The Reston Historic Trust and Museum is hosting the 54th annual anniversary of Reston’s founding.

Founder’s Day is set for Saturday, April 14 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will include moon bounces, children’s activities and face painting.

Musical entertainment will be provided by Terrasset Elementary School, Langston Hughes Middle School’s jazz ensemble, Aldrin Elementary School, Lake Anne Elementary School and other local groups and schools.

At noon, local elected officials like state Sen. Janet Howell, state Del. Ken Plum, and Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Sharon Bulova will deliver remarks. Hunter Mill District Supervisor Cathy Hudgins is also scheduled to speak.

Public Art Reston is also hosting a public tour around Lake Anne. The event will also include a book-signing event in the afternoon by local authors  LaVerne Gill, Donna Andrews, and Samantha Mina. Artist Zachary Oxman will also provide commentary the impact of Reston on his art.

Founder’s Day is also supported by Reston Community Center and co-sponsored by Reston Association and Public Art Reston.

A complete program is available online.

Photos via Reston Historic Trust and Museum

A spiraling tower of glass created by American glass artist Danny Lane is under construction next to the newly-opened Signature, Boston Properties’ 508-unit apartment building.

The artwork consists of stacked, iron glass on a granite plinth that can also be used as seating. The twisting form is placed at the center of the convergence point between three pedestrian paths.

The art piece is the “focal point” within Signature Park, which contains widened bike path, a play area for children and stairs leading to town center, according to Richard Ellis, Boston Properties’ vice president of development.

The site is under construction as work on landscaping continues, according Anne Delaney, executive director of Public Art Reston.

Here’s more about the piece and the artist from Public Art Reston:

The goal of the artwork is three fold. From macro to micro, our objective for the new Danny Lane sculpture site is: to enrich the civic life of greater Reston; to contribute a permanent sculpture to the Reston Town Center development that introduces a unique and elevating experience and to specifically form a connection between the new Signature residential tower that both harmonizes with the building’s elegant design and serves as a welcoming transition from the adjacent public green space.

Danny Lane is an American glass artist currently living and working in London. He is best known for his large scale glass and steel sculptures. Through his work, he contrasts the seeming fragility of glass as a material with the sturdiness of steel to create sculptures that are at once commanding and elegant. His work can be found in collections around the world, from London, to Hong Kong, to the United States.

Photo via Public Art Reston and Danny Lane

Public Art Reston is growing up! The organization will celebrate its foray into double digits by celebrating its 10th anniversary with a birthday party this Thursday night, and the public is invited.

The nonprofit organization, which aims to celebrate the fine art through starting a dialogue about public works and bringing more of them into existence throughout Reston, got its roots in 2007 as the Initiative For Public Art – Reston. As the group turns 10 years old, representatives say they are experiencing a rebirth of sorts, including changing the name to Public Art Reston.

The group has helped introduce many public works of art throughout the Reston community over the past 10 years, including sculptures, statues and other works, as well as hosted many art-inspired events that engage people of all ages and encourage them to create their own works of art.

“This year’s community’s events like ChalkFest at Reston Town Center and the Annual Reception will celebrate this milestone year and the impact that public art has made on the Reston community, and the future of public art in Reston,” representatives say.

The organization is currently hosting an exhibit about the legacy of public art in Reston, entitled “Reston: The Art of Community Exhibition,” through Nov. 26 at the Reston Historic Trust and Museum, 1639 Washington Plaza.

The birthday party this Thursday will take place from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at Aperture, 11410 Reston Station Blvd. The cost is $25 per person and includes light food and drinks. A string quartet from South Lakes High School will perform, as well as a DJ. A public art activity will be available for participants to take part in, as well as raffles and a silent auction. Tickets can be purchased online. Donations to the organization can also be made through Public Art Reston’s website.

Image: Convergence sculpture at Aperture apartments, sponsored by Public Art Reston / Credit: Reston Now.

Image: ChalkFest event hosted by Public Art Reston / Credit: Reston Now.

Philosopher Rachel Jones, choreographer Britta Joy Peterson and visual artists PLAKOOKEE will present a creative professional performance in response to work on view in the gallery of the Greater Reston Arts Center (12001 Market St.) on Thursday from 6 – 7 p.m.

The event, called as a creative response, allows presenters to comment on work they have viewed through an innovative presentation. The performances are followed by an open discussion.

October’s creative response is held in conjunction with the Now Be Here project. The event is free and open to the public.

