Category — local artist

A few nights of classical music are in store this Labor Day weekend for those of us who are lovers of music here at beautiful Smith Mountain Lake. Partake in a few evenings of musical enlightenment as you listen to the beautiful sounds of master musicians such as Maestro David Stewart Wiley, Tracy Cowden, Philip & Tara Bouknight and Leah Marer Wiley during the 2 days of exciting musical events and local concerts.

• On Friday, September 2 at 7:00 p.m. Tracy Cowden and David Stewart Wiley will grace the Trinity Ecumenical Parish stage in Moneta on duo pianos, providing the lake crowd with the privilege of enjoying their program entitled “Duo Piano Fireworks: From Sea to Shining C”. Throughout this program you will hear 176 keys dueling in harmony, with favorites such as Rachmaninoff Romance, Grieg Norwegian Dance, selections from Petrouchka, a Hungarian Dance and the Haydn Variations by Brahms, and a Gershwin Porgy and Bess Fantasy. There will also be a sampling of piano music from Maestro Wiley’s score to the locally filmed “Lake Effects” movie starring Jane Seymour. For a sneak peak at the scoring and to enjoy all the classics, get your tickets early for the program because they are sure to sell out!

• In addition, there will be a program on Sunday, September 4 from 3:00-5:00 p.m. entitled “Labors of Love: from Boheme to Bernstein” in which the Bouknights and the Wileys will perform classic “Labors of Love” from beloved hit musicals and the silver screen as well as popular arias, duets and trios. The program is built for the three shining vocalists and the accompanying piano in order to share with us the musical expressions of love and love’s labor’s lost. Bring a date or your spouse to this night of musical enchantment conveniently located near the lake, and hear classics including duets from Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, Mozart’s Don Giovanni & Marriage of Figaro, Bizet’s Carmen, Copland’s The Tender Land, Bernstein’s Candide & West Side Story, and Puccini’s La Boheme as well as themes from theater classics including Gone With the Wind, Rent, My Fair Lady, and many other romance favorites.

Tickets for these events cost $20 each or $35 per ticket for both performances and they are available by mail when addressed to SMAC, P.O. Box 70 in Moneta, VA (24121) (please include a self-addressed stamped envelope) and they will also be available at the SML Visitors Center, Print-n-Paper, and the General Store. Come get swept away with us while enjoying a few nights of entertainment and refined romance on this very special Labor Day weekend!

Both concerts will be held at Trinity Ecumenical Parish in Moneta, VA on Route 122 at Lakemount, Moneta. For tickets or information contact (540) 297-0965 or (540) 309-1676.

For those of us living at Smith Mountain Lake with an affinity for literature or those of us with children who we’d like to inspire to read and enjoy books and the journey of knowledge they can open, Hollins University has some special upcoming events to offer us.

• On July 23rd, the University will be hosting the Seventeenth Annual Francelia Butler Student Conference on Children’s Literature at 9:00 a.m. The conference will include a keynote address by visiting scholar Gretchen Holbrook Gerzina. Gerzina is the author of “Frances Hodgson Burnett: The Unexpected Life of the Author of The Secret Garden” and “Black London: Life Before Emancipation” and editor of “The Annotated Secret Garden” and the “Norton Critical Edition of The Secret Garden.” An author of her caliber is a great treat to have visiting and enhancing the already extensively rich culture of our area. Her most recent book is “Mr. and Mrs. Prince” about Lucy Terry, the first known African American poet, and her husband Abijah Prince. Gerzina is also well known for her nationally-syndicated program “The Book Show” and has appeared on many British radio and television documentaries. She has much to speak about and share with reading enthusiasts and scholars alike. To learn more about her as an author and about her works, visit www.gretchengerzina.com. To learn more about the event, visit www.hollins.edu or call (540) 362-6451. The conference takes place in the Frances Niederer Auditorium in the Richard Wetherill Visual Arts Center at Hollins University.

• If you can’t make it out to the conference, another opportunity to celebrate children’s literature at Hollins University will be taking place on July 27th at 7:30 p.m. in the Hollins Room of the Wyndham Robertson Library. There will be a Children’s Literature Faculty Authors Reading held there, where Graduate Program in Children’s Literature faculty authors read from their own works. This is an opportunity for children and scholars alike to come hear some original works being read and delight in the imagination involved in the process of creating children’s literature.

Visit Hollins University at 7916 Williamson Road in Roanoke, Virginia (24019) to reconnect with your inner child and learn from some of the community’s top scholars about how to return to the imagination and wonder of your youth and to enjoy some great literature provided to us as residents of the Roanoke Valley/Smith Mountain Lake area. Enrich your life with this and other vast local opportunities to immerse yourself in creativity, culture and knowledge!

Smith Mountain Lake has a fine array of cultural events for anyone with a creative spark to enjoy and participate in. For those interested, The Little Gallery serves the community with a wide collection of fine art. They not only sell handmade pottery, jewelry, stained glass, blown glass and prints from impressionist to wildlife and oil to watercolor, but they offer lake residents a chance to become immersed in local art and culture and dive into their creative side with demonstrations and other events featuring some of the lake area’s premiere artists and artisans.

Sky, Sea, and Isle by Greg Osterhaus shown above

During July, The Little Gallery has a full schedule of demonstrations. The events are as follows:

• July 14 & 15th-Greg Cartmell painting demonstration and display of new work (from 1:00-3:00 pm)
• July 16th-Gary Dulac Jewelry Trunk Show
• July 23rd-Carrie Mcnutt artist demonstration
• July 30 & 31-Ruth Cline (the “Bead Baker”) jewelry-making demonstration and trunk show

Each month, The Little Gallery also has a feature artist on display. The featured artist for August is Greg Osterhaus, who will be visiting The Little Gallery on August 6th from 1:00-3:00 p.m. To see Greg’s works for sale at the shop, visit their site at Greg Osterhaus at The Little Gallery.

The Little Gallery is conveniently located on the lower level of Bridgewater Plaza, just south of Halesford Bridge at 16430 Booker T. Washington Hwy. in Moneta, VA. Click for directions, and for more information on these events send an email to Carol Swain and Kay King or call at 540-721-1596.

Whether you are an amateur just getting started or an experience creative genius, we could all use a little more art, culture, and community in our lives. Come out to The Little Gallery to enrich your mind and delight in the diverse art scene that beautiful Smith Mountain Lake has to offer!

Every Friday this summer, Mariners Landing, located at 1217 Graves Harbor Trail in Huddleston, Virginia, is now hosting their “Finally Fridays” series. This series boasts live musical acts, delicious seafood cuisine with their signature Grand Seafood buffet available, and discounted overnight accommodations for those interested in staying for a little rest and relaxation at the resort.

Admission to the event is FREE each Friday.

On Friday, June 24, the Breeze Brothers are providing the musical entertainment.

The Breeze Brothers are set to play from 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm.

For more information call (540) 297-4900

or visit http://www.marinerslanding.com