Community Outreach is a major component of Bridge programming. Through workshops, projects and related events we seek to establish strong ties with communities through out Charlottesville.

Workshops and programs are conducted at The Bridge and partnering locations, making use of collective facilities and available resources.

They may be run by The Bridge and partnering staff, educators, mentors or artists depending upon the nature and duration.

Outreach programs often culminate in an exhibition of related work/s in our space at the conclusion of each session.

Our Special Projects take place predominantly outside of the gallery environment. They are projects which directly engage the community by their presence in the community.

Utilizing public space and venue’s city-wide, these events have a set duration and objective, often times addressing a relevant social issue or specific “hot topic” of civic interest such as Diversity, Transit, Health Care, or Affordable Housing.

Special Projects utilize creative partnerships between The Bridge and other local organizations, individuals, and various groups in the community.

Click here to find out more about past Special Projects!

If you are interested in organizing a performance at The Bridge, read our submissions page or email one of our program coordinators. If you are musician interested in scheduling a concert at The Bridge, please contact ourmusic coordinator. If you are interested in scheduling a comedy act or play, contact our comedy and theatre coordinator. Interested in scheduling a literary reading? Contact our literary events coordinator.

The Bridge hosts regular gallery exhibits through out the year. Open to work of every medium, mode, and process imaginable, our gallery serves as a home for both emerging and established artists to explore and exhibit their works in a non-commercial setting.

Ever-evolving, the space is often more akin to a laboratory than a traditional gallery environment. Over the course of their stay, exhibitions often share space with film screenings, rock shows, and even small-scale theatre productions. We encourage artists to visit The Bridge and see what it’s all about.

If you’re interested in proposing an art exhibition as The Bridge, please read our submissions page for details and email our gallery exhibitions coordinator.

This year-round seasonal film series provides our audience with the opportunity to experience otherwise-unseen films that address topics – both social and artistic. We show both feature-length works, shorter films and videos; our focus is primarily on films that are experimental, avant-garde, underground, and independent, ranging from local to international.

The Series was founded in the summer of 2006 by Sarah Lawson, Jordan Taylor and Max Fenton; James Ford joined the group soon afterward as a co-curator and volunteer projectionist, and served as the series’ creative director and coordinator through the Spring of 2009. We have also received much technical assistance and support from the Virginia Film Society.

Our Film Series is organized by a small group of volunteer curators; we also actively invite and recruit local filmmakers and enthusiasts to get involved, to contribute to our schedule, or even to host a night of films at our space. Visit the submissions page or email our film series coordinator to learn more about how you can get involved with the Film Series.

Announcing Cine de Noche!  A bi-weekly gathering to watch a Spanish-language film and engage in conversation after the screening.  Each film will be introduced by a community member, open to bilingual curious viewers, cinephiles, and those who just want a chance to work on their language skills.

Feb. 23rd // Motorcycle Diaries // Introduced by Beth Miller

March 29 // Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown // Introduced by Gloria Rockhold

April 12 // The Devil’s Backbone // Introduced by Jim McDonald

May 3rd // Marshall Berlanga // Introduced by Steven Villareal

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February 23rd: Ann Arbor Film Festival Shorts
49th AAFF Tour PROGRAM – PART B  [80 minutes; digital formats]

Miramare – Michaela Müller | Zagreb, Croatia | 8 minutes
Atlantiques – Mati Diop | France/Senegal | 15 minutes
Protopartículas (Protoparticles) – Chema García Ibarra | Elche, Spain | 7 minutes
Hand Soap – Kei Oyama | Tokyo, Japan | 16 minutes [AAFF Best Animation Award]
Point Line Plane – Simon Payne | London, England | 9 minutes
These Hammers Don’t Hurt Us – Michael Robinson | West Danby, NY | 13 minutes [AAFF Most Technically Innovative Film Award]
In the Absence of Light, Darkness Prevails – Fern Silva | USA/Brazil | 13 minutes [AAFF Best Experimental Film Award]

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March 15th: Ultimate Cinema // Breer and Belson

March 16th: @ 1708 Gallery

April 19th: Flicker Poetry // Organized and coordinated by Lindsay Turner

May 17th: Noche de Cine 7 // Latin American Experimental Shorts

May 24th: Lighthouse Youth Media Presents Experimental Shorts

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Into the Warmth>>

May 31st: The Innkeepers (Ti West) and Cook-Out

Charlottesville Scores: Local Musicians score 16mm films

and maybe…

Black Power Mix-Tape

Leonard Cohen Shorts

Presented by the White Lotus Tea Club, Tea Tastings will begin its series from February, 2012 at The Bridge. White Lotus Tea Club was founded last summer by the couple, Donal and Olivia Oldaker in Charlottesville. The idea of the Club is to revive the traditions of Tea Culture learning from its history and practice. Right now we offer different tea services and consultations as well as organizing tea events only by appointment but keep your eyes open for our permanent location in the future. Check out our website for more information.  Tea tastings at the Bridge will allow us to share with everybody our best teas and knowledge. All teas can be order or purchase at the time of event.

