Do you remember a time when milk was delivered in bottles to your door step? When the food you ate emerged from the ground just a few miles away from where you lived? When you knew the farmers who produced your meal? In this fast paced age of eating from a package that was prepared thousands of miles away, our schedules demand efficiency over conscience and health. Through awareness, and a growing interest in eating better, many communities are starting to focus inward when making food choices. Doing so not only results in a healthier lifestyle, but also helps to reduce the carbon footprint associated with the distribution of food. Of course buying from your local farmer, wine maker or baker also supports your local economy, leading to regional reinvestment.

Yesterday, an event was held in support of these beliefs. The Loudoun Grown Expo, held at the Bush Tabernacle (Skating Rink) in Purcellville, Virginia, drew in excess of 2000 residents who mingled with local farmers, producers and artisans. From this event, it is evident that not only a demand exists for locally produced goods, but Loudoun County growers are stepping up to meet them.

Produced by Run Rabbit Run Theater, the performance was executed by young, passionate actors who did a fine job with parts that were often challenging. In this humorous study of human expectations, complexity of the dialog lured the audience into thoughtful consideration of understanding, sprinkled with copious belly laughs. One might call this an intellectual play that explores human emotion and relationships. The serious side of this study was frequently offset by sharp wit. The audience laughed out loud throughout the performance. Run Rabbit Run Theater was founded by Meredith Bean McMath. a prize-winning playwright who has produced many plays and performances here in Loudoun County.

The actors faced challenging parts in preparation for this play. One particular scene involved a man and woman. The man spoke in a language where familiar words were concatenated in unfamiliar ways. Some would call this babble. By replacing expected words in a sentence, with out of context words, a unique language was used. The man’s job was teach the woman how to speak this language. Remembering the lines for this particular scene must have been difficult.

In another scene, a man and a woman meet at a cafe. As they get to know each other, their expectations are explored in creative ways. When one answers a question with an undesirable reply, a bell is struck and the response changes. When a desired bit of dialog is reached, the conversation continues. This fast paced, and hilarious, scene was a study in the human perception of others.

In closing, this play is highly recommended. It is wonderfully written, well executed and acted. The comfortable small-venue setting of Grandale Farm lent itself perfectly to the level of audience intimacy expected of the script.

Pictured here is the band Joey and the Waitress, who played at the Photoworks studio in the center of Leesburg. As they played, art patrons browsed photographs taken by Loudoun County High School students including Samm Rorke, Emma Weed, Allison Bills and Elizabeth Van Tol. Perched on the second floor, the lively studio overlooked the lit streets below. What a terrific atmosphere!

Neil and KD, who operate Photoworks, feature different artists every month. As it so happens, they are both award winning photographers themselves. Pictured below is a table of snacks with an impressive backdrop. It was enjoyable to listen to the music and watch the folks down on the streets wending their way through their festive atmosphere.

Following the Photoworks visit, I walked a half a block to the Cooley Gallery. This place was filled with people looking at the multitude of art, sipping wine and commiserating. It is just amazing at how lively a galley can be. In attendance were several notables from the Loudoun wine making community. Stephen Mackey, of Notaviva Vineyards, was on hand pouring, and chatting up, his wonderful wine. Yes, he was wining. But the kind of wining that the room was obviously enjoying. I won’t mention the other notables mingling in the crowd here, we’re not that kind of website. Hi Rachel!

Continuing the whirlwind tour of Leesburg on this chilly night, I landed at Tally Ho Theatre which features comedy troops every weekend. This night was the Last Ham Standing comedy show. Modeled after Last Comic Standing, this event offers four comedians who act out impromptu skits driven mostly by participation from the crowd.  One skit involved collecting four cell phones from audience members. The comedy team then created instant drama by reciting actual text messages found on the phones. As this happened, friends in the audience texted the phones, which added to the spontaneous insanity of the skit.

The event was sold out this evening, tickets were $10 at the door. You can’t beat the value here. Hilarity ensued non-stop for two hours while the two-male, two-female crew laughed, cried, screamed and waved arms about like drunken scarecrows. This event is highly recommended.

Hardly the world’s worst, these folks had the entire place roaring with laughter. We at Loudoun Arts rate this event four paint brushes.

