The richness of The Virginia Piedmont
is not limited to nature and history. The arts and culture
play an active role in the region’s allure as a destination. Nationally
recognized artists create and display their original works in galleries
and studios. Professional, live theater, concerts, and festivals
are held throughout the year. Community organizations foster the
preservation of local culture handed down through the centuries
and nurture the development and growth of new talent and traditions
that will continue the legacy for which the region is known and
is so proud.
Culpeper County
photo credit: Lori Sorrentino |
The beauty of the Piedmont has inspired people and patriots, artists
and musicians, for centuries. Let it inspire you with a visit to
one of Virginia’s finest small-town museums, the Museum
of Culpeper History. See and touch 215-million-year-old dinosaur
tracks, learn about the impact of the Civil War on this historic
town, and visit the 250-year-old Burgandine House, the Town of
Culpeper’s oldest. Visit often, as new exhibits are offered
several times a year.
For a personal look at both history and art, the historic Graffiti
House offers both. This two-story frame house built circa
1858 offered care and comfort to both Union and Confederate troops
who recuperated there during its use as a hospital. Many of those
soldiers left behind a record of their time there through the
writings and drawings on the walls that can still be seen today.
The
Arts live here in Culpeper all year round! Catch a theatre
production or art show by the Windmore Foundation for the Arts
or a concert by the Blue Ridge Chorale. Enjoy a musical production
during the Bluemont or Community Concert Association seasons.
Coming soon, movie buffs will be able to enjoy special screenings
and film festivals as the Library of Congress National Audio-Visual
Conservation Center partners with the State Theatre, a Virginia
Historic Landmark, slated to reopen in 2009 following a complete
restoration. Check the Calendar
of Events for an up-to-date listing of what’s happening.
Once you’ve been inspired by the beauty of the foothills,
you will want to take home a piece of local art or another reminder
of your visit. In Culpeper’s art
galleries, antique stores, and gift shops you’re sure
to find the perfect treasure to take back home for a lasting remembrance
of peaceful days in the Piedmont.
Fauquier County
The Fauquier
Community Theatre offers a year-round repetoire of theater
ranging from musicals to drama to its Christmas pagent. The
Highland Center for the Arts, located at the private Highland
School, hosts various performances from theatre to musical, and
is home to the Piedmont
Symphony Orchestra.
Fauquier County has many art galleries for you to explore featuring
regional and other artists. Along Main Street in Warrenton,
you’ll find galleries that include:
Along Main Street in The Plains, you’ll find:
and on Stuart Street, Artist Studios at the Depot has artist studios
and offers painting classes.
Madison County
In the midst of beautiful mountain and farmland scenery, Madison
County hosts cultural events throughout the year that feature top
names in Blue Grass Music and more.
On the last weekend in April, Spring Fling at Graves
Mountain Lodge in Syria features food, wine tasting, top names
in Blue Grass music
On the last weekend in May, the Festival of Music at Graves
Mountain Lodge features food, wine tasting, top names in Blue
Grass music
On the last Saturday before Labor Day, the Taste of the Mountains
Main Street Festival is celebrated along Main Street in the Town
of Madison. This annual heritage festival celebrates
18th & 19th century life features Madison County foods and
businesses, outside vendors with handmade arts and crafts and historic
demonstrations and music.
During the second and third weekends in October , the Apple
Harvest Festival at Graves
Mountain Lodge features food, wine tasting, top names in Blue
Grass music
The Lou Messa
art gallery features large and small prints of rural America.
Orange County
Rappahannock County
photo credit: Richard Lykes |
The
Rappahannock Association for the Arts & The Community
(RAAC), is a nonprofit
community organization whose mission is to create the opportunity
for residents of and visitors to Rappahannock County to enrich
their lives through exposure to the arts. RRAC promotes a
sense of community through workshops, dances, programs, concerts,
school events, cinema, and such other activities. In early
November, RAAC sponsors the Annual Artists of Rappahannock Studio & Gallery
Tour, which features more than 50 regionally and nationally recognized
artists who display their artwork in their own studios or at one
of the many professional galleries in Washington, Sperryville and
Flint Hill. The
Theatre at Washington,
sponsors seasonal concerts, presenting professional jazz, chamber
music, Celtic music, piano recitals and other concerts, and occasional
theatrical performances. Visit us online or call 540-675-1253.
The multi-purpose facilities of the Theatre
House at Castleton Farms, sponsored by The Chateauville
Foundation, make it ideally suited to a wide range of performances—recital
and chamber music programs, jazz, world music, dance and theatre,
in addition to the Residency program’s centerpiece chamber
operas. The Châteauville Foundation was established at Castleton
Farms in 1997 by Lorin and Dietlinde Maazel. The Foundation’s
mission is to nurture young artists, foster collaborative artistic
enterprise and create opportunities within the community for shared
cultural experience. In Sperryville, seasonal community events
sponsored by Rappahannock organizations are held at The
Link Community Center at The Schoolhouse or
call (540) 987-8011.
Many artists have made Rappahannock County their home, attracted
by its peaceful natural beauty and sense of community. Visit
the county’s many galleries that display paintings, jewelry,
sculpture, glasswork and more. These include:
In
Sperryville, visit:
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