For The Birds
Local man with learning and developmental challenges breaks stereotypes with woodworking creations
By Logan Smith

Chris Russell has always appreciated nature.

But something was different when the 46-year-old and his father, Mark Russell, stepped outside their Boonsboro home nearly a decade ago.

A bluebird, perched on a tree limb several yards away, caught their attention. Bright blue coated the feathery creature’s head and back, and a rusty orange pigment highlighted its soft belly and neck.

“Chris watches nature very closely,” Mark Russell, 71, said of his son who was born with mental health challenges, intellectual challenges and a seizure disorder. “He loves walking through the woods and observing animals.”

The bird remained on the branch for a short period, possibly looking for soft grasses or pine tags to enhance its nest. After surveying its surroundings, it fluttered out of sight—but not out of Chris’s mind.

His observation, although brief, prompted a conversation with his father that ultimately changed Chris’s life—and the Lynchburg community—for the better.

That day, Chris learned about the struggling bluebird population and the necessity for human intervention. Bluebirds experienced a decline in population during the 20th century, but have gradually recovered thanks to the efforts by many, including Chris Russell.

Bluebirds reside in meadows and small openings surrounded by trees. You may see them perched on wires or low branches, and they commonly use woodpecker holes as homes, according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, a member-supported organization dedicated to the understanding and protection of the natural environment.

After observing the bluebird in its simple, yet beautiful setting, Chris decided to make a difference.

“For the Birds” was born.

For more than eight years, Chris has used his woodworking skills to handcraft high quality bluebird houses, wood duck boxes and other products. He operates his business at Wall Residences in Madison Heights, an organization that assists individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

He sells his woodworks to members of the greater Lynchburg community and to several retailers including Ace Hardware.

“If I don’t help them, then the baby bluebirds will get eaten by other animals,” Chris explained. “[For the Birds] gives me a place to go when I’m extra bored at home. If we don’t build the birdhouses, the birds will get eaten by the hawks. We don’t want dead birds.”

Chris uses western cedar and pine to craft his birdhouses. Unlike many birdhouses purchased online, Chris fastens his birdhouses with wooden screws, not nails, to guarantee a secure, crack-free surface.

Unique equipment decorates Chris’s shop, including a table saw, drill press, electric sander and chop saw. A long, heavy concrete table stores most of the wood.

Chris works hard, sometimes daily, and he occasionally juggles multiple orders at once. While he executes most of the hands-on work, his father and several employees assist when needed.

“I just love for Chris to be able to make a difference and to be proud of everything,” Mark Russell said. “I’m 71 and he’s 46, but I just love for him to have a real productive and positive life.”

Chris’s intellectual disabilities include reading comprehension and math, and his medical side effects result in weight gain. He also struggles with PTSD and anxiety.

Similar to those with Asperger syndrome, Chris cannot read emotions. He does not have Down syndrome, although many may mistakenly assume.

Despite his disabilities, Chris’s love for people outweighs his condition. You may find him at a coffee shop with a friend, playing bongos at his church, or volunteering with Meals on Wheels.

“[I like] going out and having fun, staying happy, seeing people and having regular conversations with them,” Chris said.

Through his hard work, love from his family and gracious support from Wall Residences, Chris has taken agency over his life. Not only has he helped the natural habitat, but he has also made his own money to purchase CDs, movies, food and coffee.

Other than Chris’s earnings, “For the Birds” does not generate profit, but he normally breaks even on materials.

Mark expressed satisfaction that his son has pierced the traditional mold of citizens with disabilities by staying occupied and adding value to the greater Lynchburg community—instead of simply occupying a facility.

“The important thing for Chris is that he owns his own life,” Mark said. “People need to be in the community, not just living in a nice house somewhere.”

Watt Foster, CEO of Foster Fuels, has been one of Chris’s faithful customers for years, purchasing more than 120 birdhouses to spread over 2,000 acres.

“When I see all the bluebirds on my farm, I appreciate Chris and his efforts,” Foster said.

Foster noted that Chris’s birdhouses are excellent, complete with precise sizing, crawl capability for baby birds, and an easy opening door for nest cleaning. Chris sometimes even installs small screen ladders for baby birds and ducklings to comfortably crawl out of their home.

“[Chris] is passionate, and dealing local is important to me,” Foster said. “Chris is fun, and I really enjoy being with him.”

Chris has lived in Lynchburg for more than 40 years and enjoys interacting with members of the community like Foster. But the great outdoors is his greatest joy—he loves walking through the woods and keeping an eye out for numerous wildlife including birds, turtles and foxes.

“I like to watch birds, and I love nature. It’s neat to see all kinds of nature,” Chris Russell said.

Portrait Artist

Lynchburg Living Editor Shelley Basinger: What brought you to Lynchburg?
Kate McClure: We moved here last summer from Waco, Texas. My husband Paul got a job at University of Lynchburg as a professor of sociology.

SB: Had you all heard of Lynchburg before?
KM: Paul went to Washington and Lee for undergrad so he had been to Lynchburg. I had never been to Lynchburg but immediately fell in love with it.

SB: We love hearing that! What reeled you in?
KM: The charming homes, the mountains, the downtown area. It’s just got a great, warm welcoming feel but there are still big things happening here. And the art community is amazing. It’s tight knit yet there are so many opportunities.

SB: When did you first discover your artistic talent?
KM: I’ve always been good at art—drawing and painting—from my earliest memories. I’ve always been an artist and I can’t imagine not being one now.

SB: Were your parents supportive?
KM: Absolutely. As a child, they recognized my talent and put me in special art classes, including an art academy where I grew up in Memphis. My mom said I was like a sponge. I would see something then sit down and paint something like it. I was always absorbing, always inspired, always painting… on everything. I once tried to paint a design on the door frame of my room and my parents were like “No, no, no, no!”

SB: We’ve had moments like that in my house, too! So, you ultimately decided to pursue art as a career path?
KM: Right, I went to Auburn and majored in fine arts with a focus on painting. I studied classical art in Florence for a little while. I’ve taken different workshops and classes along the way so I’ve had a lot of training and great experience. Over the years, I sort of found my niche in terms of what I enjoy and how I can also make a living, which is portraits with a focus on children.

SB: Walk us through that process. When you have a portrait client, how do you get started?
KM: With kids especially, I talk to the parents about the child’s personality so I can really capture that. Then I take photos of the child and that’s what I work from. I really love to capture something, a moment where they are really natural and not forced. Because kids just have that wonderful quality about them. Then I choose a photo that I think best showcases the child’s personality.