This month we are introducing Pu-erh Tea, its origins, different sorts and flavors: it is one of the oldest and most famous type of tea. Usually dark in color similar to coffee, Pu-erh has some health benefits and contain less caffeine. Made of leaves from the old tea trees which grow in Yunnan, China, Pu-erh stands out from other types of tea also because of the fermentation process.

The story of Pu-erh is similar to wine production: some sorts of Pu-erh have been aged in caves to develop their distinguish flavor which make them attractive for the tea collectors.

Contact: Oli Oldaker

whitelotusteaclub@gmail.com

Seth Cluett’s long-form sound work called Forms of Forgetting will explore the role of in-attention and re-attending in listening; using found objects, altered consumer electronics, home-made instruments, sine tone oscillators, the acoustics of the space and a host of psycho-physical phenomena, this new work aims to construct a focused, attentive perceptual space and an elastic, malleable experience of time.

Seth Cluett (b. Troy, NY) is an artist, performer, and composer whose work ranges from photography and drawing to video, sound installation, concert music, and critical writing.  His “subtle…seductive, immersive” (Artforum) sound work has been characterized as “rigorously focused and full of detail” (e/i) and “dramatic, powerful, and at one with nature” (The Wire). Exploring the territory between the auditory and other senses, Cluett’s works are marked by a detailed attention to perception and to sound’s role in the creation of a sense of place and the workings of memory. The recipient of grants and awards from Meet the Composer as well as the Andrew W. Mellon, Naumberg, and Malcolm Morse Foundations, his work is documented on Errant Bodies Press, Line, Radical Matters, Sedimental, Crank Satori, BoxMedia, Stasisfield, and Winds Measure.  Cluett is currently on the faculty of the School of Fine Arts at Miami University of Ohio where he teaches in the Music Department and the Armstrong Institute for Interactive Media Studies.

Contact: Chris Peck
peckpeckpeck{at}gmail{dot}com

JUDGES: Clay Witt, Jennifer Tidwell, Cecilia Hernandez Nichols, Amy Gardner, Will May, Blake Demaso, and Lynelle Lawrence. Cyrus Worrell will present the results.

DESIGN BRIEF:

I. THE CHALLENGE:
PROJECT GAIT-WAY:
BELMONT BRIDGE DESIGN COMPETITION
The Belmont Bridge in the city of Charlottesville, VA must be rebuilt. But it doesn’t need another “raised road.” The city needs a “Gait-way” – an iconic, pedestrian-centric, bike & auto friendly gateway bringing Charlottesville into the next era of world-class cities. (Budget $14.5 million.) We’re looking for creative, inspiring, innovative and extraordinary solutions – in both bridge design and urban planning. Examine the city’s assets. Provide the plan.

II. SPECIFICATIONS:
For all tech specs, please refer to: http://www.belmontbridge.com/design-scenarios
• Bridge would ideally remain open during construction.
• Lower clearance over the train tracks of minimum 23 feet.
• 5% upper limit of the curvature of the roadway (for sight lines)
Familiarize yourself with the process. Pay attention to the community feedback* – as well as suggestions from the community charrette.
*This design did not meet approval: http://www.belmontbridge.com/community/design-preview

III. Belmont Bridge Guiding Principles:
1. Multi-modal — serving pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and transit. 2. Gateway – to downtown/neighborhoods, a vital link for residents and commuters.
3. Iconic – an aesthetically important piece of public infrastructure with architectural treatments reflective of the contemporary Charlottesville community.
4. Green – incorporate green features (low-energy/living) and sustainable materials.
5. Feasible – built within its existing footprint,** in compliance with design standards. **Footprint is subject to debate – innovative urban planning solutions will be considered.

IV. DELIVERABLES:
PRIMARY Design presentation limited to one mounted vertical 36″ x 40″ board. Site plan, section, elevation, aerial/axonometric view. Plus a short, written description of your concept (max 300 words – Helvetica 11 pt). Include your contact info in an envelope and attach it to the back – no identifying info on the design display side. (You will be assigned a number.)
SECONDARY Although not required, models are encouraged – as a secondary component in addition to board. (max size: 30″ x 30″ x 8″)
Mail designs to: Project Gait-Way: The Bridge PAI, 209 Monticello Rd, Charlottesville, Va. 22902.
Digital submissions: You may send a digital file. But you must also mail a letter (received by deadline) and check for $60 for printing/mounting to The Bridge PAI 209 Monticello Rd, Charlottesville, Va. 22902 – payable to The Bridge PAI (memo: Bridge Competition). Email digital file (PDF or jpg) to brian.wimer@embarqmail.com.

V. PROGRAM:
• Open Submission: Deadline 6pm February 11, 2012.*** • Public Display: February 13 – 19, 2012 at The Bridge PAI (and possibly other venues) • Judging will be comprised of public votes and a jury of local stakeholders. • Award: 8pm February 19, 2012

VI. AWARDS:
$1,000 Bridge Jury Award, People’s Choice Award (prize TBD) $1,000 Urban Planning Jury Award, People’s Choice Urban Planning Award (prize TBD)

***Note: Wall space is limited. The competition might not display designs of lesser quality.
For competition updates go to: projectgaitway.com (going live online 1/9/2012)

For specific questions, contact: brian.wimer[at]embarqmail[dot]com