For a second year in a row, ArtsFairfax will hold its annual celebration of the local arts community on Oct. 28 at Capital One Hall, which also happens to be one of this year’s award recipients.
The Tysons performing arts venue will receive the Jinx Hazel Arts Award, the top honor from ArtsFairfax, the nonprofit Fairfax County arts agency announced last Tuesday (May 17).
The 2022 Arts Awards will also honor philanthropists Gary and Tina Mather, actor and former Reston Community Center assistant technical director Mark Brutsché, and George Mason University’s Fall for the Book festival, which will get a new Innovation Award.
“We are delighted to honor the remarkable contributions of this year’s Arts Awards honorees, who have all demonstrated a deep commitment to our community and to making Fairfax arts and culture more accessible,” ArtsFairfax President and CEO Linda Sullivan said in the news release.
According to ArtsFairfax, the awards ceremony draws approximately 300 patrons every year. The 2021 awards were among the first events hosted by Capital One Hall, which opened on Oct. 1 at 7750 Capital One Tower Road.
Proceeds from the awards support the nonprofit’s activities, which include artist residencies, grants, promotion of local arts and cultural organizations, and advocacy for the arts.
ArtsFairfax announced on Thursday (May 19) that it had received a $55,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to expand its artist residency program, which currently places professional artists in middle schools across the county to help educate students.
With the grant, the nonprofit says it will bring artists to a public elementary school, a public library, a county park, a community center, and an affordable housing development.
“By placing professional artists in communities with less access to arts, artists in residence can share their art form and spark creativity for participants of all ages,” ArtsFairfax said.
Here’s more from ArtsFairfax on this year’s Arts Awards recipients: Read More
Family of Slain Alexandria Man Urge FCPD to Resume Search — Family members and friends of Ahmed Hasheem Ebrahim called on Fairfax County police yesterday (Thursday) to resume searching for his body at a landfill in King George County. Police believe Ebrahim was killed in an attempted robbery in Lincolnia and have arrested and charged two people in connection with his disappearance in mid-January. [The Washington Post]
FCPD Sex Trafficking Lawsuit Allowed to Advance — “A federal judge ruled Wednesday that a lawsuit against two former police officers accused of protecting a sex trafficking ring in northern Virginia in exchange for sex can move forward…The lawsuit is filed on behalf of a Costa Rican woman identified in court papers only as Jane Doe.” [WTOP]
Local Groups Call for Lockheed Blvd Improvements — “Together, the leaders expressed appreciation for the county’s proposal to add standard bike lanes along the roadway near Huntley Meadows Park but insisted that protected bike lanes or a cycle track were necessary to ensure cyclist safety.” [On the MoVe]
New I-66 Express Lanes on Track to Open This Year — “Although VDOT has not given an exact date yet, spokesperson Michelle Holland tells 7 News that as long as the weather does not cause major construction delays, the new express lanes should open some time in December at the latest. Construction on the lanes has now been going on more than four years.” [ABC7]
Nearby: Landmark Mall Demolition Begins — “After two decades of Landmark Mall redevelopment being just out of reach, city officials and developers alike let out wild roars of satisfaction as the wrecking ball crashed into the side of the building…There’s still a long way to go before the first buildings of the new hospital and mixed-use development start coming online — currently slated for 2026.” [ALXnow]
Man Pushing Stroller Hit by Vehicle in Vienna — A pedestrian told police that he was knocked to the ground by a vehicle while pushing his child in a stroller past the Chick-fil-A parking lot at 538 Maple Avenue W on April 27. According to the Vienna Police Department’s weekly recap, the driver attempted to talk to the pedestrian, who left the scene but later reported the incident. [Vienna Police]
Local Foster Parent Awarded — “Congratulations to Sue Christenson! She’s been recognized as the 2022 Fairfax County Foster Parent of the Year by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG). Sue has been a foster parent for nearly 15 years, and she is happily spending her golden years giving precious children a new beginning.” [Fairfax County Government/YouTube]
Lunar Eclipse May Be Visible Sunday — “The first of two total lunar eclipses visible to Virginia and DC residents in 2022 occurs Sunday night into Monday and will turn May’s full flower moon blood red. Oh, and it’s also a supermoon — depending on whom you ask.” [Patch]
It’s Friday — Overcast throughout the day. High of 69 and low of 58. Sunrise at 5:59 am and sunset at 8:14 pm. [Weather.gov]
Nordic-Knot has won $40,000 in a national contest for small businesses.