SB: Parents can be tough to please sometimes. Do you ever get nervous before you hand over the final product?
KM: I used to in the beginning but I don’t really anymore. I’ve done so many of them. But I’ve never had something not work out. I wouldn’t show it to a client if I didn’t think it was exactly the way it should be.

SB: How long do you spend on each piece? Do you paint every day?
KM: Not all day every day but I typically book up six months to a year in advance. So when I start on it depends on when I have the next spot open.

SB: You also have your own artwork on the side.
KM: In my spare time, I focus mainly on painting landscapes. Most of the portrait work I do is more realistic so when I get to do landscapes, I like to play around with color and get more loose and abstract.

SB: Are the landscapes a way to sort of get the creative juices flowing?
KM: Exactly. It’s nice to switch back and forth because I will go to landscapes or my own art and then I will miss portraits again and vice versa so I think it’s important to switch it up.

SB: What types of scenes inspire you?
KM: Since moving to Virginia, the landscape here is so beautiful and that is really my main inspiration. But it’s always based on something I see. The mountains, the fall colors, the birch trees, the farmhouses. Things like that.

SB: What do you do with your landscapes and other artwork?
KM: I had a show in Lynchburg in March and have another show happening Memphis in a couple of months. I sell out of my studio to anyone interested in those pieces.

SB: What’s next for you?
KM: I will always be doing my portraits. I work with lots of families, and I love that. Since moving here and being able to settle, I’ve been able to focus on showing my own artwork, which is really fun and exciting. I hope for more opportunities down the road to expand on that.

SB: You are proof that making a career out of art is possible. Do you have any advice for aspiring artists?
KM: I’m really passionate about this because there is so much training on how to make art but training on how to market and sell art is harder to find. I was lucky and found a woman out of California who has a business training course for artists. I worked with her for several years and it made all the difference. I think artists need to get that training if you want to do it full time and it be your main source of income.

SB: You need to have a strategy.
KM: Exactly. Not just, “I’m hoping somebody will see me.” It doesn’t work like that. The competition is too great. Also, my advice to aspiring artists—work really hard at developing your craft and be patient. I think back to when I started doing this full time 10 years ago and how far I’ve come. You have to be patient but if you stick with it and are committed then doors will open.

Local baristas explain how they turn your latte into a memorable design… that you almost hate to sip

A hiss of steam, and the dance begins. Steady hands raise a small, metal pitcher near a steaming cup of espresso. Blink and you might miss the delicate movements—all in the wrist—as the creamy stream is pushed under the dark liquid, then, as the pitcher draws back, a few gentle wiggles precede a steady whip, following through, turning a roasted beverage into a work of art.

People love their caffeine, but today’s coffee shops offer much more than a mere fix. Increasingly, cafés have become artistic hubs for the community (Lynchburg has no shortage of “it” joints serving up some mean java). Of course, the coffee has to be good. But customers also want an experience, something “snapworthy” to share with their digital community.

“I would say, especially in coffee, presentation is important just because it is a science and an artform combined,” Becca Laughlin, a barista at Third Wave Coffee, said. “If you go somewhere and you see latte art … it is a good sign that the person making your drink cares, or at least to some degree knows what they are doing.

“Customers, they love [latte art],” she continued. “Even if I pour something and I am like, ‘Oh man, that is terrible,’ people get so excited. They are like, ‘That is so cute, oh my gosh.’”

Golf Park Coffee Manager Haylynn Gaunt said that as Lynchburg’s scene is growing, so is the expectation that comes with personality-driven businesses.

“When I came to work in Lynchburg, people were surprised when I would hand them a latte with something pretty in it,” she said. “When I was introduced to coffee, it was mostly in bigger cities [like Baltimore, New York, and Washington, D.C.], so every barista is pouring good latte art consistently. I just came to expect that.”

With the right equipment, and practice, adding that artistic flair atop a homemade drink is possible.

Haylynn Gaunt, manager at Golf Park Coffee on Bedford Avenue, has been creating latte art for a little over two years.

“For the most part, anyone can do it; you don’t have to have this special talent or necessarily be good at art to be good at it,” Gaunt said. “It is a lot of attention to detail. You have to be paying attention to the point that [during] each pour you do you can adjust yourself.”

“You want to be relaxed,” Laughlin added.

“If you are tense, it is going to make it a lot more difficult. A lot of it is muscle memory and just learning what that feels like. You can practice pouring with water with the pitcher in the sink.”

To create art with a latte or cappuccino (the difference being the amount of milk; lattes have more), one needs to be able to pull a shot of espresso and steam milk properly. Alternative milks tend to not pour as well as whole milk.

“It’s the fat content that makes a big difference in the milk,” Laughlin said. “The fat percentage in whole milk seems to work the best. It is possible with alternative milks, it’s just much, much, much, more difficult.”

Both experts said to get a really great drink with really great art, it’s best to invest in your equipment. As it relates to the espresso, a fresh shot is all you’ll need, but it probably won’t taste as good from a low-end machine.

To get started, Gaunt explained: “A big part of it is having a good foundation—hot espresso with that crema on top. The crema, the foam on top of the espresso when you pull it, is what allows you to sink the milk underneath and give that contrast as you pour.”

Laughlin stressed the importance of properly steamed milk to both taste and the process. “The way that you steam the milk also has to do with taste, even down to the temperature that you steam the milk,” she said. “If you burn the milk, it is not going to taste as sweet. … If you don’t steam the milk properly it is pretty much impossible to make any kind of art.”

Place the steam wand close to the bottom of the pitcher, she said, tipping the pitcher to allow the milk to aerate. When the milk is done, it should look like wet paint when you swirl it around. This is called microfoam—the steam has created tiny, unseen bubbles that texture the milk when you swirl it around.

From there, it’s all about getting the mechanics of pouring down. And having a good pitcher will make all the difference. Pitchers vary in the amount they hold and how wide the spouts are. Baristas differ in their preferences, but typically a narrower spout is better when pouring less milk, such as for a cappuccino.

“When you pour, it is different between the height, the flow of how you are pouring,” Gaunt explained. “You start up really high so that the milk is a thinner stream and sinks underneath the crema, so you are hiding it but it is keeping the same color while also diluting the espresso. Then, it will raise up as you pour more in and then you can actually do the art.”

Holding the cup in one hand, aim the pitcher for the deepest part, at first.

“After you kind of create a good base,” Laughlin said, “swirl it around to make sure it is all even. Once you are ready to start pouring the design, you bring the pitcher down closer to the espresso. Then, it is this very delicate—very small movements. You would kind of start with the pitcher close to the milk and it is kind of a push, depending on the type of design you are making.”

