Now that the weather is warmer and the flowers are blooming, it’s time to head outside and fall in love with the scenery of Reston all over again. If you are heading to Lake Anne this month to see the cherry blossoms or eat at a waterfront restaurant, be sure to stop by the art gallery…

The cheerful paintings of swimming children won me over as soon as I walked into GRACE last week. I couldn’t help but grin when I looked at kids’ artwork of people leaping into swimming pools. This series of paintings was created by students at Ravensworth Elementary School, and inspired by the work of painter David Hockney. The rest of the art gallery…

If you’ve ever wanted to experiment with a new art technique, or just go out for an unusual night with friends, look into the events at ArtSpace Herndon. On the second Wednesday of each month, this gallery hosts an evening of art instruction and socialization, called Design and Wine. Each of these events is hosted by a guest artist,…

It’s cold outside and for some reason my brain thinks there’s nothing fun to do indoors on the weekends. Of course, my brain is always wrong. We live in a thriving metropolitan area with THE SMITHSONIAN, for pete’s sake. But what if I don’t feel like heading to The Mall (or leaving Virginia) for my art fix?…

I’ve long admired jewelry artists who can create beautiful items with beads, but I’ve never known much about the use of beads in other forms of art. I’m not even sure I’d given it any thought before I heard about this exhibit. So I didn’t know what to expect when I headed to GRACE to see…

Lake Anne really shines in the warm months. Boat rentals, concerts, farmers markets, festivals, and outdoor dining make it a summertime delight. But so much is going on at Lake Anne Plaza all year round, and you really should come in the winter, too. Here are some reasons why: 1. There’s wild nightlife. Anyone who shrugs off Lake…

An art professor taught me years ago that we should look at art without reading labels. Don’t let captions tell you how to respond to artwork, he said. I see the merit of that viewpoint, but personally I prefer to hear what an artist has to say about his or her inspiration. To me, artists’…

I know it sounds far-fetched, but sometimes (just sometimes) we need to look beyond Reston’s boundaries and explore our neighboring towns. Herndon, just a couple miles up the road, has a burgeoning art scene and an October packed with events. We visited the hub of their artist community, ArtSpace Herndon, to see the current exhibit and to chat…

The colorful dancers and newly naturalized citizens get much of the attention at the annual Reston Multicultural Festival. Tucked inside Lake Anne’s Reston Community Center, though, is one of the quieter gems of the festival – an exhibit called “Art Mirrors Culture.” This exhibit features local artists’ response to the question, “How does art mirror culture in…