Fresh Entertainment & Shopping To Downtown Area 

By Stephanie Alicia James  |  Photos by Ashlee Glen

Playing games at a local arcade, receiving indoor plant education, learning dances, and shopping at a high-end thrift clothing store are all new opportunities that residents and visitors alike can now enjoy downtown. 

This new year offers fresh entertainment and shopping opportunities through businesses located in downtown Lynchburg, and the owners of these new businesses shared a common task before opening— participating in the Downtown Lynchburg Association’s Launch LYH program. The Launch LYH program aims to support entrepreneurs who are ready to start a new business, relocate their business, or expand their footprint with a downtown location. Individuals who go through the program participate in an eight-week educational course that covers all aspects of business start-up—from accounting to marketing. The eight-week period then culminates in a pitch competition, with winning pitches receiving cash grants to assist businesses in their new venture.

This year, the program was funded through a $115,000 grant from the Truist Foundation, a resource that helps build communities. 

Businesses that participated in the program and received grant funding include Super Rad!, Mosaic Collective and Threaded, Easy Speak Dance Hall & Events, and PREAM–Plants Rule Everything Around Me. Those that were selected to receive a part of the grant distribution were able to overcome financial barriers that so many entrepreneurs face when starting a business. 

“Access to capital is a hard thing especially in marginalized communities,” said Downtown Lynchburg Association Business Development Coordinator Kelvin Whitehurst. 

Along with the cash reward, Launch LYH winners were given access to other benefits, as well, including comprehensive marketing support. 

“We would help them with social media and building their websites,” said Whitehurst. The winners also received promotion through television advertisements and radio. 

For Launch LYH participants, the eight-week program was split into two tracks: Track One was for beginners, those with little to no hands-on business experience. Track Two was for more seasoned entrepreneurs who simply needed a leg-up in the downtown market. 

“It provided a foundation for new and existing businesses,” explained Whitehurst. 

Whitehurst noted that the businesses opened up right around the holidays. 

“For the Launch LYH grantees that are not retail businesses, such as Super Rad! and Easy Speak Dance Hall & Events; well, those are just two more exciting attractions people can enjoy their time at,” Whitehurst said. 

With a 22 percent vacancy rate of storefronts in the downtown area in 2022, the program became part of a solution. 

“The main point of the program was to fill vacancies at a lot of places,” Whitehurst said. 

For its debut, the Downtown Association Launch LYH first accepted applications in February 2023. Special consideration was given to small women-owned and minority businesses. The timeline for taking applications sparked a wide range of applicants. 

“One hundred fourteen people applied for the program,” Whitehurst said. “We ended up accepting 25 people.” 

Then in March, classes began. To help with the program, the Small Business Development Center taught classes that involved business start-up necessities: ordinances and taxes. The Center also handled all the small business advising. 

Also helping with the program was the City of Lynchburg Office of Economic Development and Tourism as well as other community professionals. 

Though there is no set date yet for this year’s program, the Downtown Lynchburg Association is excited to continue the program and anticipates similar success. 

“You are going to receive an education that you cannot put a price tag on,” said Whitehurst. 

The following four businesses completed training, received grant funding, and opened a storefront downtown location right before the New Year—a program participation requirement. 

EASY SPEAK DANCE HALL 

Located at 409 5th Street Suite E, Easy Speak Dance Hall and Events attendees will be taught several dances ranging from soul line dancing to salsa dancing. 

 “We will have two to three hours of social dancing,” said Easy Speak Dance Hall and Events owner Genette Dahlby. Beyond learning to dance at the woman-owned business, people will have the opportunity to have private events. 

Dahlby recalled going through the program and that she was part of Track Two, which was the educational track for more experienced entrepreneurs. 

“I was really excited to be a part of it, “ said Dahlby. 

PREAM 

PREAM, located at 409 5th Street Suite A, is an indoor house plant shop. In addition to offering a storefront full of unique house plants, PREAM business owner Latia Hancock said that PREAM will host classes like House Plants 101 to learn basic plant care and terrarium building workshops. As a bonus, PREAM will offer events that offer relaxation and conversation similar to paint and sip but it will be referred to as plant and sip. 

Hancock was elated after receiving an email that she was selected for the program. 

“I think that I was looking for the little push. I made a lot of connections,” said Hancock, who also previously participated in another program called CO.STARTERS, which helps aspiring business owners. 

SUPER RAD! 