Jones, whose background is in philosophy, is interested in using art and literature to explore the intersection of feminist philosophy, queer theory and critical race theory.

Peterson is a dance artist who specializes in contemporary dance. She is also the director of dance at American University.

PLAKOOKEE is a creative collaboration between Justin Plakas and Rachel Debuque, designers and artists who combine sculpture, installation, constructed realities and new media to create art.

For detailed descriptions of the presenters and for more information, visit GRACE’s website.

Photo via GRACE

Fairfax County Police Department’s Citizens Advisory Committee Meets Tonight — Join the committee for its monthly meeting at the Reston Police District Station (1801 Cameron Glen Drive) at 7 p.m. The body is designed to improve communication between residents and local police officers. [Fairfax County Police Department]

Film Screening, ‘Art of Community’ Reception on Thursday — Public Art Reston and Reston Historic Trust & Museum will co-host a reception to celebrate the exhibit “Reston: The Art of Community” at the Reston Historic Trust & Museum (1639 Washington Plaza) from 5:30 – 7 pm. The event is free and open to the public. [Public Art Reston]

VolunteerFest Begins On Saturday — Volunteers can participate in volunteer projects throughout Fairfax County from gardening to painting. Last year, more than 500 volunteers participated in the project, donating more than 1,600 hours of their time. [Volunteer Fairfax]

A new Public Art Reston freestanding exhibition, developed in collaboration with the Reston Historic Trust and Museum, celebrates the community’s wide collection of outdoor sculptures and other public artworks.

“Reston: The Art of Community” opened at the museum (1639 Washington Plaza N.) on Saturday in conjunction with the 16th annual Reston Home Tour and in celebration of Public Art Reston’s 10th anniversary. It will remain on display through Sunday, Nov. 26. The museum is open Tuesday-Sunday, and is free to enter.

A reception to celebrate the exhibit is scheduled for 5:30-7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26. The reception will be followed by free screenings of Peabody Award-winning director Rebekah Wingert Jabi’s “Fun, Beauty, Fantasy: Reston’s Public Art” and “A Bird in the Hand — Patrick Dougherty’s Sculptural Installation in Reston, VA” at the Jo Ann Rose Gallery of Reston Community Center Lake Anne (1609 Washington Plaza N.). A question-and-answer session will follow.

Reservations are encouraged for the exhibition reception and film screening. To RSVP, contact the Reston Historic Trust at 703-709-7700 or [email protected].

The programs are supported in part by the Reston Community Center. All proceeds benefit the Reston Historic Trust and Museum, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the past, informing the present, and influencing the future of Reston through its educational programming, archives and exhibitions.

Images courtesy Reston Historic Trust and Museum

In an effort to acquaint newcomers with the area’s history and hidden gems, Reston Association is offering free bus tours to residents who have moved to the community within the last six months.

During the tour, which will take place on Saturday, Oct. 21 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., residents will see the Walker Nature Center, Lake Anne Plaza and Reston’s four districts, as well as learning about services provided by RA.

The tour will begin and end at The Lake House (11450 Baron Cameron Ave.). Lunch will be served from 1-2 p.m. there. RA Board members, staff and committee members will be available to answer questions and meet with tour participants.

This year, RA departed from its tradition of holding open houses for newcomers at its main center. The bus tour allows residents to experience Reston in a dynamic way that reveals the area’s hidden gems beyond widely known attractions like Reston Town Center, according to Mike Leone, RA’s director of communications and community engagement.

“People know the main locations but there’s lot of hidden jewels and hidden history,” he said. “We want the community to know more about Bob Simon’s founding principles as well.”

As of Thursday, 17 seats are available for the 40-member bus tour, Leone said.

Bus participants will visit major sights and services like RA’s main facilities, the Reston Farmers Market and the Reston Museum. Ann Delaney from Public Art Reston will give a presentation on the importance of public art in the area.

“It’s kind of like a neighbor-to-neighbor social from start to finish,” Leone said.

To register for the free tour online, visit RA’s website.

“A Bird in the Hand,” a nest-like sculpture made from tree saplings in Reston Town Square Park, will get a celebratory send-off on Saturday ahead of its removal next week.

The 14-foot-high sculpture, which rests across from the Greater Reston Arts Center (12001 Market St. #103), was created by artist Patrick Dougherty in 2015 using ash, hickory, red maple, oak and willow saplings.