The most basic design is a monk’s head, a circle. If you pull through you get a heart.

For a rosetta, another basic design, Laughlin explained: “You would start with a push and then a very, very light wiggle. It is not aggressive. It is not your whole arm. It’s all in the wrist. Little wiggle and then pulling back at the same time.

And then when you get to the end you would hold it and then pull it up a little more. That is what creates the heart on the top. And then it is a pull through, evenly.

“Tulips are layers,” she added, “so you would push-push-push, so you are pausing instead of pulling through.”

Bolder designs often come from combining mechanics of others.

“You are trying new movements but they are all building on those foundations,” Laughlin said. Seeing those designs on top of one’s drink adds more than a layer of cream; it adds a flair that invites appreciation.

“If you pour latte art and it isn’t great, it is going to taste the same as if you were pouring it pretty,” Gaunt said.

“Art kind of adds a touch and makes people remember it more. It’s marketing, really. For the coffee industry presentation is important. People want to take photos of it and get more excited about it.”

Woodworker

Lynchburg Living Editor Shelley Basinger: Norman, take me back to how this hobby of yours began. Have you always had an interest in woodworking?

Norman Ogden: When I was in school, we had FFA (Future Farmers of America) and the last semester we had to work in the shop. You had to make a toolbox by hand using a handsaw and all of that.

SB: Did that spark an interest for you?

NO: It did. But after school I went and worked for a long time. When I left school, I worked at Campbell-Payne Inc. hauling and unloading cement by hand. Then I went to work at the paper mill (formerly MeadWestvaco Corp., now WestRock Co.). I worked for 46 years until I retired in 1998. That’s when I said to myself, “Well I’ve got to have something to do.” In the meantime, I had bought a truckload of tobacco sticks. I decided I was going to try to make something out of those. So I did.

Bonnie Kinnaird (daughter): The first tobacco sticks he used came from an auction and at first, Dad didn’t know what he was going to do with them. It was just part of the heritage of Virginia. He wanted them for that reason.

SB: A lot of people (including me) may not really know much about tobacco sticks. What’s the history there?

NO: They don’t use them much now. But farmers used to take all of the leaves off the tobacco and tie them onto the sticks. Then the sticks were hung in the rafters of the barn. They would put a fire underneath to dry out the leaves and prevent mold. After the tobacco dried they would take it down, tie the leaves into bundles and take the tobacco to market. They quit using the tobacco sticks mostly or some farmers quit raising tobacco altogether. Then they had these piles and piles of tobacco sticks leftover.

BK: The first thing he made with the tobacco sticks was a little stand or drying rack that would sit on a counter, about 18 inches long. This was in the heyday of country style. People used it to display towels in their bathrooms, for example. That drying rack was the beginning of it all. Little boxes came next.

NO: Bonnie said to me one day, “Now that you’ve made all of these things, what are you going to do with them?” I thought maybe I could just give them away. But we went to some craft shows and I later ended up selling at the Lynchburg Community Market.

SB: You’ve worked up to bigger pieces of furniture now. What inspires you to create?

NO: Sometimes when you start out you have a big idea. Then you get into it and it has to be changed (laughs). I make coffee tables, shelves, cupboards with tobacco stick doors, dining tables, all kinds of things.

SB: With so much interest in farmhouse style, I’m sure you’re seeing a lot of customers.

NO: Oh yeah. The reclaimed wood, the barn wood, that’s just the craze right now.

BK: Up until really the last year, we were able to find reclaimed lumber at auctions or other ways but now that it’s so popular you either can’t find it or you can’t find it for an affordable price. A lot of what Dad is doing right now is making with what he has.

NO: Everybody wants a farmhouse table. Of course, they have to have a certain size… and a certain look.

SB: Where do you do most of your work?

NO: I have a garage out back. I thought when we moved here a few years ago it had a lot of space. But it keeps getting cluttered up… and smaller and smaller.

BK: He stays very busy.

NO: I usually go down to the shop by 9 a.m. and come in by newstime—5 or 5:30 p.m. Every day.

SB: Even weekends?

NO: Every single day.

BK: That’s how you get to be 87. Doing something you love.

NO: Who is 87???

SB: Any final thoughts you want to pass along?

NO: I’m lucky to have all of my fingers. That’s the main thing. I think sometimes when I’m working with the table saw…it would be terrible after all of these years for me to lose a finger!

Find Norman’s wood furniture and décor at the Lynchburg Community Market and keep up with him on Facebook: Norman Ogden, artisan.

Liberty University Radio Drama “The Encounter” Finds Global Audience

When Chris Nelson took over Liberty University’s radio drama about five years ago, he knew he wanted to take it in a new direction. The drama had previously focused on adapting plays for radio, but Nelson wanted to do something more philosophical. “The main questions I wanted to deal with were ‘What is truth?’ and ‘Is there absolute truth?’” he says. “I gave the writers a prompt with the idea of two mountain peaks: the Peak of Reliance, a place that used truth as a weapon, similar to a legalistic society, and the Peak of Defiance, a place where truth was relative to time and circumstance. That led us to a semester of world building.” This process led to the creation of “The Encounter,” which presents a dystopian world outside our time in which the listener accompanies four characters on their adventures as they encounter truth.

The major theme of the drama is the cyclical nature of man, specifically as it pertains to mankind’s tendency to draw close to the truth, fall away from it, and be brought back to it again by a voice of truth. The characters in the drama wonder if there is any truth beyond the lies of their respective societies.

“The Encounter” will ultimately boast seven seasons, and the team recently finished recording the fifth season. The first two seasons have already been released, and Nelson hopes to premiere the third season before this summer. Nelson, who is an associate professor and the Summer Arts program coordinator at Liberty, operates as the series’ creative manager. Associate Professor Dr. Chris Underation serves as Producer and Associate Professor Kornel Gerstner serves as sound editor. Several Liberty students and other faculty members are also actively involved in the project as voice actors, writers, editors, composers, and various other roles.

“The unique thing about our show is that it is produced within an academic setting,” Nelson remarks. “Most of the voice talent for seasons one and two are college-aged students here at the university, from a variety of disciplines. The show’s music is composed by a School of Music graduate student and I have conceptual art produced by a recent graduate from the Studio and Digital Art program. I am surrounded by an amazing pool of talent here at Liberty.”

Mark McDowell, the series’ composer, has thoroughly enjoyed his experience with the show. “Composing for the series has truly been a unique experience thus far,” he says. “The storyline and main characters, within the context of the mysterious societies, laid the foundation for a diverse compositional palette. It’s been really fun working on each episode and composing music that complements the storyline.”

