Tuesday, April 9, 2013
She's focused on positivity and finding a sense of peace.
Workhouse Arts Center artist Marni Maree has no choice but to draw and paint, and she'll tell you she can depict anything, just name it. At the moment she's doing a watercolor piece of a crowd surrounding a balloon vendor at a park, and it will grace the cover of next year's official Fairfax County Visitors Guide. "I just find what I want to paint and it's usually something pretty, something happy," said Maree to Patch. "You won't see any dark paintings. I won't go there." But while her art is grounded in happiness (paintings of beautiful flowers and children), Murray often puts herself into dark situations. She's taken over 20 trips to Haiti over the past eight years as an art teacher and volunteer at the Village of Hope School and …
Friday, April 5, 2013
The 3D enhancements make it worth seeing again on the big screen.
Once again we're at an old vs. new and purist vs. innovator crossroads. Why in the world would anyone go out to see Jurassic Park in the theatre for $12+ when they can snuggle at home and watch it on their own 40-inch HDTV? What could make this release worth the time of movie fans out there when my own Siren spouse couldn't be cajoled into seeing it with me at the multiplex? It all comes down to the experience. We haven't seen Jurassic Park in the movie theaters since its release in 1993. They could have rereleased it without the new bells and whistles and I'd have been halfway there. With all the mediocre new 3D releases depending on the new technology to fill the gap of good story, I really wanted to see one of the favorites of my …
What will it take to make the Workhouse a success? Tell us in the comments.
The business plan at the Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton is deeply flawed, according to its President and CEO John Mason. "Clearly we remain challenged by our financial model, which I've said time and again doesn't work," said Mason to Patch. "We are in the process with the bank and the county of addressing the business model question." Hopes of a restaurant and other amenities on campus are dashed because of the Workhouse's nonprofit status, and renovation can be costly and time consuming given the paperwork and approvals required to develop on the historic former home of the Lorton Prison. The Lorton Arts Foundation, the nonprofit that operates the Workhouse, is asking the county for its annual allocation of $685,000, according to its …
38.696629
-77.256169
Workhouse Arts Center
9601 Ox Rd, Lorton, VA
/articles/lortons-workhouse-arts-center-challenged-by-financial-model-says-president-and-ceo-john-mason
422493
/locations/9174014
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Think before you throw that log of wood on the fire! It could be your new breakfast bowl.
Workhouse Arts Center artist Patrick O'Brien is happiest when the classic rock is blasting, the lathe spins and sawdust flies. And why not? It's a welcome relief for O'Brien after a lifetime directing library systems across the country, including the Chicago Central Library and the Alexandria City Public Library system. "I tell people to not start wood turning unless they want to get addicted," O'Brien recently told Patch. "One of the best feelings for me is that I can come in here on almost any day without a specific project in mind, pick up a piece of wood and leave here three-to-four hours later with a finished piece." Things are certainly different for O'Brien now that he's retired. A native of Newport, RI, he received a degree in …
38.696629
-77.256169
Workhouse Arts Center
9601 Ox Rd, Lorton, VA
/articles/as-the-wood-turns-meet-workhouse-woodturner-artist-patrick-obrien
422493
/locations/9134909
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Elvis, Fred Astaire, Judy Garland and Alfred Hitchcock fill this Easter collection.
Last month, I got a chance to meet Ben Mankeiwitcz, the Turner Classic Movies host and curator, who is actually from the DC area, and was here promoting this year's TCM Classic Film Festival, running from April 25-28 in Hollywood. If you haven't heard, they have a festival, and Cinema Siren can attest to the fact that they feature both great movies and great guest stars. This year, they'll include Polly Bergen, Ann Blyth, Mel Brooks, Jane Fonda, Mitzi Gaynor, Tippi Hedren, Max Von Sydow, Eva Marie Saint and Mickey Rooney, just to name some of my favorites. When I talked to Mankeiwitcz, he said those who attend are some of the most knowledgeable movie fans in the world, but surprisingly diverse in age. He said one fan who expertly …
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Fun happenings in and around Northern Virginia Friday, March 29-Sunday, March 31.
