ODU School of Music Tunes in Despite COVID
(Dr. Nancy K. Klein conducting Old Dominion University’s symphony and chorus. Photo courtesy of ODU.) By Montague Gammon III The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic hit ODU’s F. Ludwig Diehn School of Music last March, when this descendent of the University’s 62 year old...
OPINION: Reparations, To Be or Not to Be
BY JOHN L. HORTON I just finished reading the latest issue of TIME Magazine (double issue, September 21/28, 2020). The magazine has a feature/society piece about the “Rosewood massacre” (circa 1923), where nine survivors and descendants have been awarded some...
The Myth of Individualism
By Tom Robotham No man is an island, / Entire of itself, / Every man is a piece of the continent, A part of the main. ~ John Donne I didn’t watch this year’s Republican convention—I couldn’t stomach the thought—but I did see the opening montage, which...
ESSAY: Thoughts and Prayers
By Tom Robotham Let me ask you a question: Do you pray? If so, for what and to whom? I used to pray a lot. Throughout my childhood, I attended services at a lovely old Episcopal Church virtually ever Sunday, and for several years I served as an acolyte. In...
CANCELED: 2020 Boardwalk Art Show
Virginia MOCA announced today the cancellation of the 2020 Boardwalk Art Show scheduled for the weekend of October 23. "It was a tough but necessary call given public safety concerns,” said Virginia MOCA Executive Director, Gary Ryan. “The good news is that we have...
My Story
(Jerry Gaines, pictured clearing 25-feet in the long jump, was Virginia Tech’s first full-scholarship black athlete. Courtesy photograph.) By Dr. Jerry Gaines The circumstances across our nation being what they are, it seems appropriate to share this story now. Back...
VIEWPOINT: A Perspective On The Trump Presidency
BY JOHN L. Horton “I am absolutely a Nationalist.” -- President Donald J. Trump “A person shows what he is by what he does with what he has.” -- Anonymous “When a person shows you who he is…believe him.” -- Maya Angelou “If you don’t know, now you know…” -- The...
Waiting For Godot: The Elusive Promise of Reopening
By Tench Phillips, Naro Cinema The temporary closing of the Naro Cinema on March 20 of this year marked the beginning of a long period of anticipation for the extended Naro family. We originally planned for a July 4 weekend reopening with showings of the...
Empowering Teachers/Overcoming COVID-19
By John L. Horton Well, the “new” school year (2020 – 2021)) is almost upon us. And, the issue of “improving” our public schools lies before us as never before. Accordingly, I got to thinking about what “we” can do to significantly “improve” our public schools for...
Progressland
By Tom Robotham Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair, which I had the opportunity to visit twice. When it opened, I was just shy of my 8th birthday—the perfect age to appreciate the exhibits, it seems to me, in that I was old...
MUSIC REVIEWS: Lori Creek, Koren Grace, Myra Smith & More
Myra Smith “Walking on the Moon” (Single) (Self-Release) With life during the pandemic heavy on her mind, R&B vocalist Myra Smith put her frustrations and depression into the best creative outlet available — her music — and release the cosmic “Walking on the...
Come Together at The Chrysler
(Marilyn Nance (American, b. 1953), Three Placards (Elijah Muhammad, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X), June 14, 1986, Gelatin silver print, Gift of Joyce F. and Robert B. Menschel, © Marilyn Nance) By Betsy DiJulio “We are there for our community,” asserts Lloyd...
MUSIC: Jason Cale, Jackie & Resa, Jones Brothers & Peppos
The Jason Cale Band “World of Wonder” (Self-Release) Look out — The Jason Cale Band is about to set the blues-fusion world on fire when this 9-song album -- "World of Wonder" -- is released on all platforms September 8. The opening “Made a Fool of My Heart” makes a...
A Family of Painters Shine at PFAC
By Betsy DiJulio Since 2008, Bank of America’s Art in Our Communities program—just one of their many initiatives supporting the arts—has offered to museums and nonprofit galleries worldwide entire exhibitions from the Bank’s extensive and diverse art collection...
ART: Murals of Love Pop Up in ViBe District
(Amber Robinson-Pierce’s mural expresses beauty from within.) By Betsy DiJulio There are some new faces in the crowd. Faces of color by people of color projecting love, healing, connection, and understanding when it is needed most. As racial protests roiled around...
A Soldier’s Play in the Open Air
By Jerome Langston Since being officially declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization back in March, COVID-19 has dramatically disrupted our society’s social norms—temporarily ending our unrestricted enjoyment of concerts and theme parks, indoor fine...