“‘The Encounter’ has brought a new sense of creative fulfillment to my world as an artist,” adds Jamie Cloutier, administrative assistant for Liberty’s Department of Theatre Arts and voice actor for the series. “Voiceover work is a relatively new form of performance art in my career and I have fallen in love with the unique challenges that go along with delivering a vivid storyline through the use of voice acting.”

Liberty students who participate in “The Encounter” can use the opportunity for college credit, but that is clearly not the only reason they are getting involved.

“I started writing fiction in high school, but it’s when I started writing for ‘The Encounter’ in undergrad that I realized how much I loved writing audio dramas too,” says Colton Grellier, Liberty student and lead writer of the series. “The beauty of this medium is that you engage the audience’s imagination as if they were reading a book while also having the assorted toolbox of actors and sound effects that bring the story to life as if on screen.”

“The most rewarding part of working on ‘The Encounter’ is being part of a creative team,” notes Joshua Reed, Liberty student and voice actor for the series. “Even as a voice actor I got to give my opinion on the writing and make suggestions about where the story should go. It was an awesome experience to be a part of the storytelling process.”

According to Nelson, the development, recording, and editing processes have become much more efficient as the series has progressed. “The process has evolved over time as I have learned what works best,” he says. “In season one, we had little to no time to refine or rehearse the material with the actors. To contrast that, we just recorded season five last fall and I had the cast work through the scripts throughout the semester. Those scripts went through four to five edits each and the cast was able to be more familiar with the scripts and the moments within the story. That was so helpful.”

Although he is glad that things are running more smoothly now, Nelson is also grateful for those early days of production. “We moved so quickly; we were still very green,” he notes. “But you know what? I’m happy for that learning process because it’s important for students to see that the process doesn’t have to be perfect before you start creating. I wish it was, but I’m 40 years old; I know life isn’t perfect and you keep moving, keep creating.”

Reception of “The Encounter” has been overwhelmingly positive thus far. Several episodes have won awards at the Broadcast Education Association; “The Banishment,” episode 13 of season one, won a Best of Festival award along with a cash prize last year and episodes from season two took the top two national awards this year. Additionally, the series was awarded Best New Show by the Seneca Awards in 2017.

Nelson notes that he and the entire team are honored by this recognition, but the series’ popularity amongst fans globally thrills him the most. “It’s being listened to all over the world,” he says. “In fact, right now Indonesia is a hot spot, which is just mind-boggling. But that is why we are doing this: to speak to this generation, wherever they are. I hope the audience for the show grows and that we are able to connect more people to it.”

As “The Encounter” team works on the final two seasons of the series, Nelson plans to continue to strive for excellence and to enjoy every minute of the process. “I love creating something that has meaning, and I want it to be excellent as well,” he says. “With ‘The Encounter,’ I am surrounded by like-minded students, staff, and faculty. It’s so rewarding to be surrounded by people who want excellence and who are willing to give so sacrificially to the time needed to pursue it.”

A guide to the area’s upcoming theater opportunities.

Information Compiled by
Emily Mook Hedrick

Whether you prefer mesmerizing musicals or murder mysteries, there is a little something for everyone on the local theater scene this year. But with so many talented groups, from high schools to community organizations, it can be hard to keep up with what’s playing and when. Our 2019 Theater Guide is here to help—flip through to see the year’s upcoming shows!

Endstation Theatre Company
2500 Rivermont Avenue, Lynchburg
endstationtheatre.org

Tuesdays with Morrie
“The autobiographical story of Mitch Albom, an accomplished journalist driven solely by his career, and Morrie Schwartz, his former college professor. Sixteen years after graduation, Mitch happens to catch Morrie’s appearance on a television news program and learns that his old professor is battling Lou Gehrig’s disease. Mitch is reunited with Morrie, and what starts as a simple visit turns into a weekly pilgrimage and a last class in the meaning of life.”
June 6-9 & June 12-16

The Bluest Water
“In August 1969, Hurricane Camille, the second-most intense hurricane on record to hit the United States, brought devastation to Nelson County. The Bluest Water follows survivors Jared and Liz, 50 years later, as they try to figure out what happened to a friend who lost his family to the storm, and as they remember the dead and try to heal from their own wounds.”
June 21-23 & June 26-30, special performance on August 11 at 6:30 p.m.

My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra
“My Way relives the legendary career of Frank Sinatra as four actors share more than 50 of his beloved hits that span the breadth of his career from the 1950s to the 1990s. Performing songs that include ‘Fly Me to the Moon,’ ‘Chicago,’ ‘New York, New York,’ and ‘That’s Life’ are four professional performers straight from the stages of New York City.”
July 12-14, July 17-21, July 23-28
All evening performances begin at 7:30 p.m. All matinee performances begin at 2 p.m.

Wolfbane Productions
618 Country Club Road, Appomattox
wolfbane.org

Cabaret
“In a Berlin nightclub, as the 1920s draw to a close, a garish Master of Ceremonies welcomes the audience and assures them they will forget all their troubles at the Cabaret. With the Emcee’s bawdy songs as wry commentary, Cabaret explores the dark, heady, and tumultuous life of Berlin’s natives as Germany slowly yields to the emerging Third Reich.”
April 11-14, 18-21, 25-28, & May 2-4

A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder
“A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder is a murderous romp filled with unforgettable music, non-stop laughs and a scene-stealing role for one actor playing all eight of the doomed heirs who meet their ends in the most creative and side-splitting ways.”
June 6-9, 13-16, 20-23, 27-29

Wolfbane’s Tempest
“At long last, this beautiful adaptation of the Shakespearean masterpiece returns to the woods of the Wolf PAC. Tempest is a tale of magic, deception, revenge, and forgiveness. Learn what happens as Prospera, the deposed Duchess of Milan, plots revenge against her foes on the remote and enchanted island of Oilean.”
August 8-10, 15-17, 29-31

The Crucible
“Winner of Wolfbane’s 2019 Audience Choice poll, Wolfbane is excited to put its unique twist on this Arthur Miller classic. In The Crucible, fear runs rampant through Salem, Massachusetts, resulting in unreasonable accusations and ridiculous behavior pitting neighbor against neighbor. Journey into the woods with Wolfbane and experience this show like never before.”
October 3-5, 10-12, 24-26

Thursday, Friday, & Saturday Performances:
All shows start at 8 p.m., doors open at 7 p.m.
Sunday Performances: All shows start at
6 p.m., doors open at 5 p.m.

