Reston Revel

Artful celebration of community’s founding

By Janet Rems

Courtesy of Reston Museum

Reston is throwing itself a party, and everyone is invited. The foremost Planned Community in the United States on April 18 is celebrating its 45th anniversary and the 95th birthday of its founder, Robert E. Simon.

Many of the Founder’s Day events, sponsored primarily by the Reston Historic Trust, will revolve around the arts, an essential component of life in Reston since its beginning. Simon, in fact, purchased the 6,750 acres of land that became Reston by selling Carnegie Hall, a family property.

A free celebration with Reston Community Center-organized live music, dance and theater performances, will take place from noon to 3 p.m. at Lake Anne Village Center, “the heart” of Reston.

A high point will be the unveiling of the Initiative for Public Art Reston’s (IPAR) first project. IPAR member and longtime Northern Virginia activist Chuck Veatch says, “It will be a serious work of art” in the $100,000 range. He expects to have a model to display.

For additional details, visit www.restonmuseum.org.

(April 2009)

Tags: birthday, party, Reston, Reston Museum, Robert E. Simon