By Miriam R. Kramer Children’s literature is the early foundation for our imagination, understanding of others, and the way we approach the world. I can still remember my mother reading to me and thinking how badly I wanted to learn how to read myself. My father would say it was imperative to have an excellent vocabulary, and we would discuss interesting words. My grandmother, a teacher, taught me to read, and my grandfather, a historian, took me to the public library on a weekly basis every summer when I came to visit. I would enter endless wondrous worlds: ones that strongly echoed my own and others that were set in alternate universes but still rang true. So here are some recommendations to make children’s lives infinitely richer. I cannot list all my favorites in this amount of space, so I will suggest a few beloved old titles and some new ones that have crossed my path of late. For very young readers, Dr. Seuss is always a great place to start. Dr. Seuss’s ABC: An Amazing Alphabet Book is a delight, like most of his colorful, whimsical works. I cannot think of a better way to learn the alphabet. The Cat in the Hat starts children learning the joys, rhymes, and rhythms of poetry on a basic level. Dr. Seuss makes serious points in a charming, seemingly nonsensical way, whether he is talking about the spirit of Christmas in The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, or the importance of conserving the environment in The Lorax. He embodies Oscar Wilde’s quip: “Life is too important to be taken seriously.” An adorable, classic work for children from four to six is Arnold Lobel’s Caldecott Honor book, Frog and Toad Are Friends. The book presents an excellent friendship between very different personalities. Frog and…
By F.Lennox Campello As I write this month’s column, I am in New York City at the Volta Art Fair during NYC’s week of art fairs. I am typing this column in my cell phone because I have a thing about free hotel WiFi and security. Art fairs are tiring work… one must be on full alert, on your feet, and kibbitzing for hours to the thousands of potential collectors and art buyers. So why am I typing this column in my phone as I lay on my weird Scandinavian style bed, eight inches off the floor at the trendy and chic Selina Hotel in Chelsea? Because the city of Alexandria is slowly but surely screwing up, and tarnishing, and destroying the great jewel of the DMV art scene that once was the Torpedo Factory. I could try to explain what the kommissars at the helm of the office that now “runs” the Torpedo Factory are screwing up… but I thought that I’d let Cindy Packard Richmond, a well-known and highly talented and successful Torpedo Factory artist tell you in her own words: “I am voluntarily leaving the Torpedo Factory Art Center at the end of September. I am NOT retiring. I have loved my time (17 years) at the Factory and being with the amazing artists and friends. The TFAA is not what it once was. We had blind juries. Artists were free to develop and stay as long as they wished. Alexandria abruptly took away the artists’ autonomy. Now, the jury is as far from ‘blind’ as possible. Everyone’s age and ethnicity is determined before the art is considered. The most odious part of their process affects the current artists. They are not being judged as artists, but by studio space. If a studio has three artists and…
3rd Old Town Arts & Crafts Fair 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission: Free Waterfront Park 1A Prince Street volunteeralexandria.org Volunteer Alexandria presents the Old Town Arts & Crafts Fair at Waterfront Park. The fair features local and regional artists and crafters who showcase their pieces across various mediums, including pottery, stationery, fabrics, paintings, jewelry, photography and more. 4th Taste of Del Ray 1 to 3 p.m. Admission: $25 per adult and $10 for children under 12; $60 for VIP tickets Mount Vernon Recreation Center fields 2701 Commonwealth Avenue visitdelray.com Named one of Virginia’s top food festivals by Virginia Living Magazine readers, Taste of Del Ray showcases the diversity of cuisine and creativity of chefs in Alexandria’s Del Ray neighborhood. Ticket holders will enjoy tastes from top Del Ray restaurants and can cast their votes for the People’s Choice Award. The outdoor event will take place at the Mount Vernon Recreation Center fields. A limited number of VIP tickets will be sold for $60, offering foodies a noon entry into the festival and a wine tasting. Only 500 general admission and 100 VIP tickets will be sold. 15th Art Night in Old Town 5 to 7:30 p.m. Admission: Free Various locations throughout Old Town Alexandria, VA 22314 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. 16th & 17th Portside in Old Town Summer Festival sponsored by Ting 6 to 9 p.m. – Friday 1 to 9 p.m. – Saturday Admission: Free Waterfront Park 1A Prince Street PortsideFestival.com Kick off summer with the return of the Portside…
