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Poetic Sculpture

An interview with the artist who fuses words and art in this lyrical installation. Tom Hennessy Incanto: An Oasis of Lyrical Sculpture, a dynamic art installation at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond, runs through October. Created by Falls Church-born artist Kate Raudenbush and New York-based poet Sha Michele, the installation is a […]

by Konstantin Rega

Strange Plants

Five questions for this Virginia artist. (Photo by Ed Pollard) Heather Beardsley is an American visual artist that creates mixed-media projects at the intersection of art, science, and environmental issues. She works primarily with embroidery, cyanotype, and air-dry clay, mixing the aesthetics of scientific illustration with craft and children’s art materials. She received her MFA in fiber […]

by Staff

Linda Skeens Recipes

The queen of county fair baking’s debut cookbook is a chef’s delight. When Linda Skeens, Virginia’s own county fair queen, set the Internet ablaze last year, Virginia Living helped fan the flame (“Where In the World Is Linda Skeens?” Oct. ’22). And adoring fans began clamoring for the humble home cook’s secret recipes. Skeens […]

by Vayda Parrish

Brandon Perry Interview

One local author remembers his late mother and celebrates new life experiences. Otis and Clara by Brandon Perry. pp.43. $19.99. Virginia Living: What inspired you to write this picture book? Brandon Perry: I wanted to create a story that encapsulated the message to all ages on the importance of […]

by Staff

James A. McLaughlin Interview

Examining the natural world, how we’re raised as kids, and more in this thrilling new novel. Panther Gap by James. A. McLaughlin. Flatiron Books. pp.368. $28.99. Konstantin Rega: Following your bestselling debut, Bearkskin, where did your new book Panther Gap come from? James A. McLaughlin: This book evolved over four […]

by Konstantin Rega

Edna Lewis Food Trail

Edna Lewis was a master cook. Find some of her recipes here. “Edna Lewis makes me want to go right into the kitchen and start cooking,” Beard himself once said. And in 2014, the U.S. Postal Service noted her culinary contributions with an Edna Lewis stamp. In an era when few […]

by Kinsey Gidick

Smoke in Chimneys’ Trout

From a trout hatchery in New Castle, Virginia comes a fresh trout recipe. Trout-á-touille An over-the-top preparation and presentation coined by sous chef at Grisette, Hans Doxzen. His “Summer Sauce,” as it’s called, “is so versatile, you’ll want to make it all the time,” says Chef Donnie Glass. For the […]

by Staff

Mid-Century Modern Interiors

Get an exclusive tour of the inside of this Richmond house. Ansel Olson Looks can deceive. And this L.A.-style mid-century modern does it spectacularly. Completed in 1965, the house was a fish-out-of-water among Richmond’s historic Georgians and Colonials. But by the tender age of 34, it was listed on the National Register […]

by Staff

Celebrating Ella

10 songs made memorable by the queen of jazz. It would be hard to find someone who doesn’t like Ella Fitzgerald. Though you may not be “into” jazz, you’ve certainly heard her voice—on the radio or maybe even in a Laurel and Hardy film. Like Sinatra, Fitzgerald came to fame during the ’40s […]

by Konstantin Rega

Beginner’s Guide to Stacey Kent

Now living in Virginia, this singular jazz singer’s smooth tunes amaze and inspire. I was not always a jazz junky. I actually came to it rather reluctantly. Many people, I think, consider it to be a bunch of pianists improvising crazily and forget that musicians like Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra are very much part […]

by Konstantin Rega

A Gardening Love Story

Our interview with gardener Lady Xa Tollemache of Helmingham Hall in Suffolk, UK. (Gary Summers, SMD Photography) For flower lovers, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation’s 76th annual Garden Symposium, “Digging the Garden: Horticulture, History & Archaeology,” takes place on April 27-30. The event is both in-person and online and will feature presentations by horticulturists (Daria McKelvey), […]

by Konstantin Rega

Keb Mo Interview

Five-time Grammy-winning blueman shares his passion for music and place. (Photo by Jeremy Cowart) Keb’ Mo’ will be at the Virginia Arts Festival’s Williamsburg Live this June. Tickets: HERE. Konstantin Rega: So I was first introduced to your work by my mother, who gave me your self-titled, 1994 album. How do […]

