Blog - Academy Center of the Arts

Academy to Host Mobile Art Exhibition

October 21, 2019 Morgan Yeatts

This November, the Academy is partnering with Virginia Museum of Fine Arts to host the VMFA Artmobile in the courtyard of the Historic Academy Theatre during a weekend of events on our campus. This incredible mobile museum features art from acclaimed artists who all have a connection to Virginia in some way. Artists include Ann Chenoweth, Esther Worden Day, Emmet Gowin, and Benjamin Wigfall, among others. The very first Artmobile opened in 1953 and in just three weeks attracted over 5,000 visitors. Through the years, the traveling exhibit was well received by Virginians in all corners of the state, but unfortunately the program ended in 1994 due to budgetary constraints and concerns about protecting the art on the road. In 2015, the museum was able to resurrect the Artmobile in an 18 wheeler that features a 640 feet temperature controlled display space that comfortably holds the art and visitors. The VMFA on the Road program was created with the mission of reaching as many people in Virginia as possible with stops all over the state. The Academy is the VMFA Artmobile’s second to last stop on their 2019 tour. They will be staying November 15-17. Join […]

Looking Forward to Ain’t Misbehavin’

Morgan Yeatts

This coming November, Community Through Theatre will be presenting the 1978 Tony Award winning musical, Ain’t Misbehavin’. This jazzy show won 4 Tony Awards in its prime, including Best Musical, and is a musical celebration of legendary musician, Fats Waller. Joshua Carter will be directing our production, which will be performed in the Warehouse Theater. “I think that this show is a perfect balance of sugar and spice,” he says. “It is a celebration of simpler times and a reminder of what good music sounds like.” This will be the most intimate show yet, with a small cast of 11 actors. Carter’s vision for the staging of the production is to immerse the audience in the Harlem club scene. The audience will be arranged to surround three-fourths of the stage, seated right in the thick of the performance. “I want to bring the Harlem Renaissance to life,” says Carter, “not only to revue the timeless music of the era, but also the stories, lives, and people of that time.” We invite you to join us for this incredible production. Showtimes are at 7:30pm November 1, 2, 7, 8, and 9, and 2:00pm November 2, 3, and 10. […]

Painting Without Brushes

October 14, 2019 Morgan Yeatts

by Morgan Yeatts Currently on display in the back room of the Ann White Academy Gallery is a collection that is perhaps one of the most unique features yet. Hailing from Baltimore, Maryland, Lavely Miller-Kershman is an artist who pushes the norms of painting technique in an extraordinary way; she paints with her fingers. “I began painting with my fingers when I ran out of brushes in college and didn’t have enough money to replace them,” she says. “Luckily for me, I found painting with a finger to be easier than using a brush. Basically anything is possible; a finger really isn’t that much different from a brush when it really comes down to it.” Lavely has been painting since childhood and can’t remember a time when she wasn’t a painter. Her father’s side of the family is strewn with artists, so it was natural for her to follow the fold. “I guess I have a genetic inclination towards artistic expression and also I grew up in a household where that sort of thing was valued and appreciated.” Lavely believes that the quality of a piece is not found in the materials used, but in […]

Host and Creator of This American Life Speaks in Lynchburg

September 30, 2019 Morgan Yeatts

Ira Glass is visiting the Academy Center of the Arts for a special, one-night appearance that you won’t want to miss! The host and creator of the public radio program This American Life will be sharing personal stories of Americans, what inspires him to create, and lessons he’s learned through his successes and failures. This unique and thought-provoking stage show, Seven Things I’ve Learned, is presented through audio clips, music, and video as Ira mixes stories live onstage. Glass began his career in radio as a 19 year old intern at National Public Radio’s network headquarters. He began This American Life in 1995, growing the show to now have 2.2 million weekly listeners and air on over 500 public radio stations. This American Life takes journalism to a different level by gathering stories every week and weaving them into a show that is both funny and complex. With over 600 episodes, the show also has two spin-off podcast shows, Serial and S-Town. In 2007, Showtime produced a TV version of This American Life, which won three Emmys. This event will take place Saturday, October 12th at 7:30pm in the Historic Academy Theatre. Click here to purchase […]

2019 National Juried Photography Exhibition Winners

September 9, 2019 Morgan Yeatts

The Annual National Juried Photography Exhibition at the Academy Center of the Arts opened on Friday, September 6, 2019, and the winners have been chosen! Over $3000 in cash awards was presented to the ten photographers listed below. Best in Show: $1000 awarded to James O. Phelps for “Emancipation Park” Sponsored by the Academy Center of the Arts 2nd Place Award: $600 awarded to Joel Coleman for “Natsukashii” Sponsored by Cary and Robert Roberts 3rd Place Award: $400 awarded to Melanie Franz for “What Have We Become” Sponsored by Jamerson-Lewis Construction Juror’s Choice Award: $300 awarded to Jessica Jackman for “Isle of Wight Culture” Sponsored by the Academy Center of the Arts Juror’s Choice Award: $250 awarded to Michelle Sons for “A Brief Dreamy Kind of Delight” Sponsored by the Academy Center of the Arts Juror’s Choice Award: $200 awarded to Chris Walker for “Jordan and Andrew, Sauk Centre, Minnesota” Sponsored by the Academy Center of the Arts Juror’s Choice Award: $200 awarded to Alan Raasch for “Progress” Sponsored by the Academy Center of the Arts Juror’s Choice Award: $150 awarded to Sandra Chen […]

