A! Magazine for the Arts Archive

Doors of Opportunity

Who would open a fine art gallery now — in the middle of a recession? At least six galleries opened in the Tri-Cities area this past year, and more are planning to open.

In This Issue

• 'There's No Place Like Home' The tourism theme this summer for the Town of Abingdon, Va., is "There's No Place Like Home." And art collectors need look no further than their own "backyards" for fine art and crafts of every style imaginable.
• More Locations to Buy and View Local Art Additional locations to view and buy local art include:
• A! EXTRA: Contemporary Potters in Region The Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia region is blessed with contemporary potter.
• Brothers Passionate About the Arts Mention the word "competition" and the Dreyzehner brothers will jump at the chance to collaborate or compete against each other.
• Mosaic Pays Tribute to Beloved Art Professor Students at Virginia Intermont College have created a portrait of the late Tedd Blevins, painter and professor at the college in Bristol for more than four decades before his death in 2008.
• Achievements Noted for Local Residents Achievements noted in the region.

A! Extra

• Virginia Candidates Surveyed on Arts Funding Virginians for the Arts recently conducted a survey of candidates running for office in the November 2009 general election.
• Technology & Audience Development The summer edition of <em>Arts Management</em> talks about innovative ways that many arts organizations are using — technology and other new methods — to attract and maintain audiences.
• Milligan Awards Fine Arts Scholarships Milligan College has awarded fine arts scholarships for the 2009-2010 school year to 23 incoming freshmen. Recipients were selected for the scholarship based on outstanding work through either audition or portfolio.
• Swing into Val Lyle's Childhood "Sanctuaries III" by Val Lyle of Bristol, Tenn., takes the viewer into Lyle's childhood playground: a barn, complete with textures and smells — fresh hay, for example.
• Don't forget: Tell us how the arts have changed your life! To celebrate the 15th Anniversary of A! Magazine for the Arts, the November 2009 edition will feature "The Arts ~ Changing Lives!"
• People's Choice Announced for Festival's Juried Fine Art Show The Arts Depot, in conjunction with the 61st Annual Virginia Highlands Festival Juried Fine Art Show, has announced that the 2009 People's Choice/Best In Show Award goes to "Memories of Florence," a painting by Jeff Chapman-Crane of Eolia, Ky.
• Winners Announced for Newell-Hendershot Watermedia Exhibit The fifth annual Newell-Hendershot Watermedia Exhibition opened Saturday, Aug. 8 at Sycamore Shoals Historic State Park.
• Knoxville Woman Enters Quilt Hall of Fame Merikay Waldvogel of Knoxville, Tenn., has been inducted into the Quilters Hall of Fame in Marion, Ind. She is the 39th person to be given the honor.
• Tennessee Ernie Ford Collection Moves to V.I. College The Tennessee Ernie Ford Collection has been in the archives of the University of Mississippi's McCain Library in Hattiesburg and was transferred this week to a permanent home at Virginia Intermont College.
• Area Music Students Visit White House Three members of the Mountain Empire Children's Choral Academy (MECCA) recently participated in First Lady Michelle Obama's "Country at the White House," an educational workshop and an evening concert held in late July and featuring country music stars Al
• COMING UP: The Arts ~ Changing Lives! Tell us how the arts have changed your life...
• REVIEW: 'This is Not the South' Let me be clear from the get-go: I am not an expert on film, arty or otherwise. But I am a Southerner and, I like to think, a somewhat dispassion-ate observer of the human scene, at least in my rather confused and confusing part of the old Confederacy.
• Local Film Screened in Abingdon A new locally produced film addresses the reality of life in Southwest Virginia. The film, called "This is Not the South," focuses on the lives of three young Bristol, Va., residents as they interact with their community and each other.
• 'Entwined Dancers' in Abingdon Park The 2009 signature art for the Virginia Highlands Festival will be on permanent display in Abingdon's Main Street Park.
• Bristol Sessions Marker Unveiled With Music Harmonies of the Stonemans and Carter family drifted across downtown on a gentle, summer breeze Friday, much like 82 years ago when musicians and a record producer came together to forge musical history.
• Public Art Survey Underway Nationwide According to Americans for the Arts, the 2009 Public Art Network Field Survey will assess the total number of public art programs nationwide as well as policies, budgets, and impact from the economic downturn. The survey results will be published in a fin
• Arts in Healthcare Legislation As the U.S. Congress works toward a major reform of the national healthcare system, Americans for the Arts, the Society for Arts in Healthcare, and 19 other national associations have crafted a legislative request to strengthen the role of the arts in hea
• Proceeds from 'Art for Obama' to Benefit Americans for the Arts Few events in recent memory have captivated the world's attention like that of Barack Obama's historic presidential campaign. Not only did it stir passionate political momentum, but it also inspired the creative talents of a world of artists, illustrators
• Local Artist Selected for USEF Pony Finals The artwork Michele Warner created is being used on promotional materials for the national championship finals.
• Festival announces Winners of Arts & Crafts Exhibits The Virginia Highlands Festival has announced winners for the Juried Arts and Crafts Show, which will be open through Aug. 9, 2009.