Annual steeplechase races at historic Ben Venue Farm in Rappahannock County.

Gates open: 10 a.m.

Post time: 12 p.m. for the first of nine races

Program: Hurdle, timber, turf races

Special events: Hat contest, tailgate contest

Tickets: Range from general admission to railside tailgate parking spaces and tent spaces.

Details: olddominionhounds.weebly.com

Circalyans: warriors of the untime
Donnamaria R. Jones

(On exhibit: March 6 – April 25, 2018)

Fascinated by the indomitable spirit defining warriors of times past, present and imagined future, she has created an amalgamated league of conquerors, the Circalyan Warriors of the Untime, that transcend all time periods. The rustic, near life-sized portrait panels evoke the sheer might and domination of the eclectically adorned and armed combatants. Donnamaria R. Jones, a military veteran, is a portrait photographer based in the Washington Metropolitan area, and owns Circa Life Images photography studio in Waldorf, MD.
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Greater Manassas/Prince William County sponsors theatrical productions for children and adults, teaches arts classes, promotes visual arts and provides community outreach programs for local youth. Founded in 1984 by a group of artists and art lovers, the Center aims to enrich the quality of life in the Northern Virginia suburbs through arts performance and education. A theater, an art gallery and classrooms are located in the historic Candy Factory building in Old Town Manassas, at 9419 Battle Street.

This is an American Daffodil Society accredited horticultural competition of daffodils.

The public is welcome!
Admission is free.

Parents of students age 8 – 14: Allow your child to experience the restorative power of creativity with three artists in the studios at Windy Knoll Farm. Instructors Jean Seelig, Martin Cervantez, and Kimberly Faulkner will guide students in making art in a manner that fosters stress reduction, self-expression, and meditation. Each person will take away new pieces of art, greater confidence, and positive techniques to continue to use in fostering health and wellness! Program held in beautiful art studios at Windy Knoll Farm in Nokesville, VA.

Tuesdays April 10th, 17th, 24th
6:30pm – 8:30pm
Pre-registration required

Expressions in Black and White: Suzanne Tanner Chitwood, David Hawkins, Ivy Naté, Nick Watson
30 March – 29 April 2018
Expressions in Black and White features art by Suzanne Tanner Chitwood, David Hawkins, Ivy Naté and Nick Watson.  Although the chosen mediums and colors of these four artists are limited to shades of black and white, their resulting creations in collage, charcoal, monotype, and sculpture are richly diverse in form and expression.

Suzanne Tanner Chitwood is well known not only for her full-scale renderings in charcoal on paper of dogs, cows and other animals, but also for her award winning childrens’ books featuring exquisite torn paper collages. In her work for this show she combines her charcoal and torn paper collage technique with her signature subjects, here over life-sized Black Angus cattle, parts of cattle and a jet-black horse in two parts. These may stand alone or as a herd or diptych. One thinks of Rodin’s use of sculptural body parts to stand for the whole. Each piece is a tour-de-force evoking the dignity and inner life of the subjects through her wide range of textures and hues, impeccable compositions and monumentality of scale.

David Hawkins will exhibit his ink monotypes of dramatic landscapes both real and imaginary. The monotype, or one of a kind print, was first dubbed a “painterly print” by its 17th century inventor and Hawkins treats each of his as a gestural romantic and mysterious painting. Although many bring to mind our Central Virginia landscapes, Hawkins prefers ambiguity of place (for them to be both “anywhere and nowhere”) and for his work to act as “vessels for something…mystic, religious, spiritual, emotional.”
This show  also debuts sculptural creations by New York artist Ivy Naté, who re- creates what  she calls “IFFM” (Inanimate Furry Family Members). She is fascinated by the intense bond between humans and their inanimate loved ones and by what raw human emotion they carry or mask. Her work for the show will include bunnies, owls and her heart-wrenching “Inside Outs,” Teddy Bears sewn literally inside out, revealing the vulnerability of us all.

Nick Watson masterfully manipulates shadow, negative space and movement in his steel sculpture. For this show, he exhibits table mounted pieces as well as wall and ceiling mounted sculptures in steel and other materials such as zinc, acrylic resin and cement, each one activating and calling attention to movement and the space around us. A haiku will accompany each sculpture, adding new layers of association and meaning.

The gallery is open Thursday through Sunday 1 – 5 and by appointment and is located at 841 Wolf Trap Rd in Charlottesville.

