By Nate Delesline III
nate.delesline@insidebiz.com
The Peninsula Fine Arts Center is seeking museum guides for its upcoming exhibition, “Retooled: Highlights from the Hechinger Collection,” which is set to run Jan. 29 through May 1.
Volunteers are invited to museum guide or docent training from 10 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. on Jan. 29. Training will be at the center, and all materials and information will be provided. Participants are invited to arrive at 9:30 a.m. for coffee, doughnuts and socializing and asked to RSVP to cdonne@pfac-va.org.
Although no prior experience is required, docents should be comfortable speaking in front of diverse age groups of about 30 people, they must be dependable and are expected to show up for their tours 15 minutes early. Tours generally last 30 to 40 minutes.
The upcoming exhibition will profile 28 artists, photographers and pop artists and feature more than 40 paintings, sculptures, works on paper and photographs, the center said in an announcement.
The Peninsula Fine Arts Center also recently announced that Janelle Burchfield is the new director of marketing and community engagement, The Daily Press recently reported. In that capacity, Burchfield will lead the museum’s marketing and public relations efforts to facilitate creativity and community participation.
Burchfield has 10 years of nonprofit and arts marketing experience. Most recently, she was director of marketing and public relations at United Way of South Hampton Roads and director of marketing at Virginia Stage Company.
Virginia Ballet Theatre set to host world premiere performance
The Virginia Ballet Theatre is set to present the world premiere of “VIVALDERA,” set to Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons” and featuring original choreography by artistic director Ricardo Melendez. The concert also will include the world premiere of “Pas des Fiancée,” a new work by guest choreographer David Keener.
Performances are at 8 p.m. on Feb. 26 and Feb. 27 at the Tidewater Community College Roper Performing Arts Center in Norfolk. Tickets are available on the Roper website and are $27 for general admission, with discounts available for students, military and seniors.
Melendez is the former artistic director of Ballets de San Juan Puerto Rico and has choreographed and performed with several renowned dance companies, including Alvin Ailey Dance Ensemble, Ballet Hispanico and Dance Kaleidoscope. Keener has previously choreographed original works for Virginia Ballet Theatre, including the world premiere of Twilight in 2015.
The Virginia Ballet Theatre bills itself as Hampton Roads’ oldest and only professional ballet company and is housed at TRDance Center on Granby Street.
Hand papermaking exhibit to open
The exhibition “Pulped Under Pressure” is set to open at Tidewater Community College’s Visual Arts Center on Jan. 16. An opening reception is set for will be Jan. 21 at 7 p.m. Artist Reni Gower will give an informal gallery talk preceding the reception at 6:30 p.m. The Visual Arts Center is located at 340 High St. in Olde Towne Portsmouth.
The events are free and open to the public, and the exhibition continues through March 3.
Co-curated by Gower and Melissa Potter, “Pulped Under Pressure” features work by seven female artists from California, Illinois and Virginia, including Gower, Potter, Jillian Bruschera, Julia Goodman, Trisha Martin, Marilyn Propp and Maggie Puckett. Through traditional hand papermaking, the artists explore topics such as conservation, identity, collaboration and community engagement.
Songwriter contest open through February
Tidewater Arts Outreach invites unsigned singer-songwriters to showcase their work at the Sea Level Singer/Songwriter Festival’s Emerging Artist Competition on April 2 at the Roper Performing Arts Center in Norfolk.
In a recent announcement, festival organizers said they are accepting submissions of original music by unsigned solo artists of all ages who live within 100 miles of Norfolk. Anyone interested in participating must submit their entries online in accordance with contest rules by Feb. 15.
The top 10 semifinalists will perform one song each at a live concert on April 2 at the Roper Center. Three finalists will then be chosen by a panel of judges to perform a second song, and a winner will be selected based on those performances.
The winner will receive a prize package including photography and studio services, the opportunity to appear on local TV and radio and their own early 2017 headline show.
The Sea Level Singer/Songwriter Festival, now in its ninth year, is a celebration of live, original music and features local and national singer/songwriters. The festival is the largest annual fundraiser that benefits the Tidewater Arts Outreach, a nonprofit organization. Full details about the contest are available at tidewaterartsoutreach.org.
Email arts and nonprofits tips to Inside Business writer Nate Delesline III at nate.delesline@insidebiz.com or call him at (757) 222-5355.