For the past several months, Andrew has served on a committee with the Virginia Commission for the Arts to develop and present an online festival of the Commonwealth's rich performing arts talent. Virginia is home to so much great music of all genres, from the mountain music and the Crooked Road of the southwest to the cosmopolitan cultural brew of northern Virginia, and everything in between.
After nearly a year of planning and production, VCA Presents: A Virtual Artist Showcase is being broadcast over several weeks this autumn on the VCA's YouTube channel, and marks the first time that the Commission has been involved with marketing artists and their work directly to the public, as opposed to grantees and presenters. The VCA has worked tirelessly on a number of fronts to help support arts venues and performing artists during the pandemic, including this first-ever online festival. They have partnered with Virginia Public Media, the state's Tourism Council and a variety of other entities to bring our art to a global audience.
Each week's showcase is drawn from a region of the Commonwealth, and spotlights a rich diversity of music, dance and theatre (click the link to see previous showcases). with a statewide Grand Finale on Wednesday December 8th. Each link connects to the YouTube as each performance goes live.
October 21, 2021 - Southwest Virginia
November 3, 2021 - Coastal Virginia
November 10, 2021 - Northern Virginia, Part 1
November 17, 2021 - Northern Virginia, Part 2
November 24, 2021 - Shenandoah Valley/Blue Ridge
December 1, 2021 - Central Virginia - Capital Region
December 8, 2021 - Finale (featuring performers and venues from all across the Commonwealth) includes "Aretas Culver" at the Franklin Park Arts Center.
Come in from the cold, and join us for the VCA Presents: Virtual Artist Showcase. Wherever you live, thanks for supporting your local artists and venues, and we hope you'll come see some of the tremendous arts and cultural offerings in regions all across Virginia next time you're here.