It's Easter weekend, and still spring break for many in Northern Virginia. Time to have a little fun! We've rounded up some area weekend events — be sure to get out there and play! Hidden Oaks Nature Center, Annandale: Easter Bunny at Fair Oaks Mall: George Mason University, Fairfax: Workhouse Arts Center, Lorton: Farther Afield: Know of another event this weekend in Northern Virginia others should know about? Feel free to tell other readers about it in the comments box below.
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Fun things to do in and around the area Friday, March 22 to Sunday, March 24.
Looking to get out and about and have a little fun this weekend? Patch has you covered — there are lots of events for every interest. Know of something else neat going on around town? Tell all of our readers by adding it in the Comments box below. Have a great weekend! Kite Festival - A Celebration of Spring Come fly a kite in the pastures. Write with a quill pen, play 18th-century games, sample hearth cooking, climb on a modern fire truck, purchase colorful kites and spring plants. Bring a picnic or buy one here. Rain Date: Saturday, March 30. Saturday noon to 5 p.m. at Gunston Hall, 10709 Gunston Road, Lorton; for more information, call (703) 550-9220 Admission: $10 adults, $6 ages 6-18, $2 ages 2-5, $25 family admission Piccadilly …
Friday, March 22, 2013
Frenetic fun, Stone Age family-style. Three starfish.
The Croods, the new 3D computer-animated feature release from DreamWorks Animation, is the story of a prehistoric family who take a road trip out of necessity. Patriarch Grug (Nicolas Cage) spends every day protecting his family by alternately leading them on life-endangering family hunting trips and terrifying them into staying in their tiny cave-home with stories about everything in the outside world being potentially deadly. "Never not be afraid," he says. Daughter Eep (Emma Stone) believes that's no way to live. Her sense of adventure carries her father away from the cave and her dad's controlling nature, much like any teen looking to figure out who they are. Everything changes when their cave is destroyed in the dramatic earth …
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Time for a matinee?
This week, we have four new movies of note, and I'll briefly give my thoughts and recommendations, so you know what you're getting into before you hand over your hard-earned cash and sit in expectation for upwards of two hours…. The Call: Don't Answer This movie stars Halle Berry as 911 operator Jordan in a race against time to save a teenage abductee Casey (Abigail Breslin). For a story which centers on the potential torture, rape and death of a young girl, it starts off well enough. We learn why Berry's character is highly invested in keeping alive the girl at the center of the action. She's been there before, and it didn't go well. This means not only will you, dear audience, be watching extended scenes of a terrified teen screaming …
Friday, March 15, 2013
Fun events in and around Northern Virginia Friday, March 15-Sunday, March 17.
Looking for some fun this weekend? We've found a bunch of happenings, courtesy of Fairfax County and other outlets taking place Friday, Saturday and Sunday in and around the area. Know of another fun event? Feel free to mention it in the comments box below. Katie & Logan Acoustic Duo Enjoy your Friday evening or Saturday afternoon with live music at Paradise Springs Winery, the closest winery to Washington DC and the first in Fairfax County. After a hard week at work, relax with a picnic, good friends, and a great bottle of wine. Featuring live music every Friday evening until 9 p.m., and every Saturday from 2-6 p.m. Artists include acoustic acts, pianists, jazz bands, banjos, or other various forms. Enjoy the sounds of Katie & Logan, …
Ken Gear
7:53 am on Friday, April 5, 2013
First, it's a former prison why does it warrant historic status? It's ugly. Old doen't equal historic! The need to add retail and restaurants just like the Torpoedo factory in Old Town is surrounded by retail that attract visitors. The area is surrounded by high income neighborhoods yet there are few nice sit down restaurants in the area. more ›