Renaissance Theater
1022 Commerce Street, Lynchburg
renaissancetheatrelynchburg.org

Driving Miss Daisy
“When Daisy Werthan crashes her car, her son arranges for her to have a chauffeur named Hoke Colburn. Daisy and Hoke’s relationship gets off to a rocky start, but they gradually form a close friendship over the years, one that transcends racial prejudices and social conventions.”
April 19-20, 26-28 & May 2-4

Drinking Habits
“Two nuns at the Sisters of Perpetual Sewing have been secretly making wine to keep the convent’s doors open. Two reporters go undercover as a nun and priest to break the story. Their presence, combined with the addition of a new nun, spurs paranoia that spies have been sent from Rome to shut the convent down. Wine and secrets are inevitably spilled as everyone tries to preserve the convent and reconnect with lost loves.”
July 12-13, 19-21, 25-27

Mamma Mia!
“Donna is preparing for her daughter’s wedding with the help of two old friends. Meanwhile Sophie, the spirited bride, has a plan. She secretly invites three men from her mother’s past in hope of meeting her real father and having him escort her down the aisle on her big day. Join us as we present the musical sensation Mamma Mia!, based on the music of ABBA.”
October 4-5, 11-13, 17-19

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever!
“In this hilarious Christmas classic, a couple struggling to put on a church Christmas pageant is faced with casting the Herdman kids—probably the most inventively awful kids in history. You won’t believe the mayhem—and the fun—when the Herdmans collide with the Christmas story head on!”
December 6-7, 13-15, 19-21

Thursday, Friday, and Saturday shows begin at 8 p.m. Sunday matinees begin at 3 p.m.

Academy Center of the Arts
600 Main Street, Lynchburg
academycenter.org

Barter Players Presents: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (Historic Academy Theatre)
“Whether it’s fishing with Huckleberry Finn or convincing his friends to whitewash Aunt Polly’s fence, nobody loves life more than the irascible Tom Sawyer. Then one night in a spooky graveyard, Tom and Huck stumble upon a deadly secret. Will they be able to save Muff Potter from the treacherous Injun Joe before it’s too late? Join Tom and Huck on the most exciting adventure of their life, where they learn that man’s greatest treasure is the gift of friendship.”
March 17 at 3 p.m.

Academy Presents: Aquila Theatre’s Frankenstein (Historic Academy of Music Theatre)
“Written two centuries ago in 1818 by Mary Shelley, Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus is the first true science fiction novel. Years ahead of its time, the story has since become the inspiration for countless film and stage adaptations. Frankenstein is a living, breathing, gruesome outcome of scientific discovery.”
March 30 at 7:30 p.m.

Beauty and the Beast, Jr. (A Youth Theatre Production at the Historic Academy Theatre)
“The classic story tells of Belle, a young woman in a provincial town, and the Beast, who is really a young prince trapped under the spell of an enchantress. If the Beast can learn to love and be loved, the curse will end and he will be transformed to his former self. But time is running out. If the Beast does not learn his lesson soon, he and his household will be doomed for all eternity.”
April 20 at 2 p.m.

Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest Presents: Jefferson & Adams, On Stage and in Conversation (Historic Academy Theatre)
“Written by Howard Ginsberg and based on his original play, this is the story of the turbulent 52-year friendship of Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Adams’ wife, Abigail. Based on the collection of letters between these prolific founding fathers—and one equally astute wife—the play fuses compelling political thoughts with passionate personal beliefs.”
April 27 at 7:30 p.m.

Community Through Theatre Presents: Follies (Historic Academy Theatre)
“A true theatrical event, this legendary masterpiece is considered by many to be the greatest musical ever created. Surreal, sophisticated, compelling, heart-wrenching and epic in scope, Follies—by musical theatre legend Stephen Sondheim and author James Goldman—uses the musical theatre as a metaphor for the collapse of American innocence and naiveté in the post-Kennedy years.”
May 10-11, May 17-18 at 7:30 p.m.,
May 12 at 2 p.m., & May 19 at 2 p.m.

City on a Hill Youth Theater
219 Breezewood Drive, Lynchburg
facebook.com/CityOnAHillYouthTheater

Ladies of the Jury
“In a small town, a jury is selected and a murder trial is held. The dramatic proceedings are amusingly interrupted from time to time by Mrs. Crane, an eccentric juror. When the jurors retire to deliberate, the first ballot is eleven for ‘Guilty’ and one ‘Not guilty.’ Mrs. Crane has her own theories and she will not give in; she knows that capitulation means sending an innocent woman to her death.”
April 4-13, times TBD

Cavalier Theatre
(Jefferson Forest High School)
1 Cavalier Circle, Forest
sites.google.com/bedford.k12.va.us/cavaliertheatrehome/home

Footloose: The Musical
“One of the most explosive movie musicals in recent memory bursts onto stage! When Ren and his mother move from Chicago to a small farming town, Ren is prepared for the inevitable adjustment period at his new high school. What he isn’t prepared for are the rigorous local edicts, including a ban on dancing instituted by the local preacher, determined to exercise control over the town’s youth.”
April 30-May 5 at 7:30 p.m.

Brookville Theatre (Brookville High School)
100 Laxton Road, Lynchburg
facebook.com/BrookvilleHighSchoolTheatre/

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats
“Cats is a sung-through musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot. The musical tells the story of a tribe of cats called the Jellicles and the night they make what is known as ‘the Jellicle choice’ and decide which cat will ascend to the Heaviside Layer and come back to a new life.”
March 28-30 at 7 p.m. & March 31 at 2 p.m.

Glass Theatre (E.C. Glass High School)
2111 Memorial Avenue, Lynchburg
ecglasstheatre.org

Hairspray
“It’s 1962 in Baltimore, and the lovable plus-size teen Tracy Turnblad has only one desire: to dance on the popular ‘Corny Collins Show.’ When her dream comes true, Tracy is transformed from social outcast to sudden star. She must use her newfound power to dethrone the reigning Teen Queen, win the affections of heartthrob Link Larkin, and integrate a TV network… all without denting her ‘do!”
April 25-26 at 7 p.m. & May 2-4 at 7 p.m.

Pioneer Theatre (Heritage High School)
3101 Wards Ferry Road, Lynchburg
lcsedu.net/schools/hhs/about/activities/pioneer-theatre

Nevermore: The Imaginary Life and Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe
“Nevermore: The Imaginary Life and Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe is a musical that follows the tragic life of Edgar Allan Poe and the internal struggles he faced which later on inspired his writings. The script contains many references to Poe’s poems and short stories.”
April 4-7, times TBD

Liberty Christian Academy Theatre
3701 Candlers Mountain Rd, Lynchburg
lcabulldogs.com

2019 shows are in the works. Stay tuned!

