Looking up outside Earl's in Clarendon (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
APS Evaluating Free Office Space — “School Board member Reid Goldstein… drilled Superintendent Francisco Durán on why the school system wasn’t looking at instead taking back space it for years had provided for free to Encore Learning and Edu-Futuro, two non-profit groups. ‘There are a lot of non-profits serving our schools, and somehow we’ve decided these two are worthy of free rent, free services,’ the senior School Board member said. ‘That needs to be re-thought.'” [Gazette Leader]
Civ Fed Forum Date Set — “It’s either the unofficially official, or the officially unofficial, start to Arlington’s fall election season, but either way, the Arlington County Civic Federation will hold its annual candidates’ forum on Tuesday, Sept. 5. The event will be held in person beginning at 7 p.m. at Hazel Auditorium on the North George Mason Drive campus of VHC Health (Virginia Hospital Center). An online option also will be available.” [Gazette Leader]
Artist brings a mural to life. Photo by Cynthia Connolly.
A burst of bright, vivid color breathes life into the mural. Photo by Kylene King.
Dog sculpture comes to life as the artist builds. Photo by Adam Henry.
From form to life, artist brings sculpture into being. Photo by Adam Henry.
This summer, Arlington residents and visitors are invited to experience the creative energy of the 2700 Art Space through two community celebrations honoring newly completed public artworks by artists MasPaz and Adam Henry. These events showcase how art can transform public spaces into places of connection, discovery, and belonging.
Located along the Four Mile Run Valley corridor, the 2700 Art Space is a flexible outdoor arts and maker space designed to host public art, performances, workshops, markets, and cultural programming. Developed through community input, the site reflects Arlington’s commitment to investing in arts and culture as essential ingredients of vibrant neighborhoods and a thriving local economy.
The two celebrations mark the culmination of Arlington Arts’ inaugural AIR@2700 Artist-in-Residence program, a National Endowment for the Arts-supported initiative. Through murals, sculpture, concerts, workshops, and community engagement, the program demonstrates how artists can help strengthen community identity and create a greater sense of place.
On Saturday, June 27, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., the public is invited to Meet MasPaz, a community celebration honoring the completion of a dynamic new mural at Arlington Arts. Visitors will have the opportunity to meet the artist, learn about his creative process, and participate in hands-on artmaking activities at 2700 S. Nelson Street.
MasPaz, also known as Federico Frum, is an Arlington-raised artist whose work blends contemporary street art with influences from his Colombian heritage. His murals often incorporate Indigenous-inspired patterns, environmental themes, and visual storytelling that reflect the diversity of the communities where they are created. Through his residency, MasPaz has transformed the Cultural Affairs facade l into a colorful landmark that invites reflection, conversation, and connection. (more…)
Republican candidate for County Board Juan Carlos Fierro (staff photo by James Jarvis)
(Updated at 5 p.m. on 8/10/23) The Arlington County GOP says it’s pivoting away from national politics and working to assemble a broad coalition galvanized by hyper-local issues.
The first test of this new strategy will be the November County Board election when residents will have the opportunity to vote for the Republican nominee, Juan Carlos Fierro.
The Milton Apartments, now leasing in Pentagon City (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
A popular noodle restaurant is leaving Alexandria and making the move to Pentagon City.
Yunnan By Potomac is looking to start serving its contemporary Yunnan cuisine on the ground floor of the new Milton building along 15th Street S. by March 2024, owner and executive chef Shao Bruce told ARLnow in an email.
Join us for a special Movie Night on the Pike as we transform Arlington Mill into an outdoor World Cup watch party!
Watch the FIFA World Cup Quarterfinals on a giant screen alongside neighbors from around the globe while enjoying the excitement, energy, and community spirit that make Columbia Pike one of the most diverse places in the region.
Arlington National Cemetery Confederate Memorial (via Arlington National Cemetery/Twitter)
Arlington National Cemetery is seeking public input on its proposal to remove the Confederate Memorial from its grounds.
Atop a 32-foot-tall pedestal in the cemetery stands a bronze statue of a woman depicting Confederate soldiers and Southern civilians, according to the cemetery website. The figures include an enslaved woman holding the infant child of a white officer and an enslaved man following his owner to war.
Parents and kids celebrate the last bus drop off of the school year with a water balloon fight in the Yorktown neighborhood (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
(Updated at 10:40 a.m.) Out of more than 130 municipalities, Arlington is the third best place to raise a family, according to a new rankings report.
Arlington was evaluated alongside nearly 140 cities nationwide based on factors such as, cost of living, housing, the local economy and quality of life for renting families, according to RentCafe, which analyzes rental data and trends.
The Arlington County Courthouse and Detention Center facilities are pictured in 2019 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Residents should be on the lookout for a postcard from the Arlington County Circuit Court about jury duty.
This month, the court will be mailing questionnaires to about 35,000 residents randomly selected from registered voter rolls as part of its annual jury selection process. The questionnaires will be used to determine who is eligible for jury duty next year.
Window washers at work at HQ2 in Pentagon City (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Police K9 Graduations — “On Friday, August 4, the Arlington County Police Department (ACPD) and Loudon County Sheriff’s Office celebrated the graduation of four K9 teams from Basic Patrol K9 School. The 16-week Basic Patrol K9 School, which was hosted by ACPD, focused on training in obedience, agility, article search, tracking and criminal apprehension.” [ACPD]
FCPS Trying to Poach Bus Drivers? — “On Aug. 4, signage on South Four Mile Run Drive in Arlington – directly across from the Arlington Trades Center where county school buses are garaged – was a sign recruiting school-bus drivers. Seems reasonable, except it was a sign recruiting school-bus drivers for Fairfax County Public Schools, which like all jurisdictions across the region seems perpetually in search of drivers to keep the school buses running.” [Gazette Leader]
