Mason arts council hosts a social hour

By James Albright, chair of the Mason Arts Advisory Council 

The Mason Arts Advisory Council invites artists, artist friends and the arts-curious to a social gathering at O’my ChiQ & Bar on Friday, Sept. 12, 5-7:30 p.m.

This will be the third social hour hosted by the Mason Arts Advisory Council at the O’my ChiQ backyard, located at 7023 Columbia Pike, Annandale, at the Evergreen Lane intersection.

This event will be the first one with live music. BroBro and the Komodo will perform classic folk rock, the kind of music that encourages the audience to sing along.

The event is free; there will be a cash bar for refreshments.

Related story: Jimenez forms an arts advisory committee

Bringing together artists for social activities is an important way to build community. The council determined last year that there is demand for more social events in Mason District.

At each of the previous events, artists from across the spectrum enjoyed meeting old friends and new acquaintances.

For artists, much of their work is traditionally done in isolation. Most studios in our area are home studios, and there are no established community art centers.

These Mason social hours are one way for artists to interact in a casual, fun environment. Attendees are always encouraged to bring their social media information for sharing and discussing.

This will be a fun, relaxed event. We hope our community will join us!

Related story: ArtsFairfax survey identifies artists’ needs

The Mason Arts Advisory Council invites the public to two other upcoming events:

• The council is hosting a table at the Taste of Annandale on Sept. 20, 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m., at the Eileen Garnett Civic Space, 7200 Columbia Pike, Annandale. Visitors are encouraged to drop by and meet some of our members.  

• Our big event this year will be the Mason District Art Festival on Oct. 11, also at the Eileen Garnett Civic Space. More than 25 artists – local and regional – will showcase paintings, ceramics, photography, and much more. Look for more information on this event in Annandale Today in the coming weeks.