Autumn brings favorite art events, outdoor festivals, Halloween haunts and bright-hued foliage to Alexandria, Virginia, located minutes from Washington D.C., on the Potomac River. Voted one of Travel + Leisure’s Best Cities in the U.S. 2023, Alexandria boasts beautifully preserved historic architecture to enjoy on the 81st Annual Historic Alexandria Homes Tour or during a goosebumps-inducing Ghost & Graveyard Tour. Browse al fresco art festivals including the 21st Annual Alexandria Art Festival in Carlyle and Del Ray’s 28th Annual Art on the Avenue, plus attend ever-popular autumn events at George Washington’s Mount Vernon like the Fall Wine Festival & Sunset Tour. Dive deeper into fall events and activities in Alexandria with the listings below and at VisitAlexandria.com/Fall. 21st Taste of Old Town North 4 to 8 p.m. Admission: Free Montgomery Park 901 N. Royal St oldtownnorth.org Head to Montgomery Park for a celebration of greater Old Town North featuring local businesses including restaurants like Jula’s on the Potomac, Hank’s Oyster Bar, St. Elmo’s and Yunnan by Potomac Noodle House. Plus, enjoy music from New Breed Soul Consortium, formerly Three Man Soul Machine, and Sally and the Mander. Rain date is September 28. 23rd 81st Annual Historic Alexandria Homes Tour 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission: $45 per person Various locations throughout Old Town Alexandria, VA 22314 thetwig.org/homes-tour The Twig, The Junior Auxiliary of Inova Alexandria Hospital, proudly announces the 81st Annual Historic Alexandria Homes Tour to be held on Saturday, September 23. New this year, a digital tour book guiding participants through the homes will be accessible to ticket holders via their mobile device. Hard copies of the tour book are available for purchase, in advance, for $5 each. Please note that this event sold out last year, so early ticket purchase is recommended. 30-Oct 1st 21st Annual Alexandria Art Festival 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission: Free 300 John Carlyle Street artfestival.com/festivals Rated one of the top…
By Miriam R. Kramer This month I decided to navel-gaze with the characters in three non-fiction books about therapy patients: Group, by Christie Tate, Good Morning, Monster, by Catherine Gildiner, and Pageboy, by Elliot Page. Filled with patients, psychologists, psychiatrists, and more-or-less triumphant journeys towards wellness, the books all completely absorbed me on multiple levels. I looked at the human condition from different angles and through other eyes with these authors. Christie Tate was ranked at the top of her law class, a twenty-something with a severe eating disorder who thought constantly about suicide and was unable to be close to anyone, let alone find a husband and have children. When she saw an eccentric therapist, he urged her to join one of his therapy groups where she would have to bare her soul and tell all her secrets. It frightened her to a point of paralysis. When she finally joined and was urged to talk about her secretive restrictive food habits and sexual experiences, she had an exceedingly difficult time adjusting. Gradually, though, her turn towards vulnerability, however forced, started giving her a foundation and roots in the community. She had a long, hard journey giving up some of her neuroses and isolation to gain better self-esteem and boundaries, but she finally found a better place. Over years in the group and another that pushed her further, she found the self-esteem to look for better work, also chancing attachments to lovers and boyfriends only to be heartbroken multiple times. Yet the groups were there to save her, along with her law school friends. Years later, with the help of her groups and therapist, she finally found out who she was and what she wanted, she received the love she was looking for. Tate’s messy, funny book shows a radical…
Labor Day: What it means. Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country. Labor Day Legislation Through the years the nation gave increasing emphasis to Labor Day. The first governmental recognition came through municipal ordinances passed during 1885 and 1886. From these, a movement developed to secure state legislation. The first state bill was introduced into the New York legislature, but the first to become law was passed by Oregon on February 21, 1887. During the year four more states — Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York — created the Labor Day holiday by legislative enactment. By the end of the decade Connecticut, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania had followed suit. By 1894, 23 other states had adopted the holiday in honor of workers, and on June 28 of that year, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday in the District of Columbia and the territories. Founder of Labor Day More than 100 years after the first Labor Day observance, there is still some doubt as to who first proposed the holiday for workers. Some records show that Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a cofounder of the American Federation of Labor, was first in suggesting a day to honor those “who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold.” But Peter McGuire’s place in Labor Day history has not gone unchallenged. Many believe that Matthew Maguire, a machinist, not Peter McGuire, founded the holiday. Recent research seems to support the contention…