Following the giggles, I found myself at King’s Court Tavern for open mic night. This place was also filled with people who were obviously enjoying themselves. The evening wound down with a Reuben and a Sierra Nevada. Overall, the First Friday event in Leesburg was simply terrific. Warm faces, high spirits, the historic district setting and the arts. It may not get any better than this.

“My passion is working with clay – a soft malleable substance – throwing, forming, and urging it into an object of both beauty and function. An object, which can be admired, touched, held, and used in daily life. This process and transformation of the soft clay into a hard and beautiful object meant to be seen, used, passed along, maybe even eventually broken and given back to the earth seems to mirror personal growth and transformation. I use High fired stoneware and porcelain in my work and enjoy glaze colors and themes, which can be found in nature. I try to incorporate a combination of family, prayer, meditation, nature, and the creation of pottery into every single day of my life as part of my own personal growth and transformation. It gives me great insight and joy to create a one of a kind piece of artwork. I hope others enjoy viewing and utilizing the pottery as much as I enjoyed making it!”

Amy Manson is a Leesburg, Virginia potter, ceramic artist and instructor. Visit her blog by clicking here.

Winter often renders the Loudoun landscape in tan and ochre hues. Spotted with naked trees, the countryside screams for the lush green of spring, locally referred to as emerald. Bluemont Vineyard sits atop a winding road that meanders through vines and orchards. Temporarily painted in these winter colors, the vineyard was absent of grapes. Alas, they awaited in bottles at road’s end.

The stone and clapboard tasting room juts from the side of the Blue Ridge, wrapped with a generous deck and plenty of outdoor seating. Inside, there are two floors each set in a modified barn setting. Painted with modern clean colors, the warm interior resembles that of a ski resort. The walls are decorated with local Bluemont flair; folk art, farming and wine making.

On this day, a bottle of the Viognier was ordered, which here is called The Goat. Like many Viognier wines, this one offers an aromatic bouquet with the sweet taste of pears and spice. The follow through is a spicy punch that leaves a pleasant aftertaste. I also bought a bottle to bring home. Delicious!

The vineyard offers a full selection of wine, all named after animals. These range from The Ram Merlot, to The Horse, their brand of Cabernet Franc. The complete wine offering can be found on their Wines Page.

Bluemont Vineyeard offers a light fare menu that includes breads, cheeses and meat. I ordered a warm baguette that came with three fruit toppings. Between the Goat, the baguette and warm fire, it was rather perfect. The second floor has a gift shop that offers Loudoun made items, produce and art.

On this initial visit, the tasting rooms were nearly full, upstairs and down. Brave souls would venture onto the deck for brief moments of sunshine, enhanced by spectacular views of our wonderful county. The atmosphere was comfortable and relaxed. Patrons were smiling and enjoying the crisp day on the side of the ridge. While some wineries can be a bit stuffy, that was not the case here. Pictured are visitors who agreed to appear in this post. Their expressions say it all.

The stylings of the Larry Thomas Project ensued on the second floor. The two guitarists played soulful music that blended perfectly with the day. They play throughout the metro DC area, and have a performance at the Ronald Reagan building next week.

The staff was entirely friendly and helpful. I introduced myself Bruce, one of the managers, inquiring about their event listings. We would love the opportunity to add their events to our events calendar. Here at Loudoun Arts, we aim to spread the word on local events in the area.

Do you have events that we should know about? Do you have a location that the Loudoun art community should be aware of? We’d like to hear from you.

Dave

dave [@] LoudounArts.com

Historic Middleburg, Virginia, with its reputation as the center of the horse and hunt communities of the region, is a fitting location for The National Sporting Library & Museum. The NSLM sits on a beautiful seven acre campus on the west end of the village. The library was founded in 1954 and originally resided in the original mansion (far right in the photo above). In 1991 the library moved to a new building (left), clearing the way for the renovation and expansion of the 1804 mansion into the museum, which opened its doors last October. Yesterday I visited the museum.

The inaugural exhibition, Afield in America: 400 Years of Animal and Sporting Art was designed to showcase the importance of animal and sporting art in American history and culture. Unfortunately this exhibit is now closed, yesterday was the last day. Furthermore, due to copyright restrictions, I can not show you many photos from the exhibit. But I wanted to share my impressions of the museum and this show, as it is a wonderful museum and I know the NSLM's future exhibits will be equally compelling.

