As a designated national historic place, Sully Historic Site’s backstory likely doesn’t qualify as obscure, but it may be incomplete, the Fairfax County Park Authority says.
The agency hopes to fill in some of those gaps with a new “Reimagining Sully” project expected to kick off this spring. The initiative will aim to tell “more complete and accurate and authentic stories” about the former plantation, according to FCPA Resource Management and Interpretation Division Director Laura Grape.
Recent actions by the Trump administration are heightening the urgency of the Fairfax County and the D.C. area’s longtime goal of reducing their reliance on federal government employment and spending.
With mass worker layoffs, contract cancellations and potential real estate sales promising significant economic upheaval, local and regional leaders may have no choice but to “think and act differently,” according to Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Julie Coons.
Fairfax families now have a vibrant new destination for creative exploration — a dedicated children’s art studio has officially opened its doors, bringing with it one of the largest selections of children’s art programs in the area.
A Vision Rooted in Community
The journey behind this new studio is a simple but meaningful one: a belief that every child in the Fairfax community deserves access to quality art education. That conviction became the driving force behind building a space where young people can discover, create, and grow — not just as artists, but as individuals.
“We wanted to provide the opportunity of art education to the Fairfax community,” the studio shared.
More Than 40 Art Forms Under One Roof
What makes this studio particularly remarkable is its breadth. Children have access to more than 40 varieties of art, offering a rare opportunity to explore disciplines far beyond the typical drawing and painting classes. Whether a child is drawn to sculpture, printmaking, mixed media, or illustration, there’s a path here waiting to be discovered.
The philosophy is intentional: instead of narrowing a child’s focus too soon, the programs are designed to let curiosity lead the way. Children are encouraged to try, experiment, and explore until something clicks — because finding a true passion is just as important as developing a skill.
Programs Built for Every Child and Every Schedule
The studio has been thoughtfully designed to meet families where they are, with age-appropriate programs that build skills progressively and purposefully. Here’s a closer look at what’s available:
Tiny Hands (Ages 3–4)
Art is a skill developed over time, and it all starts here. In Tiny Hands classes, children begin to express themselves through art in guided, small group activities that encourage community, collaboration, and relationships. This two-year program introduces young learners to drawing, painting, clay, printmaking, collage, design, and more — laying the foundation for a lifelong creative journey.
Intro to Art (Ages 5–6)
This two-year program introduces children to beginning art skills, tools, and basic vocabulary. Students are encouraged to explore different mediums and express their growing interests, working with clay, printmaking, charcoal drawing, painting, design, montage, watercolors, sculpture, stained glass, and more. Along the way, they’ll learn about color theory — including primary, secondary, cool, and warm colors — while gaining self-confidence and earning recognition for their creations.
Beginning Art (Ages 7–8)
Building on the foundation of Intro to Art, Beginning Art is designed for children ready to deepen their skills and grow more comfortable with art tools. Students expand their art vocabulary, apply their knowledge of color theory, and explore design principles through hands-on creating. This two-year program offers opportunities to work with charcoal, mono printing, clay, ink, color design, collage, self-portrait, watercolors, balsa wood carving, sculpture, and much more.
Art 1 (Ages 9+)
Art 1 is the foundation of the studio’s four-year curriculum — a class designed to maximize and maintain each child’s art interest as they develop a higher level of skills and knowledge. Students also begin building their personal portfolio. Projects include ebony pencil from photomontage, charcoal still life, India ink design, and scratchboard art, with a strong focus on line, value, and texture. Later in the program, students dive into an in-depth study of color theory and apply it to a series of color design projects. Art 1 also includes hand building with clay.
What do a Fairfax County public library, bowling alley and the Dulles family home have in common?
They’re all examples of modernism, an architectural style that exploded onto the scene in Fairfax County after World War II, according to a new survey that could help preserve some key remnants of the movement.
Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts has added a brand-new event to its summer calendar.
After unveiling an initial summer lineup last month, the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts announced yesterday (Tuesday) that the park will also host the inaugural Todo Sonido, a festival celebrating Latin American music, this July 12-13.
Event location
Fort Hunt Park
8999 Fort Hunt Rd
Alexandria, Virginia 22308
Join Breast Cancer Collective for the 2026 Walk to Bust Cancer on Sunday, October 18, at Fort Hunt Park in Alexandria.
Walk alongside survivors, caregivers, friends, families, and neighbors for an uplifting community event supporting access to breast cancer screening and care across the DMV.
