The Hylton Performing Arts Center held its annual “Arts Alive!” day on May 6 in cooperation with the Prince William Arts Council. The six-hour long event allowed area residents to enjoy the local visual and performing arts of Prince William County and the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park.
According to Kathy Bentz of the Prince William County Arts Council the day was a success with 1200 people attending, many of which were families with children.
“The whole idea was to make it family friendly. A lot of people came who have never been to the Hylton Center before, and for our people it was nice to perform here,” Bentz said.
The Arts Council also presented local artists with awards. Author and journalist Cindy Brookshire received the Pioneer Award for creating her Manassas-based writers’ networking group, Write by the Rails.
Bentz said the organization does not award that prize every year, but Brookshire went “above and beyond in effort to bring
the community of writers together.”
Brookshire, who read excerpts from her novel, along with other Write by the Rails members in the Lovey Hammel Lounge, said she was surprised to receive the award.
Katherine Gotthardt, Bristow novelist, poet and children’s author, said it was a good event for the group.
“A lot of people were interested in learning about Write by the Rails. They’ve never heard about a writers’ networking group and wanted to connect with other writers,” Gotthardt said.
Downstairs in the lobby, the Manassas/Warrenton Camera Club had a similar response. With a table exhibiting some of the club members’ most artful work right by the main entrance, the club members were able to meet new prospective members and build community recognition as well as sell some of their photography.
Club member Gordon Tassi said the purpose of the club is to “educate people on photography, to improve their own individual photography, provide educational opportunities and share photography with the communities.”
In addition they have donated some of their work to children’s hospitals.
Also on the main floor the Prince William Arts Council exhibited the work of some of their talented local painters.
“Traffic is very good,” said Alish Anderson.
President Jim Gallagher said the event is important for his artists because many of them do not have studio space, so this is a place to show and sell their art.
“We had a lot of artists sell their art,” Gallagher said.
For others it was a chance to network and share information with other artists.
The Prince William Arts Council, while a place for artists to network and share techniques, is also involved with community outreach and charitable giving. Tthis week it will present a $1,000 college scholarship to two graduating Prince William County High School students.
Outside the Hylton Center, there were three performing art spaces as well, and performers ran the gauntlet, including the Manassas Ballet, Old Bridge Chamber Orchestra, Bull Run Cloggers and Woodbridge Flute Choir.
There were also hands-on art demonstrations in quilting, lace making and pins and patterns.
Overall Arts Alive offered a variety of experiences, appealing to all kinds of art lovers. It is a new tradition, which both promotes and celebrates the arts in Prince William County, and it was free to all participants.
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