By Ron Powers Brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher helped define the music of the 1990s with their rock-n-roll band Oasis. By the mid-90s these legendary Brits had released two hit albums and were probably the biggest band in the world. After producing mega hits like “Wonderwall” and “Don’t Look Back In Anger”, expectations for what would come next from Oasis were high to say the least. It was in this environment that, on July 7th 1997, they released “D’You Know What I Mean?”, the first single off the bands third studio album, Be Here Now. Upon its release, the song reached number one on the UK, Finland, Ireland, and Spain singles charts. Additionally, in October 2016, NME placed it at number 77 on its list of “150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years”. “D’You Know What I Mean” begins with a sonic picture that communicates the giant rock-n-roll attitude that Oasis is famous for. First, we hear the sounds of helicopters and airplanes mixed with low volume guitar noise along with the sound of morse code. Next, Noel adds pick scrapes which are run through a wah wah pedal giving a touch of rhythm to the ominous, almost warzone feeling rolling out of the speakers. A cracking drum fill erupts after this and crashes out introducing a new flavor of effect-soaked guitar notes. Additionally bass guitar is added deepening the power and depth of the music. The intro music starts to come into focus when acoustic guitar is layered in delivering the song’s chord structure. Atop the music we hear more drum fills along with singer Liam Gallagher gearing up to deliver the verse with a guttural sound that anybody who has felt the weight of life can understand. After more than a minute of intro music, the first…
By F.Lennox Campello As September arrives in the DMV, it marks the beginning of another “art season”, which these days have somewhat returned to old-fashioned openings where people mingle, discuss art and get their creative juice flowing! Over at Foundry Gallery in the District, and with an opening reception on Saturday, September 9, 4-6 pm, we have “Selected Works” by John Charles Koebert. According to the gallery’s news release, “the work of John Charles Koebert represents a decades-long commitment to craftsmanship. Evolving each geometric work from a painstaking study, the larger piece represents a leap in scope and artistic precision. However, the inspiration for each piece is part of Koebert’s personal history. Every shape, color, and line call back to a story carried across years of artistic discovery.” The works show impeccable technical skill, and in spite of their apparent abstraction, Koebert says, “The exhibit is personal statement about my life and my commitment to art. All of the pieces have a story to tell.” The exhibition runs through October 1, 2023. Congratulations to Zenith Gallery, also in DC, which was recently voted as the “Best Gallery in DC” by the readers of the Washington City Paper – it is a well-deserved win for Zenith and its super-hard working owner and director Margery Goldberg! Next at Zenith is work by the immensely talented Stephen Hansen, as his GREAT MOMENTS IN ART, VI runs from September 8 – October 9, 2023. The opening is Friday, September 8, 4-8 pm & Sunday, September 9, 2-6 pm at Zenith’s 1429 Iris Street NW, Washington DC, 20012 location. This show marks Stephen Hansen’s sixth “Great Moments in Art” exhibition at Zenith Gallery, and in this exhibition Stephen Hansen has “meticulously recreated selections from centuries of painting and added his signature paper mâché painters interacting…
Best of the West by West End Business Association 5th 1 to 5 p.m. Admission: Free (pre-registration recommended) Patrick Henry Recreation Center 4653 Taney Avenue alexandriaweba.com The West End Business Association (WEBA) invites Alexandrians and neighbors to the inaugural Best of the West event celebrating the neighborhood’s restaurants and consumer-facing businesses. Hosted at the Patrick Henry Recreation Center, the event will feature tastings from local restaurants, vendor booths, free entertainment and some friendly competition to be named “Best of the West.” Pre-registration is recommended for earlier and guaranteed entry. Alexandria Summer Sidewalk Sale 12th Throughout Old Town and Beyond AlexandriaSidewalkSale.com One of the longest running summer shopping events returns to the D.C. region’s Shop Small destination for independent boutiques, Alexandria, Virginia, with the annual Alexandria Summer Sidewalk Sale happening Saturday, August 12, 2023, throughout Old Town and beyond. The event features more than 40 Alexandria boutiques stepping out of their storefronts and offering deeply discounted summer merchandise. Plus, enjoy live music along King Street and shop pop-up vendors along the 0 block of King Street. In Alexandria’s Del Ray neighborhood, browse unique finds at the Del Ray Vintage & Flea Market and more. Learn more at AlexandriaSidewalkSale.com. Art Night in Old Town 17th 5 to 7:30 p.m. Admission: Free Various locations throughout Old Town Alexandria oldtownbusiness.org On the third Thursday of each month, discover an art gallery and/or cultural arts organization offering an evening of fine art and studio crafts. Come to Old Town for an evening of art and stay for dinner at a nearby restaurants More information on participating art galleries and restaurants can be found at oldtownbusiness.org. Del Ray Bands and Brews Summer Bar Crawl 19th 12:30 to 6 p.m. Admission: $15 Advance Tickets; $25 Day of Event Tickets Various locations along Mount Vernon Avenue visitdelray.com Join the fun and…
By Wanda Lou Willis Early July begins the “dog days of summer” which lasts until early September. Depending on latitude and climate, the actual dates vary greatly from region to region. Nearly everyone has heard this expression and knows that it refers to the hottest, most sultry days of summer. Some of the popular beliefs or claims connected with this period are that it is an evil time, there’ll be droughts and plagues, wine will turn sour, and humans will suffer from heat hysterics or go mad. The Ancient Greeks believed that the “dog days” weakened men and women became aroused. The phrase took on an ominous meaning by the 19th century. It was believed that dogs would most likely contract rabies during this period. Today it’s a time to be laid back and carefree while sipping iced tea in sleepy contemplation. The term seems a natural expression since dogs pant and lie as flat on the ground as they can to avoid the heat; however, it has nothing to do with dogs. Where does the expression “dog days of summer” come from? What does it really mean? The “dog” in this saying refers to Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky which rises and sets with the Sun. The ancient Egyptians named the star Sirius after their God Osirus, whose head resembled that of a dog. Both ancient Egyptians and Romans believed that the combination of the brightest luminary of the day (the sun) and the brightest star of night (Sirius) was responsible for the extreme heat experienced during the middle of summer. In ancient Egypt, the New Year began with the return of Sirius. When it appeared they knew that the “Nile Days” were at hand. It was a warning to the people who lived along the…