The Reston-based bakery — which specializes in its twisted pretzels — placed second out of 10 finalists in the annual Small Business Big Wins contest, which is run by Barclays Bank.
Ashland Birth Center placed first in the nationwide contest, which recognizes businesses that were heavily impacted by the pandemic. The Wisconsin-based maternity health care center received a grand prize of $60,000.
More than 4,750 small businesses from across the country shared stories of how the pandemic impacted their daily operations. After the 10 finalists were selected, public voting determined the final winners.
Nordic-Knot co-owner Melissa Romano said they plan to use the funds to increase marketing, outreach and boost its production line to “better serve our community.” Results were announced yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon.
“We’ve grown this business very carefully and we were put through the runner during the pandemic,” Romano told FFXnow. She expects to announce some big, new clients in the coming weeks.
For Nordic-Knot, the pandemic meant a dramatic business shift came quickly into play. With many of its distributors closed during the peak of the pandemic, the business shifted to providing their products to customers directly.
Now, even as wholesale distribution picks up, the business plans to maintain direct services for consumers directly.
A vending cart that offers customer direct access to goodies will return to Lake Anne Plaza this summer.
Romano says they plan to continue big partnerships while providing direct access to their items.
“Lane Anne has and will always be our special place of business,” Romano said. “We are really excited for this opportunity for our business.”
Something good is coming to Tysons, especially if you’re comedy legend and six-time Emmy winner Carol Burnett.
The multi-hyphenate star will receive the Sondheim Award from Signature Theatre at a glitzy gala that the Arlington theatrical company will hold at Capital One Hall (7750 Capital One Tower Road) on May 16.
Burnett was announced as this year’s recipient of the award in January, but Signature Theatre didn’t reveal the venue for the gala until this past Wednesday (April 27).
Burnett will be the 11th person to win the Sondheim Award, which is named after musical theater great Stephen Sondheim, who died in December. Introduced in 2009, the award has previously gone to Dame Angela Lansbury, actor and singer Patti LuPone, and regular Sondheim collaborator James Lapine, among others.
2011 Sondheim Award recipient Bernadette Peters and Broadway actor Santino Fontana will headline the gala with live performances. The ceremony will also feature D.C.-area artists Tracy Lynn Olivera, Nova Y. Payton and Bobby Smith, accompanied by jazz pianist Mark G. Meadows and Signature Theatre Resident Music Director Jon Kalbfleisch.
According to the news release, in addition to honoring Burnett, Signature Theatre will present its J. Watkins Distinguished Service Award to Merrill and Mark Shugoll, a couple who run marketing research firms that support theater companies across the U.S. and founded the local nonprofit ArtsSpeak!
“The award was created in 2018 to honor those leaders who’ve made an extraordinary impact in the greater DC community through their advocacy and passion for the arts and arts education,” Signature said of the service award. “…Merrill and Mark Shugoll have made a huge impact on Signature as well as the arts industry in DC and across the country.”
Single tickets are being offered for the first time in the Sondheim Award’s history, per the press release. They will cost $58 and go on sale at noon on Monday (May 2).
As of press time, the gala hasn’t appeared on Capital One Hall’s website, but the Tysons venue uses Ticketmaster for all of its events.
Proceeds from the awards gala will support Signature’s “artistic, education, and community programs,” the press release says.