Super Rad!, a two-story arcade business located at 58 9th Street, features 50 to 60 arcade-style games. As the only arcade bar in Lynchburg, Super Rad! is fulfilling a unique void—a place where folks can eat, drink, and interact with one another beyond the dining table. Live gaming tournaments will also take place at Super Rad! in the future. Super Rad co-owners Culleen Jennings and Calvin Hoskins had started working on an arcade business concept in 2019 and Jennings said that he found the training helpful to get them through the final stretch of opening their business. 

“They walked us step by step,” said Jennings. “And it helped us a lot.” 

Mosaic Collective And Threaded 

Victoria Cropper, Mosaic Collective’s Chief Operating Officer, who is a business partner with owner Jen Tartini explained that Mosaic Collective and Threaded is part of a dual operation. One aspect of the business—Mosaic Collective—offers merchandise created by refugees, people experiencing homelessness, and human trafficking survivors from different parts of the world including Kenya, Thailand, and Nepal. The other arm of the business, Threaded, is a high quality second-hand clothing shop. 

Mosaic Collective, which has been in business for two years, is now in a new location after sharing a space on 5th Street with another business that closed last year. When the Launch LYH program became available, it was an opportunity for Tartini to make a pitch for a new location that incorporated an expansion. The new space is now located at 1219 Main Street. 

“It was a wonderful experience,” Cropper said of her participation in the Launch LYH program.   

Applications for the 2024 Launch LYH Program are open and will remain open until January 31. Details can be found on the Downtown Lynchburg Association website.

Academy Center of the Arts Unveils Artistica.Shop

By Emily Mook / Photos Courtesy of Artistica.Shop

The Academy Center of the Arts (ACOA) consistently proves that maintaining a rich and longstanding history of serving a particular community while also coming up with innovative ways to increase that community’s visibility is possible—and one of the organization’s newest endeavors, Artistica.Shop, epitomizes this dual ability. Launched in July 2023, this online gallery and art sales website spotlights the work of local artists for audiences near and far and allows the artists to focus on their work rather than on the many logistics associated with selling their work.

“The focus for Artistica is incorporating a way for our organization to support artists with their creative endeavors here by providing them an online platform that connects them with a larger audience,” says Michelline Hall, Chief Programming Officer of ACOA. “With Artistica, the artists don’t have to worry about the overhead of trying to advertise, sell, and ship their work, so they can focus on being creative.”

The Academy’s desire to expand and evolve while still honoring its grassroots-inspired origins led to Artistica’s creation.

“One of the biggest roles of an arts center that distinguishes it from a museum or gallery is that arts centers are reflective of their communities,” she notes. “We kind of walk hand-in-hand with artists from our regions and serve as beacons of support for them. The pandemic taught us how to think outside the box about how we can provide that support, and a 21st century mindset also lends itself to this sort of online presence.”

Whether an artist is just beginning to embark on their career or is already well-established, they are encouraged to submit their work for consideration for inclusion in the Artistica gallery. 

“We want to feature work from and give a platform to emerging artists all the way through very established artists who are already touring in prestigious spaces,” remarks Hall. “Of course, as an artist’s portfolio grows, they may get picked up by larger entities. That’s something we love to see.”

Several ACOA staff members work together to make Artistica the pioneering project it is. The point person for the site is Online Curator and Art Sales Manager, A’Nyeja Adams. Adams and Ted Batt, ACOA’s Director of Visual Arts, work together to select the artwork that will be featured on and set for sale through the site.

“A’Nyeja and Ted work closely to review artist submissions, which are submitted online,” Hall says. “They engage in discussions with artists about their work, and they’re the ones who make the final decisions. Our focus is on artists from Central Virginia and Virginia as a whole, but artists from other areas are welcome to submit their work as well. All mediums are encouraged! We feature oil paintings, pottery, photography, and much more. The key requirement is that the work must be original and created entirely by the artist.”

Hall notes that ACOA’s Assistant Director of Programming, Mele Thompson, and Director of Marketing, Joel Williams, also play integral roles in the development and maintenance of the project. Artistica is sponsored by Moore & Giles.

“It definitely takes a community to keep Artistica running!” Hall exclaims.

Indeed, community is at the heart of all of ACOA’s programs and initiatives, including Artistica. The Academy’s official mission is “cultivating a healthier and more interconnected populace through cultural infrastructure and community-building arts programs.”