By: Caroline Simpson There are a myriad of females in my family. Starting with my Mom; she has three sisters. Out of my ten cousins, there are only two boys, and I am one of two daughters. I love being from a female-full family. The girl power factor is unbeatable. There was always an opportunity for late night girl talks on the phone, not to mention the never-ending understanding associated with female companionship, and, of course, the ability to cathartically cry for absolutely no reason. I am one very lucky girl, and during this time of year, I am forced to think…my poor father! I frequently wondered if the fathers of all these females: my Dad, my uncles, and my grandfather, ever truly wished for sons. Even if they never outright said it, isn’t it is common knowledge that a father wants a son? Playing ball, burping, and getting dirty are all elements of that father-son relationship that my dad never experienced. Does he regret it? Is a prerequisite to feeling like a successful father the ability to share a love of bugs? I think not! Sure, daughters are different, more challenging, even. Playing ball was not my thing, but my dad made it a point to figure out what my thing was. One of my favorite memories is our visit to the Museum of Natural History. I loved rocks, and Dad spent a small fortune on a pre-organized rock collection from the gift shop that I still have. Then there was the time when Mom had a morning meeting and Dad helped me get ready for school. He was not prepared for the drama that was my hair, but he gave it his all. Five barrettes and a can of hairspray later, I walked to the bus stop with…
By Ron Powers Lately I’ve been listening to a lot of songs from the 1990s and I’m excited to share one of my favorites with you here. Michael Bolton’s 1993 hit, “Said I Loved You…But I Lied”, is among the best pop ballads produced in the 20th century. It’s been setting hearts on fire for the last three decades and remains popular to this day. For my money, it doesn’t get any better than the flinty and soulful power of Bolton’s voice letting loose on this song. For the intro music we hear mysterious sounding synthesizers punctuated by reverberating tom toms. This is followed by a sparkling melody performed with a bell-like synth sound. After a couple of measures, a deep and smooth bass line provides power and richness to the mix. Percussive elements are also sprinkled around the stereo field giving the listener an interesting spatial experience of the music. On top of all this, Bolten accentuates the feeling with a spooky wordless falsetto melody that pulls the listener in like a tractor beam. As the first verse is introduced, we hear mellow synth chords while bass and percussion establish the song’s rhythmic backbone. Swelling keyboard sounds also swirl around the mix adding to the mysterious tone of the music. For the topline, Bolton delivers a tender yet powerful performance expressing his love with timeless and poetic lyrics that have been melting hearts for decades. As the verse progresses, shimmering guitar chords along with palm muted notes are sprinkled in giving the track its iconic 90s ballad sound. For the chorus, Bolton delivers one of the most exquisite feelings I’ve ever felt while listening to a song. There’s something transcendent in the combination of the melody, lyrics, and vocal performance that words simply can’t express. The timeless gift of…
By Eileen Wacker I am the mother of four kids, aged 8 to 14 years old, and trying to launch a business. I live life in 15-minute increments. Our house wakes up at 6:00 a.m. during the week. Getting everyone to eat something is a challenge so I let them eat whatever they want – leftover pasta, soup, mac and cheese, cereal, bagels, whatever. Then I either drive them to school, leaving at 6:45 or go to my office and start to work. I usually have appointments racked and stacked as I work with a team located across Korea, India, Vancouver, San Francisco, Mexico City and Honolulu. Today, I’m also trying to keep fish from dying. My son went to a birthday party and the party favor was a beta fish. I groaned when I saw it and secretly vowed to get even with the mom. Then my son named the fish Medallion because it was like gold to him. So, yesterday I went to the pet store to get some accommodations for Medallion and we left with six mollies and an aquarium. Anyway, the six mollies are named – Blaze, Spike, Buster (girl), Anna, Crusoe, and Razor. This morning, I came upon our dog, Buster Brown, with the fish food container in his mouth. He had eaten nearly the whole can and I had to wrestle the container from him. Apparently, he had climbed up on the chair and snatched the food. He was utterly remorseless standing there with fish flakes sticking all around his mouth. And he apparently scared a fish to death. Poor Spike met his demise. Buster Brown is also going to the vet today as his ears are infected and he has been chewing his paws. So now I add allergy medicine and pet hospital…
By Miriam R. Kramer “If the Lasso way is wrong, it’s hard to imagine being right.” Trent Crimm, a British journalist from the Independent writes these words in his column about soccer, or football, as most of the world calls it, becoming one of many aloof or hostile characters won over by an American football coach named Ted Lasso. The Emmy-winning Apple+ TV series emerged just when it was needed at the height of the pandemic on August 14, 2020. The story of Lasso, who moves to the London Borough of Richmond to coach a Premier League soccer team, Ted Lasso lives up to its hype. Currently in its third and last season, it continues to reveal the kind of heart, beauty, and humor that most TV stumbles past even with clever plotlines and spot-on writing. Ted Lasso is its own animal, a show that may make you tear up but never makes you feel despair. It is anti-despair, and despair is very fashionable in peak TV, the golden age of television characterized by cable series and shows released by streaming series. I am tired of hunting for TV that makes me happier, while also spoiled by excellent series. From shows like The Sopranos to Mad Men, Homeland, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Game of Thrones, or a lesser-known British gem such as The Fall, I consume series and then let them go, while remembering great acting, storytelling, and the moods they evoke. While many of them are wonderfully written, memorable, humorous, or provocative, they often reflect and support deep cynicism and feelings of desolation. I recently finished the first season of The Last of Us, a post-apocalyptic series that jangles the nerves, picking up the ever-popular theme of zombies while highlighting deeper human stories in some episodes. I have…