Summer Interns Thrive at the Academy

August 8, 2019 Brittany Griffith

One of the ways the Academy serves the community is through offering internships to college students interested in learning various aspects of working for a nonprofit arts organization. We offer opportunities in graphic design, theatre tech, development and fundraising, community outreach, and much more. Students get hands-on, real-life experience working with members of our staff to accomplish goals and projects that further the Academy’s mission to serve the community through arts and culture. This summer 2019, we have 7 interns working with us in various departments. Sydney Adams works as a graphic design intern in our Marketing and Communications Department, working directly under our resident graphic designer, Emily Psolka. Sydney has enjoyed the challenge of her job. “I love working under a time limit and learning higher quality design,” she says. She had the opportunity to design the playbill for our youth summer theatre camp production of Newsies. Izzi Diaz is a social media intern with us this summer. As a Business Administration major focusing on Digital Marketing and Advertising, she’s received a lot of hands-on experience working with our social media accounts, content calendars, and covering shows. She especially loved covering the performances of […]

Costume Design Students Showcase Work on Historic Theatre Stage

August 5, 2019 Brittany Griffith

Written by: Adara Jensen At the Academy Center of the Arts, students participate in incredible youth theatre performances that build friendships, develop professional skills, and create memorable experiences. Not only do we desire to continue to offer successful youth theatre programs, but we are also beginning to offer technical theatre classes for youth who prefer behind the scenes action. One example is our first time ever “Intro to Costume Design” summer camp taught by Lindsay Patton, our Youth Theatre Costumer. In this week-long class for ages 12-18, students first learned some history of costume design in both theatre and film. They saw the Academy’s costume shop and learned how some costumers add embellishments from existing items to create new looks. The remaining days were spent learning introductory sewing techniques, which included skills such as threading the machine, straight stiches, and hand sewing. With this new knowledge, students created lioness tails for the Academy’s Disney’s The Lion King Jr. production, which performed July 19th and 20th. In addition to sewing the tails, the students constructed Pumbaa’s paper mache headpiece for the show. Afterwards, they were able to observe a costume fitting for the camp and even enjoyed one […]

Community Through Theatre Hosts Auditions for Ain’t Misbehavin’

July 25, 2019 Brittany Griffith

The Academy Center of the Arts‘ Community Through Theatre is hosting open auditions for ‘Ain’t Misbehavin’, our fall musical, running Nov 1-3 & 7-10. Send all questions to Joshua Carter at fatswallermusical2@gmail.com. Synopsis: The Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s and 1930s comes to life in the three-time Tony award-winning musical revue, Ain’t Misbehavin’. Join us on a journey through the timeless music of Thomas “Fats” Waller. You’ll be jumpin’ and jivin’ with memorable songs such as “Honeysuckle Rose”, “Ain’t Misbehavin’”, “Black and Blue”, “This Joint is Jumpin’ ” and “I’ve Got a Feeling I’m Falling.” One of the most popular, well-crafted revues of all time, the sometimes sassy, sometimes sultry, has moments of devastating beauty that is simply unforgettable. Audition Information: September 3, 4, 2019 5:30 PM 519 Commerce Street Lynchburg, Va 24502 Lippard Room (Please enter from rear of the building.) Please prepare 16-30 bars of a Blues, Gospel, or Jazz song. We will provide a pianist, so please bring sheet music in the key you desire to sing. The Director may request a sample of your improvisation skills. Audition Times: Please email Joshua Carter at fatswallermusical2@gmail.com requesting the 3rd or 4th audition dates. He […]

Providing Access to the Arts

July 24, 2019 Morgan Yeatts

by Morgan Yeatts Here at the Academy, our mission is to serve the community through arts and culture. One of the means by which we accomplish our mission is through providing art classes to all members of our community. Recently, our staff was able to provide assistance to two visually impaired students in our adult pottery class. Our Potter Basics and Beyond class is Kim Rickmon’s first ever art class experience, however she hopes to take more in the future. Her instructor, Kim, has altered her instruction in the necessary ways to assist Rickman’s experience in the class. “Kim does several things to help me out.” Rickmon says. “She describes what I need to do and if that doesn’t work, she will make something that I can touch and try to recreate myself. She has also held my hands to show me how to work the clay in certain ways.” Rickmon finds working with clay a relaxing and rewarding experience. “I’m generally proud of the things I make. It’s nice to have something that’s just my own, and pottery makes me feel as though I have that.” Victoria Hauck has experience with painting classes, […]

Academy Releases 19-20 Metropolitan Opera Season Broadcast Schedule

July 22, 2019 Brittany Griffith

Contact: Brittany Griffith Director of Communications and Marketing (434) 528-3256 x131 bgriffith@academycenter.org For Immediate Release: 7/22/2019 ACADEMY RELEASES 19-20 METROPOLITAN OPERA SEASON BROADCAST SCHEDULE The Academy Center of the Arts has just released the full 19-20 schedule of Metropolitan Opera Broadcasts, to be shown in the Historic Academy Theatre, 524 Main St., beginning October 2019. These programs are presented in collaboration with sponsor Foster Fuels and partner Opera on the James. In addition to the broadcasts, audiences are invited to join staff, board members, and representatives of the Opera on the James for pre-screening talks, beginning one hour prior to the screening at 11:55am. Each pre-screening talk will focus on the presented opera of the day, as well as relevant topics. The 19-20 Metropolitan Opera Broadcast schedule at the Historic Academy Theatre is as follows: Turandot (Puccini)- Saturday, October 19, 2019 12:55 PM (Rebroadcast) Manon (Massenet)- Sunday, October 27, 2019 12:55 PM (Rebroadcast) Madama Butterfly (Puccini)- Saturday, November 9, 2019 12:55 PM (Live) Akhnaten (Glass)- Sunday, November 24, 2019 12:55 PM (Rebroadcast) Holiday Encore- Magic Flute (Mozart)- Saturday, December 21, 2019 12:55 PM (Rebroadcast) Wozzeck (Berg)- Sunday, January 19, 2020 12:55 PM (Rebroadcast) Porgy and […]

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