Tag: arts
Many arts events happening this month
By James Albright This is the second piece in an ongoing series highlighting community arts activities. There has been an explosion of new arts events in Mason District, and in Annandale in particular, over the last few years. Long-standing concerts and gatherings are continuing as well, resulting in exciting activities for the community every weekend. … Continued
Summer concert schedule finalized
The Fairfax County Park Authority has finalized the schedule of summer concerts. The Spotlight by Starlight series includes free concerts twice a week – Friday and Sunday evenings – at Mason District Park. That’s a reduced schedule from previous years, when concerts were held three times a week. The following shows start at 7:30 p.m. … Continued
Mural, safety improvements planned for Annandale street
The National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board approved an $80,000 grant to improve pedestrian and bicyclist safety on Tom Davis Drive in Annandale. Tom Davis Drive is a county-managed street that connects John Marr Drive and Columbia Pike. The Regional Roadway Safety Program grant will develop designs for traffic-calming measures, such as protected bike lanes, … Continued
Asian arts and culture celebrated in Annandale
The Eileen Garnett Civic Space in Annandale is becoming the place to be this summer, with events scheduled every month. The most recent event, hosted by Fairfax County’s Community Revitalization Section, was an Asian Heritage Festival on May 24 with live cultural performances, food vendors, martial arts demonstrations, and crafts. The county’s next event, Movie … Continued
The arts are alive and well in Mason District
By James Albright Many different groups are starting to recognize the real cultural experience that is Mason District. We have festivals, art openings, concerts, individual projects, and so much more happening right in our community. With so much going on in so many different places, it is essential to keep our art calendars up to … Continued
Festival features Asian arts and culture
A community celebration featuring the traditions and arts from Asia and the Pacific Islands drew hundreds of people to Mason District Park on April 10. There were dance groups from Vietnam, China, Nepal, and Hawaii, a Korean percussion group, martial arts, a Korean children’s choir, a Vietnamese lion dance, K-pop crews, a children’s art contest, … Continued
Annual Korean festival postponed
Update: The KORUS Festival has been postponed to Oct. 4-5 due to a prediction of stormy weather next weekend. The 2025 Korus Festival had been scheduled to bring live entertainment, food, and games to Annandale on May 17-18. The annual event was planned for the K Market parking lot, 4251 John Marr Drive, 11 a.m.-9 … Continued
Yard art: Splendor in the grass
The arts are truly alive and active throughout Mason District and throughout the eastern end of Fairfax County, says James Albright, chair of the Mason Arts Advisory Council (MAAC). In collaboration with artists and local arts organizations, MAAC is inaugurating a new, creator-focused series in Annandale Today, with information on show openings, artist opportunities, and … Continued
TJ theater and STEM students combine their talents for ‘Big Fish’
By Sohana Bahl and Ami Le With show-stopping dancing, dedicated technicians, and the fantastical world of giants and mermaids, the theater department at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology is ready to make a splash with “Big Fish.” Performances are scheduled for April 25 and 26, and May 2 and 3 at 7 … Continued
Exhibit brings art to Annandale’s daily life
Next time you drop by George Mason Regional Library, or Beanetics Coffee Roasters, or a few other locations in Annandale, check out the art. Art in Daily Spaces, now underway, is a temporary exhibit featuring works by 21 artists in places where people tend to congregate during their daily lives. In addition to the library … Continued
‘Art in Daily Spaces’ brings artworks to six locations in Annandale
“Art in Daily Spaces,” an exhibition of 21 local artists in a variety of media, opens to the public April 5 in six locations across Annandale. The exhibition, now in its second year, was organized by Community Art for Everyone (CAFE) and sponsored by ArtsFairfax. The public is invited to meet the artists at the … Continued
Karate school combines martial arts with Japanese culture
Seichou Karate, a dojo in central Annandale, offers classes in Japanese cultural traditions as well as martial arts. The school moved from Old Town Alexandria to 4534-B John Marr Drive in December. Students at Seichou Karate range from age 4 to people in their 80s, says founder, president, and master instructor Richard Romero. Seichou offers … Continued
NVCC to shut down the ceramics program in Annandale
Students and faculty at Northern Virginia Community College are protesting NVCC’s decision to close the ceramics and sculpture studio at the Annandale campus. “Although the administration calls this a ‘consolidation’ into the ceramics studio at the Alexandria campus, Alexandria does not have the space to absorb all the current students,” said Sheila Avruch, a volunteer … Continued
Asian community celebrates lunar new year
The community ushered in the Year of the Snake with Asian cultural performances, food, crafts, and vendors at the 16th Annual Chinese New Festival at Luther Jackson Middle School on Jan. 25. The event was hosted by the Asian Community Service Center. The event celebrates the lunar new year while educating the public about Chinese … Continued
Help a young cancer patient meet her idol
It’s been an incredibly tough year for Cassidy Rajala, an Annandale sixth-grader who’s spent months in the hospital since being diagnosed with leukemia in December 2023. One of the bright spots has been her discovery of pop singer Benson Boone. During her stay at Inova Fairfax Children’s Hospital, the music therapist on staff taught her … Continued