Around Town

Thousands of people are expected to visit Reston Town Center later this month for the return of the Tephra ICA Arts Festival.

Now in its 34th year, the annual festival organized by the Tephra Institute of Contemporary Arts will take place on May 17 and 18, bringing together more than 200 artists from across the U.S.


Around Town

More than a dozen female spoken-word artists, authors and performers from around the country will convene in Fairfax City this week for the 2025 Women’s Storytelling Festival.

Now in its sixth year, the festival organized by local nonprofit Better Said Than Done serves as a showcase for the art of storytelling, which is defined as any performance of a story — a personal narrative or folk tale, for example — in front of a live audience.


Countywide

Local colleges have joined the rush to support workers affected by the Trump administration’s broad purge of the federal government’s ranks.

Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA), the biggest public higher education institution in Virginia, launched a NOVA New Employment, Exploration and Transition program (NOVAnext) on Wednesday (March 12) that will give laid-off federal workers and contractors free access to select classes and employment workshops.


News

With an entrance flanked by a Little Free Art Gallery and a colorful “LOVE” sign, Arts Herndon brings visible energy to a block of downtown Herndon otherwise dominated by an asphalt parking lot.

After this month, however, there will only be the parking lot and an empty concrete building, even though the development project that necessitated a temporary displacement of the art groups on the property has ground to a halt.


News

Fairfax County students again dominated the 2025 Virginia Aviation Art Contest.

Youth from McLean, Herndon and Chantilly swept first-place honors in all three age categories, the Virginia Department of Aviation announced on Feb. 19. A total of eight students from the local area will move on to national competition, with an opportunity to potentially compete internationally.


Around Town

The latest exhibition at the Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art (Tephra ICA) stays close to home when it comes to both artist and subject matter.

The Reston museum is launching “We Dwell in Between,” a solo show by Northern Virginia-based artist Marie B. Gauthiez, today (Thursday) at its satellite gallery in the Signature apartments (11850 Freedom Drive). An opening reception and talk by Gauthiez will be held tonight at 6-8 p.m.


Around Town

The students of McLean will take center stage in two new arts exhibitions set to open next month.

To celebrate Youth Art Month, which is typically held every March, the McLean Project for the Arts (MPA) is bringing back its annual youth art shows, which showcase work by students in elementary through high school in the McLean and Langley pyramids.


News

George Mason University has begun raising money in earnest to help fund a $70 million makeover of its performing arts center in Fairfax.

Publicly launched yesterday (Wednesday), the “Give Voice” initiative seeks to raise $35 million for a renovation of the Center for the Arts, the 1,935-seat concert hall at 4373 Mason Pond Drive. The university itself is expected to match the private donations with an additional $35 million.


Countywide

Fairfax County has shared the initial design for a “Circles of Memory” memorial to recognize the toll of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last week, the Fairfax County Arts Committee’s project team submitted a zoning interpretation application to allow the memorial’s construction in front of the Herrity Building and Public Safety Headquarters at 12055 Government Center Parkway.


Around Town

The full impact of Comstock’s decision to halt its plans for a mixed-use development in downtown Herndon is still solidifying, but at least one ripple effect of the project appears to be irreversible.

The independent bookstore A Thousand Stories announced earlier this month that Saturday, Dec. 21 will be its last day in business. In a push to clear its shelves, the store at 750 Center Street is offering extended hours and discounts of 20% to 40% off all items until it closes.


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