Williamsburg Fall Arts takes creativity outdoors this week, with multiple events in Merchants Square. It also features literary art with a book festival and storytelling event.
Previously known as Arts Month, the programs run through Columbus Day weekend in October, culminating with the annual An Occasion for the Arts.
This week’s events:
Art on the Street
Williamsburg Celebrates presents its annual Plein Air event Saturday on Duke of Gloucester Street. The daylong festival includes an artists tent for showing and selling work, as well as artists painting along the street from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., with judging for cash prizes afterward.
A portion of the proceeds benefit Housing Partnerships Inc., a nonprofit that provides emergency home repairs to those in need.
From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, a contemporary art show will neighbor the Plein Air festivities. Aristists will be selling crafts and homemade wares.
Williamsburg Book Festival
The Williamsburg Book Festival returns for its second year to Merchants Square on Saturday.
The festival is made up of a book fair and series of workshops by local authors, starting at 9:30 a.m. The genres include mystery, science fiction and military, with workshops on publishing and starting a book club. The program concludes with a Poetry Mosaic of prominent local poets and the current Poet Laureate of Virginia Sofia M. Starnes.
See the full list of activities here.
The Williamsburg Book Festival is free and open to the public, and will be held in Bruton Parish’s Lewis Hall.
Tucker-Arnold 5th Annual Storytelling Concert
Award-winning storyteller and author Syd Lieberman headlines the fifth annual Tucker-Arnold Storytelling Concert. Lieberman will present his acclaimed Civil War focused program, “Abraham and Isaac: Sacrifice at Gettysburg,” which is recommended for ages 10 and older.
Local storytellers Sheila Arnold Jones and Darci Tucker will also present at the event.
The program starts at 7 p.m. Friday at the Kimball Theatre. Click here to buy tickets or call 1-800-HISTORY.
Fast-Paced Slides on the Square
PechaKucha Night, which uses a presentation style in which speakers have 20 slides for 20 seconds each, will come to Colonial Williamsburg on Saturday evening. The topics will vary widely, but all will be paired with a series of images.
The event is free, and guests are encouraged to bring chairs or a picnic dinner. Presentations start at 8 p.m. under the Plein Air tent in Merchants Square.
Read more about PechaKucha Williamsburg here.
ArtSpeaks: Old and New
This Century Art Gallery will host its annual fall fundraiser in celebration of the gallery’s 55th anniversary. ArtSpeaks: Old and New is dedicated to the memory of local artist Polly Nunn, a teacher and TCAG member.
The event will feature live and silent auctions for art — including some by Nunn — and live music at Legacy Hall in New Town. Admission includes heavy hors d’oeuvres and an open wine bar.
Tickets are $75 each in advance and $80 at the door, and support TCAG’s Art Education Center and its programs, classes and outreach.
ArtSpeaks starts at 5:30 p.m. Sunday.
For more information or to reserve a spot, call 220-2217 or click here.
Linda Matney Gallery Opening Reception
“Jo Volley: New Works for the New World” and “Matter” will be celebrate openings Friday at Linda Matney Gallery.
Volley’s work deals with measurement, light, space and color, and “Matter” is a group show curated by Elizabeth Mead. Both run through Nov. 16.
The reception will be held from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Click here for more information.
Needlework and Canvas Art
Canvas expert Jane Wilson will give a guest lecture Wednesday at the Williamsburg School of Needlework. Wilson will discuss the history of decorative arts using canvas work and its changes over time, providing examples from her own work and from the collection of the National Cathedral in Washington.
The event is free to the public, and wine and refreshments will be provided. The talk starts at 7 p.m.
A Touch of Earth Demonstrations
A Touch of Earth Gallery will feature artists in free events at their gallery. On Saturday, Mark Strang will demonstrate use of a wood lathe on turning wooden bowls from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Andrea Groft will show loom weaving from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday.
The Gallery at York Hall
The Gallery at York, which opened an exhibit of pine needle baskets this month, will host artist meet-and-greets and demonstrations throughout September. This Sunday will feature water color artist Hazel Camp.
Other ongoing arts events continue through the weekend, including:
- The Dewey Decibel Concert Series at Williamsburg Regional Library, showcasing a string quartet from the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Library Theatre
- Candlelight concerts at Bruton Parish Church, featuring organist Dr. JanEl Will on Thursday and a flute, bassoon, organ and harpsichord recital on Saturday, both starting at 8 p.m.
- Rhythms on the Riverwalk, with Williamsburg Classic Swing Orchestra playing at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Riverwalk Landing in Yorktown
For more information about Williamsburg Fall Arts, visit its website.