My first impression of the museum was of very soothing light, and I was struck by two large paintings in the first of many rooms that house over 150 works of wildlife and sporting art. The first thing you see when you open the doors is the exhibit's signature painting, William Ranney's On the Wing (1850, pictured above). Immediately to the right is a pleasantly staffed information desk, and to the left is a wall containing some items from the museum's permanent collection. Among them, this fantastic, very large painting, Foxhounds and Terrier in a Stable Interior, by John Emms (1878).

From there I weaved through several rooms on two floors, each beautifully decorated, open and airy, and each featuring a collection of art organized by subject matter. The Wildlife room, for instance, contained paintings and sculptures depicting quail, ducks, geese, deer, buffalo, elk, fox, bear, moose and wolves. One painting in particular draws my attention here. Lone Wolf (1930) by Carl Olaf Seltzer is a haunting image of a solitary wolf in snow.

While horses find their way into almost every genre here, the room dedicated to equine art shows just how diverse the horse's role in American sporting life has been. Polo, trotting, thoroughbred racing, steeplechase and fox hunting are all here. Even bronco busting is represented with one of Frederic Remington's incredible sculptures.

Other highlights of the exhibit for me include a relatively recent work, Tucker Smith's stunning 36"x120" The Refuge, a magnificent portrayal of Wyoming's Wind River Range and the National Elk Refuge, including thousands of migrating elk.

In the 'Hunting with Hounds' room, I was drawn to a lovely series of 9 small portraits of hounds by Gustave Muss-Arnolt (1885). And in the 'Angling' room, I spent some time getting lost in Roy Martell Mason's In a Tight Place, painted in 1936 but a timeless portrayal of a fly fisherman and guide, working together to net a spectacular trout.

As I left the campus I decided to get a closer look at the fine statue marking the center of the circle in front of the library and museum, and I'm glad I did. A plaque below it pays homage to all the horses and mules lost in the Civil War, many of those meeting their fate in battles within 20 miles of where the statue stands. It's easy to forget the vital role horses play in warfare, but this fine work serves as a reminder to all who visit. I know I will be back to this great museum, I look forward to seeing the upcoming exhibit beginning in February. Watch LoudounArts.com for news and updates about this and other museums throughout this county so rich with history.

For more from Ed Felker, visit his blog, Dispatches from the Potomac.

Learn more about this ground breaking band here: www.furnacemountain.com.

While not the Furnace Mountain band, there is at least one member present. Do you know which one(s)? All of these musicians play frequently in Loudoun, and the surrounding northern Virginia area. The arts are alive and well!

The pipes, attached to the interior brick walls, are connected to the fireplace. The internal system for heating and cooling were balanced by heat from the sun, the fireplace and cool cellar which served as a multi-functional aspect of this building. This environmentally driven system was highly efficient for growing in cold months, especially for its time.

The greenhouse is noted as being the second oldest such structure in the country. In its restored state today, it looks much like it did 200 years ago, when it provided produce year round. It open and available for the public to see on most days. It is occasionally closed for events or maintenance.
 
The historic mansion (below) rests a short distance from the greenhouse. A tour of this beautiful historic home provides the feeling of stepping back in time. Plantations can be found all over the state of Virginia, but Oatlands stands out for its grandeur and rich history of early farming. This National Trust location hosts events throughout the year, including the well attended annual horse race know as Point To Point. They also serve the Loudoun art community with several events through out the year. The location is also made available to photographers under an established program.

Locations such as this provide a one stop site for producing Virginia photography. With its rich gardens, long covered roads and paths, staff quarters and mansion, the grounds provide something new upon every visit. Oatlands Plantation is a wonderful place for the family to visit and take in local Loudoun history.

On November 19, 2011, The The Woodshedders played to an enthusiastic crowd at the Franklin Park Performing and Visual Arts Center. If you aren't familiar with the band, check them out (music on their page). They are a local group with a unique sound that blends bluegrass, soul and rock. Dave's fiddle and Dwayne's voice ebb the 40's and flow the now. Their latest CD, O Dig, demonstrates their ability to bridge modern music with roots of the Blue Ridge. They may be giants.