19th – 21st Spring Wine Festival & Sunset Tour 6 to 9 p.m. Admission: Friday: $49 for members; $59 for non-members; Saturday: $53 for members; $63 for non-members; Sunday: $43 for members; $53 for non-members George Washington’s Mount Vernon 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway 703-780-2000 mountvernon.org Head to Mount Vernon for their most popular event of the year. Taste unlimited samples of wines from Virginia’s finest wineries. Bring a blanket and relax on the east lawn overlooking the Potomac River. Enjoy the live music of Bruce Ewan and the Solid Senders. 20th & 21st 3rd Annual Alexandria Old Town Springtime Art Festival 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission: Free John Carlyle Square 300 John Carlyle Street artfestival.com The Annual Alexandria Old Town Art Festival is heading back to John Carlyle Square in 2023. All artwork is juried, which provides a higher level of quality, diversity and creativity of art on display, exemplifying the gifted artists in regions from all over the country. The show was rated as one of the top 100 art shows in Sunshine Artist Magazine. 21st Old Town Festival of Speed & Style 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission: Free Market Square & Beyond 300 King Street oldtownbusiness.org The Old Town Festival of Speed & Style highlights the unique offerings of the Old Town community – history, architecture, great food, fabulous people, art, style and energy. View dozens of rare and exotic cars up close, made famous by their speed, performance and elegance. This will be enhanced by a presentation of style, fashion and live music provided by over 40 local merchants. All proceeds benefit ALIVE! and The Campagna Center. More Spring Events & Tours Daily through July 15th Alexander D’Agostino: “A Shrine for the Forgotten” Exhibit Admission: Free Torpedo Factory Art Center 105 N. Union Street 703-746-4570 torpedofactory.org Baltimore-based solo artist exhibition recipient,…
By Ron Powers This month I’m excited to discuss one of my favorite slow songs. “Time After Time” was released in 1984, as part of Lauper’s debut album “She’s So Unusual,” which won her a Grammy Award for Best New Artist. The album was a massive success, with “Time After Time” becoming one of its most popular tracks, peaking at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. With its heartfelt melodies and expansive dreamy music, Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time” continues to connect with millions. This timeless ballad stands as one of the most exquisite expressions of love and commitment ever recorded in pop music. The song begins with gentle synthesizer mixed with a subtle palm-muted guitar riff. Sparse percussive elements composed of kickdrum and shaker also punctuate the music. After eight measures of intro music, we hear Lauper’s soft and iconic vocal melody sing the words, “Lying in my bed, I hear the clock tick and think of you / Caught up in circles / Confusion is nothing new”. As the first verse progresses, more instrumentation is layered in, lifting the emotion of the song. This dynamic is repeated for the second verse which seamlessly flows into one of the best choruses pop music has ever produced. For the chorus we hear Lauper and backing vocalist, Rob Hyman, singing a combination of lyrics and melody that is in a class all its own. The sentiment conveyed is a triumph of pop ballad magic and stands as a timeless testament to the power of music itself. The instrumentation of the chorus also includes the introduction of bass guitar which gives new depth to the impact of the music. Additionally, guitar chords shimmering with a chorus effect ring out while snare rimshots add to the overall movement of the song….
By F. Lennox Campello According to the research done by the Washington City Paper in 2017, the term “DMV” to refer to the District, Maryland and Virginia first appeared in a DC ART NEWS blog post that I wrote in 2003 – And yes! I therefore do claim that I invented it! The Greater Washington, D.C., capital region (the DMV) is not only home to some of the best art museums in the world, dozens of art galleries, non-profit art spaces, alternative art venues, and art organizations, but it also supports fertilizes of the best and most creative visual art scenes in the nation. This scene is kindled and ignited to a large extent by female artists of all ages, races and ethnicities – an artistic female universe significantly more diverse than just about any of other major city on the planet. By the same logic and path, the artwork created by these fertile minds examine every possible corner of the visual arts genres and creative corners. Celebrating this art scene, I want to use part of this month’s column to announce that I have and am compiling works by a number of leading and talented emerging contemporary female visual artists who represent the tens of thousands of women artists working in this culturally and ethnically diverse region in order to assemble a group show to showcase the immense power of the visual arts being created by these artists. Let me repeat myself: Equally diverse as the artists, are the artistic styles and media you will see in this curated exhibition, the first of its kind for the capital area. With more than 100 works of art potentially available for curatorial selection, this exhibition will offer a primer for both the experienced art eye and the beginning art aficionado, highlighting…
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