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The Fun Bus

Bus Painting from July 12-17 outside Carver Recreation Center
Bus Unveiling on Friday, July 18th at Pen and McIntire Parks, 11am-3pm.
Opening Reception on Friday August 1st, from 6-8pm at The Bridge
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A team of artists and arts educators from the UVA School of Architecture, The Bridge PAI, and Piedmont Council of the Arts are collaborating on a unique public art project for Charlottesville Parks and Recreation. The PCA-coordinated artist team will repaint an everyday yellow school bus, transforming it into an exciting, kid-friendly vehicle that will be used to transport young people to Parks and Recreation programs throughout the year. Following an extensive design phase this spring, the Fun Bus project involves three main components: hands-on workshops with young people, collaborative bus painting, and a celebratory exhibition at the Bridge.

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Graves St. Block Party and Danny Shea Roast

Saturday, June 21 at 5pm

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In conjunction with the annual Graves St. summer block party, the Bridge will be holding our own little cookout this Saturday evening, in honor of Danny Shea (former music booker for the recently-departed Satellite Ballroom, poster-maker extraordinaire, long-time Plan 9 employee and WTJU disc jockey, and cornerstone of the contemporary Charlottesville music community).

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Cville Photo Night with Richard Lord

  Wednesday, June 25 at 7pm

rlordfeature.jpgCharlottesville Photo Night is a casual monthly gathering of local photography enthusiasts; their meetings are open to the public, and they get together every month at The Bridge to discuss each other’s work. This month, special guest Richard Lord will present The Passionate Photographer, which is the opening session of workshops that he offers. He will discuss the relationship between personal and commercial work, illustrating his talk with photos from his archives.

Richard Lord is a corporate, editorial and stock photographer. Shooting in a photojournalistic style, his work is published extensively in annual reports, corporate identity advertisements, brochures and non-profit appeal posters. Working in this specialty since 1986, he has made photos in urban and rural US, Europe, and over 70 Third World countries. His work has been exhibited in 17 countries and the major art centers of the US. It is on permanent display in museums as well as private and corporate collections. He has been honored as one of “2000 Outstanding Artists and Designers of the 20th Century.” His clients include Pfizer, Chevron, Travel and Leisure and the United Nations.


Mildred Pierce #3 Release Party

Saturday, May 31st at 8 pm
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This Saturday The Bridge will be hosting the release party for the long-awaited third issue of the acclaimed local zine Mildred Pierce, complete with live performances, food and drink, and people who want to meet you.

The opening will feature readings by local prose writer Tyler Magill, poet Jennifer Connor, fiction writer Leeyanne Moore, a puppet show by Sean Samoheyl, and headling writer Sandra Newman who will be visiting from New York. The event is free, although donations are welcome, and you should bring some bucks to buy a copy of the zine.

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Dance Party Benefit for OurSpace

Friday, May 30 at 9pm

our_space_2.jpgThis evening of dance music will be a benefit for the new OurSpace Community Centre, with music provided by DJ Double E, Bristol, Loki, DJ MikelPanda, Cadence and Clinc. There will also be visuals by Color Boy. All Ages, Suggested Donation, No Alcohol allowed. Come out for a night of dancing to help benefit your community!


Visiting Artist Suzanne Lacy

Wednesday, April 23 at 160 Campbell Hall on UVa Grounds.

lacy.jpgThe University of Virginia’s McIntire Department of Art’s program in Arts Administration and The Bridge PAI will present noted artist and author Suzanne Lacy, Chair of the MFA in Public Practices at Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles, in a public talk on aspects of her art work and career on Wednesday, April 23, at 6:30 PM in Room 160 at Campbell Hall in University of Virginia School of Architecture. This is a free event. Read the rest of this entry »


The Generations Project: Panel Discussion

Saturday, March 29th, at 4pm at the Charlottesville Community Design Center

generations.JPGIn 2007, six high school students were paired with senior citizens in nursing homes. They documented their experiences through photographic and audio media in The Generations Project.

Nell Casey (editor of An Uncertain Inheritance: Writers on Caring for Family) moderates a program in which the students present their work. This event will be at CCDC on Saturday, March 9th at 4pm.

Special thanks to the Shea Collaborative for their generous support of the Generation Project.


The Bridge will be closed for Renovations

March 1 - 11
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Our gallery space at 209 Monticello Rd. will be closed for the beginning of March for renovations — don’t worry, it’s nothing drastic, we’re just putting up some new walls and fixing a small leak.

We’ll re-open on the 13th with another cakes’n'ale performance; look forward to more exciting events happening at The Bridge and elsewhere in March.


Westhaven Portrait Workshop

Wednesday Afternoons in February

westh_mural.jpg This February The Bridge will return to the community of Westhaven to host the 2nd Annual Westhaven Portrait Workshop. Greg Kelly and John Bylander will conduct a month-long workshop to Westhaven youth together to produce 6 portraits of prominent black figures. Last year’s selection’s included such notables as Martin Luther King Jr. and Oprah Winfrey as well as local community members Joy Johnson and Harold Foley Jr.

There will be a reception from 6 to 8pm on Thursday, May 15th at the Westhaven Recreation Center, giving the larger community the opportunity to view the completed portraits and meet the young artists.


Black Cat Skate Shop presents: The Man Who Souled the World

Wednesday, January 30th, 8PM

blackcat2.jpgOur friends at the Black Cat Skate Shop present a special one-off screening of The Man Who Souled the World, a recent documentary about skateboarder Steve Rocco and World Industries, the controversial skateboard company that transformed the subculture by utilizing tactics of manipulation, subversion and ambush to rewrite the rules, conquer the corporate giants who controlled the industry, and usher in a new era of skater-owned companies and skate-inspired entertainment.

The screening is free, and begins at 7PM. There will be live musical entertainment afterwards: “scuzz-rock to melt your face,” courtesy of The Unholy Four.