(Updated at 9 a.m.) County Board Chair Tests Positive for Covid — Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay announced last night (Monday) that he has tested positive for COVID-19. He reported experiencing “minor symptoms which are uncomfortable but manageable” and is currently working from home and quarantining. [Jeff McKay/Twitter]
Johnny Depp Fans Wait at Courthouse — “Fans who stood outside the main entrance of the Fairfax County Courthouse with the hopes of glimpsing actor Johnny Depp as he appeared for the first day of his defamation trial were disappointed. The ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ star skipped the crowds and entered the courthouse through another door.” [Patch]
Sen. Mark Warner Visits for Affordable Housing Talk — “Every community needs access to affordable housing. Glad to deliver funding to Fairfax County today to create up to 250 affordable housing units and talk to local leaders about how we can further support their initiatives at a federal level.” [Mark Warner/Twitter]
Trees Cut Down for Mount Vernon Bicycle Trail Project — “Construction to improve and link the Mount Vernon Bike Trail along the Mount Vernon Memorial Highway is in its early stages and to clear the way, a significant number of trees have been cut down along the road. According to the project team, there is no plan to replant additional trees when the project is completed, a county spokesperson said.” [The Connection]
Tysons Real Estate Leaders Explore Nats Sale — The Lerner family, which is behind the Tysons II development master plan, has hired an investment bank to explore potential investment partners for the Washington Nationals, The Washington Post reported. Mark Lerner, the baseball club’s managing principal owner, called the move “exploratory” with “no set timetable or expectation of a specific outcome.” [Patch]
County Unemployment Rate Declines — “Inflation may be eating away at their earnings, but a larger share of Fairfax County residents had jobs in February than a month before, according to new federal data…The county’s unemployment rate for the shortest month of the year stood at 2.5 percent, down from 2.9 percent a month before.” [Sun Gazette]
Local LGBTQ+ Advocates Worried About New Law — “Under a new law, Virginia school districts must notify parents whenever instructional materials include sexually explicit content and must provide parents alternative, non-explicit materials if requested…FCPS Pride said the bill ‘creates an adversarial relationship between teachers and parents or guardians.'” [The Washington Post]
Public Safety Workers Honored in Reston — “Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce officials on March 31 honored police, fire-and-rescue and Sheriff’s Office employees for their outstanding acts of public protection. More than 600 people attended the 44th annual Fairfax County Valor Awards, held at the Hyatt Regency Reston.” [Sun Gazette/Inside NoVA]
Herndon Plans Town-Wide Clean-Up — “The annual spring clean-up, an opportunity for residents to place large or bulky items curbside for pickup, takes place April 27-29. Pickup is on your trash day only.” [Town of Herndon]
It’s Tuesday — Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 72 and low of 53. Sunrise at 6:37 am and sunset at 7:44 pm. [Weather.gov]
The finalists for the D.C.-area restaurant industry’s annual RAMMY Awards are out, and a few Fairfax County hotspots made the cut.
Organized by the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW), a regional trade and advocacy group, the 40th annual RAMMYs represent a shift toward normalcy after two years of slightly modified proceedings to reflect the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Unveiled last night (Tuesday) at a party in downtown D.C., the finalists are vying for a range of categories, from familiar titles like “New Restaurant of the Year” to ones introduced during the pandemic like “Standout Family Meal Packages To Go.”
While D.C. restaurants dominate the list, Fairfax County still managed to land five nominees:
- Beer Program of the Year: Caboose Tavern (Vienna), Sweetwater Tavern (Merrifield and Centreville)
- Best Brunch of the Year: A&J Restaurant (Annandale), Blend 111 (Vienna)
- Employee of the Year: Nicole Burdette at Taco Bamba (Springfield)
Some of those restaurants have been recognized before. Caboose previously made the “Beer Program” finals in 2020, though it didn’t win and the category took last year off. Taco Bamba’s Springfield location won “Employee of the Year” in 2020.
The categories added in response to the pandemic, including “Best Brunch,” will be determined by public voting starting in late April, according to RAMW.
All winners will be announced at an in-person ceremony on July 24 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in D.C.