The center will celebrate the art piece’s impact in creating an immersive, magical experience since its installation, according to a release by the center:

“The work’s popularity with adults and children has been manifested in thousands of games of tag and hide and seek played within its woody realm. This project was a communal, participatory experience both through its funding and installation. Sculptor Dougherty spent weeks on-site constructing the sculpture in tandem with a team of community volunteers who contributed enormously to the creation process.”

The celebration is free and will include projects involving sticks and nests, and dance performances sponsored by the Reston Community Center. Artists from Gin Dance Company and GroundShare Arts Alliance will perform dances connected to the sculpture and a documentary film about the sculpture by director Rebekah Wingert-Jabi will play all day in the GRACE gallery, according to the release.

The installation must be removed because it was created from harvest samplings, which typically last for roughly two years, said Erica Harrison, GRACE’s associate curator and festival director. Preliminary discussions are underway to determine what will replace the sculpture in the spring of next year, she said.

The center hopes to bring a new installation that culminates its exhibition of artist Sue Wrbican’s work. Her art, which examines the relationship between time and space, is on display at GRACE through Nov. 18.

Early sponsorships for the future art installation have been secured from the Reston Town Center Association and the Reston Community Center, Harrison said. Final project approval is pending.

Reston’s newest piece of public art was unveiled Thursday evening in front of one of its newest luxury-living facilities.

“Convergence,” a bronze and stainless steel work that shows a human figure emerging from the lens of a camera, was debuted in front of a cheering crowd at Aperture (11410 Reston Station Blvd.). The 11-foot-tall bronze sculpture, displayed at the intersection of Reston Station Boulevard and Metro Center Drive, was created by Reston-native artist Zachary Oxman. Oxman was also the sculptor of Lake Anne Plaza’s “Untold Stories” (aka “Bronze Bob”) and has had his work commissioned by DC officials and presented as diplomatic gifts.

“This opportunity is very unique and very special to me, because I do have such a strong connection to Reston,” Oxman said. “Public art has a unique way of not only adding visually to a community, but it also offers the opportunity to share stories about life and to inspire personal thought and reflection for those who experience the art.”

Oxman said “Convergence” tells a story about the “imperceptible and fragile point that exists between having an idea and actually pushing it forward and becoming a reality,” to which he drew parallels to Bob Simon’s vision for the community of Reston.

“Convergence” also keeps with the theme of photography that spawned Aperture’s name, said Chuck Veatch, president of the Charles A. Veatch Company.

“The pure scale and power of the work and its obvious — at least to me — depiction of the creative process and the art of photography … I was fascinated,” Veatch said of first seeing the piece at Oxman’s studio. “It needed a place of prominence.”

In addition to his commercial real-estate work, Veatch is chairman of the board and contributing editor for Nature’s Best Photography magazine.

Bozzuto’s new seven-story building a stone’s throw from the Wiehle-Reston East Metro station is slated for an official grand-opening in the spring, representatives said during Thursday’s art dedication. The apartments are now leasing.

For more photos from the event, visit Chip McCrea Photography.

ChalkFest took place this weekend on Market Street at Reston Town Center, and here are winners:

Professional Artists
1st Place: Abigail Lockhart (pictured at right, top)
2nd Place: Penny Hauffe (pictured at right, bottom)
3rd Place: Amanda Brown

Images via Public Art Reston on Facebook.

Things are going to get colorful this weekend at Reston Town Center.

Public Art Reston’s fourth annual ChalkFest kicks off today with professional artists beginning their work, but the big day for the event is Saturday. That’s when, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., the event is open to artists of all ages and talents.

Categories for participants are amateur ($15 registration fee), families and kids ($15), and professional ($20). Registration can be done online through today, or at the event Saturday morning.

That’s just one of many events going on around the area this weekend, though. This is officially the last weekend of summer, as the autumnal equinox comes a week from today and brings with it the fall season. The weather forecast calls for plenty of sun and temperatures in the 80s all weekend, though there are chances of a few afternoon showers.

Have fun out there!

(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.)