“Artistica highlights the cultural infrastructure piece of our mission statement in that it allows us to provide a foundation for artists to be artists and not businesspeople,” states Hall. “They are able to generate sales and income through their work without having to deal with the associated logistics. The gallery also creates a more interconnected populace because we understand how art has the power to bring people together and break down barriers.”

One of the most common barriers is a steep price point, and, as such, the Artistica team strives for more accessible pricing on the website.

“We want art to be accessible to people from all walks of life, and for that reason, the art featured on Artistica represents a wide range of price points,” Hall notes. “We want people to be able to think, ‘Before I go to a random box store for art, I should check Artistica to find something original and support a local artist.’”

Although Artistica has a wide reach, it simultaneously maintains and highlights local touchpoints by featuring artwork that can be found at the Academy itself or at one of its three satellite locations.

“Among the art featured on Artistica is art that is currently showcased in our physical galleries,” remarks Hall. “In addition to our on-campus gallery, we have three satellite galleries: one at Westminster Canterbury, one at the Virginian, and one at Magnolia Foods. If someone sees a piece of art they love in passing at one of these locations, they can visit Artistica.Shop to learn more about the artist, look at their other work, and make a purchase if they so desire. The reverse is also true: if someone sees one of these pieces they like on the website and wants to view it in person, they can do so. As such, the online gallery allows us to serve our First Friday and other local audiences in a greater way.”

Local performing arts enthusiasts will also notice that a wall in the lobby of the Historic Academy Theatre has been converted into an interactive Artistica.Shop gallery, complete with a touch screen panel and a featured artist display that changes each month.

ACOA hopes to continue to raise awareness of the site and expand its reach and accessibility, and Hall personally hopes to continue to challenge people’s perceptions about what art is and who it’s for.

“Art is truly for everyone,” she says. “I love helping people discover the healing aspects of art and learn that they can communicate things through the arts that are hard to communicate through conversation. And I think it’s beautiful that art can then actually lead to conversations, even about really tough topics.”

In this fast-paced and sometimes isolating world we live in, it’s nice to know that the beginning of some of those meaningful, community-building conversations could be a mere click away.  

A Curious History Walking Tour

By Izzi Diaz Young | Photos by Ashlee Glen

The history of Lynchburg, Virginia is lengthy and engrossing. From its origin to where it stands today, there are hundreds of thousands of facts that can be found on each corner; each one more interesting than the last.

This is the basis of Curious History Walking Tours, an hour-long journey into the depths of the city of the Seven Hills. Guided by its CEO, or as she likes to call herself, “Curious Executive Officer,” Kathleen Davis started digging into Lynchburg’s past after hearing a peculiar story about the city years ago. From there, in her own words, Kathleen “just kinda never stopped researching.”

At a young age, Davis was exposed to the world of information, content creation, and journalism. Growing up in the heart of Decatur, Alabama, her family consisted of producers, videographers, and a retired anchor.

“As a kid, I could see how electrifying chasing down a story could be,” Davis stated. “You can’t plan on breaking news. My mom would get the call to go in and we’d rush to the TV station as if we were there to tell the world, or at least North Alabama, about whatever had happened.” 

Soon enough, Davis’s mother began her own advertising agency where she’d let Kathleen assist in creating “catchy ideas for clients.” She continued following in her mother’s footsteps and eventually graduated from The University of Alabama with a degree in Advertising; shortly thereafter beginning her own career in Atlanta, Georgia, at The Weather Channel. 

“Atlanta is where my love for performing and stand-up comedy came to life,” Davis reflected. 

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Davis and her now wife, Gail Goldsmith, made the decision to relocate. 

“We decided to start our life together in a new city with new jobs and basically a fresh set of everythings that we’d build together,” Davis explained. “After trying out a few places, Lynchburg felt like home.” 

Changing addresses in the midst of a pandemic came with a limited access to social life in their new city, so Kathleen and Gail mainly spent their time enjoying the scenery and looking in on Lynchburg life. 

“We would take the dogs on a walk down Rivermont and take turns saying, ‘Look at that house,’ or, ‘And that one!’ until eventually I couldn’t take it anymore,” she said.

She was overcome with curiosity, wondering, “Who built all of these beautiful mansions?” 

The couple’s dog walks slowly transitioned into what now could be seen as the true origin of Curious History Walking Tours, as Davis would fill their strolls with pieces of information she had happened upon while searching the houses they so adored. 

