Thursday, May 9, 2013
The fifth annual festival is July 20 at the Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton.
The fifth annual Clifton Film Festival will need to raise $1,500 in order to operate smoothly. Prizes for donating to its Kickstarter campaign include free tickets to the event and a chance to mingle with the filmmakers and actors. "My favorite part of the festival is to see the kids keep submitting stuff and to see it improve every year," said festival founder Dani Weinberg. "It doesn't take too much to run but any extra money allows us to do new and exciting things to improve the festival." The festival will be held July 20 at the Workhouse Arts Center and will feature dozens of short films, all of which will be shown on an inflatable outdoor movie screen. Awards are given to students and 19-year-old+ filmmakers in these categories: …
Saturday, May 4, 2013
See her work in Building W-10.
Workhouse Arts Center artist Denise Philipbar can sing, dance, paint, sculpt and solve math problems that would leave most scratching their heads. She experiments with glass water clocks, robots and hidden video cameras in her art, in addition to painting and sculpting. She also speaks five languages (French, German, Italian, Spanish and English). "If you pick up a second language you realize that there are common patterns with other languages. It's all about patterns. Paintings have abstract patterns and you learn the patterns to make the paintings interesting," said Philipbar in a recent interview with Patch. Philipbar was raised in Albuquerque, NM, to a dance teacher mother and carpenter father. She's the middle of five children and…
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Tuesday, April 30, 2013
But some artists aren't happy about it.
The nonprofit Metropolitan Performing Arts Alliance dance school is the Workhouse Arts Center's newest tenant. The remaining artists have been cleared out of building W-4 (three have left for good, one relocated to a new studio on campus), and $350,000 in renovations will begin in May. "Because of the shortfall of venues on campus, our program is lacking in performing arts activities," said John Mason, the Workhouse President and CEO, to Patch. "Well, MPAA is all about visual arts." The Good News "By leasing W-4 with essentially no risk to us, we will start FY14 with a $100,000 per-year new revenue stream," said Mason. "My aim is that our operational budget will have a positive balance." MPAA is paying for the renovations (dance studios …
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
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 …
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Workhouse Arts Center
9601 Ox Rd, Lorton, VA
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Fun happenings in and around Northern Virginia Friday, April 5-Sunday April 7.
It's finally the weekend, and the weather in Northern Virginia is finally looking up. Time to have a little fun! We've rounded up some area weekend events — be sure to get out there and play! Dinner and a Movie at the Workhouse Arts Center - "Rear Window" Hula Hoop at Lee District RECenter, Kingstowne: The American Backstage Company Grand Opening: Mount Vernon RECenter's Public Skate: FHLL Opening Day: The Rick Sickmen Band (RSB): Tasting Party: Umami Means 'Delicious' Heroes v. Villains 4th Annual Run for Justice 5k Benefitting the Fairfax Law Foundation Don't forget, you can always get in a last minute visit to the Cherry Blossom Festival. Click here for Patch Cherry Blossom Festival Guide.
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 …
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Workhouse Arts Center
9601 Ox Rd, Lorton, VA
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Saturday, March 2, 2013
There's something for everyone out there this weekend.
Looking for some fun activities for the weekend? Look no further. We found a few events around the area we think you'll enjoy: Know something else going on this weekend? Share it in the Comments box below!
Monday, February 4, 2013
What will you do/see/think about today?
Welcome to Monday, Feb. 4, 2013! Here are some interesting facts about today: 1. On this day in 1789, George Washington was unanimously elected the first President of the United States by the Electoral College. He served two terms and left office of his own accord, an act that compelled Britain's King George to call Washington the greatest man in the world. 2. Got an addiction to "liking" things? On Feb. 4, 2004, Mark Zuckerberg founded Facebook. 3. Famous birthdays: Former Vice President Dan Quayle is 66, American musician Alice Cooper is 65 and Mexican-American boxer Oscar De La Hoya is 40. 4. The weather today will be cloudy with a high of 36, according to the National Weather Service. The evening will be snowy (60 percent chance) …
Friday, January 18, 2013
All proceeds will go to Food for Others.
Workhouse Arts Center studio artists John Gascot and Mary Gallagher-Stout, also known as The Art Monkeys, are organizing their second annual Have a Heart Project. The artistic food drive opens to the public Wednesday, Feb. 6 and will display empty lunch bags with original artworks created by a number of Workhouse artists. Each of the pieces in the exhibit will be sold for a $10 donation, and all the proceeds will benefit the Food for Others charity. "We're trying to make a living, but also make our community a better place," Stout recently told Patch. "When you invest in your art and your community we become invested in you." Last year's project earned the non-profit 750 pounds of food. “We hope that visitors will share in our …
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 ›