The Shadow
The Arts are Alive in Clifton Forge!
The Arts Community Celebration offers an exciting glimpse of the variety of arts and crafts in the Alleghany Highlands region on Friday, September 20 and Saturday, September 21. The Arts Community Celebration features exhibits, demonstrations and classes, entertainment of all kinds including performances on the Masonic Amphitheatre stage, artists’ original work in the Art Market featuring 17 artists, and a food court. Partners include Alleghany Highlands Arts & Crafts Center, Alleghany Arts Council, Alleghany Highlands Chamber of Commerce, Blue Spring Run Farm, Clifton Forge Main Street, Clifton Forge School of the Arts, Cora Dance, Four Moons Designs, Lollie’s Quilt Shop, The Historic Masonic Theatre and Masonic Amphitheatre, the Town of Clifton Forge and Virginia Department of Tourism. The hours run from 3:00 pm to 9:00 pm on Friday and 10:00 am to 5:00 pm on Saturday. Main Street businesses and restaurants will be open during their regular business hours.
For the second year the Arts Market will be a vital part of the Arts Community Celebration with artist tents set up on Church Street to exhibit artwork and to participate in demonstrations. The number of artists has doubled for the Arts Community Celebration 2024. Artists displaying their work include: Jan Skellion, pottery; Judith Lochbrunner, painter; Abigail Padgett, painter; Kathryn Lohotsky, painter; Nancy Newhard, painter; Jennifer Hise, painter; Angie Lawrence, polymer clay; Sandy Sampson, exotic wood jewelry & accessories; Keith Martin, jewelry & beadwork; Mar Jeminez, jewelry; Mackayla Pence, jewelry; Janis Peery, fused glass; Emily Falls, woodworking; Peter Woglom, woodworking; Pam Hirt, barn
quilts; Marianne Moon, laser crafted engraver; and Joan Vannorsdall and Chuck Almarez, What’s Your Story book series.
This is the fifth year that the arts organizations and downtown businesses in Clifton Forge have united to present amazing arts and crafts. All are combining forces to show the prevalence and diversity of arts and crafts in the area. The Arts enrich our homes, wardrobes, offices, public spaces, as well as contribute to our national economy, our balance of trade, and the fabric of our national history. Many would say the arts provide sanity in a complicated world. Arts and crafts are original, beautiful, and enduring, and the Arts Community is displaying the abundance of creativity that exists locally.
Executive Director, Connie Baker, of the Alleghany Highlands Arts & Crafts Center remarks, “The Arts Community Celebration is a joint effort between the arts venues in Clifton Forge and many of the Downtown merchants so the variety of exhibits, music, dance, storytelling and hands-on demos and entertainment make this event unique. The planning committee meets months in advance with the sincere effort to help all the venues shine and put their best foot forward.”
Arts Community Performances include Sam Bush, considered an originator of progressive bluegrass music, who will appear at The Historic Masonic Theatre on Friday, September 20 at 7:30 pm. In 2020, he was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame as a member of New Grass Revival. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame a second time in 2023 as a solo artist.
Among his many awards, the Americana Music Association (AMA) presented Sam Bush with the Lifetime Achievement for Instrumentalist award in 2009. The Historic Masonic Theatre is honored to have Sam Bush on stage during the Arts Community Celebration. Tickets may be purchased at
www.historicmasonictheatre.com or by calling the Theatre Box Office at 540 862 5655.
Additional performances are scheduled for Saturday on the Masonic Amphitheatre stage, 513 Church Street. Garlynda’s Fancy Feet Studio will perform at 11:30 am; Cora Dance will perform at 12:00 pm and 1:30 pm showcasing Ross Honaker and Carlie Mareneck and a new duet entitled DAY; Cathy Drummer will perform on keyboard at 12:30 pm; and Travis Bierer of Travis & Daniel will perform at 2:00 pm on stage featuring a combination of country, rock and blues and a touch of Christian music.
Special Exhibits during the Arts Community Celebration include: “Block Bonanza” Quilt Exhibit at The Historic Masonic Theatre on Saturday from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm. Twenty four quilts are exhibited including four that were made in the mid 1800’s which are hand pieced and hand quilted.
The Jane Frank “My Magic Bed” & Henrietta Crandall “The Girls are Back” Exhibits may be seen at the Alleghany Highlands Arts & Crafts Center from 3:00 to 9:00 pm on Friday and from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm on Saturday.
The Clifton Forge School of the Arts Exhibit is “Seen: The Art of Lucinda Rowe”, and features watercolor paintings created by Roanoke artist, Lucinda Rowe who specializes in delicately detailed wildlife illustrations on Friday from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm and from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm on Saturday.
The Demonstration/Class schedule includes the following:
Alleghany Highlands Arts & Crafts Center: Artisan Soap Demo, Friday at 3:00 pm; Christmas Wreath Making Class, Friday at 7:00 pm; Winter Scene Workshop, Saturday at 11:00 am; Artisan Soap Making- Cutting Bars, Saturday at 3:00 pm.
Clifton Forge School of the Arts: Woodworking Demo, Friday at 3:00 pm; Beginning Wood Turning: Wooden Pens Class, Saturday, from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm; Pottery Demo, Saturday at 11:00 am; Glass Demo, Saturday at 3:00 pm.
The Historic Masonic Theatre will offer Self-Guided Tours, Saturday from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm, and the “Block Bonanza Quilt Exhibit”, Saturday from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm.
Four Moons Designs: Ghost Painting Activity will present a Ghost Painting Activity on Friday from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm and on Saturday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Lollie’s Quilt Shop will provide a Fabric Silhouette Workshop on Friday from 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm and Saturday from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm.
The Arts Community Celebration Food Court will be selling food and drink on Commercial Street.
In addition to the Arts Community Celebration Food Court, area restaurants will be participating and open during specified hours. Restaurants include: Jack Mason’s Tavern and Brewery open Friday and Saturday; 42 Deli open Friday; Mountain Field Market open on Friday and Saturday; Michael’s New York Style Pizza open Friday and Saturday. C&O Railway Heritage Center will also be open 10:00 am to
4:00 pm during Friday and Saturday.
A Welcome/Information Table will be located on the corner of Commercial and Ridgeway on Friday from 3:00 pm to 9:00 pm and on Saturday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm courtesy of Virginia Department of Tourism.
Please check the schedule which will be posted at each participating venue and online at https://artscommunitycelebration.com.
Check with the participating venue to be certain of the time, or if you have questions. The schedule of events listed here is current as of this writing. All demonstrations, exhibits and displays are free of charge.
The Arts Community Celebration Committee members invite you to join the celebration as many times as possible on September 20 and 21.
Enjoy the magic that arts and crafts provide to our world and our community.
For more information, explore the participating venues’ websites and Facebook pages. Visit the Arts Community Celebration website at https://artscommunitycelebration.com and facebook.com/artscommunitycelebration.