High Art from The Vatican
By Jeff Maisey Millions of visitors over the centuries have stood on the ground floor of the Sistine Chapel within Vatican City in Rome and marveled at the ancient frescos painted on the ceiling by Italian Renaissance artist Michelangelo Buonarroti...
REVIEW: Prophetic Unknown Outcome a Must-See
(Sheila Giolitti (Norfolk ,VA), Atlantis Project #1, Mixed media, Plexiglas, pigment) By Betsy DiJulio A year ago, as the Hermitage staff prepared for an August public forum announcing calls for proposals for their summer 2020 exhibition, Unknown Outcome, they had no...
ART REVIEW: Shifting Gaze in Focus
Ebony G. Patterson, Untitled IV (Khani + di Krew) from the Disciplez Series, 2009. Courtesy of the artist and Monique Meloche Gallery, Chicago. By Betsy DiJulio They didn’t see it coming. But it is almost as though they did. Not Covid-19 and the global pandemic, but...
MUSIC: Local New Releases
Bobby “Blackhat” Walters “America, How Great Do You Feel Today” (Self-Release Single) Bluesman Bobby “Blackhat” Walters in recent years has been keen on quickly capturing a current event or an issue in song. These studio recordings include “Gudment Shutdown” and “HRBT...
Saddle-up to the Coach House
(Dana & Kevin Kern bring delicious bistro fare to the north end of Colley.) By Jeff Maisey I pony my hungry self up to the Coach House, ask for a Soggy Dollar Painkiller to relax my mind a bit, and peruse the menu while I await the arrival of two amigos. It’s...
Well-Aged Williamsburg Winery
(Winemaker Matthew Meyer stands proud of his gold medal winning 2017 Petit Verdot Reserve. Courtesy photo.) By Jim Roberts In spite of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 is turning out to be a vintage year for the Williamsburg Winery. In January the winery won 11 medals at...
Fall For Restaurant Wines
(At Voilà, delicious red wines from South Africa, Sonoma, and the Burgundy region of France pair perfectly with the ever-popular entree, Beef Wellington.) By Marisa Marsey When 2020 began, the biggest headaches in the wine world were tariffs and hard seltzer. Then...
757 Breweries Win Awards
(Elation Brewing Company of Norfolk scores a silver in the Fruit/Vegetable category) By Jeff Maisey Breweries from Hampton Roads scored medals in Richmond on Monday where the Virginia Craft Brewers Guild announced the 2020 winners in its ninth annual statewide...
Kings of Their New Realm
(New Realm’s canned beers are everywhere these days in the Hampton Roads region) By Jeff Maisey One year after opening its production brewery in Virginia Beach, New Realm Brewing Company conquered the Commonwealth by winning the 2019 Virginia Craft Beer Cup when...
Meet New Sly Clyde Cidermaker Edan Valkner
(Edan Valkner is the new head cider maker at Sly Clyde Ciderworks in Hampton) By Jeff Maisey There’s a new head cider-maker in town. By late August, Sly Clyde Ciderworks will introduce Edan Valkner as its new cider-maker, tasked with producing the award-winning...
Experience Voila During Restaurant Week
(John & Maggie Tsouris prepare for Downtown Norfolk Restaurant Week. Photo by Jeff Maisey) By Jeff Maisey Downtown Norfolk Restaurant Week, scheduled August 16-23, couldn’t have come at a better time. Restaurants have been on the frontline of businesses most...
REVIEW: Dine Local at Lokal Cafe
(As healthy as it gets salad bowl at Lokal Cafe in Williamsburg. Photo by Betsy DiJulio) By Betsy DiJulio It doesn’t get a whole lot more local or scratch-made than the casual eats at Lokal. Heck, they even make their own kombucha, complete with alcohol warning. ...
Cider Talk with Sly Clyde’s Doug Smith
(Sandbar provides layers of flavor enhanced by raspberry and lemon. Photo by Sly Clyde.) By Jeff Maisey Like craft breweries, Sly Clyde Ciderworks in Hampton has a rotating series of seasonal beverages to compliment its core brands and provide a level of quality...
Something’s Always Brewing at COVA
(COVA Brewing Co in the 757’s newest craft brewery. Photo by Diane Catanzaro) By Diane Catanzaro and Chris Jones To brew or not to brew? That is the question. For Scott and Susan Bateman, the answer was “two brew.” Blending the family’s love of craft beer and...
