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Special
Concert to Celebrate Alexandria's ALEXANDRIA, VA. -
A musical extravaganza on Saturday, Jan. 30, will highlight the
relationship between the City of Alexandria and its Sister City,
Helsingborg, Sweden. This special 4 p.m. concert will be held
at Convergence, an artistic community at 1801 North Quaker Lane.
It is free to the public and is being hosted by the City of Alexandria
as part of an exchange program. Helsingborg's Mayor, Carin Wredström,
will be in attendance. Helsingborg has been a Sister City of Alexandria
since 1966. Mayor William D. Euille
says, "We are pleased to have a delegation from Helsingborg
in Alexandria. I encourage all citizens to join me at this concert
and enjoy some Swedish culture."
Seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Following the concert, there will be a reception honoring our Swedish guests, providing an opportunity to meet the musicians as well as a presentation of art by Empowered Women International's visual artists and artisans. Reservations are required. Please e-mail: cfripp.rsvp@ewint.org. For more information about the event, call the Office of the Arts at 703-746-5588. # # # |
The
program is sponsored by the City of Alexandria in partnership
with the Citizen Assistance Office, Office of the Arts, the Alexandria
Commission for the Arts, Alexandria Choral Society, Alexandria
Harmonizers, Alexandria Performing Arts Association, Alexandria
Singers, and Empowered Women International. The following musical
groups will perform:|
Winners of the 2009 Alex Arts Awards Ilona Savage was born in Germany and raised in Alexandria, Virginia. Though she has a special interest in music, she has long demonstrated a love for and interest in virtually all forms of art. Ilona has attended art classes at the The Art League School developing her own skills as an artist. A former member of the Alexandria Commission for the Arts, Ilona was active in the Marketing Committee, Music Panel, and the "In-Kind" art contribution program. Through her efforts, several businesses contributed materials to Kathy Harty Gray Dance Theatre, Choreographers Col1aboration Project, Del Ray Artisans and the City's Recreation Centers. Ilona joined the Board of Directors of the Alexandria Performing Arts Association (APAA) in 2008, at the same time the organization was developing an idea for a new program, ENCORE (Entertainment Carried Out to the Retired and Elderly). In one year, Ilona embraced the idea and built the program into one of the most vital new arts initiatives in Alexandria. ENCORE seeks to bring high quality performing arts to elderly persons who lack the mobility to attend performances in one of the City's traditional venues. Since its inception one year ago, ENCORE has reached thousands of seniors through more than 30 performances and programs at Senior Centers throughout Alexandria and the region. Marga Fripp was a successful broadcast journalist in her native Romania where she championed the causes of disenfranchised women and children, many times at great risks to herself and her job. Marga's tenacity and vision lead her to create The Association for the Promotion of Women in Romania (APoWeR) the largest and most successful women's service and advocacy organization in Romania. Through her leadership APoWeR succeeded in passing the first domestic violence and sexual assault laws in South East Europe. Marga created this group at the age of 23. In 2001, serious health problems with her infant son led Marga to immigrate with her American husband to the area. While coping with her son's health problems, Marga was also dealing with a lack of English language skills. Marga is now fluent in English and her son is fully recovered. But it wasn't enough for Marga to find her own way in a new country and culture. While studying English, Marga met other women who shared her immigrant experience. To address the isolation, cultural and economic barriers many immigrant women face, Marga created Empowered Women International (EWI) and gave voice to immigrant and refugee women by promoting their art and cultures and leading them to entrepreneurial success. Through EWI, Marga helps more than 300 immigrant and refugee women each year to overcome their struggles, while sharing their arts and cultural heritage with more than 1500 schoolchildren and community members through arts programs. The 2009 Alex Arts Awards that will be presented to Ilona and Marga were created by artist Blair Meerfeld. Nationally recognized in the world of ceramics, Blair is the chairman of The Art League Ceramics Department. Born and raised in Colorado, Blair has a BA from Adams State College. He worked for 10 years as a ceramic engineer before returning to full-time studio practice. His work is included in international exhibits and collections, as well as professional journals and books on ceramic art. "My pots are mostly variations or abstractions of shapes I see - mechanical, human or landscape...my objective is to unite traditional processes with contemporary color and form." # # # |
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Alexandria
Commission for the Arts In June, Alexandria's City Council endorsed the concept of incorporating public art honoring Charles Houston into the renovated Charles Houston Recreation Center slated to be completed in December of 2008.
