline’ reaches end of the line — Three big-name developers are partnering to build the mixed-use project near Wiehle-Reston East. The Fairfax County Planning Commission votes on the project tonight. [Fairfax County Government]

Creative response set for tonight –– Malgorzata J. Rymsza-Pawlowska, an assistant professor at American University, will lead the audience through a creative response on work currently on display at the Greater Reston Arts Center from 7-8 p.m. [Greater Reston Arts Center]

Photo by Elizabeth Bley

As fall weather descends on Reston today, Flavors of Fall is set for tomorrow (Oct. 6) in Reston Town Center from noon to 11 p.m. The festival features area restaurants and their favorite fall menus, entertainment, live music, fall beers, and family activities.

Tickets are required to purchase food, beer, and wine. The event is produced by the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce. The following day, GRCC will host the Reston Pumpkin 5K & Kids’ Pumpkin Dash, which begins at 8:15 a.m.

The following is a list of selected weekend events in the area:

(Editor’s Note: This is just a limited list of all the events taking place in the Reston area this weekend. If you have an event you would like to ensure is listed on the website, be sure to submit it to our Events Calendar.)

• Young adults with special needs and their buddies get to take a tour of Frying Pan Farm Park, ride on a wagon, and learn to do social dancing at the farm today at 6 p.m. Registration is $12.
• Kids between the ages of 6 and 11 can make thermoformed foam masks at Reston Regional Library on Saturday from 2-3 p.m. Registration is open online.
• If you’re planning to stop by Reston Town Center for Flavors of Fall (or anything else), you can swing by Reston Hospital Center from 9-11 a.m. for a free bleeding control training class.
• Old Town Tradition will offer a free lunchtime concert outdoors at Lake Anne Plaza on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event is sponsored by Reston Used Book Shop and Friends of Lake Anne.
• On Sunday, the 2018 Arts Herndon Children’s Literary Festival kicks off from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at ArtSpace Herndon. Organizers anticipate “record crowds” at the festival, which features guest authors, publishers, and illustrators from the area, along with live entertainment and art projects. The first 300 kids get a free book.
• But if history is your cup of tea, you can listen to a lecture by Dr. Harry Butowsky of George Mason University for a talk on the history of World War II on Sunday from 2-4 p.m. at Reston Regional Library.
• Join Rebecca as she leads a free community yoga session on Sunday at Lake Anne Plaza from 9-10 a.m. The event will be followed by a yoga happy hour at Lake Anne Brew House.
• The work of DC-based artist Caitlin Teal Price will be on display at Greater Reston Arts Center through Nov. 24. The exhibit is called “Green is the Secret Color to Make Gold.”

Photo via Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce

Thousands of used books will be available for purchase at Reston Regional Library this weekend. The semi-annual book sale is open to all from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Saturday and between noon and 3:30 p.m. on Sunday. Prices are 50 cents and above.

Although there will be plenty of books available for purchase, no children’s books will be offered at the sale. All proceeds go to the library for materials and programming.

Other featured events include the following:

(Editor’s Note: This is just a limited list of all the events taking place in the Reston area this weekend. If you have an event you would like to ensure is listed on the website, be sure to submit it to our Events Calendar.)

• Enjoy family splash at the Terry L. Smith Aquatics Center at Reston Community Center Hunters Woods today. The pool will be open for a night of family fun from 7-9 p.m. The entry fee is $13 for Reston residents and $26 for all others.
• Bring the family for a campfire program on Friday from 6:30-8:30 p.m. S’mores and other campfire treats will be provided. Registration is $7 for Reston Association members and $9 for all others.
• Beginning this weekend, the work of Virginia-based artist Rahshia Sawyer will be on display at the Greater Reston Art Center’s satellite gallery at Signature. The exhibit will be open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• For teachers and poetry lovers, Scrawl Books will host a workshop on how to shake up the traditional classroom approaching to writing poetry. The workshop, which takes place on Saturday from noon to 2 p.m., is led by Ann Marie Stephens, contributing author to The Write Thing. If you swing by on the weekend, you can also write a postcard to your favorite banned author — an activity by the bookstore as part of Banned Books Week.
• If you’re in Reston Town Center that day, you can also swing by the second annual Runway to the Cure from 6-11 p.m at the pavilion. Breast cancer survivors will take part in a fashion show and proceeds will benefit the Susan G. Komen Foundation.
• A new exhibit called “Green is the Secret Color to Make Gold” will be on display beginning Saturday and through Nov. 24. The art features DC-based artist Caitlin Teal Price. An opening reception is set for Saturday from 5-7 p.m. at GRACE.
• South Lakes High School’s food pantry is also organizing a “Do It Your Way 0.5k” to raise money for the pantry on Sunday. The event includes sweets, entertainment and raffle prizes and will take place at Lake Anne Plaza at 4 p.m.
• On Sunday, The Bad Plus, a musical trio, performs at Reston Community Center from 7-10 p.m. Tickets are $20 Reston residents and $30 for all others. The event is part of RCC’s Professional Touring Artist Series.
• South Lakes High School will become the site for the seventh annual Perfect 10, a race in which participants can choose to run a 10k or a 10-miler. The event, presented by Fidelity Investments, is set for Sunday from 8-10 a.m.
• But if you’d rather begin your Sunday morning with free yoga at Lake Anne Plaza, you can do so from 9-10 a.m. as well.

