The Piedmont Virginian attended the first annual Loudoun Arts Forum held recently at the Franklin Park Center for the Performing and Visual Arts in Purcellville. Sponsored by the Friends of Franklin Park and the Loudoun Arts Council, the Forum is the brainchild of Cindy Lowther, Loudoun sculptor and treasurer of the Loudoun Arts Council. The day-long event was attended by artists from such groups as the Loudoun Lyric Opera, the Master Singers of Virginia, and the Loudoun Symphony Orchestra, in addition to various independent musicians and visual artists.

Focusing on topics such as marketing, venues, fundraising, and other subjects of interest to artists, presenters included Cheryl Kilday of the Loudoun County Visitors Center, Gale Waldron of the Loudoun Academy of the Arts and Gallery 222, Mark Malick of the Loudoun Winegrowers Association, and Judy Craun of the Northern Virginia Community Foundation. Foster Billingsley of the Virginia Commission for the Arts, and Catherine Vass of the National Endowment for the Arts along with Catherine Irwin of the Contemporary American Theater Festival joined Craun on a panel to discuss funding.

By the way – if you haven’t visited the Franklin Park Center for the Performing and Visual Arts, what are you waiting for? The timber-framed facility is fabulous and offers a state-of-the-art performance space as well as a gallery for art exhibits. Visit www.franklinparkartscenter.org for more details.