by Konstantin Rega

Blue Musings

Local artist Hannah Kirby’s new exhibit looks at motherhood, family ties, and the act of creating. Hanna Kirby’s Blue Musings is open at the Offsite Gallery in the MacArthur Center in Norfolk. Kirby is a VCU alum, with several large-scale murals in Virginia Beach and Norfolk, and she currently works as the Director of Operations […]

by Staff

Blake Gore Interview

This pen-and-ink artist deals with life in miniature. Though artist Blake Gore’s started out down the teaching career path, he took a chance when he saw a Twitter drawing challenge, and it opened up a whole new creative passion and profession. It started off with the daily drawing exercises of the challenge. […]

by Konstantin Rega

Ketch Secor Interview

The Barter Theatre announces its 23rd annual Appalachian Festival of Plays & Playwrights. Ken Gray Images This February 23-26, catch Ketch Secor’s musical Hooten Holler (Feb. 23 at 7:00) and many other works by local and national artists. The festival’s mission is to develop an authentic Appalachian canon of theatrical works. A beloved feature […]

by Konstantin Rega

A Common Thread

The art of embroidery and quilting shows how artists learned and lived back in the day. Courtesy of the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg Most times, we don’t pay attention to bed coverings like quilts unless we’re shopping for a new one. Of course, the one your grandmother made as wedding gift or other […]

by Konstantin Rega

Stacey Mindich Interview

The producer of Dear Evan Hansen shares how it all began. The winner of 6 Tony Awards, Dear Evan Hansen is at Richmond Altria’s Theater this week through Sunday. The original musical also won a Grammy and the Olivier Award for Best Musical on London’s West End. I was in […]

by Constance Costas

In the Spotlight

The Maymont Garden Glow in Richmond dazzles in its 5th year. Not all lights are created equal. As you enter Maymont, colorful globes guide you through the main fields, depositing you in a sort of fairground. Food trucks, firepits, and lit-up cubes to sit on. The crowd moves along trails winding through […]

by Konstantin Rega

Country to the Core

The Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion celebrates country music and its birthplace. Billie Wheeler It’s the 95th anniversary of the Bristol Sessions and the 21st Rhythm and Roots Reunion which will be taking place Sept. 9-11 in downtown Bristol. We’ve sat down with the Executive Director of Advancement, Leah Ross, and local musician, Woody […]

by Konstantin Rega

Pages: 123

Buc-ee’s Opens Its First Virginia Location

If you happened to be standing near the I-81 exit for Mt. Crawford in the early morning hours of this past June 30, you’d have witnessed a spectacle. Shoppers flooded into the parking lot and shuffled into block-long lines in hopes of being among the first through the doors of Virginia’s first Buc-ee’s travel station. […]

by Eric J. Wallace

Sail250 Virginia Brings Tall Ships From Around the World

When more than 60 tall ships and military vessels from 30 countries glide into Virginia waters this June, they’ll carry centuries of seafaring history—and usher in one of the most ambitious celebrations America has ever staged. Sail250 Virginia, the Commonwealth’s landmark commemoration of the nation’s 250th anniversary, runs June 12–23, transforming Norfolk and 11 affiliate […]

by Madeline Mayhood

All Aboard: Virginia’s Summer of Steam Celebrates America250

This summer, the legendary Norfolk & Western 611 steam locomotive is firing up her wheel—and she’s bringing history along for the ride. Built in 1950 in Roanoke, Virginia, the 611 is the last surviving member of the “J-Class” fleet, widely regarded as the pinnacle of steam technology. With her iconic bullet-shaped nose, Tuscan Red stripe, […]

by Abby Borgeson

online exclusive

Poetic Sculpture

Current Issue

Most Popular

Buc-ee’s Opens Its First Virginia Location

Sail250 Virginia Brings Tall Ships From Around the World

All Aboard: Virginia’s Summer of Steam Celebrates America250

online exclusive

Poetic Sculpture

Current Issue

Get our most popularweekly newsletter: VL Today

Most Popular

Buc-ee’s Opens Its First Virginia Location

Sail250 Virginia Brings Tall Ships From Around the World

All Aboard: Virginia’s Summer of Steam Celebrates America250

Get our most popularweekly newsletter: VL Today

Get our most popular
weekly newsletter: VL Today

Get our most popular
weekly newsletter: VL Today