Art Intersections - On the Streets of Reston Town Center

Excitement is growing as the anticipated Greater Reston Arts Center (GRACE) Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival draws near. A regional favorite, this event invites art fans of all ages to interact with multiple visual artists and their works in fun, outdoor spaces at Reston Town Center. In addition to visual arts, this festival often includes a range of performing arts presented by the Reston Community Center (RCC). This year, thousands of attendees will enjoy special choreography developed in response to sculptures created by Mary Anne Mears and Patrick Dougherty.

As Paul Douglas Michnewicz, RCC’s Director of Arts and Events, explains, “Our mission was to seek tremendous local dance talent to respond to these exquisite public art projects in conjunction with the exciting celebration of the arts that is the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival.”

As a proud Community Sponsor and close collaborator with GRACE, RCC has presented exciting entertainment opportunities at the Festival for many years. Past performances have included aerialists, buskers, circus performances, and many others. This year’s performances are unique in that they represent an intersection of the visual and performing arts, where fresh choreography has been created in direct response to the inspired sculptures.

The Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival is held on Saturday, May 16th and Sunday, May 17th at Reston Town Center, 11900 Market Street, Reston, VA 20190. For more information, please visit http://northernvirginiafineartsfestival.org.

PHOTOGRAPH: Classical Ballet Theatre Artistic Director Gillmer Duran and his Youth Ensemble gather to rehearse fresh choreography near Patrick Dougherty’s amazing art. In response to Mr. Dougherty’s and Ms. Mears’ sculptures, Duran created Branching Out, with music by Zoe Keating. The new piece expresses a growth process and responds to the movement, rhythm, and freedom exemplified in both sculptures.