The Alexandria Commission for the Arts with the Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities is in the process of organizing a series of community outreach activities to garner insights, input and community support on the type of public art that should be located at the Charles Houston Recreation Center plaza honoring Charles Houston. The public art proposal will honor, commemorate and memorialize Charles Houston and his contributions to the struggle for civil rights and equality in public education in the City of Alexandria. It is anticipated the memorial will be sited in the open space-pedestrian plaza at the main entrance of the new facility.
The Arts Commission is developing fund-raising plans for the Houston
memorial. Lavern Chatman, Urban League President and CEO, and
Mame Reiley, President of the Reiley Group, will be heading the
fundraising efforts. If you wish to become involved with the Alexandria
Commission for the Arts in these planning efforts or have any
suggestions or comments you wish to provide, please visit, the
Alexandria Commission for the Arts' website at www.alexandriacommissionforthearts.org,
or send in your comments to: The City of Alexandria is committed to compliance with the City's Human Rights Code and the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request a reasonable accommodation or to request materials in an alternative format, call Cheryl Anne Colton, Cultural Arts Administrator, of the Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities at 703.838.6348 (TTY 703.838.4902) or email cherylanne.colton@alexandriava.gov. # # # |
Charles
Houston was an attorney of national reputation and a seminal figure
in the civil rights movement. He was Dean of Howard University
Law School and authored a legal brief that was used by his protégé,
Thurgood Marshall, to win the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case,
Brown vs. the Topeka Board of Education, which helped end racial
segregation in American schools. Houston used his expertise and
influence in bringing educational opportunity to the Alexandria
African-American community. In appreciation for his contributions,
the elementary school on Wythe Street was renamed in his honor.
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City Council Receives the Lord Cultural Resources
Lord Cultural Resources consultancy firm conducted a study of the arts in Alexandria to assist the Commission for the Arts in creating a plan for the future to make Alexandria a more exciting, dynamic and creative community that embraces and celebrates the arts and culture. The report offers fifteen recommendations. These recommendations focus on a vision for the arts; a new mission, strategic plan, and organizational structure for the Commission; and ways to increase funding resources for the arts. To obtain a copy of the Lord Cultural Resources' final report, or for more information about the Alexandria Commission for the Arts, call 703.838.6348 or CLICK HERE to obtain a copy of the "Lord Report" in Acrobat Reader format. The City of Alexandria is committed to compliance with the City's Human Rights Code and the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request a reasonable accommodation or to request materials in an alternative format, call Cheryl Anne Colton, Cultural Arts Administrator, of the Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities at 703.838.6348 (TTY 703.838.4902) or email cherylanne.colton@alexandriava.gov. # # #
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Alexandria Commission for the Arts Announces Results of
The City of Alexandria and the Alexandria Commission for the Arts are proud to have been active partners in this groundbreaking study. The results establish the arts and cultural industry as a major factor in Alexandria’s economy. “Alexandria is very lucky to have such an active and diverse arts community. The impact the arts has made on our community is very obvious,” stated Mayor William D. Euille. Each year, the arts and cultural industry contributes more than $80 million to the local economy in Alexandria. This figure comprises $13.64 million in expenditures by nonprofit arts and cultural organizations and an additional $66.37 million in event-related spending by their audiences. It is this corollary spending that pumps vital revenue into local restaurants, hotels, retail stores, parking garages, and other businesses in the City. Mary Margaret Schoenfeld, Community Development
Manager with Americans for the Arts presented the City of Alexandria's
findings at the Wednesday, February 27 artCHAT event held at the
Torpedo Factory Art Center (105 N. Union St.). Residents wishing
the opportunity to further explore this groundbreaking survey
can download a copy of Ms. Schoenfeld's Power Point presentation
by clicking Here.
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