Tonight is the public opening for “Contain, Maintain, Sustain,” a gallery of contemporary art inspired by sustainability. Among the pieces in the exhibit are beautiful gas cans, inspiring rubbish receptacles, a free-floating trash bag, magazines made into mountains and a box-laden bicycle.
The exhibit — a partnership between Artisphere, the Washington Project for the Arts and the Washington Sculptors Group — features the work of 24 international and locally-based artists.
Arlington is going all-out for National Bike to Work Day tomorrow.
From 7:00 to 9:00 a.m., the county will be playing host to three Bike to Work Day “pit stops” — each with music, speakers, bike giveaways, local exhibitors and free food and drinks:
The playground, at 601 N. Manchester Street, features play areas with farm and train-themed play equipment, as well as climbing boulders, a play house, swings, a sandbox, picnic area, accessible paths, a drinking fountain and more.
The ceremony is being held between 10:00 and 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, and is part of the county’s Neighborhood Day event list.
Taste of Arlington hits the streets of Ballston on Sunday and police are planning a series of street closures to accommodate the event.
Among the closures, as announced by Arlington County Police:
The fair is being held on the grounds of the Lyon Park Community Center (414 N. Fillmore Street) from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The event will feature carnival games, pony rides, moon bounces, a bake sale, a plant sale, food and drink concession stands, and live bluegrass music.
Following the fair, from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m, the third annual Lyon Park Big Wheel Grand Prix will be held. Helmet-clad competitors — kids and adults — will careen down N. Garfield Street on plastic “big wheel” tricycles for racing glory — and to raise money for the community center’s upcoming renovation.
Just remember: it’s for a good cause.
Eleven local comedians — men and women — are going shirt and pant-less on stage tonight to help raise money for the Japanese Red Cross and its tsunami relief efforts.
Couric, an Arlington native, is a graduate of Jamestown Elementary, Williamsburg Junior High and Yorktown High. On Wednesday, May 18, she will return to Arlington to sign her new book, The Best Advice I Ever Got: Lessons from Extraordinary Lives, at the Pentagon City Costco (1200 S. Fern Street).
The book signing will start at 11:00 a.m., according to Costco’s web site. Couric recently announced that she will be leaving the CBS anchor chair in June, when her contract expires.
The annual Lyon Park-Ashton Heights house tour will be held this weekend.
This year’s event will mark the 90th anniversary of the founding of Ashton Heights. The tour will feature homes built between 1904 and 2009. Along the way there will be antique cars, retro costumes, old documents and demonstrations of green technology.
Mixed Signals During Fire Alarms at Senior Facility — During fire alarms at The Jefferson senior living facility in Ballston, a recorded voice tells residents to evacuate the 21-story building via the stairwell. Except, for safety reasons, most residents are supposed to remain in their condo with the door shut. This has confused some elderly residents, who risked injury by attempting to walk down long flights of stairs during fire alarms. While acknowledging the inconsistency, both building management and the fire department say they can’t change the recorded message due to “liability” reasons. [Washington Post]
Politico Reporters to Speak at Rosslyn Lecture Series — Politico White House reporter Julie Mason and congressional reporter Jonathan Allen will be the speakers at Rosslyn’s “Rooms with a View” lecture series next week. Mason and Allen will discuss “Washington’s divided political landscape” and take questions from the audience. The event is free (RSVP required). It will be held on Thursday, May 19, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Boeing conference center at 1200 Wilson Boulevard. [Rosslyn BID]
Arlington will hold its annual Neighborhood Day on Saturday, May 21. Fifteen neighborhood-specific events will be held throughout the county to mark the occasion.
Among the events planned:
The dog-centric fundraiser will be held this Saturday, May 14th, at Bluemont Park (329 N. Manchester Street). The actual “walk” will start at 9:30 a.m. — participants will have a choice of a three-mile loop walk or a one mile stroll. There will also be entertainment, sponsor booths and demonstrations of doggie feats.
Organizers expect about 500 walkers and 300 dogs to participate this year. Last year’s event raised more than $100,000 for the AWLA and its work with homeless animals.
The event, at the Crystal Gateway Marriott (1700 Jefferson Davis Highway), will be held from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 14. It will serve to educate returning veterans, active duty service personnel and their family members about the VA’s benefits and health care service, through on-site enrollment services, health screenings and benefits counseling.
There will also be a job fair for Iraq and Afghanistan vets, as well as family-friendly entertainment, music and a free lunch.
