Town of Abingdon, Virginia

Thursday, December 5, 2019

UVA Wise Papa Joe Smiddy Bluegrass Band Featured in Crooked Road Series

Abingdon, Virginia – The Crooked Road: Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail presents the UVA Wise Papa Joe Smiddy Bluegrass Band in concert on Thursday, December 12^th from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at the Southwest Virginia Cultural Center & Marketplace (formerly Heartwood) in Abingdon, VA. This concert is part of The Crooked Road Music Series.

The UVA Wise Papa Joe Smiddy Bluegrass Band, founded by Richard Galyean and directed by Chris Rose, offers students and community members the opportunity to learn about and perform traditional music of the southern Appalachian region as well as other styles and genres. The band is named for University of Virginia at Wise Chancellor Emeritus Dr. Joseph C. “Papa Joe” Smiddy, for his dedication to the college and his love of music. They have performed widely throughout the region, as well as in Europe.

The Crooked Road Music Series takes place each Thursday at the SWVA Cultural Center & Marketplace. Visit the SWVA Cultural Center & Marketplace and experience Southwest Virginia's creative and authentic culture. Located off I-81 at Exit 14 in Abingdon, VA, the Cultural Center features youth artists each 2^nd Thursday along with open jams on the 1^st, 3^rd, 4^th (and 5^th) Thursdays to showcase Southwest Virginia performers.

As part of The Crooked Road's Thursday night live music, the SWVA Cultural Center & Marketplace Cafe features SWVA patty melt and black bean, beef and sweet potato chili. Admission to the concert is free and donations will be accepted for Crooked Road Traditional Music Education Program (TMEP).

More information can be found at The Crooked Road website,www.thecrookedroad.org, and at SWVAculturalcenter.com. For additional information, please call (276) 492-2400, ext. 2409 or email: admin@thecrookedroad.org.

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Photo of the UVA Wise Papa Joe Smiddy Bluegrass Band (credit – Jessica Necessary) is attached.

Tree Lighting Notice

Conflict of Interest Act Training Notice:

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

New Charles Vess Exhibit at White Birch for limited time!

Illustrator Charles Vess' original artwork from the recently released children's picture book, Driftwood Days, (William Miniver, Eerdman Publishers, 2019) will be on display for a very limited time at White Birch Kitchen & Juice Bar, 170 E. Main St., Abingdon, VA from December 9-12 (Monday-Thursday) only.

It will conclude on Thursday, Dec. 12 at 5-8 pm with a Live Drawing event, plus a big art sale of Driftwood's originals, books and various prints. Charles' drawing from this special night (he will be on display in the window!) will be auctioned off by William King Museum's In-Charge-of-Fun-Director, Callie Hietala. A percentage of all proceeds will benefit the Wolf Hills Community School.

Everyone is welcome to join in for some food, drink, art and fun! Jingle, jingle...

The Gallery @ Barr Photographics LLC is excited to announce the holiday installment of the Corner Gallery’s 2019 exhibition series

The Gallery @ Barr Photographics LLC is excited to announce the holiday installment of the Corner Gallery’s 2019 exhibition series with a collection of giclee on canvas photographic works entitled “Different Perspective” by gallery proprietor and photographer R. Dean Barr.

In his artist statement Dean reveals, “This collection of photos contains images captured from a different perspective. The perspective of an image can be influenced by emotions, physical angles or subject matter. This collection presents subject matter that could be considered mundane, in some aspects, but altered, abnormal perspective allows for a new way of seeing subject matter.”

The Gallery @ Barr Photographics was established in 1986 as a photography studio. In 2001 the photo studio segued into a fine art gallery, containing a custom framing gallery and upscale gift gallery in addition to the photo studio. The gallery operates as a true fine art exhibition gallery hosting six feature arts per year and is the only independently funded gallery in Abingdon. Since inception in 2001, the “Corner Gallery” has hosted more than 100 feature artists, with 30 of these being emerging artists producing their debut exhibit. As gallery proprietor, Dean reveals. “It is part of my mission statement to provide space for emerging artists to have work exhibited in an established venue, providing opportunity for the artist to have work seen and purchased by collectors”. The framing gallery offers museum quality, archival framing, designed by two designers with combined experience of seventy years. The gift gallery features upscale handcrafted items and represents twenty five, local, regional and national artisans.

Dean further reveals his core artist statement as a photographer, “I capture a moment in time…..an image - never was before, never will be again. A semblance, yes; the exact image never. A floating leaf, the look on a squirrel’s face; sensual ways sun light filters through trees; babble of a brook –sound captured as visual image which reawakens auditory memory; faces long generations lost, seen in smiles, eyes and noses today; sorrow; joy; indifference….. actual windows in time, captured in an instant, preserved for eternity. This is what I do, this is who I am…historian, commentator, observer, photographer.”

“Different Perspective” will be celebrated with a gala reception and art talk by R. Dean Barr, to which the public is cordially invited on Friday, 13 December 2019 from 7 - 9:00 PM at The Gallery @ Barr Photographics, 152 E. Main Street, Abingdon, Virginia. “Different Perspective” will hang, and be offered for sale, through 31, January 2020. The Gallery @ Barr Photographics LLC is housed in the Greenway Trigg Building, located in the heart of Abingdon’s main street historic district. Please call 276- 628-1486 or visit https://barrphotographics.com/CornerGalleryFeatureArtist.aspx?cms=9386 for further information.