art | ARLnow.com

Published April 23, 2024 at 10:45AM

Arlington Festival of the Arts in 2023 (photo courtesy of Howard Alan Events)

The Arlington Festival of the Arts returns to Clarendon this weekend to celebrate a decade of art showcases, which will prompt road closures.

Held annually at the corner of N. Highland Street and Washington Blvd, the festival is set to take place this Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. More than 125 local, national, and international artists will converge at this free, two-day event to exhibit a variety of artworks, ranging from original paintings and custom jewelry to mixed media and life-sized sculptures.

Around Town

Local artists featured in limited-time display at Pentagon City mall

By Savannah Taffe

Published March 8, 2024 at 10:45AM

Artwork displayed at the Fashion Centre from members of the Arlington Artists Alliance (courtesy of Arlington Artists Alliance)

The Pentagon City mall has something new on display — and it isn’t clothing.

More than 50 pieces of art, from paintings to drawings and sculptures to mixed media, from 35 members of the Arlington Artists Alliance, are encased behind glass inside the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City.

Around Town

‘Reclining Liberty’ kindles new interest in Arlington’s rebranded contemporary art museum

By Savannah Taffe

Published February 12, 2024 at 9:30AM

The Museum of Contemporary Art Arlington in Virginia Square (staff photo by Savannah Taffe)

A century ago, a stately brick building in Virginia Square was an elementary school. Now it is the Museum of Contemporary Art Arlington (MoCA), perhaps currently best known for a horizontal Lady Liberty out front.

Putting “Reclining Liberty” on the front lawn is looking like a smart marketing move for the recently rebranded museum.

News

Bronze replica of concrete statue lowered by crane today in Courthouse

By James Jarvis

Published December 12, 2023 at 1:45PM

Bronze replica of 'Compassion' being lowered via crane onto its new location on Wilson Blvd (staff by James Jarvis)

A bronze replica of the sculpture “Compassion,” depicting an adult and child embracing, was installed this morning (Tuesday) in Courthouse along Wilson Blvd.

The new replica replaces the original concrete sculpture that had been a fixture in the median along Wilson Boulevard, near Ireland’s Four Courts, for nearly six decades.

Events

Arlington Chorale to sing ‘rarely performed’ Christmas song at annual holiday concert next weekend

By James Jarvis

Published November 29, 2023 at 11:30AM | Updated November 29, 2023 at 1:39PM

Arlington Chorale concert at Westover Baptist Church December 2022 (courtesy of Dennis Pitman)

The Arlington Chorale is gearing up to bring a long-lost musical piece to life at its holiday concert next Saturday in Westover.

The community choir plans to perform familiar classics, including “Good King Wenceslas” and “Gloria.” However, it is also adding what it says is a rarely performed composition to its repertoire: ‘The Ballad of the Brown King.”

Events

Today: Art walk and taco crawl offer two ways to tour Arlington

By James Jarvis

Published October 5, 2023 at 10:09AM

People taking photos of artwork at Mason Exhibitions in Arlington (via Mason Exhibitions/Facebook)

If you’re a fan of art and tacos, today is your lucky day.

This afternoon (Thursday), from 3-7 p.m., local art galleries in the Ballston and Virginia Square neighborhoods will open their doors for the annual Arlington Art Walk.

Around Town

Architects will build larger-than-life sculptures from canned food tonight at Pentagon City mall

By James Jarvis

Published September 8, 2023 at 9:30AM

2014 CANstruction sculpture by HGA Architects and Engineers and Balfour Beatty Construction (via Arlington Food Assistance Center/Facebook)

This evening, local architecture firms will go can-to-can in a competition to build elaborate sculptures made from canned goods.

The “Canstruction” event takes place at Fashion Centre at Pentagon City. The creations built tonight will be judged on Saturday, though shoppers can also vote for their favorite canned art sculptures through Monday.

News

Weathered beyond repair, a concrete sculpture in Courthouse is set to be replaced with a bronze replica

By James Jarvis

Published August 31, 2023 at 1:35PM

Before and after photos of concrete sculpture 'Compassion' by Una Hanbury, which has sat at the intersection of Wilson and Clarendon Blvd since 1969 (via Arlington County/anonymous)

A concrete sculpture of an adult embracing a child has been moved from its home of nearly six decades, a planted median in Courthouse, and possibly damaged in the process.

This week, the statue — missing a chunk of concrete — could be seen on a pedestal of soil and flowers on a nearby sidewalk, surrounded by construction work.

Around Town

A poster ribbing ARLnow commenters won a ribbon at the Arlington County Fair

By Jo DeVoe

Published August 22, 2023 at 9:30AM

Posters @ARLINGTONAF submitted to the Arlington County Fair, including the award-winning ARLnow poster (courtesy photo)

A poster poking fun at the ARLnow commentariat won an award at the Arlington County Fair last week.

In white, upper case letters on a purple background, it reads, “You’ll see me in hell before you’ll see me in the ARLnow comments.”

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Artist seeks inspiration from residents for art project to hang inside county HQ

By James Jarvis

Published August 16, 2023 at 10:30AM

Inside the renovated Ellen M. Bozman County Government Center (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

A cavernous space inside the recently-refurbished county headquarters in Courthouse could one day be filled with public art.

Arlington County has commissioned acclaimed artist Kipp Kobayashi, known for his art displays in hospitals, airports and government buildings, to suspend a public art project in the lobby of the Bozman Government Center at 2100 Clarendon Blvd.

Around Town

A crane lowered a reclining Statue of Liberty in Virginia Square this morning

By Jo DeVoe

Published August 3, 2023 at 9:30AM

"Reclining Liberty" lowered by crane onto the front lawn of Museum of Contemporary Art Arlington (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Bright and early this morning, Lady Liberty in repose rolled into Arlington on a flatbed truck.

Then, the turquoise lady was lifted by a crane onto the front lawn of the Museum of Contemporary Art Arlington (MoCA), the county’s recently rebranded art museum at 3550 Wilson Blvd.