More than 200 artists and artisans will line the streets of Reston Town Center May 16-18 as the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival returns for its 23rd year.
The festival benefits the Greater Reston Arts Center, which provides exhibits, outreach programs and programming for all ages here in Reston.
The festival is open Friday, May 16 from 5 to 8 p.m.; Saturday, May 17, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Sunday, May 18, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.. Rain or shine. Suggested donation for entry is $5. Children under 18 are free.
Some festival highlights:
Opening Night Party — Friday at 5 p.m. The upscale party in the pavilion will feature creative cuisine and cocktails, as well as a silent auction. Tickets are $100 and may be purchased online.
Wide Range of Works — The festival will feature paintings, sculpture, jewelry, furniture making, as well as other mediums. This is a juried show with artists from all over the country. Visit the festival website to see the full list of artists.
Volunteers Needed — The festival still could use your help. In return, you will get discounts at Reston Town Center restaurants and the opening night party. Find out more about what’s needed on the festival website.
Entertainment Abounds — There will be many performing acts, including the South Lakes High School band, jugglers, unicyclers, hoopers and face painters. Click here for the full schedule.
Children’s Fun — There will be art-based activities for kids, as well as a public art project for all ages.
For more festival info or to purchase advance admission, go to NorthernVirginiaFineArtsFestival.org.
Photo: Sculpture at 2012 Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival/File photo
More than 200 artists will have their works on display at the annual Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival at Reston Town Center May 16-18. Also on display: The new Kia K900 luxury sedan as the carmaker has signed on to be a major sponsor of the festival.
“Securing a widely-recognized and respected lead sponsor is a testament to the preeminent nature of this event on the Northern Virginia calendar,” said Holly McCullough, executive director of Greater Reston Arts Center (GRACE), which organizes the event. “The Festival, which features over 200 juried artists from around the country, is already a nationally top-ranked fine art and craft festival, attracting 30,000 visitors annually. With the Kia K900 sponsorship, we can continue our efforts to make the Festival an even more dynamic destination event in the region.”
The K900 is Kia’s first entry in the luxury car market. It features a 5.0 liter V-8 engine that will go from 0-60 in 5.5 seconds, Kia says. The top-of-the-line model will cost about $60,000. Actor Laurence Fishburne is doing the voice over in TV ads, where he asks car buyers to : “Challenge the luxury you know.”
Kia’s Vice President of Marketing Tim Chaney said Kia is involved in many community outreach programs on the local and national level, and the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival is an excellent match for the company.
“The GRACE Festival is the perfect example of the kind of community outreach we like to promote,” he said in a press release. “GRACE and this Festival are major components of the Northern Virginia cultural landscape and we are really proud to be able to associate the Kia K900 with such a fantastic cultural institution.”
A K900 will be on display throughout the Festival weekend. In addition to the artwork on display, the festival includes a ticketed Opening Night Party on Friday, May 16 (5-8 p.m.); musical performances throughout the weekend; an Il Fornaio hospitality station in The M Group Pavilion; a Family Art Park (featuring children’s art activities, a public art project, and face painting); and a Celebrity Cruise Raffle (a one-week cruise for two).
Photo of K900/Credit: Kia
The Greater Reston Arts Center is turning 40, and to celebrate it is looking towards the next 40 years.
One way of looking ahead: getting younger Reston residents involved in the arts.
GRACE is hosting a reception to launch a new program, Generation Next, Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. at the gallery at 12001 Market St. There will be free food and Happy Hour-priced beer and wine provided by Il Fornaio and sponsored by Reston’s Beloved Yoga.
Generation Next is a new group of patrons and rising business, civic, and social leaders under the age of 40 who will be the future of the Greater Reston Arts Center, says GRACE executive director Damian Sinclair. Organizers hope that the group will inspire and involve the next generation of GRACE members and leaders by hosting art-infused events.
Wednesday’s reception will feature a conversation with GRACE Curator Holly McCullough on the current exhibition 40 for 40: Celebrating Four Decades of GRACE and an opportunity to network with other arts-loving colleagues.
GRACE recently embarked on a new fundraising campaign, 40 Forward, which is aimed at increasing contributions to the arts center so it can enhance the annual Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival, expand marketing efforts, grow the quality of exhibitions, and improve its online presence, among other things.
“We only started the campaign in August and have already raised more than $135,000,” Sinclair said, adding that that amount has surpassed original goals.
“The Center at 40 is at a unique crossroads,” say 40 Forward materials. “Planning experts and developers envision a Reston Town Center that, capitalizing on Metro, becomes a dynamic, urban, regional destination with a rich array of live, work, and play options. Re-imagining the Greater Reston Arts Center as a regional center for fine art and culture perfectly aligns with this bold vision. The challenge before us: grow anew and be a vibrant part of the new Town Center that is coming.”