By F. Lennox Campello A city’s visual arts scene, as I’ve noted multiple times in various forms, is like a gorgeous tapestry made of many pieces of diverse cloth and threads. The DMV visual arts tapestry ranges from such great chunks of royal clothing as the Torpedo Factory, the Arts League, the BlackRock Center for the Arts, the Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art, all the museums on the Mall and at our area universities, all the hard-working independently owned commercial art galleries, cooperative galleries, independent art studios, embassy galleries and many others, too many to list, to single artists struggling and creating art in their basements or laundry rooms. One such key organization is the Washington Project for the Arts (WPA). Now in its 48th year, the WPA is “a trailblazer among the region’s contemporary art institutions, with a dedicated project space, bookstore, and gallery. WPA’s mission supports the development of experimental projects that build community through collaborations between artists and audiences, with an emphasis on dialogue and advocacy. Artists are invited to curate and organize all of WPA’s programming as an extension of their own intellectual research, and their resulting projects may assume a variety of forms including exhibitions, publications, performances, workshops, symposia, community dinners, and more.” And a few days ago, the WPA’s Board of Directors announced the appointment of Travis Chamberlain as its next Director. Chamberlain is described as “a curator and director with more than 20 years of experience in museum, non-profit, and for-profit contemporary arts spaces in New York City.” “We feel very fortunate to welcome Travis Chamberlain as the next Director of Washington Project for the Arts,” said Board of Directors Co-Chairs Ashley Givens, Ph.D. and Jocelyn Sigue. “His decades-long commitment to community organizing through art and his extensive experience as a curator, producer,…
By Ron Powers Embracing the heart of summer, let’s dive into a discussion about a timeless song that always sets the perfect mood during this season. Bryan Adams’ “Summer Of ’69” encapsulates the essence of youth and the carefree joy that comes with summer. It remains a delightful experience to roll down the car windows and crank up this 1980s pop rock classic while heading to the beach, firing up the barbecue, or embarking on a camping trip. Adams’ raspy voice, weaving tales of starting his first rock band and discovering love amidst the summer haze, never fails to evoke a feeling that resonates with us all. Year after year, the infectious sound and uplifting melody of this song continue to brighten the lives of millions across the globe. The song kicks off with a resounding snare drum, reverberating as if it were recorded in a vast warehouse. It is soon accompanied by palm-muted guitar chords and bursts of open chords on the offbeats. Adams’ nostalgic vocals soar above the guitar, as he declares, “I got my first real six-string / Bought it at the five and dime / Played it ’til my fingers bled / Was the summer of ’69.” The drums intensify, and the mix begins to shimmer with guitar rakes soaked in chorus effects, enveloping the listeners in a pop rock embrace. The chorus arrives with a fresh chord progression, giving those pop rock-n-roll guitars something new to talk about. As Adams continues reminiscing about the summer of ’69, the musical arrangement remains straightforward. This simplicity allows the raspy gold of Adams’ melody and lyrics to take center stage in the listener’s ears. The chorus culminates with a melodic and lyrical flourish, with Adams proclaiming, “Those were the best days of my life.” As the song progresses,…
By Miriam R. Kramer With a monstrous heat wave burning up the South and Southwest of the United States recently, we could all use a physical and mental break. So why not sit on a covered porch or under an umbrella at the beach and take a trip to Sweden? Try out The Sandhamn Murders, this series of nine murder mysteries set on Sandhamn, a popular island near Stockholm where tourists vacation in the short, beautiful summer months. Viveca Sten has written a clutch of books that make for perfect beach, lake, or pool reading, especially for travelers looking to escape to someplace with sun and cool summer breezes. Her novels have been televised as a popular Swedish crime series as well. The Sandhamn Murders features two primary protagonists: Nora Linde, a lawyer, and Thomas Andreasson, a police detective with the Nacka police division in Stockholm. Having known each other since they were children, they love each other as brother and sister Nora owns a home on Sandhamn which she has visited for mini-breaks and vacations since she was a child. At the beginning of the series, she arrives there with her two young sons and a handsome doctor husband. Thomas, who has lost his wife when his child died of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), also has a small summer home on a nearby island, Harö. Nora and Thomas face diverse crime schemes and murders that take place not only in Sandhamn, but also in the archipelago of small islands with summer cabins that exist east of Stockholm. They exchange information to help each other solve the homicides. Instead of being a safe haven for hordes of tourists looking for a weekend getaway from the city, along with celebrating the popular Swedish holiday of Midsommar (Midsummer), murders taint festivities…
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