Students attending Axton, Sanville and Stanleytown elementary schools will have work on display April 15-May 10 in the Foster Gallery.
A free reception for the students and their families will be held from 4-6 p.m., Wednesday, April 30 at Piedmont Arts.
The Foster Gallery is an important part of Piedmont Arts’ community programming. Exhibits in the gallery have been curated in partnership with Charity League of Martinsville and Henry County for more than 25 years. A new exhibit is installed every six to eight weeks to allow work by students from all 19 schools in Martinsville-Henry County to be displayed during the year.
Admission Free
Join Piedmont Arts for a farewell reception in honor of Pedro Szalay from 3-5 p.m., Friday, May 2 at Piedmont Arts.
Szalay is retiring from Southwest Virginia Ballet at the end of June. He has served as the ballet's artistic director for more than 18 years. He has impacted the lives of many youth and adults in Martinsville-Henry County through programs like Minds in Motion, Dance Español and Dancing for the Arts. Help Piedmont Arts wish Szalay a fond farewell as he and his husband Mark Shepherd begin a new chapter of the lives in Scotland.
“When I started this work almost 20 years ago it was about the teaching and helping our dancers to improve,” Szalay said. “Now, as all this time has passed, it’s so powerful to think of the impact we’ve made together in people’s lives and beyond that, the way Southwest Virginia Ballet has lifted dance, the arts and the entire Virginia’s Blue Ridge region. Those are the memories I will keep with me forever.”
This events free and open to the public. Please RSVP attendance by Wednesday, April 30.
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Take the Bus to Broadway to a matinee production of "Kimberly Akimbo" Sunday, May 4 at Durham Performing Arts Center in Durham, N.C.
The winner of five Tony Awards including one for best musical, "Kimberly Akimbo" is a hilarious and heartwarming story about growing up and growing old, in no particular order. Kimberly is about to turn 16 and recently moved with her family to a new town in suburban New Jersey. She is forced to navigate family dysfunction, a rare genetic condition, her first crush and possible felony charges. Ever the optimist, she is determined to find happiness against all odds and embark on a great adventure.
The musical features Tony Award-winning book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire (“Shrek”), a Tony Award-winning score by Jeanine Tesori (“Fun Home”), choreography by Danny Mefford (“Dear Evan Hansen”) and direction by Tony-nominated director Jessica Stone.
The van will depart at 10:30 a.m. from Piedmont Arts for a 1 p.m. performance at DPAC. The van will return to Piedmont Arts immediately following the performance.
Tickets are $180 per person. A boxed lunch option is available for an additional $10 and must be ordered in advance.
This engagement is made possible in part through the Mid Atlantic Tours program of Mid Atlantic Arts with support from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Actor and playwright Debra Ann Byrd will perform the one-person play “Becoming Othello: A Black Girl’s Journey,” Thursday, May 8 at Piedmont Arts.
The play is a gripping and realistic tour de force that chronicles Byrd’s journey from a single mother in Harlem to an award-winning classical actor tackling the role of Othello. Interspersed with multimedia elements and verses from Shakespeare’s original play, she bares her soul in this vulnerable and resonant story of perseverance, discovery and unconditional love.
Byrd is the founding artistic director of the Harlem Shakespeare Festival and artistic director at Southwest Shakespeare Company in Arizona. For her portrayal of Othello, she won an outstanding achievement award from Audelco and a best lead actress award from Broadway World Phoenix. She has served as writer-in-residence at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, artist-in-residence at the Folger Institute and the Southwest Shakespeare Company and as a community scholar at Columbia University. "Becoming Othello" was written by Byrd and directed by Shakespeare & Company founder Tina Packer.
A reception will be held at 6:30 p.m. The performance will begin at 7 p.m. The run time for this performance is 1 hour and 45 minutes with no intermission. This show is based on Byrd’s real-life experiences and includes content that may be distressing. Contact Executive Director Heidi Pinkston at hpinkston@piedmontarts.org for content-related questions.
Tickets are $20 for general admission and $10 for students in grades K-12.
Presented by Lynwood Artists and Piedmont Arts. Sponsored by Sovah Health and King's Grant.
Artists living within a 100-mile radius of Martinsville, Va. are invited to enter work in Expressions 2025 from 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Saturday, May 17 at Piedmont Arts.
“Expressions” is an annual open-entry exhibition presented by Lynwood Artists and Piedmont Arts. All submitted works in compliance with the entry rules are accepted into the exhibition. Up to two pieces of art may be submitted per artist. Artwork submitted for entry must have been completed within the last two years. Work previously exhibited in "Expressions" is not eligible. All entries must be made during the designated time frame. No early or late entries will be accepted.
Artists should review the entry form with complete entry rules before submitting work. Entry forms are available at Piedmont Arts and at the link below.
The exhibit will be judged by Gretchen Carr, gallery manager at Tamarack Marketplace in Beckley, W.V. Cash prizes will be awarded for first, second and third place in seven categories, as well as purchase awards, the Lynwood Artists Award and Best in Show.
Entry date:
10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Saturday, May 17, 2025
Piedmont Arts
All entries must be made during the designated timeframe. No early or late entries will be accepted.
Presented by Lynwood Artists and Piedmont Arts. Sponsored by Sovah Health and King's Grant.
Join Lynwood Artists and Piedmont Arts for an opening reception in honor of "Expressions 2025" from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the museum. An awards ceremony will be held at 6 p.m. in the galleries. Complimentary wine and light refreshments will be served.
Exhibits on view:
This event is free and open to the public. Please RSVP with the number and names of the attendees in your party by Wednesday, May 28.
RSVP Here
Co-hosted with Starling Avenue Cards and Comics in partnership with VMFA Statewide Programs.
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts educator Christopher Irving will perform a reading from his book "Leaping Tall Buildings" and present a slideshow of comic book creator portraits ranging from Joe Simon, the co-creator of "Captain America," to emerging talent in the comic book field. Learn about the history of American comics through quotes by famous creators such as Stan Lee (Marvel Comics, "Spider-Man"), Frank Miller ("Batman: The Dark Knight Returns"), Art Spiegelman ("Maus"), Chris Ware ("Building Stories"), Harvey Pekar ("American Splendor"), and Dennis O’Neil ("Batman").
Irving is a comic book and popular culture historian. He received a BFA in arts education from Virginia Commonwealth University and a MA in literary criticism from Brooklyn College. He currently serves as consulting editor of the magazine, "Comic Book Creator."
A reception will be held at 6:30 p.m. The talk will begin at 7 p.m.
This event is free and open to the public. Donations are encouraged. Please RSVP with the number and names of the attendees in your party by Wednesday, June 11.
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Piedmont Arts will honor Marty Gardner and VisitMartinsville for their support of the arts at the 23rd annual Clyde Hooker Awards at 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, June 18 at Piedmont Arts.
The museum will also recognize Arts in Education Award recipient Charity League of Martinsville and Henry County and the recipients of the Nicodemus Hufford and Harold Knowlton Work Memorial Art Scholarships.
The awards ceremony will begin promptly at 5:30 p.m. with a reception to follow. In lieu of an admission cost, please consider making a donation to the Piedmont Arts Scholarship Fund here. Please RSVP with the number and names of the attendees in your party by Tuesday, June 17.
RSVP here
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