Walk to Bust Cancer brings our community together to turn hope into action and help expand access to timely breast health care. Register to walk, gather your team, and join us at Fort Hunt Park.
A shopping center in the Kings Park West neighborhood is up for a makeover.
Nearly 50 years after it was first constructed, Twinbrooke Shopping Center (9525 Braddock Road) will kick off a “transformation” later this month to modernize more than two dozen storefronts, property manager Federal Realty announced.
A brewery that has achieved cult status in its home state of Pennsylvania hopes to soon cast the same spell on Fairfax County.
Voodoo Brewing Company will open a restaurant — its first in the D.C. region — at the Makers Rise apartment building near the Innovation Center Metro station, just outside Herndon, property developer Crimson Partners announced yesterday (Tuesday).
Fairfax County will need to hire more than 20 new staff and spend about $2.8 million a year to administer a countywide meals tax, if one is authorized in the coming months.
Even with the additional expenses, overall revenue would far exceed the costs of administering the program, which would tax food and drinks served by restaurants and other food service establishments, staff told the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors at a budget policy committee meeting yesterday (Tuesday).
Capital One Sued by Trump Family Business — “On March 7, multiple entities connected with the Trump Organization sued the McLean-based bank for terminating more than 300 Trump Organization bank accounts following the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.” The complaint filed in a Florida circuit court alleges that the account closures were motivated by politics, an argument that Capital One denies. [Virginia Business]
Herndon ‘Tunnel Girl’ Permitted to Keep Digging — “Kala the Science Girl, also affectionately known as Tunnel Girl, is digging back in after receiving a permit to continue her intricate tunnel work under her Northern Virginia home … She amassed more than half a million followers on TikTok, where she documented the process of digging.” [WUSA9]
Limits on Helicopter Flights at DCA Recommended — Following the mid-air collision on Jan. 29 that killed 67 people, the National Transportation Safety Board recommended yesterday that helicopter operations be permanently prohibited “on Route 4 between Hains Point and Wilson Bridge when runways 15 and 33 are in use at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.” [ALXnow]
Job Market Likely Can’t Handle Federal Layoffs — “The Washington region may not have enough white-collar jobs to absorb the federal workers being laid off by the Trump administration, according to data from Indeed … While overall job postings in the U.S. are up compared with pre-pandemic numbers, they were down 13.8% in the DMV as of Feb. 28, per Indeed.” [Axios DC]
Rural Areas Seek to Lure Data Centers From N. Va. — Wythe County “and some other rural Virginia communities are looking to bring data centers to their parts of the state as industry hubs in Northern Virginia and suburban Richmond sour on the industry worth billions in local and state funds.” [Virginia Public Media]
Community Center Opens in Annandale Apartments — “Located in a former apartment, the FACETS Cares Community Development Center will offer after-school tutoring, access to technology and professional development resources, and connections to vital resources for low-income families. It will enhance community safety by building positive relationships with the police.” [Annandale Today]
Reston Startup Raises $2 Million — “Reston startup Tiga AI has raised $2 million to get its tools for business-to-business sales professionals to more customers … Tiga’s products act as digital assistants for sales professionals. These tools can conduct tasks automatically like drafting emails or LinkedIn pitches to customers based on analyzing internal datasets like client notes or prior purchasing behaviors.” [Washington Business Journal]
Burke Nursery Joins Discounted Tree Program — “The Virginia Department of Forestry (DOF) is expanding its Throwing Shade VA program. Through the program, DOF partners with nurseries to offer a $25 discount on eligible native trees and shrubs valued at $50 or more. The offer is available through May 1 while supplies last at 15 participating nurseries,” including Burke Nursery and Garden Centre. [Northern Virginia Magazine]
It’s Wednesday — Expect mostly sunny skies with a high temperature around 61 degrees. The north wind will blow at 6-8 mph, eventually shifting to the east in the afternoon. As the night progresses, clouds will increase, and the low temperature will be around 44 degrees with an east wind ranging from 3-8 mph. [NWS]
Good Tuesday evening, Fairfax County. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.
The following articles were published earlier today — Mar 11, 2025.
Here is what’s going on Wednesday throughout the county, from our event calendar.
Expect a mostly sunny day with a high near 64, as the north wind of about 7 mph shifts southeast in the afternoon. However, Wednesday night will bring increasing clouds and a low temperature of around 42, accompanied by an east wind between 5 to 9 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
The MonumentCam screenshot above is used with permission of the Trust for the National Mall and courtesy of EarthCam.
Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.