Liberty Tower Theater/Alluvion Stage Company
1971 University Blvd, Lynchburg
liberty.edu/academics/art/theatre & alluvionstage.com

The Diary of Anne Frank (Academic Performance at the Box Theater)
“In this transcendently powerful story, Anne Frank emerges from history a living, lyrical, intensely gifted young girl, who confronts her rapidly changing life and the increasing horror of her time with astonishing honesty, wit, and determination.”
March 22-23, 29-30 at 7:30 p.m., March 23, 30 at 2 p.m. & March 24, 31 at 3 p.m.
Special showings for school groups only on March 25 & 29 at 10 a.m.

Annie Get Your Gun (Academic Performance at the Tower Theater)
“Annie Oakley is the best shot around, and she manages to support her little brother and sisters by selling the game she hunts. When Col. Buffalo Bill discovers her, he persuades this novel sharpshooter to join his Wild West Show. It only takes one glance for her to fall head over heels for dashing shooting ace Frank Butler, who headlines the show. She soon eclipses Butler as the main attraction, which, while good for business, is bad for romance.”
April 12-13, 19-20, 26-27 at 7:30 p.m., April 13, 20, 27 at 2 p.m. &
April 14, 28 at 3 p.m.

Original Works
Student-written original plays: To Sail Away
(May 2 & 4 at 7:30 p.m. and May 5 at 3 p.m.)
and Treason with a Cup of Tea (May 3 & 5 at
7:30 p.m. and May 4 at 2 p.m.)

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University of Lynchburg Theatre
1501 Lakeside Drive, Lynchburg
lynchburg.edu/academics/
majors-and-minors/theatre/

New Works Initiative
March 20-21 at 7:30 p.m.

Curtain Call
Mar. 29-30 at 7:30 p.m.

Student Honorary Theatre Production (title to be announced)
Apr. 18-20 at 7:30 p.m.

Dance Works Concert
May 2-4 at 7:30 p.m.

Curtain Up! Curtain Call Musical Theatre Ensemble Original Works
“Join us for our unique partnership with emerging musical theatre writers from New York City. Curtain Call sings songs written for individual students and the entire ensemble. Mature themes and language.”
May 5 at 7:30 p.m.

Randolph College Theatre
2500 Rivermont Avenue, Lynchburg
randolphcollege.edu/theatre

She Kills Monsters
“She Kills Monsters tells the story of Agnes Evans as she leaves her childhood home in Ohio following the death of her teenage sister, Tilly. When Agnes finds Tilly’s Dungeons & Dragons notebook, however, she stumbles into a journey of discovery and action-packed adventure in the imaginary world that was Tilly’s refuge. In this high-octane dramatic comedy laden with homicidal fairies, nasty ogres, and 90s pop culture, acclaimed playwright Qui Nguyen offers a heart-pounding homage to the geek and warrior within us all.”
April 18-21 at 7:30 p.m. & April 20 at 2 p.m.

Sweet Briar Theater
134 Chapel Road, Sweet Briar
sbc.edu/arts/theatre-productions/

The Importance of Being Earnest
“The Importance of Being Earnest is the most renowned of Oscar Wilde’s comedies. It’s the story of two bachelors, John ‘Jack’ Worthing and Algernon ‘Algy’ Moncrieff, who create alter egos named Ernest to escape their tiresome lives.”
March 21-23 at 7:30 p.m. & March 24 at 2:30 p.m.

Local Nonprofit Brings Freedom School to Lynchburg

The Listening celebrated its fifth anniversary last March, but 2019 promises to be an even more noteworthy year for the arts advocacy nonprofit. This June, The Listening will launch Freedom School, a free six-week program for rising sixth-graders that aims to improve literacy during the summer through art, dance, spoken word, and theatre lessons. Lynchburg’s Freedom School will be held at Randolph College.

The Freedom School program is a national initiative created by the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) and is rooted in the Mississippi Freedom Project of 1964. Lynchburg’s Freedom School will be the first in Central Virginia, and The Listening is ideally suited to pioneer the initiative locally. “Nicholas George [founder and executive director of The Listening] started The Listening as a way to affect lives through spoken word poetry, particularly as a mental health intervention for middle schoolers,” says the Reverend Dori Baker, Member at Large of The Listening’s Board of Directors. “Making poetry and performing poetry can help you move beyond isolation around your own pain, anxiety, and fear into a place of community.”

George, Baker, and the Reverend Dr. Keith Anderson began thinking about creating a Lynchburg Freedom School a couple of years ago, but the Charlottesville rally of August 2017 spurred the team to turn plans into reality quickly. “After white supremacists created a tragic moment in our neighboring town of Charlottesville, we looked at each other and said, ‘Now’s the time’,” Baker recalls. “‘People need a tangible way to express love in the face of this kind of hatred.’”
The first step in The Listening’s journey to build a Freedom School was a trip to Clinton, Tennessee, which is the home of CDF Haley Farm. The farm, which previously belonged to Roots author Alex Haley, is the site of the CDF’s annual Samuel DeWitt Proctor Institute for Child Advocacy.

Ten people— including three middle school students—made the trip.

“We had a week of being infused with the ethos of Freedom School and also learning the nuts and bolts,” Baker says. “We came back really inspired to do the fundraising and program planning. The three children who went were all middle schoolers. You can do Freedom School for third graders through high schoolers, but we had already zeroed in on middle school because that’s where The Listening’s sweet spot is. These middle schoolers came back so excited, singing the songs and doing the chants they had learned.”

Among the songs they learned was “Something So Strong,” a South African song of empowerment and resilience.

The lyrics include the phrase: “There’s something so strong inside of me; no matter what happens, I can take it, I can make it, I can be who I want to be.”

“The song is emblematic of what Freedom School can do,” Baker notes. “It puts inside kids’ heads this image of themselves as people who have many strengths, partly because of who they were born as, partly because of who their families are, and partly because of their communities.

Additionally, a particular strength that Freedom School focuses on is the history of people who have had to overcome struggles throughout time.

The curriculum is about inclusion, tolerance, and the strength that comes from diversity.”

The Freedom School curriculum focuses on teaching to the whole child (instead of “to the test”) through activities that foster self-expression and meaningful communication with others. “The metrics of Freedom School are so inspiring,” Baker says. “They really do solve that summer reading loss problem, especially for boys. I see Freedom School having a positive influence on the public education system over time.”

Days at the Lynchburg Freedom School will run from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and will begin with breakfast and different guest readers from the community.

