Upcoming Events

March 7, 2025  

Under the Big Top: The Greatest Fundraiser on Earth

7:00PM at Piedmont Arts

Sponsored by Martinsville Eyecare Center, VisitMartinsville, Atlantic Union Bank, Bassett Furniture, Inc., Diversified Trust, First Piedmont Corporation, Martinsville Family Medicine, Prillaman Landscape Dimensions, Inc., Snyder Orthodontics, Stone Dynamics, Inc., Greg James Insurance, Lou Harris, Inc., Young, Haskins, Mann, Gregory, LLC, Draper Flowers & Gifts, Third Bay Cafe

Ladies and gentlemen! Get ready for a fun night of food, drinks and entertainment at Under the Big Top: The Greatest Fundraiser on Earth.

This circus-themed event will feature food, drinks and entertainment, including live music by jazz quartet Four Brothers, a 360-degree photo booth, caricatures, carnival games and circus performers. Guests should dress in “carnival cocktail” attire or cocktail party clothing with a colorful, circus-themed flair.

Guests can also take part in a 50/50 raffle and a live auction for a chance to throw a pie at a beloved community member.

Tickets are $75 per person and include unlimited light bites, beer, wine and cotton candy champagne cocktails. 50/50 raffle tickets start at $5 a piece. Game tickets are $5 for three games or $10 for eight games. Caricatures are $20 each. Proceeds support Piedmont Arts programming in Martinsville-Henry County.


50/50 Raffle

Guess the number of peanuts in the tub and win big. The closest guess without going over will win 50% of the raffle pot and all the peanuts. The winner will be announced Friday, March 7 at Under the Big Top: The Greatest Fundraiser on Earth. Raffle tickets will be available at the event.

Click here to see an image of the tub of peanuts.

  • $5 for one guess
  • $10 for three guesses
  • $20 for eight guesses

Make sure to include your guess in the comments when checking out.


 

Buy Tickets:

Admission Ticket - Under the Big Top - Friday, March 7, 2025 - 7:00 PM

@ $75.00 ea. - General Admission

50/50 Raffle Tickets

@ $5.00 ea. - One guess
@ $10.00 ea. - Three guesses
@ $20.00 ea. - Eight guesses


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March 14, 2025  

Clyde Hooker Award Nominations

5:00PM at Piedmont Arts

Nominations Due: 5 p.m., Friday, March 14, 2025

Piedmont Arts is accepting nominations for the 2025 Clyde Hooker Award, which honors supporters of the arts in Martinsville-Henry County. Nominees should be individuals or businesses that are involved in and support Piedmont Arts and other arts and cultural organizations in the region. Recipients of the Clyde Hooker Award will be honored at a special reception.

About the Award
The Clyde Hooker Award was established by the Piedmont Arts Board of Directors in 2003 to recognize individuals and businesses that have made significant contributions to arts and culture in Martinsville-Henry County. The award is named in honor of J. Clyde Hooker Jr. for his generous support of Piedmont Arts and the arts in Martinsville-Henry County.

Make a Nomination
Use the links below to make a nomination online or download a PDF of the nomination form.

Make a Nomination

Friends Day Hiding, Kristy Deetz, acrylic paint, embroidery and image transfer on digital pattern printed on silk
March 28, 2025  

Exhibit Opening Reception

5:30PM at Piedmont Arts

Sponsored by Olivia & Pres Garrett, Janet Lewis, Beverly & George Lyle, Lynwood Artists and Anne & Eric Smith

Join Piedmont Arts for an opening reception in honor of its new exhibits from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the museum. A gallery talk will be held at 6:15 p.m. in the galleries. Complimentary wine and light refreshments will be served. Music by Spencer Koger. This event is free and open to the public. 

Exhibits on view:

Please RSVP with the number and names of the attendees in your party by Wednesday, March 24.

RSVP Here

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April 10, 2025  

Make Some Noise: Open Mic Series

7:00PM at Piedmont Arts

Grab the mic and express yourself through music, poetry, or comedy. Performers may sign up for a five-minute (max) spot upon arrival. This event is free to the performers and audience. A cash bar will be available.