“Eventually, friends and family were able to come up and visit and I’d take them on tours as well,” she reflected. “Without even realizing it, I was building Curious History—turning my love for storytelling, comedy, and people into a business.” 

Davis’s appreciation for the past and all of the information that comes with it is the root of the Walking Tours, where she now guides many curious souls from all across Lynchburg and beyond. Starting in front of the giant red high heel statue in front of the Craddock Terry Hotel, a beloved city landmark, the hour-long endeavor is designed for people who simply appreciate weird history. 

“On the tour, I talk about architecture, industry, music, scientific discoveries and more,” Davis explained. “When I feel like I’ve collected enough stories about a selected tour route, I create a March Madness–style bracket to narrow down the best stories.” 

She continued, “Some stories I’ve included on this tour definitely feel like I’m doing stand-up comedy again, but others tug at deeper emotions. I try my hardest to paint the full picture of each story I share—it is important to me that I provide tour-goers with all the available facts and leave it to them to draw their own conclusions.” 

Tour guests have the option to attend a public tour; a private tour, where groups can bring their friends and family; or even create a custom experience such as hiring a performer to host a personal event or enjoy a custom tour/experience created for a business. 

Every few months, Davis and the team at Curious History Walking Tours will update the guided excursions with brand new themes. She has also recently teamed up with the staff at Ghost Stop to create “Lynchburg Ghost Tours,” a new and unique experience combining history and a sense of spookiness for all guests who are brave enough to embark on the journey. 

“Being an extrovert, my favorite thing about doing these tours is meeting all kinds of people and getting to hear their takes on the stories I’ve presented to them,” Davis said. “When the tour begins, we’re a group of strangers talking about parking and the weather. When we’re done, we’re walking back together, discussing the realities and eccentricities of characters in the Lynchburg story. When we learn more about who these people were back then, it teaches us a little bit about who we are now.”

For history buffs and novices alike, these tours are certain to delight, educate, and even surprise every guest who joins in the fun. 

“My goal is to use the art of storytelling to spin Lynchburg on its axis and reveal new angles, mysteries, and curious histories,” Davis concluded. 

Curious History Walking Tours is any Hill City resident or non-resident alike’s newest and most entertaining way to dive directly into some of the town’s countless interesting stories. With Davis leading the way, these tours are guaranteed to go down forever in Lynchburg’s curious and wonderful history. 

The Reimagined Glass House Brings Creativity to Jefferson Street

By Jeremy Angione | Photos by Ashlee Glen

Jefferson Street in downtown Lynchburg is rich with an old charm that gives the area its “historic” moniker. The cobblestone streets and even the James River continually evoke a sense of nostalgia to anyone passing by.

Although several new businesses have found a home on the quiet riverside street, The Glass House has been reinvented as a gastro lounge and cocktail bar, which reopened on October 18, 2023.

Originally purchased in 2019 by Dave Henderson and a group of investors, including Jason Cudd, Gordon Cudd, Daniel Sadusky, and Nathan Kalons, the Glass House initially served as a music and events venue.

“At the time, the music scene was tough here in Lynchburg. We decided to strategically pivot so that we could create a space that hopefully would engage the community more often than a music venue might,” Henderson explained.

As owner of The Water Dog and the Hen and Hound restaurant management group, which operates Fratelli Italian Kitchen and No. 7 Rooftop Bar, Henderson wanted the reenvisioned Glass House to be a wholly unique experience within his portfolio and in the Lynchburg area.

“I just felt that we had an opportunity to bring something new and exciting to downtown Lynchburg and with such a unique space, our team wanted to challenge the food scene with an experience unlike anything in the area,” Henderson said.

To create a completely new experience, Henderson says that it was necessary to make “significant changes to the infrastructure.” Although the Glass House was initially slated to reopen earlier this year, any curious onlooker strolling by the unfinished site would likely see the amount of work the Hen and Hound team put into reimagining the space.

According to Jason and Gordon Cudd, they had to tear up the plumbing, the bathrooms, and even the kitchen, which Jason joked used to be the size of a postage stamp.

What was, even in its previous iteration, a fairly cold and gray space, is now a warmly decorated lounge colored in deep greens and browns, with gold accents dashed through the room.

Henderson says that with the help of a Richmond-based architectural firm and interior designer Sharon Norris, “We were able to pinpoint an aesthetic that so far has been working.”