“It may be our mayor, our school board superintendent, a librarian, a custodian, or a barber who does a reading, tells the children a little bit about him or herself, and does a question-and-answer session,” Baker says. “The readings will end with a chant in which the children will thank the reader for taking the time to come and share. I know that every single person who comes in to be a guest reader is going to want to find a way to come back and help in some way because, in my experience, there are not enough opportunities out there for that kind of hands-on, tangible expression of love.”

After the guest reading, the 50 students selected to participate in Freedom School will come together for a time of gathering called “Harambe,” a Swahili word meaning “let’s pull together.”

Then, after lunch, community partners such as Old City Cemetery, the Legacy Museum, Endstation Theatre Company, Camp Kum-Ba-Yah, and HumanKind will work with The Listening to provide fun enrichment activities.

Student eligibility will be determined by recommendations from fifth grade teachers and guidance counselors, and recruitment will take place in March and April.

“We hope to be able to prioritize kids who come from our two most impoverished neighborhoods,” Baker notes.

“We believe this can be an intervention in generational poverty. Dr. Elizabeth Perry-Sizemore, who is a professor of economics at Randolph College, and her research assistants are identifying the places by census zone in Lynchburg that have the highest poverty rate, and we are going to really emphasize recruitment from those two neighborhoods.” The Freedom School staff will consist of a program director, site coordinator, and six servant leader interns.

Baker hopes that Lynchburg’s Freedom School will serve as an example for future Freedom Schools throughout Central Virginia, and she is confident that future isn’t too far away.

“I envision Freedom Schools emerging across the state of Virginia from Franklin County, where Booker T. Washington was emancipated as an 11-year-old, to Hampton, where he was educated at Hampton Institute,” she says. “He walked the 500 miles right through Lynchburg and Richmond on that journey. Richmond will have a Freedom School in either 2019 or 2020. I imagine Freedom Schools blossoming all along that trail that Booker T. Washington walked.”

First off, congratulations on the expansion of Spearman Artisanry. How do you like your new location on Main Street?

Buying the old Buckingham & Flippin building at 919 Main Street has been one of our greatest decisions. We live and work there now. The community has welcomed us and we feel like part of a true family. Of course, in addition to our new location, we still maintain our original location inside the Lynchburg Community Market at 1219 Main Street where we have been for the last five years.

Your store revolves around your gorgeous handcrafted jewelry. How did you first learn to crochet fine silver?

I continued my career in electronics by going into teaching in Lima, Peru, where I taught computers at an international Christian school. Loving to work with my hands caused me to explore the art of making jewelry. So, I enrolled at the Peruano Japones Art Center, studying jewelry design, merchandising and business administration. In those classes I learned glass fusing, weaving, leather working, felting, beading, painting, embossing, wire wrapping and other artistic skills. Ultimately, I embraced wire crochet for its sculptural, feminine and romantic characteristics.

What inspires you to create a piece of jewelry?

My inspiration for each piece is people. As I travel, I find myself being inspired by the different cultures in how they express themselves—not only in dress, but who they are as people. Some of them are very vibrant, while others are more subdued. This translates into unique creations for each individual. I even have product lines that I have named after people whose personalities have inspired me.

About how long do you spend on each piece?

It depends on the size and intricacy of the piece. Some can take me only a matter of minutes, while others may take days or weeks.

Spearman Artisanry is also a “fair trade boutique” selling accessories, home goods and clothing. Why is being fair trade important to you?

Fair trade is important to me for several key reasons. First, fair trade helps lower poverty. Instead of receiving charity, people working in fair trade business relationships are building a stable income for themselves. Second, fair trade ensures ethical treatment of workers. In contrast to sweatshops, the artisans who make these goods work for themselves and are able to work out of their homes with family members or friends. Also, by purchasing directly from them, I can ensure the process and quality of the goods that are being produced. Third, fair trade helps people to thrive in their own countries, which is also very important to us.

Connected to that third point, you also run a nonprofit alongside your business.

While we do support local organizations such as the Lynchburg Historical Foundation, Friends of the Market, Downtown Lynchburg Association, Lynchburg Symphony Orchestra, Academy Center of the Arts, and Thomas Road Baptist Church to name just a few, we also support our very own nonprofit, Building Lives International (Tejiendo Vidas Internacional). It is through this ministry that we sponsor students in third world countries by helping them with their education and provide housing for them and their families.

How often do you visit the countries of origin of your products?

I visit at least three countries per year, not only to visit existing artisans, but also to search for others.

What’s next for you in your journey?

We have a few plans. We are working with a marketing agency to help us increase our online presence and help us with our advertising. We want to work closer with the organizations within our community to help Lynchburg be one of the best places to live and work in Virginia. Finally, we want to be able to do more through Building Lives International by reaching more artisans in other countries so that we can minister to them and their families with educational opportunities and housing .

The Up-and-Coming 5th Street Pops with New Art Projects

By Jennifer Redmond | Photos by RJ GOODWIN

If you haven’t seen 5th Street lately, then you haven’t seen 5th Street.

While new storefronts are consistently opening, it’s the addition of several murals and public art that are really starting to steal the show. With the completion of the roundabout and city beautification efforts along the NW corridor (the stretch from Federal to Main), new businesses, eateries, coffee shops and even a health center have moved in over the course of the last few years. And along with their presence, many business owners are working to improve the aesthetics of the street as well.

“I want people to be looking up to the projects we have done and be inspired to do their own,” says Jason Arbusto, owner and chef of Daughters and Sons Pizza. Located on the corner of 5th and Madison, Arbusto’s shop had an older mural on its outside facing wall, but he wanted to “add something new and fresh to the neighborhood.”

Fortunately for Arbusto, it was his pizza that helped bring the mural to life. He envisioned a “vintage postcard…retro and iconic [that] could stand the test of time,” but needed an artist to “expand it and make it his own” and is also “someone who loves Lynchburg.” Then, one day, Arnulfo Jacinto and his wife Alisa came in to have some food, and in Arbusto’s words, they had “a special connection from the first conversation, and the project took wings from there.”

Jacinto (featured in the March/April 2018 issue of Lynchburg Living) says he immediately caught Arbusto’s vision of the “vintage postcard look” but also saw obstacles with the selected wall’s two windows; reconfiguring the layout made it possible to accommodate them into the spelling of “Downtown” by using each window to form the “Os” and still left plenty of room to sketch in the larger and more elaborate spelling of “Lynchburg” with block letters.

“We worked back and forth,” Arbusto says. “Tweaking the design and making modifications, but [Jacinto] had a lot of creative license…the process is the most fun part of it all, and we both love to collaborate.”