File photo

A new body of work will be on display at the Greater Reston Art Center’s satellite gallery at Signature (11850 Freedom Drive), the new residential building in Reston Town Center.

Virginia-based photographer Rahshia Sawyer‘s newest work, “What I Haven’t Told You,” that depicts figures floating in water and draped in gossamer silks.

GRACE issued the following description about the exhibit, which opens tomorrow (Sept. 28) and ends on Jan. 8.: 

…the artist endeavors to illustrate the tension between emotions expressed and emotions repressed.Sawyer received her MFA from George Mason University. Her work has been exhibited both nationally and internationally and she was included in the 2012 Inaugural Dublin Biennial.

She was the 2012 recipient of the Contemporary Talents Award from France’s François Schneider Foundation and received a 2016 Honorable Mention from the International Photography Awards and Prix de la Photographie (Px3). Her work is in the permanent collections of the Corcoran Gallery of Art, François Schneider Foundation, and Radford University Museum.

The exhibit is free and open to the public. It is open from Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. A reception for the artist is set for Oct. 25 from 6-8 p.m.

Photo via GRACE

The Greater Reston Arts Center‘s newest exhibit opens this Saturday (Sept. 29) and features the work of DC-based artist Caitlin Teal Price.

Price’s work, displayed with the exhibit title “Green is the Secret Color to Make Gold,” explores the theme of daily routine and ritual. Her latest work offers depictions of objects, many of whom she collected with her son on walks they take together. The exhibition will also feature Price’s first large-scale drawings.

She received her MFA in photography from the Yale School of Art. Her work has been displayed at the National Portrait Gallery, the Fotografiska in Stockholm and the Photography Festival and Australian Center for Photography in Sydney. She also received a fellowship from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities in 2016 and 2017.

An opening reception, which is free and open to the public, is set for Saturday (Sept. 29) from 5-7 p.m. at GRACE. Price will discuss her work on Oct. 7 at 2 p.m. at the National Gallery of Art and she’ll return to GRACE to offer some comments on her work on Nov. 10 from 3-5 p.m.

Photos via GRACE

The window for spring cleaning may be over, so there’s no harm in taking advantage of some deals (and possibly steals) from your neighbors at tomorrow’s Reston Community Yard Sale from 8:30 a.m. to noon.

Around 85 families are signed up to sell a mix of items at the event, which is located in the parking lot behind 1900 Campus Commons Drive and organized by Reston Association. But before you head out, make sure to check RA’s website and social media for updates in the event of cancellation due to rain. A tentative rain date has been set for Sunday.

Earlier this week, organizers announced that ChalkFest at Reston Town Center, a popular event for amateur and professional artists alike, was canceled due to the rain forecast. The event will not be rescheduled. In any case, there’s still plenty to do in Reston over the weekend:

(Editor’s Note: This is just a limited list of all the events taking place in the Reston area this weekend. If you have an event you would like to ensure is listed on the website, be sure to submit it to our Events Calendar.)

• Between noon and 5 p.m. this weekend, you can drop in at the Reston Art Gallery & Studios (11500 Washington Plaza West) to take a look at art created by local first responders. The art show is called Ashes2Art.
• End tonight with a special benefit concert by Reston’s Diva Duo at the United Christian Parish (11508 North Shore Drive) from 7:30-8:30 p.m. The cost of admission is $25. All proceeds will help support Reston and Herndon residents who are facing crisis and at risk of losing their homes, electricity or water.
• Don’t head to any Fairfax County libraries today, as all branches will be closed for staff training.
• On Saturday from 8:30-10:30 a.m., the Susco 8K and 2K is back for its 11th year at South Lakes High School. The event aims to raise money for brain aneurysm research and organ donation awareness programs.
• A former Arlington prosecutor and Fairfax County native will sign copies of his first novel, Daingerfield Island, at Scrawl Books (11911 Freedom Drive) from noon to 2 p.m. on Saturday.
• Reston Regional Library reopens on Saturday. Children between the age of 6 and 11 can invent a “drawbot,” a machine built to move and draw. Participants can also take their drawbots home. The event will take place from 2-3 p.m.
• As the Building Worlds exhibit comes to a close, the artists behind the exhibit at Greater Reston Arts Center will provide some insights on the inspiration and meaning behind their work. The event on Saturday will take place from 5-7 p.m.
• Earlier on Saturday, one of the artists, Rachel Guardiola, will lead a sensory workshop to create artwork inspired by her work. The event, which will run from 1-3 p.m., is open to all participants 18 and up.
• Robert Prather, author of “The Strange Case of Jonathan Swift and the Real Long John Silver,” will give a talk on the story of local pirate Jonathan Swift on Sunday from 2-3 p.m. at Reston Regional Library (11925 Bowman Towne Drive).
• Kids interested in dueling it out can participate in a Chess Club for Kids, also at the library on Sunday from 2-4 p.m.
• If birdwatching is your cup of tea, you can do so at Stratton Woods Park from 7:30-10:30 a.m. on Sunday. During the walk, which is cosponsored by Audubon Society of Northern Virginia and The Bird Feeder store, attendees will visit a variety of sites.
• And if you’d rather stay indoors, there will be an open house at The Lake House (11450 Baron Cameron Avenue) from 4-6 p.m.

Photo via Reston Association