Arlington’s Artisphere Hosts a Cultural Milestone, and Other Weekend Events
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Friday, November 4th, 2011
Friday, Nov. 4, 2011
Have you ever seen those signs that list a town’s “sister cities,” followed by a list of international places? Have you ever wondered exactly what “sister city” means?
I always assumed it was just a diplomatic formality. I had never heard of any official exchange between two such cities. But Arlington has truly put their sisterhood to good use.
Arlington’s first sister city, established 15 years ago, is Aachen, Germany. And now artists from Aachen are in Arlington, collaborating with Arlington’s own artists on mutual projects.
The German artists have been here since Oct. 28, and the finished exhibit goes on display this weekend at Artisphere. On Friday, Nov. 4 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., the artists talk about the art they’ve created and give a tour of their cooperative workspace, a special event that is free and open to the public. On Saturday, Nov. 5, the finalized exhibit opens, and will be displayed until Dec. 11. The exhibit’s title is “Project 2011: Face to Face.”
The same Arlington artists were actually in Aachen earlier this year, in April. Together the artists worked on a special art project in a 17th-century monastery, a project that has now traveled to multiple European cities.
I can only hope other American cities take Arlington’s lead by fostering cultural exchanges with their own sister cities.
Another worthy artistic event this weekend is a new theatrical production meant to reveal the experiences of four women in Iran’s prisons, and thus shed light on the plight of all of Iran’s current prisoners.
The cast is made up of local students, whose ages range from elementary to high school. These same students intend to perform the play, titled “Azadee: Stories From Evin,” at the United Nations in March 2012. The production premiers Saturday, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. at the Northern Virginia Baha’i Center in Sterling. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door, and proceeds fund the students’ trip to New York in March.
If you’re looking for music events, the Symphony Orchestra of Arlington begins its 2011-2012 season this Saturday at 7:30 p.m. The performance consists of Dvorak’s “New World Symphony” and a new work by Washington composer Brian Wilbur Grundstrom. The new season kicks off at the James Lee Community Center Theater in Falls Church. The performance is preceded by a silent auction at 6:45 p.m.
–Matt Basheda
Tags: Arlington, Artisphere, culture gurus, Entertainment, Events, Falls Church, game plan, James Lee Community Center Theater, Northern Virginia, Northern Virginia Baha'i Center, Northern Virginia Magazine, NoVA, Project 2011 Face to Face, Sterling, Symphony Orchestra of Arlington, things to do, things to do in northern va, weekend events