NEON Festival Turns 5
(Artists descend upon the Chrysler Museum during NEON Festival) By Jim Roberts The third weekend in October—which includes the Town Point Wine Festival and the Stockley Gardens Arts Festival—is widely considered one of the best weekends of the year in Norfolk—if not...
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Proteus Festival Brings Ambitious Local Arts Showcase to Virginia Beach
By Ron Wray Zeiders American Dream Theater, the vision of local businessman Michael Zeiders, extends its ambitious dreams for Virginia Beach once again with its Proteus Festival 2019 at its showcase venue in Virginia Beach Town Center on October 8-13. Proteus,...
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BLACK AMERICANS: WE ARE THE ANSWER(S) FOR WHAT DEBILITATES US
“If it is to be, it is up to me (us). (Dr. William Johnsen, Among Others) “We must realize that our future lies chiefly in our hands. We know that neither institution nor friends can make a race stand unless it has strength in its own foundation; that races like...
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Norfolk City Council Approves Railyard Development
By Cindy Mackey The Railyard at Lambert’s Point has been approved by Norfolk City Council and the Norfolk Planning Commission with the support of the Lambert’s Point Civic League. The adaptive re-use development by Meredith Construction is now on track to bring an...
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Burning Down The House
By Tench Phillips, Naro Cinema I looked down upon a sea of green that spread out below me in every direction as far as my eyes could see. It wasn’t water we were flying over, it was a tightly-knit canopy of trees covering the Amazon basin. I had flown out of...
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Error Messages
By Tom Robotham It is remarkable how easily and insensibly we fall into a particular route, and make a beaten track for ourselves. ~ Henry David Thoreau. For years now, I’ve started my days with the same morning routine: After resisting the urge to stay in bed...
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Game Day
By Tom Robotham I wanna grow up to be a politician, and take over this beautiful land. – Roger McGuinn. If you want to understand politics in the age of 24/7 “news” media, look no further than CNN’s “coverage” on July 30, 2019. “It’s game day!” one...
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OVERCOMING RACE AND RACISM IN TODAY’S AMERICA: IT IS WHAT IT IS
BY JOHN L HORTON “Those who live with us are our brothers (and sisters), and they share with us the same short movement of life, that they seek – as we do – nothing but the chance to live out their lives in purpose and happiness, winning what satisfaction and...
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Teamwork Drives 100 Years of Success for Hoffman
(Katherine Hines is President of Hoffman Beverage Company) By Jeff Maisey Teamwork. If you spend any time on the floor within Hoffman Beverage Company’s sprawling warehouse on South Military Highway in Chesapeake you’ll see it in action. Ask the guy driving a...
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Criminal Justice Reform Now
(Michael Britt being hosted as a special guest at the home of Senior Virginia State Senator L. Louise Lucas for a discussion on Criminal Justice Reform in Virginia.) By Michael Muhammad Imagine reaching the three-and-a-half-year mark of your current probation and...
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Stockley Gardens Fall Arts Festival Set to Break Records in its 35th Year
(The Heart Stompers perform Saturday at 5:00 PM during the Stockley Gardens Arts Festival) By Ron Wray Neighborhoods, like people, have personalities. They have bloodlines running through them. Norfolk’s Ghent community’s Stockley Gardens Fall Arts Festival, now in...
A Harlem Renaissance Celebration at American Theatre
By Jerome Langston Norfolk’s Attucks Theatre, a historic gem, celebrated its centennial earlier this year, with a well-received documentary and anniversary programming that continues throughout this year. My cover story for Veer Magazine, published this past...
LET IT BE: BJ Leiderman to jam with Intangible Cats
By Jeff Maisey BJ Leiderman, known coast-to-coast as the National Public Radio (NPR) theme song composer for melodies used on “Morning Edition” and other programs over the past 40 years, returns to Hampton Roads to sit-in with some former bandmates when the...
Marc Cohn Happy to Have Work to Do
By Jim Morrison Marc Cohn burst out onto the charts in 1991 with his debut, "Marc Cohn," a disc that earned him a Grammy for best new artist and spun off the hits "Walking in Memphis," "Silver Thunderbird," and "True Companion." While his emergence may have...
Artists Reflect on #MeToo Movement
(“MeToo: Intersected” by Betsy DiJulio) By Staff Local visual artists Betsy DiJulio, Knox Garvin and Anne Bousquet have collaborated on a conceptual exhibition reflecting on the #MeToo movement. Titled “Groundswell: Gender, Power & the Body Politic,” the trio of...