According to Henderson, the inspiration for the reenvisioned Glass House is thanks, in part, to a previously popular event, Rosé Thursday.

“We knew that we wanted to capture the Rosé Thursday scene that we had previously. The people who were here for Rosé Thursday were the audience that we were searching for in the new iteration of this restaurant,” Henderson said.

Despite its new, upscale finish, for guests the Glass House remains surprisingly approachable. Scanning the crowd during the busy service would reveal a diverse demographic of guests. Various ages, races, and even fashion senses feel comfortably represented.

“This might be the most diverse restaurant that we operate. Look, I’m a guy that wears my hat backward and I still feel at home here,” Henderson said.

The accessibility of the Glass House experience extends to the comprehensive menu of small plate-style meals and signature cocktails.

While items may be pricier than a trip to the Water Dog, there are plenty of options for guests to have a unique, homey, and affordable experience.

According to Henderson, the Glass House team worked hard to make the atmosphere, menu, and prices as accessible as possible.

“I didn’t want people to feel that this is only their special occasion spot,” he said.

The menus are as diverse in their offerings as they are fun, thanks to the combined efforts of General Manager Heather Harris and Chef Candace Vinson.

“The menu at the Glass House is what I like to describe as ‘conversational food’,” Vinson said.

She says that her inspirations and hopes for her dishes come from the “every day.” Vinson likes to blend everyday ingredients to create a unique dish that will encourage guests to chat about their newfound favorites. Likewise, Vinson’s dishes are inspired by everyday people and their stories of the foods they ate growing up in their respective backgrounds.

“I am also a lover of culture. My goal is to honor the food culture in Virginia and to honor the various ethnicities of our community. It brings me so much joy when a guest finds a cultural tie in one of our dishes,” Vinson said.

Guests should take additional comfort in the care that went into the kitchen layout in which Vinson prepares their meals. What was the size of a postage stamp could now very well fit a whole other restaurant. Vinson’s kitchen is a spacious, clean, and organized space, with every ingredient and tool placed with care for efficiency.

Vinson says that her team’s current and ongoing goal for the Glass House menu is
to “continue to create a bridge of familiar and unfamiliar delicacies.” She says that their farming partners are currently preparing the gardens for their Spring
and Summer menu.

While the interior design and menus have received considerable focus in the new Glass House, Henderson admits that he wants the impact of the restaurant to extend outward to the community.

“I have been so appreciative of the relationships that are being cultivated on this street,” Henderson said.

The diversity of business types and leaders on Jefferson Street is a point of inspiration for Henderson, which drives him and his team to cultivate a sort of destination point for the community.

“There’s this notion of activating Jefferson Street in a way that allows all of us business owners to work together to create a whole new vibe for downtown.”

Only a few months into its reopening, Henderson says that the support for the Glass House’s new vision has been overwhelming.

“I did want us to stand out and be different, but I also never expected people to compare this space to something you might find in a larger city. Our reservations have been close to one hundred percent booked almost every night.”

While the Glass House has shifted away from its use as a venue, it will still be home to unique events such as Rosé Thursday. It also recently hosted a wine dinner in association with Antiquum Farm.

When winter ends, Henderson says the Glass House plans to extend its hours and unveil a weekend brunch menu.  

Why Prioritizing Native Plant Habitats is So Important

By Lindsey Cline

It’s early morning; heavy dew casts a silver shine on the grass as the soft sun’s rays emerge over the woodland tree line. A group of Carolina chickadees flit up and down honey locust trees. They flicker from the trees to the birdfeeders, regularly startled by squirrels and bossy blue jays. On other days, white-throated sparrows sing all afternoon, a fox slips along the garden edge, and rabbits nest under a ninebark shrub.

The yard in this scene is not unique; a standard suburban 100’-by-50’ with a small patio. What brings wildlife to the backdoor are native plant garden beds 12 feet deep and running the length of space. 

Here, among the songbirds, it’s easy to forget the threat that development poses to wildlife, but nature is in trouble: the native bee population declined by 90 percent in the past decade and more than half of bird populations are dwindling. While the majestic Monarch butterfly’s endangerment demands headlines, others, like the sturgeon, which were once so numerous that European settlers could “walk across the James River on their backs,” and the little brown bat, which hibernates in Blue Ridge Mountain caves, face extinction. 