Into each of those block letters spelling “Lynchburg,” they wanted to incorporate icons of Lynchburg both past and present since the original post card that inspired Arbusto’s idea was from the 1940s and, as Jacinto says, “didn’t have any of the contemporary landmarks of today.”

Jacinto’s wife, Alisa, who has helped throughout the project, thought to ask a local Facebook group for their ideas on what to include and suggestions poured in. Jacinto says they incorporated most of them, which means the community members had key input. From the familiar—Monument Terrace, the Lynchburg Community Market, Point of Honor—to the newer— Amazement Square, Mama Crockett’s, the LOVE sign greeting visitors at Percival’s Island—the finished project is a distinctively Lynchburg mural.

“Public art is a reflection or our society; it tells us where we have been, who we are, and where we may be going,” Jacinto says. “Art is the window to our culture and heritage.”

Arbusto echoes Jacinto’s excitement for promoting public art—especially along the 5th Street corridor.

“The fruits of our labor are now paying off,” Arbusto says of the revitalization occurring on 5th Street. “The whole block where we are [Madison to Clay Street] has been developed, where as six months ago, there was nothing.” He dreams of the neighborhood “being riddled with street art everywhere,” creating a street that’s a “nice place to live and enjoy visually” while also becoming a dining and shopping destination similar to historic Scott’s Addition in Richmond.

Fortunately, other business owners are already coming along on both ends of the corridor. At the northeast corner of 5th and Federal, a mural of a caffeinated coffee drinker faces the traffic circle, beckoning them to join at 5th St. Grind.

“It represents the spirit of the shop,” says barista Joshua Sosin of the coffee shop that opened in the fall of 2017. “It’s cheerful, colorful, quirky.” Completed by artist Austin Santos in late August, Sosin says it seems like the “perfect fit since the shop is very art-forward.”

Grey’s, a new eatery closer to Main Street, had a mural of local legend and former astronaut Leland Melvin commissioned for a large inside wall. The image is a modern take on one of his official portraits for NASA, which is also the cover of his book Chasing Space. The image went viral a few years ago due to the rare and endearing inclusion of Melvin’s two rescue dogs.

And, on the corner of 5th and Court, Elise and Adam Spontarelli are working to make art part of the culture at Vector Space, a nonprofit makerspace and community workshop they co-founded in 2016.

“We are excited about the future of 5th Street,” Elise says, noting the “tremendous growth” of the corridor thus far. “Public art lets the neighborhood and the community know that people care about the area [because] art is inviting and a sign of life.”

Vector Space has an outdoor piece by Bartertown Bobby Fuller on the wall facing Court Street and Adam did a piece on the adjacent outside wall. After renovating the second floor of the building, Elise says Jacinto and Nugent Koscielny are both working on interior pieces to bring “color and visual interest to the space.”

Jacinto says Vector Space “promotes an amalgamation of art, machinery, and robotics” which has led to him focusing on the expansion of his “Rollerbot world,” a creative endeavor that really kicked off during the “Art on Main” event in 2017. Now, Jacinto has plans to include underwater and outerspace elements as he continues to develop the Rollerbots.

Elise says the art is a result of collaborative effort similar to Arbusto’s mural; “we are pretty open to the [artist’s] vision,” she says. “As a community space, we want to reflect the members of our community.”

Another element Arbusto and Jacinto both mentioned, in addition to more murals, is the possibility of sculptures and statues, one of which is currently in the works for the 5th and Federal traffic circle.

“I can imagine 5th Street being on the ‘go to’ list for tourists, locals and visitors to see all of the culture here,” Arbusto said.

Mural Checklist

Start at the corner of 5th and Federal, facing NW towards Main Street
• 5th St. Grind / coffee drinker
• Daughters and Sons Pizza / Greetings from Lynchburg
• Grey’s / Leland Melvin portrait (inside)
• Vector Space / multiple murals both inside and out

Lynchburg Landmarks

Some of the icons in the Daughters and Sons Mural facing Madison Street include:

Vector Space
Blackwater Creek Bikeway
James River Geyser
Amazement Square
Community Market
LOVE sign
Point of Honor
Awareness Garden
Mama Crockett’s
Old City Cemetery
Joseph Nichols’ Tavern
Craddock Terry Hotel
Randolph College
The Blue Ridge Mountains
Doughboy Statue
Academy Center of the Arts
3 local high schools
5 local theatres

Title: Pastel Artist

Sarah, you’ve been creating with pastels since 2003. How did you first get involved with this art form?

I started taking a drawing class at the Lynchburg Art Club. After the second week, I switched to a pastels class because my teacher, Christine Rooney, said, “Drawing is not your thing; color is.”

What do you like the most about pastels?

Pastel chalks come in many colors, and they can be blended with each other [on the paper] (they are also very messy!). Pastels are made with pigments and fillers, and you want more pigment. Roché pastels (made in Paris since the 18th century) have a lot more pigment—and are more expensive. I use them for highlights.

What types of things inspire you to create a new piece?

I am inspired by going to museums and galleries to see works of art. Nature, especially clouds and flowers and animals, speak to me. And—I do not always see what others see!

Since appearing in Lynchburg Living in 2012, you’ve been very busy! Tell us about your trip to Paris.

The two months in Paris for my dad’s sabbatical leave were fun! I could paint in our atelier at the Cité des Artes, overlooking the Seine and Notre Dame. Paris museums are free for persons with a disability and one escort, so we could go to the Louvre and Musée d’Orsay many times. We also went to Giverny and saw Monet’s studio and home.

What other art adventures have you had?

After returning from Paris, I gave a few talks and then was invited to do a presentation for an in-service program on creativity for Method, a global design firm in London. This past summer we went on a back-country walking tour of the parts of Ghost Ranch where Georgia O’Keeffe painted. We saw the formations that she saw and could compare them with what she painted.

And you also showed some of your work at the Academy Center of the Arts earlier this year—your first gallery show. Congratulations! How did it feel?

Thank you for asking! Before the show I was nervous, but it was a great experience to see my paintings hung in that space.

Another big project was a published book of your artwork. Tell us about that and how it came together.

We had thought of doing a small Snapfish book of some of my paintings for my nephew and niece, but Nancy Marion from Blackwell Press suggested we do a longer and more professional book. We also included the story of my development. I wrote an essay; my parents wrote another essay. We hope the book might be of interest to other families who have children with disabilities.

What advice would you give to other aspiring artists?

Find a good teacher and a supportive class. Try whatever inspires you. It’s always fun to learn new techniques.

How can people get in touch with you?

Through my e-mail: sraessler@yahoo.com.

A book of Sarah’s work, As I See It, is available for purchase at Givens Books in Lynchburg.