Saturday, May 21 and Sunday, May 22 at Reston Town Center
200+ National Artists • Dance Performances • Family Art-Making Activities • & More!
Greater Reston Arts Center (GRACE) presents their 25th annual Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival offering authentic art and experiences for all tastes and ages on May 21 and 22 at Reston Town Center. This eleven-block art walk will be filled with more than 200 artists from across the nation who will exhibit and sell original paintings, photography, mixed-media, sculpture, jewelry, and fine craft. The festival is open from 10 am until 6 pm on Saturday, and 10 am until 5 pm on Sunday, rain or shine, attracting more than 30,000 enthusiasts from the D.C. region and beyond.
Enjoy a beautiful weekend viewing inspiring and innovative art in a wide variety of media, interacting directly with artists, and exploring your own creativity in the free Family Art Park in the Pavilion. Especially for children, the Chantilly High School National Art Honor Society is providing free face painting and balloon animals. Innovative dance performances sponsored by Reston Community Center are presented in the parks, inspired by outdoor sculptures, A Bird in the Hand created by Patrick Dougherty, and Reston Rondo by Mary Ann Mears (see photos below). The dances, plus periodic musical entertainment, are scheduled throughout the weekend.
The artists are coming from as far away as California, Florida, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Canada, and points in between. See them in advance (sort by category, name, etc.) on this year’s list of more than 200 participating artists that includes 28 from the D.C. metro region, 4 from Reston, and 38 who will be exhibiting at the festival for the first time. Notables include a multi-media printmaker from Richmond, Layla Messkoub; glass artist Kirk Miller of Florida; and Donna Veverka from Boston with one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces for men and women. The selection of artists also includes 10 who received an Award of Excellence at the 2015 Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival. The artists are selected on the basis of quality, originality, and craftsmanship by a panel of expert, independent jurors appointed by GRACE. This year’s jurors – artist, Tim Doud; curator, Ashley Kistler; and interior designer, Judith Weisman – will also serve as judges for the 2016 festival.
Layla Messkoub, In Dialogue, collage
Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival is consistently rated one of the best outdoor art festivals in the U.S.A. and is top-rated by Washingtonian Magazine and Virginia Living Magazine. The festival is free and open to the public, although $5 donations to support GRACE are encouraged and appreciated. In return, patrons receive a robust festival program containing at least $50 worth of dining certificates. While you’re here, you can also check out the new VWs with Lindsay Volkswagen.
The weekend begins with the Festival Launch Party, a festive evening of artsy beverages, savory creations catered by The Counter, a fantastic silent auction, and mingling with the artists, held in the glassed-roof Pavilion on Friday, May 20. The party is open to all, and the quantity of tickets is limited – purchase in advance ($100 per person), and order commemorative “wobbling” wine glasses online at restonarts.org.
Nnamdi Okonkwo, sculpture
Since 1991, the non-profit Greater Reston Arts Center (GRACE) has produced the festival, marvelously, as an annual fundraiser for its operations and educational outreach to the community. The first “Reston Fine Arts Festival,” as it was then known, was a one-day event featuring 80 local artists, which drew about 10,000 visitors. Since then, thanks to a dynamic partnership with Reston Town Center, for two days every year the streets are reserved for pedestrians only, and the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival is an enriching, must-do event.
From Ontario, Canada, painter Julia Gilmore at last year’s Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival
A special event of this scale requires strong community support, and GRACE enlists the help of 500 volunteers. Adults, teens, and middle schoolers (with parent) can sign up through restonarts.org to assist with many essential tasks. Be a part of this wonderful tradition by attending the festival, volunteering, or personally investing in the new Adopt-an-Artist campaign. More information is available at www.restonarts.org. Follow the event on Facebook.com/NorthernVirginiaFineArtsFestival, and Twitter.com @restonarts, and for more information, visit www.restonarts.org, or email info@restonarts.org, or call GRACE at 703-471-9242.
Free art-making activities all weekend in the Family Art Park at the Pavilion.
The Northern Virginia Fine Arts is made possible by its generous sponsors, including Title Sponsor Lindsay Volkswagen of Dulles, Signature Community Sponsors Reston Community Center and Reston Town Center Association, Pavilion Sponsor The M Group Architects, Launch Party Sponsor and Caterer, The Counter, and Venue Host Reston Town Center, among the many, and with the support of lead Media Sponsors, WASHINGTONIAN, Fresh 94.7 FM, and WAMU 88.5.
Join us at the 25th Annual Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival! Just 20 minutes west of Washington, DC;10 minutes east of Dulles Airport. Directions: GPS – Reston Town Center, 11900 Market Street, Reston, VA 20190. Drive: Just off Dulles Toll Road/Route 267 (exit 12). Free parking is available in 7 (seven) multi-level garages. Metrorail: Take the Silver Line to Wiehle-Reston East station, then an 8-minute bus ride that runs every 20 minutes on weekends.
Amy Flynn’s Fobot, mixed media 3D
Greater Reston Arts Center (GRACE) is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization with a mission to enrich community life by promoting involvement and excellence in contemporary visual arts. In addition to its GRACE Art program that serves more than 40 schools in the DC region, GRACE offers changing exhibitions of contemporary art at its gallery, open free to the public, as well as a diverse schedule of educational programs all year round. The premier event, Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival, has been produced by GRACE since 1992. GRACE is located at 12001 Market Street, Suite 103, at Reston Town Center. For more information, call GRACE at 703-471-9242 and visit their website, www.restonarts.org.
2015 dance performance inspired by the Reston Rondo sculpture by Mary Ann Mears
2015 dance rehearsal at A Bird in the Hand by Patrick Dougherty (on display, to explore, through 2017, at Reston Town Square Park)
The 2-day Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival annually attracts 30,000+ enthusiasts to the relaxed urban setting of Reston Town Center.
