Skip to content
  • X

Subscribe

Magazine | Newsletters
  • Food & Drink
  • News
  • Culture
  • Style
  • Home
  • Family
  • Wellness
  • Things to Do
  • Travel
  • Best of NoVA
  • Best Restaurants
  • Most Influential
  • Top High Schools
  • In This Issue
  • Home
    • Culture
  • The best culture stories of 2017
  • Culture

The best culture stories of 2017

WAMU host Joshua Johnson, Danica Roem and Amazon HQ2 generate buzz.

By Eliza Berkon December 29, 2017 at 10:01 am

1. Speaking with Radcliffe Bailey is like speaking with a philosophy professor—everything is stated in well-measured, thought-provoking morsels that have you scrambling for a pen and paper. His artwork is just as awe-inducing as his words, an exciting addition to the 2017 exhibits at the small but forward-thinking Greater Reston Arts Center.

https://northernvirginiamag.com/things-to-do/things-to-do-features/2017/04/20/extracting-meaning-from-the-muck/

2. Short films don’t often get the love or respect enjoyed by their long-form counterparts, but with a compact story in about 10 minutes, they offer a pretty major return on investment. Local filmmakers such as Via Bia shine a light on the overlooked art form, earning accolades for films both short and feature-length that are written in our own neighborhoods.

https://northernvirginiamag.com/things-to-do/things-to-do-features/2017/09/07/dc-shorts-festival-serves-great-stories-in-bite-size-portions/

3. Though Diana Rehm is missed (catch her new podcast here), Joshua Johnson has attracted a growing audience in mere months with his hard-hitting current events show, 1A. Johnson asks the tough, sometimes uncomfortable questions of his guests and expects thorough, honest answers.

https://northernvirginiamag.com/culture/culture-features/2017/05/25/faces-wamu-host-joshua-johnson/

4. Though it was a local race, the competition for the 13th District seat in the Virginia House of Delegates took on national importance, positioning a controversial, conservative incumbent against a liberal journalist and political neophyte—who went on to become the first openly transgender state legislator elected and seated in the nation.

https://northernvirginiamag.com/culture/culture-features/2017/10/26/13th-district-race-in-the-national-spotlight/

5. Earlier this year, Virginia joined Canada, Mexico and the vast majority of American states submitting proposals for Amazon’s highly desired new headquarters. But if the Seattle-based behemoth makes NoVA its second home, the decision could come with some serious pros and cons.

https://northernvirginiamag.com/culture/culture-features/2017/11/29/what-amazon-hq2-could-mean-for-nova/

Trending in NoVA

These New Virginia Laws Go Into Effect July 1, 2026

7 Virginia Universities Ranked World Best in 2026-2027 List

9 New Ice Cream Shops in Northern Virginia

Peek Inside the New Ikea at the Former Dulles Expo Center

22 Fourth of July Fireworks Shows Set to Light Up the Night Sky in Northern Virginia

things to do newsletter

Our Top Stories In Your Inbox

Our newsletters delivered weekly.

Subscribe

Feeds

RSS Feed Follow in Feedly

You May Also Like

George Mason's Gunston Hall

Celebrate America’s 250th Birthday by Visiting Northern Virginia’s Historic Landmarks

cyclist on bike trail

POLL: Will You Try the New Bike and Pedestrian Trail Along I-495?

Inside a NoVA Artist’s Journey from Ballet to Bespoke Cake Design and Beyond

  • X

Company

  • About Us
  • Advertising
  • Writer’s Guidelines
  • Internships
  • Terms of Use

Magazine

  • Magazine
  • Subscription
  • Newsletter
  • Back Issues

Talk to Us

  • Contact Us
  • Submit an Event
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram

Shopping

  • Subscription
  • Back Issues
  • Plaques
  • Realtor Client Gift Subscriptions

On Newsstands Now

June 2026 best of nova cover

Copyright © 2026 Northern Virginia Magazine

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Hey AI.