April 13 – July 22, 2018
Wednesday-Sunday, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Admission – Adults $10; Seniors $8; Youth $8; Children Free; Members Free

This traveling exhibition organized by the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) with representative masterpieces of the genre—including works by George Stubbs, Sir Francis Grant, John Frederick Herring, Benjamin Marshall, and George Morland— celebrates Paul Mellon’s gift of British sporting art to the VMFA. It also proposes a fresh look at sporting art within wider social and artistic contexts, including the scientific and industrial revolutions of the 18th and 19th centuries, the transformation of the British countryside, the evolutionary history of the horse and other animals, and society’s changing habits and customs.

– Join Friends of the Rappahannock (FOR) and explore the legacy of Hunter’s Island with its owner, local architect and history enthusiast Mary Ellen Wheeler, on Saturday, April 14, from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. We’ll meet at the FOR home office and ferry over to the island in canoes. Learn more about Capt. John Smith, who explored the Rappahannock River in 1608, and the Native Americans who greeted him. There are ruins of old mansions on the island which make for great photo opportunities. Bring a bag lunch and water bottle for a scenic picnic. Minimum age is 8 years. The backup date is the next day. The cost is $30 per individual and $90 for group, or $24 and $72 for FOR members. For more information call (540) 373-3448. Please pre-register at https://www.riverfriends.org/event/hunters-island-magical-history-tour/

Have you ever stayed in a 1700’s mansion, been a wine critic, or listened to a real Italian play a real accordion? Dyed yarn, designed jewelry, or created pottery? Now you can do all these things and more!!! Come to the Rappahannock County Artisan Trail for art, wine, dining, exhibitions, workshops, unique shops and live music. Second Saturday offers great ways for getting out and trying new things. Come and see for yourself! For details: http://www.opendoortour.org/2018/03/15/second-saturday-april-14-rappahannock-county-artisan-trail/

Activities are throughout the county in Amissville, Sperryville, Washington and Sperryville!

Livingston Taylor’s music career as a singer-songwriter, pianist, and guitarist spans an impressive 50 years and includes a varied repertoire of Top-40 hits in musical genres from folk and pop to gospel and jazz. He has shared the stage with Joni Mitchell, Linda Ronstadt, Fleetwood Mac, Jimmy Buffett, Jethro Tull, and of course, his brother James, among others. Don’t miss this natural performer in an introspective evening of music peppered with personal stories,anecdotes, and ineffable warmth!

Tickets: $30

Keswick Hunt Country Garden Tour:
Sunday, April 22, 2018 from10am-5pm.
$40 in ADVANCE. $50 Day of tour.
Step through the columns into the
private gardens of some of the most historic and beautiful properties in Jefferson’s Virginia. See 100 floral arrangements, 1700s era architecture, stunning gardens& lectures by experts.
Enjoy boutique shopping, artwork, live music and more! Includes:
•Castle Hill Home & Gardens c1764
•East Belmont 1,200 acre Estate c1811
•Ben-Coolyn Parterre gardens & arboretum
•Grace Episcopal Church c1896
•Chopping Bottom Contemporary
award-winning farmhouse
•Castle Hill Cider Marketplace & Tour HEADQUARTERS for Sunday April 22nd.
•35 Unique vendors
•Bluegrass & Jazz Musicians
•Painters in the gardens
•Talks by Experts and Authors on History &Architecture: Prof. Ed Lay, emeritus of UVA who has written about the distinctive
architecture in the Keswick area.
Saturday, April 21, 2018 from 10-5pm
Morven Home and Gardens
(Separate ticket: $15)

Monday, April 23, 2018 from 10-5 p.m.
University of Virginia (Free)
Attend a free lecture: “Mapping-African-
American History at UVA” and self guided tour of Morea, UVA Grounds & Pavilion residence.

Tailgate and Picnic with fashionable Middleburg crowds all while watching the thrilling sport of horse racing. The Middleburg Spring Races is an exciting and fun event in our historic Virginia horse country. middleburgspringraces.com

Join us at Sheepdog Café for a battle of the breweries to kick off patio season! Hosted by DJ Be Easy, local breweries will compete for a tap in Sheepdog for the summer. Taste test of 8 of the best local brews and be sure to vote for your favorite to stay on tap all summer. Every purchase of a flight or beer gets you one vote to vote for your favorite beer! Participating breweries include Starr Hill Brewery, South Street Brewery, Basic City Beer Co., Champion Brewing Company, Reason Beer, Blue Mountain Brewery, Devils Backbone Brewing Company, and Wild Wolf Brewing Company.