Blog - Academy Center of the Arts

Outreach in Action

July 12, 2018 Morgan Yeatts

Our goal at the Academy “is to overcome barriers in the community in order to better serve underserved and underrepresented populations, [and to] reach those with the arts who don’t have access,” said Evan Smith, Director of Community Outreach. One of the best ways we complete this mission is through camps and classes designed to provide children, from toddlers to teens, with access to arts and culture in the safe and nurturing environment the Academy provides. “Our engagement in the arts for arts sake is not enough in telling our story,” said Geoffrey Kershner, Executive Director. Referencing an article from Americans for the Arts entitled The Top 10 Skills Children Learn From the Arts, he continued, “it has been proven that all 10 of these tangible life skills,” including creativity, confidence, problem-solving, perseverance, and other skills, “are acquired through arts activity. It is these very skills that are enhancing the effectiveness of the overall program and create value in what we are providing.” The Academy’s partnership and collaboration with the Lynchburg area YMCA is a perfect example of this mission in action. The 6-week “Summer Learning Loss Prevention” camp provides rising 3rd graders with the chance to participate […]

What Art Does: Building Confidence and Community Through Theatre

July 3, 2018 Morgan Yeatts

Summers at the Academy Center of the Arts are filled with excellent opportunities for the community to experience and participate in the arts, whether that be through concerts, classes, or camps. For years, the Academy has offered a summer theatre camp for high schoolers, Encore!, which gives campers the chance to spend entire days participating in master classes while building a product from the ground up, all in one month’s time. The camp is always a community favorite, and this year is no exception. The 29 enrolled students are currently finishing up rehearsals for their 2018 production of Once On This Island, a Broadway musical from 1990, whose 2017 revival was met with rave reviews and Tony Award nominations, winning Best Revival of a Musical. Michelle Velastegui, 7-year director of Encore!, relishes the experience to work with high schoolers from the community who share her love and passion for theatre. Her desire is for the campers to leave this experience with a better knowledge of all aspects of the theatre. “I hope they learn confidence and team building and that it’s more than just a performance,” she says. When asked why she thinks art camps […]

Bridges Participants Experience the Arts

June 25, 2018 Brittany Griffith

Here at the Academy Center of the Arts’, our mission is to serve the community through arts and culture, and outreach is a crucial aspect of that mission. When a chance for the ACOA to partner with the Bridges Residential Treatment Center arose, it was yet another perfect opportunity to put this mission into practice. Bridges Residential Treatment Center is a program by Centra which houses children ages 6 through 17 who suffer from chronic mental health problems. The program is dedicated to providing a therapeutic, nurturing environment in which these children can feel safe and be encouraged to thrive. While the Bridges program provides excellent opportunities and resources, many of the children in the program don’t have access to traditional art classes or arts education on a regular basis. For Kelly Posenauer, Director of Education at the Academy, the route we chose to take the program was obvious. “Art,” she says, “is basically an avenue for healing…and a way to create open communication”. She says that, because of the children’s mental health problems, “in a traditional classroom setting, [they] often act out and don’t get the attention they need, so they don’t get to participate in […]

Creativity in Pastels with Sarah Raessler

May 24, 2018 Brittany Griffith

Sarah Raessler, the current artist featured in the Up Front Gallery of the Harrington Building, and her pastel teacher Christine Rooney joined us this week to share insight on Sarah’s history with art, what inspires her, and her process towards creating new work. Sarah began her journey with art in September of 2003 when she joined Christine Rooney’s pastel class. “She came up with her own color combinations and what she wanted to draw,” said Rooney. “She knew right away what colors went together, and it was extraordinary the way she would put them together.” All of the colors were a part of a family, to Sarah. “Sometimes I would give her a pastel that I knew wouldn’t be a part of that combination, and she’d say ‘no, no, that’s not it’.” “I think in abstract ways, and [putting colors in families] helps me understand that,” said Raessler. When asked about how she felt after finding out she would be showing at the Academy’s galleries, Sarah told us that she “was scared.” “I’ve never been shown in the Up Front Gallery before.” But now, after selling 17 of her 25 pieces, she says “it’s […]

A Session on Storytelling with Brian Reed

May 2, 2018 Brittany Griffith

In April, Brian Reed visited the Academy Center of the Arts’ Warehouse Theatre to discuss all things S-Town, as well as his work on Serial and as Senior Producer on This American Life, produced in collaboration with Chicago Public Medi and delivered to stations by PRX The Public Radio Exchange. During the event, fans learned more about Reed’s storytelling process, particularly with regard to S-Town, but a special group of students from Lynchburg College’s Communications Studies department nabbed an intimate hour-long workshop with Reed prior to the event where he delved deeper into his process. “The Communication Studies Department at Lynchburg College is committed to exposing its students to experiential learning,” said Ghislaine Lewis, Assistant Professor of Communication Studies at Lynchburg College. “We were thrilled to have the opportunity through the Academy Center for the Arts for our students to have an intimate conversation with Brian Reed.” Prior to their workshop, students in Dr. Lewis’ course listened to the entire S-Town podcast, and came prepared with questions about the podcast itself, Reed’s process, and modern journalism as a whole. In a casual setting, Reed engaged these questions which ranged from how he approaches interviews, to the medium of podcasting, […]

