Around the Smith House Galleries
9:30am to 3:00pm – Chalk Art at Asbury UMC
10:00am to 4:00pm – Smith House Galleries Open
1:00pm to 2:30pm – Music on the Front Porch by iRon Lion
2:30pm to 3:30pm – James Albright Artist Talk: Artomatic
Scroll down for more details about each activity.
9:30am to 3:00pm – Chalk Art at Asbury UMC with Robert Mott
Robert Mott has enjoyed creating chalk art drawings in public settings for more than 30 years. In the early 1990s he was a regular artist at the I Madonnari Chalk Festival in San Luis Obispo, California where he was known for colorful recreations of historic California orange crate labels. He and his brother, Tom, led a collaborative team of chalk artists that was featured at the premier San Diego Chalk Festival in the late 1990s. In the early to mid-2000s, Mott began sharing his talents at Staunton Jams music festivals, the Staunton Pride Festival and more recently creating fantastical Harry Potter-themed street art at a number of Queen City Mischief and Magic Festivals. In 2017 Mott was invited to create a Jimi Hendrix drawing at the prestigious I Madonnari festival at the historic mission in Santa Barbara, California. His professional graphic design studio website is found at robertmottdesigns.com.
10:00am to 4:00pm – Smith House Galleries Open
Don’t forget to stop inside the Smith House Galleries to see the May Exhibition: Journey Towards the Unknown, featuring mixed media works and paintings by Mahnaz Weldy, Maryam Rassapour, and James Albright.
10:00am to 1:00pm – JMU Artsmobile
JMU ArtsMobile, showcasing students from JMU’s College of Visual and Performing Arts; includes: “Scenes from Hänsel und Gretel” – a storybook adaptation of the famous opera by Engelbert Humperdinck and Invictus Saxophone Ensemble as well as kid-friendly interactive design, student plays, and more. Creation of the ArtsMobile was made possible by the Madison Trust.
1:00pm to 2:30pm – Music on the Front Porch by iRon Lion
Southside Chicago-born and Shenandoah Valley-bred Ronnie Brandon (aka iRon Lion) is a Virginia reggae ambassador who has been performing in the state for more than 20 years showing off his African-Jamaican-Native American heritage and roots! He attended Harrisonburg High School, Blue Ridge Community College and Radford University where he studied business, communications, and music.
His soulful versions of Motown & reggae music classics, along with his own original productions and consistent touring year to year, have made him a popular name in east coast reggae circles, especially the DMV. From Bob Marley to Steel Pulse to Shaggy and Damian Marley, you can expect to hear the best reggae music when iRon Lion is around.
He performs as a dj, acoustic solo act or with musicians from his stable, he calls, The Knotty Lionz Camp or Band (TKLB). Learn more at ironlionworld.com!
2:30pm to 3:30pm – James Albright Artist Talk: Artomatic
Join May’s exhibiting artist, James Albright, as he shares his experiences with Artomatic – an open-entry creative art showcase of visual art, music, film, performance, poetry and fashion in Washington, DC.
James Albright’s art is based on a profound love for wherever he finds himself – be that Mexico, Cuba, or Annandale, Virginia, where he has lived for the last 34 years. Albright was raised overseas in Chile, Japan, Mexico, and Indonesia and carries those cultures with him here in the United States. After a number of different academic and professional experiences, Albright concluded his career as a successful middle school principal in Washington DC. He continues to be active in the community and to find the road whenever he can. Albright’s art recalls the intense colors and images of his global nomadic life, juxtaposed with an early 21st century suburban tone.
The Day of the Arts is sponsored in part by
The Community Foundation of Harrisonburg & Rockingham County,
Earlynn J. Miller Fund for the Arts.