More Than 80 Artists to Exhibit at Port Warwick Art & Sculpture Festival
(Michael Jurist, “Poppies”) By Michael Curry The Port Warwick Art and Sculpture Festival, taking place over the weekend of October 12 and 13, should be a definite addition to your to do list for the Fall. Set in Styron Square in the center of Port Warwick in Newport...
ART: Feeling Glass
By Betsy DiJulio Late in August, I caught up with artist Judith Schaechter and Chrysler Museum curator of glass, Carrie Needell, by phone in advance of Schaechter’s exhibition opening in late September. When, fairly early on, Schaechter said, “I’m familiar with...
Jake Clemons Has His Eyes on the Horizon
By Jeff Maisey The role of a true artist is to show the world in an imaginative way a mirrored reflection of reality, and Jake Clemons does exactly that in dramatic fashion on his dynamic new solo album titled “Eyes on the Horizon.” Clemons, who grew-up in...
Guys & Dolls is the Perfect Musical
(Brian Ray Norris and Sam Simahk in Guys & Dolls. Photo by Samuel W. Flint.) By Jerome Langston “He always brings me in for comedies,” says director Nicolas Minas, with a bit of a chuckle, in response to my question about how he was selected to direct Guys and...
Nobuntu’s Enduring Message of Joy, Peace & Hope
By Michael Curry The first-rate Attucks at100 celebrations continue with a performance by Nobuntu — a female vocal quintet from Zimbabwe that has been taking the arts world by storm. Norfolk is their first stop on this new coast-to-coast tour of the United...
Bold Mariner Anchors in Ocean View
(Behind the scenes in the brewhouse: Michael Stacks and John O’Reilly) By Jeff Maisey There’s a famous proverb that proclaims “if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” It can be said this was true for Michael Stacks, founder and president of The Bold Mariner...
The Garage Brewery, Tradition & Big Ugly Win Gold
(Beach Ambassadors and the medalists in the People's Choice category. Photograph by Sean Chagnon/Eye of the Storm Photography) STAFF REPORT Beach Ambassadors presented its 7th Annual 757 Battle of the Beers competition in a festival setting on the grounds of Camp...
2019 Golden Tap Awards
Hampton Roads’ craft breweries have enjoyed another outstanding year with accolades coming from global, national, statewide and regional sources. With all of these great things happening in our Coastal Virginia beer scene, it is our pleasure to announce the 2019 Veer...
DINING: Say 350 Grace
(Michelle and Willie Moats offer the community a delicious gluten-free dining experience with 350 Grace in Ghent) By Marisa Marsey “When I made the commitment to go 100 percent gluten-free with this restaurant, everyone laughed,” recalls Willie Moats. “I felt like...
757 Battle of the Beers
(757 Brewers and Beach Ambassadors group photo by Sean Chagnon/Eye of the Storm Photography) STAFF REPORT Heard of a food fight? How about a beer fight instead? Well, sorta. On Saturday, October 12 — yes, mark your calendar and plan to attend — the Beach...
Virginia Wines Rising
(Significant investments in new equipment and vineyard expansion at leading wineries such as Early Mountain are helping put Virginia on the map of great wine regions. Photo courtesy of Early Mountain) By Marisa Marsey Have you seen the bumper sticker proclaiming:...
Oktoberfest Beers to Enjoy
Erdinger Oktoberfest This seasonal beer offers a synergistic combination of two classic German styles, Oktoberfest and wheat beer; a surprising alliance that works very well together. Cloudy body with some amber hints. The head is frothy, pleasantly white and with a...
OKTOBERFEST 2019
(Portsmouth Mayor John Rowe poses with Mrs. Osfolk of the Bier Garden at last year’s Oktoberfest celebration) By Jeff Maisey If beer has a national — make that multi-national — holiday then surely it is Oktoberfest. Celebrations abound, including right here in...
Rah Rah for Ray Ray’s
By Marisa Marsey If April showers bring May flowers…what do May flowers bring? When it comes to the one that’s an apartment high-rise at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront, the answer is Ray Ray’s at the Mayflower, a new breakfast/lunch eatery by consummate chef Ray...
Sly Clyde Celebrates 1 Year with Margarita-inspired Cider
Sly Clyde releases margarita-inspired cider By Jim Roberts Releasing a lime-flavored cider in the middle of a July heat wave wasn’t just a sly move—it was a Sly Clyde move. “The idea was just to be a summer refresher,” said Patrick Smith, who succeeded Brent...