Summer Camps and Classes are Now Online

April 18, 2018 Brittany Griffith

Spend your summer at the Academy Center of the Arts! This year, we’re offering over 40 camps and classes for students of all ages. Try your hand at pottery, drawing, painting, and more! Take the stage in our youth theatre camps, or visit the darkroom to learn about black and white photography. Build your next masterpiece in the pottery studio or decorate the backyard with mosaic pieces. Whatever your interests, the Academy has something for you! Below, we’ve outlined a few of our classes and camps for summer 2018. Our full list of upcoming camps and classes can be found by visiting this link. At the Academy, we pride ourselves on offering some of the most creative summer arts camps and classes. We also pride ourselves on making sure these camps and classes are inclusive by providing scholarships and payment plans to students in need. Did you know that we provide scholarships to 30% of our class and camp participants? Let us help your class and camp fees this summer! Learn more about scholarships by visiting this page, or contact Kelly Posenauer, Director of Education, at (434) 528-3256 for more information. Need […]

2018 National Juried Art Exhibition Announces Winners

April 17, 2018 Brittany Griffith

The Annual National Juried Art Exhibition at the Academy Center of the Arts opened on Friday, April 6, 2018, and includes 82 artists from 17 states. The exhibition encompassed a wide variety, including oil paintings, clay, mixed media paintings and sculpture, wood, fiber, woodcuts, and collage. Over $3000 in cash awards was presented to ten artists. The winners are listed below. Best in Show: $1,000 Bryan Rayner (Charlottesville, VA) Body of Work Sponsored by the Academy Center of the Arts 2nd Place Award: $700 Teresa Harris (St. Joseph, Missouri) Body of Work Sponsored by the Academy Center of the Arts 3rd Place Award: $500 Isabelle Martire (Laurel, Maryland) “Power” Sponsored by Cary and Robert Roberts Juror’s Choice Award: $300 Shaun Whiteside (Radford, VA) “Elegy to the Us Republic” Sponsored by the Academy Center of the Arts Juror’s Choice Award: $200 Megan Burak (Berlin, Maryland) Body of Work Sponsored by the Academy Center of the Arts Juror’s Choice Award: $125 Glen Kessler (North Potomac, MD) “Save Spend” Sponsored by Royal County Arts Juror’s Choice Award: $100 Jill Jensen (Lynchburg, VA) “Lady M” Sponsored by Lynn Shapiro @ JSW Realtors, Inc. Juror’s Choice Award: […]

A New Record for Empty Bowls

April 13, 2018 Brittany Griffith

The Academy Center of the Arts, Centra, Framatome, and the Bank of the James are proud to announce the success of the tenth annual Empty Bowls event, which raised over $9,000 to benefit the Lynchburg Daily Bread and the community members they serve. Empty Bowls was held on Saturday, March 24, 2018, with a record number of 496 attendees. During Empty Bowls, attendees selected their own beautiful, handmade ceramic bowl, donated by local potters, and enjoyed delicious soup tastings with bread, dessert, and beverages, all donated by local restaurants and individual donors. Over 50 businesses, community organizations and individual donors contributed to the event. In 2017, proceeds from Empty Bowls totaled $7,931.49. This year, we are thrilled to announce that the event raised $9,318.49! “Empty Bowls has become an event that the community looks forward to supporting every year,” said Geoffrey Kershner, Executive Director. “We’re very proud to be able to present this check to the Daily Bread, and to support our community members in need.” The donated funds will directly impact the Lynchburg Daily Bread, allowing them to continue to serve meals in our community. “We are so thankful for the tremendous community support of Empty Bowls, led by […]

Annie, Kids Spring Break Camp Takes the Stage with 41 Campers

April 6, 2018 Brittany Griffith

The Academy Center of the Arts is proud to present the Academy Children’s Theatre spring break production, Annie, Kids on Saturday, April 7, 2018, in the Joy & Lynch Christian Warehouse Theatre, 519 Commerce St., at 4:00pm and 7:00pm. Based on the popular comic strip and adapted from the Tony Award-winning Best Musical, Annie, Kids features everyone’s favorite little redhead in her very first adventure. With equal measures of pluck and positivity, little orphan Annie charms everyone’s hearts despite a next-to-nothing start in 1930s New York City. Annie is determined to find the parents who abandoned her years ago on the doorstep of an orphanage run by the cruel Miss Hannigan. Annie eventually foils Miss Hannigan’s evil machinations, finding a new home and family in billionaire, Oliver Warbucks, his personal secretary, Grace Farrell, and a lovable mutt named Sandy. The cast of Annie, Kids is made up of 41 cast members, ages 8 to 14, from the Greater Lynchburg area. These talented actors are directed by Lauren Barnes, with assistance from Logan Troyer and Brooke Spencer. Tickets for the family-friendly production of Annie, Kids are $9.00, and are on sale at academycenter.org or in-person […]

Academy Center of the Arts Announces August 2018 Riverfront Park Concert Artists

March 29, 2018 Brittany Griffith

ACADEMY CENTER OF THE ARTS ANNOUNCES AUGUST 2018 RIVERFRONT PARK CONCERT ARTIST The Academy Center of the Arts, through the support of Framatome, Inc., is excited to announce the final concert of the 2018 Riverfront Park Concert Series, which features national, regional, and local music acts performing in Riverfront Park, 1100 Jefferson St. This event will continue the Academy’s efforts to serve our community through arts and culture by bringing world-class music to our city’s beautiful downtown park. The Academy Center of the Arts will close out the 2018 Riverfront Park Concert Series on Saturday, August 11, 2018, with headlining artist Wynonna & The Big Noise. Respected by the millions of fans who are drawn to her music and undeniable talent, Wynonna’s rich and commanding voice has sold over 30-million albums worldwide spanning her remarkable 34-year career. As one-half of the legendary mother/daughter duo “The Judds,” Wynonna was once dubbed by Rolling Stone as “the greatest female country singer since Patsy Cline.” This iconic performer has received over 60 industry awards, with countless charting singles, including 20 No.1 hits such as “Mama He’s Crazy,” “Why Not me,” and “Grandpa, (Tell Me ‘Bout The Good Ole Days).” Wynonna […]

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