Upcoming events:

Aug. 15 Natalie Hodge 7-9 pm
Oct. 10 Jake Earles 7-9 pm
April 10 Anna Wheeler 7-9 pm

 

Admission Free

Photo by Todd McPhail Photography via Facebook
April 12, 2025  

Family Day with Paperhand Puppet Intervention

10:00AM at Piedmont Arts

Sponsored by Carter Bank

Enjoy a day of fun as Paperhand Puppet Intervention brings a giant puppet parade to Piedmont Arts.

This one-of-a-kind puppet theater company creates a gigantic papier-mâché puppet extravaganza complete with live music and more. The group has been creating giant puppets, masks, shadow plays, and spectacle performances since 1997. They tell stories, beat drums and push boundaries to help make the world a better place. Their parades, pageants, and award-winning performances aim to be an inspiration, a call to action and a celebration for everyone to enjoy.

This event is free and open to the public. 

Admission Free

May 4, 2025  

Bus to Broadway: Kimberly Akimbo

11:30AM at Durham Performing Arts Center

Take the Bus to Broadway to a matinee production of "Kimberly Akimbo" at Durham Performing Arts Center.

The winner of five Tony Awards including Best Musical, "Kimberly Akimbo" is a 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. In this howlingly funny heartbreaker of a show, Kim 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 van will depart from Piedmont Arts at 11:30 a.m. for a 2 p.m. performance. The van will return to Piedmont Arts immediately following the performance. A boxed lunch option will be available. 

Contact Executive Director Heidi Pinkston at hpinkston@piedmontarts.org for more details. 

Buy Tickets:

Bus to Broadway: Kimberly Akimbo - Sunday, May 4, 2025 - 11:30 AM

@ $180.00 ea. - Event ticket
@ $10.00 ea. - Add boxed lunch


May 8, 2025  

Becoming Othello: A Black Girl's Journey

6:30PM at Piedmont Art

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.

From her ancestral lineage to her arrival at a metaphorical crossroad, Debra Ann Byrd presents a tour-de-force journey of living memoir in "Becoming Othello: A Black Girl’s Journey." This autobiographical solo show chronicles the trials and triumphs of Byrd’s life: her joy-filled and tumultuous youth growing up in Harlem; Her experiences in foster care; Her growth as a pregnant teen and single parent; Her fateful encounter with a troupe of Shakespearean actors, navigating race and the classics; and ultimately her gender-flipped journey to playing Othello.

Interspersed with verses from "Othello" and dynamic multimedia elements, Byrd bares her soul in this vulnerable, personal, and resonant story of perseverance, discovery, and unconditional love. Directed by Shakespeare & Company founder Tina Packer and written by and starring Founding Artistic Director of the Harlem Shakespeare Festival and Artistic Director at Southwest Shakespeare Company Debra Ann Byrd, "Becoming Othello" is gripping, realistic, theatrical and dynamic.

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.

Content Warning: 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.

Buy Tickets:

Becoming Othello: A Black Girl's Journey - Thursday, May 8, 2025 - 6:30 PM

@ $20.00 ea. - General Admission
@ $10.00 ea. - Student (K-12)


May 17, 2025  

Expressions Artwork Entry

10:00AM at Piedmont Arts

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.

Artwork submitted for entry must have been completed within the last two years. Work previously exhibited in "Expressions" is not eligible. Up to two pieces of art may be submitted per artist. Unlike a juried exhibition, this exhibit is open-entry and all submitted works in compliance with the entry rules are accepted.

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.

Check back soon for entry forms and guidelines. 


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May 30, 2025  

Exhibit Opening Reception

5:30PM at Piedmont Arts

Join 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.  This event is free and open to the public. 

Exhibits on view:

Please RSVP with the number and names of the attendees in your party by Wednesday, May 28.

RSVP Here

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June 12, 2025  

Leaping Tall Buildings: The Origin of American Comic Books

6:30PM at Piedmont Arts

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."

This event is free and open to the public. Donations are encouraged. RSVP attendance here.

Admission Free

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