• The JamBrew series continues tonight in Herndon. Aslin Beer Co. will be pouring frosty mugs, Weird Brothers Coffee will be offering tasty drinks, Nordic Knot Pretzels will provide tasty snacks, and there will be much more. Live music will be offered from DJ Ragz, The DuskWhales and JUXT. The free event is slated for 6-10 p.m. at the Herndon Town Green (777 Lynn St.).
• Speaking of Aslin Beer Co., it will be celebrating its two-year anniversary Saturday at 771 Elden St., which will become its permanent home in the coming months. The event, slated for noon to 6 p.m., will feature dozens of guest breweries along with food trucks, live music and much more. General admission is $35, which includes an anniversary glass and five 6-ounce pours.
• There will be an improv show, presented by Reflex Improv, tonight from 8-9:30 p.m. at Café Montmartre (1625 Washington Plaza).
• Traditional music trio Lulu’s Fate will perform Saturday from 4-6 p.m. at ArtSpace Herndon (750 Center St.). Tickets are $15.
• “Sue Wrbican: Well Past the Echo” will be on view at Greater Reston Arts Center (12001 Market St.) through Nov. 18.
• The Reston Farmers Market will take place from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday at Lake Anne Village Center.
• Lake Anne is also hosting Sunday Yoga on the Plaza each week, at 9:30 a.m.
• The Herndon Kids Triathlon is scheduled for Sunday at 8 a.m. at the Herndon Community Center (814 Ferndale Ave.). Registration for the event is full; however, volunteers are still needed to help.
• The Susco 8K and 2K fun run, to promote brain aneurysm and organ donation awareness, will take place Saturday beginning at 8:30 a.m. at South Lakes High School. Registration ($40 for the 8K, $25 for the 2K) can be done the morning of the event.
• Reston Regional Library (11925 Bowman Towne Drive) will host Kevin Patti from Clara Barton National Historic Site (National Parks Service) from 2-4 p.m. Saturday. He will present “Between the Bullet and the Hospital,” using photos from the Civil War era to explore the dangers Barton faced and the accomplishments she achieved.
• Explore the history of Lake Audubon on a guided canoe/kayak exploration from 4-5:30 p.m. Saturday. No experience is necessary, and all equipment (including canoes and kayaks) will be provided. Cost is $10 for RA members and $12 for non-members.
• Curiosity Day at Scrawl Books (11862 Market St.), Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., will include an appearance by Curious George himself, story time, crafts and more.
• Pulitzer Prize-winner display “Disgraced,” exploring Muslim assimilation and identity in America, will be performed at NextStop Theatre Company (269 Sunset Park Drive, Herndon) tonight at 8 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday at 7 p.m.; and at a 2 p.m. Sunday matinee. Tickets range in price from $17.50 to $55. A package experience for the Sunday matinee that includes brunch at PassionFish (11960 Democracy Drive) is available.
• Floris United Methodist Church (13600 Frying Pan Road, Herndon) will present a concert of Christian music through the decades from 5-8 p.m. Sunday. Attendees are encouraged to come dressed in an outfit from their favorite decade.
• Many restaurants and bars in Reston will have live music this weekend. These include: Vinifera Wine Bar and Bistro (11750 Sunrise Valley Drive) from 7-10 p.m every Friday and Saturday night; Crafthouse (1888 Explorer St.) every Friday and Saturday night from 10 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.; and Tavern64 (1800 Presidents St.) every Friday from 6-10 p.m.
• Kalypso’s Sports Tavern (1617 Washington Plaza N.) will have live music from Rusty Cage tonight from 9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.; and DJ Kram will play Top 40 hits during those hours Saturday night.
• Musician Patty Reese will be performing Saturday from 8-11 p.m. at The Tasting Room Wine Bar and Shop (1816 Library St.).

For the fourth year, Public Art Reston will present ChalkFest this weekend on Market Street in Reston Town Center.

Professional artists and sponsor will kick the weekend off, getting their work started from noon to 11 p.m. Friday. On Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., the event will be open to everyone.

Prizes will be given in several categories, and there will also be “Audience Choice Awards” given to the favorites of event visitors.

According to information provided by Public Art Reston, “the festival is one of the area’s most unique and fun events” and it “attracts a diverse and motivated audience and promotes public art in Reston”:

The festival draws a wide range of participants and even larger group of visitors to witness their amazing talent. In 2016, over 2,000 visitors participated in the festival’s programming, exceeding the expected visitor goals for the three-year-old festival. The festival”s visitor profile reflects highly desired market segments like: families, young professionals, community leaders and local government officials and the area’s growing “creative class.”

Categories for participants will be amateur ($15 registration fee), families and kids ($15), and professional ($20). Registration can be done online through Friday, or at the event Saturday morning.

For more information, email [email protected] or call 703-467-9797.

File photo from 2015 event courtesy Chip McCrea