Gone is the assumption that “protected” spaces can save the wildlife we have left…much of Virginia’s 16 percent of land protected from development lacks prime habitat as it remains open for logging and agriculture. What if we welcomed insects, songbirds, amphibians, and reptiles into our developed lands?

The revolution is here, fueled by well-gloved gardeners and well-aware homeowners creating wildlife habitats in their backyards, community parks, and locally owned fields. 

Apex predators require vast wild tracts to roam, but many species—especially the foundation of the food web—can thrive in neighborhood yards. And the backyards we have!

More than half of Virginia’s land is urban, suburban, or metro-adjacent. Virginians managed 1.7 million acres of turfgrass lawn in 2004 (last year of available data); we can estimate at least 2 million acres today. Imagine some of these lawns, which offer no ecological value, as gardens that restore essential bonds between flora and fauna.

The key to creating those habitats? 

Native plants.

Native plants excel at supporting wildlife: acorns for squirrels, fruit and berries for bears and foxes, cover for rabbits and fawns, and nesting trees for birds and owls. Native plants allow wildlife to breed, feed, and live. 

One can’t explain the importance of natives without diving into the world of insects. Insects, the foundation of a rich food web, nourish birds, fish, frogs, toads, salamanders, and bats. They are indispensable to ecosystems: insects decompose organisms, recycle nutrients, pollinate plants, and disperse seeds. Insects have spun a web of mutually beneficial relationships within ecosystems, particularly with native plants.

Insects adapted over time to exploit plant qualities during each stage of their lifecycle: hiding places for eggs, foliage for young caterpillars to eat, and nectar and pollen for adults. This dance is intricate—insects must time their lifecycles to correspond with their hosts. This process led the majority of insects to evolve so deliberately that they rely on a handful of plant lineages. Because of this specificity, insects can’t quickly adapt to non-natives. 

Entomologist Doug Tallamy proved that insect populations decline without native plants. Famed biologist E.O. Wilson explained that if insects vanished, flowering plants would follow, then reptiles, amphibians, birds, and finally mammals.

The remaining debate, with experts on both sides, is the ease of establishing native gardens. Some claim that natives require less care and maintenance; others argue that unstoppable deer herds and infuriating groundhogs prefer them. 

Implementing this new garden ethic falls in all directions—obstacles aren’t more significant than “traditional” gardens; they’re simply different. We must become the first-time hosta-obsessed gardeners we once were—learning new plant communities. While culture now denounces pesticides and praises pollinator gardens, the lack of practical advice and hands-on resources, not to mention the dearth of native plants themselves, can leave us overwhelmed with the task of implementing our new-found inspiration, especially if our marching orders include the astounding “saving nature.”

But gardeners are an optimistic bunch. As Yiyun Li writes, “One garden with the same unblinded hope and the same willingness to concede as one lives, always ready to say:
If not now, later; if not this year, next year.”

It’s possible to delight in the wildlife that garden sanctuaries support. More than once, my toddler watched with wonder as a box turtle marched from one garden bed to another. Despite my garden failures, Carolina wrens still nest in the wild grape vines and painted lady butterflies cover white snakeroot drifts. Whether our endeavors can reverse the tide remains to be seen, but the evidence makes a strong case that it’s worth our efforts.

We’re now challenging presumptions that to garden, we must hail overtly blooming peonies and roses. Instead, we might try delicate shooting stars in spring, striking purple baptisia for summer blooms, or pair rich violet asters with deep golds of goldenrods in fall. 

Nature deserves to exist on its own merits, but we can keep high expectations around our homes and relish in our desire for beauty. While re-creating indigenous plant communities offers maximum habitat, native plants anywhere contribute to the effort and can work for tidy front entrances, side yards, or around entertaining areas. 

Try them—you may (or may not) become a morning birdwatcher, but you will open the door to a stunning garden and a movement of new and vital wildlife refuges.  

Lynchburg Living magazine, Terry Subaru, and Dog-Eared Photos have teamed up to bring you the inaugural Faces of Dogs photo contest.

Residents from the Lynchburg region had their photogenic fur babies photographed by Katie Miller of Dog-Eared Photos over the course of two weekends at Terry Subaru. One hundred percent of proceeds from the photography sessions went to the Lynchburg Humane Society.

Afterward, the photos were shared online and the community voted on their favorite pup. First, second, third, and fourth place awards were given, and their photos will be shared across upcoming issues alongside other adorable doggos.

Check back after each issue as more winners will be placed here.