This month’s Mike Mount creation is more of a graphic than a cartoon.
People in Arlington, like people in many communities, enjoy complaining about certain things. Now imagine a house in Arlington so perfectly configured that you basically have an endless supply of things to complain about. That’s what is depicted above.
Bus Costs Well Exceed Fare — “Depending on their age, passengers riding Arlington Transit (ART) Route 62 – which connects the Lorcom Lane area with Courthouse and Ballston – during the transit system’s 2022 fiscal year paid either $1 or $2 per ride. County taxpayers kicked in a subsidy of about $75 for each of those passengers. That’s according to data presented at the Nov. 14 County Board meeting.” [Gazette Leader]
County Seeking Budget Feedback — “Arlington County, Va. officials are asking for public input on the Fiscal Year 2025 budget as the county faces a $25 million to $40 million shortfall. In a survey shared on social media, county officials are asking community members to share their recommendations for balancing the budget for the upcoming year.” [WJLA]
Every year, for just a few minutes, one of Arlington’s most iconic works of public art comes to life exactly as its artist intended.
On Saturday, Aug. 1, at approximately 9:32 a.m., visitors will gather in Rosslyn to witness the annual shadow alignment at Nancy Holt’s Dark Star Park (1979–84). At that precise moment, the shadows cast by the sculpture’s spheres and poles align with permanent shadow forms embedded in the ground—a phenomenon Holt designed to commemorate the anniversary of Rosslyn’s founding.
The alignment lasts only a few moments, but it has become a beloved Arlington tradition, drawing residents, visitors, artists and architecture enthusiasts alike to experience the intersection of art, astronomy, and history. If the weather cooperates, the park transforms into a striking demonstration of how light, time and place can become part of a work of art.
Created between 1979 and 1984, Dark Star Park was Arlington’s first County-commissioned public artwork and remains one of the nation’s earliest examples of integrated public art—where sculpture, landscape architecture and the surrounding environment function as a single work. Rather than placing an object within a park, Holt made the entire park the artwork, incorporating spheres, pools, steel poles, tunnels, earthworks and carefully positioned plantings into an immersive landscape.
Nancy Holt (1938–2014) was a pioneering artist whose work spanned poetry, film, photography, land art and large-scale public sculpture. Throughout her career, she explored perception, time and humanity’s relationship with the natural world. Dark Star Park remains her most significant urban installation and one of the few major works by the artist that can be experienced in an accessible city setting.
Whether you’ve attended for years or have never visited before, Dark Star Park Day offers a rare opportunity to experience a public artwork that changes with the movement of the sun—and reminds us that some of the most memorable moments in art happen not inside a museum, but out in the world around us.
Dark Star Park Day
When: Saturday, Aug. 1, beginning around 9 a.m.; shadow alignment at approximately 9:32 a.m.
Where: Dark Star Park, 1655 N. Fort Myer Drive, Rosslyn
Good Tuesday evening, Arlington. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.
The following articles were published earlier today — Nov 28, 2023.
In a bid to improve accountability, the Arlington County Fire Department is looking to put its mission and priorities in writing with its first-ever strategic plan.
The plan is designed to help the department identify its values and strengths and determine where to channel its resources over the next five years.
*Mamistad Groups meet IN PERSON-only the introductory Zoom call is virtual. :)
Pregnancy and new mom groups are a lifesaver when it comes to normalizing those feelings we just can’t be prepared for.
The Ballston “singing tree” is set to return for the holiday season.
Starting next week, the sparkling, voice-activated Christmas tree near the Ballston Metro station will brighten the neighborhood with lights and music through the new year.
Fairfax County prosecutors are taking a step back from pursuing the embezzlement charges levied against former Arlington teachers union president, Ingrid Gant.
That decision, however, does not mean the case against Gant — who was ousted in the spring of 2022 after a 6-year tenure — is closed. The Fairfax County Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney says Gant’s case is serious and they are keeping their options open.
Pamplona, the Spanish tapas restaurant and sangria bar in Clarendon, will close next month, according to a social media post.
The restaurant, which opened in 2017 in the space formerly occupied by SoBe Bar & Bistro, shared its farewell message on Instagram last week.
The hottest new pickleball club is the Arlington County Detention Facility.
Two weeks ago, the jail inaugurated its new pickleball court — installed by Arlington’s Dept. of Parks and Recreation — with a three-day tournament.
Burglary at Yorktown HS — “5200 block of Yorktown Boulevard. At approximately 7:29 p.m. on November 22, police were dispatched to the report of a burglary alarm. Upon arrival, it was determined two juvenile male suspects made entry into the building and stole exercise equipment before fleeing the scene.” [ACPD]
Rappahannock Coffee Now Closed — “Last day at long-time Arlington coffee shop Rappahannock Coffee. Came here nearly every day when I first moved to the neighborhood for coffee, to write, & – of course – talk with everyone who came in. Great to see a few of the regulars again. Happy retirement to owner, Mr. Lee.” [Twitter, Twitter]
