Events: Haiti relief concert Saturday at LC

Lynchburg College’s chaplain’s office and SERVE (Students Engaged in Responsible Volunteer Service) is sponsoring a Haiti Relief Concert at 6 p.m. Saturday in LC’s Snidow Chapel.

“I think a lot of us want to do something, but don’t know where to start or what should be done,” says organizer Justin Shroder.

Performers include classical guitarist Sean Beavers, bluegrass group the James River Cut-Ups and rockers The Good Kind. Ian Moore, director of the Alliance of Christian Athletics of Haiti, and Kaky Bowden, LC’s Catholic campus minister, will also speak about Haiti and their time spent there.

“When we hear about a disaster like (the earthquake in Haiti), we want to learn more about the area,” Shroder says. “They can tell us what it’s like.”

Donations collected at the door will be donated to the Salvation Army’s relief efforts. For more information, contact Chris Gibbons at (434) 544-8640.

Nite Owls headline Ellington Fridays

The Nite Owls will bring their eclectic musical mix — everything from Johnny Cash and Merle Haggard to the Grateful Dead and John Hiatt — to Ellington Fridays.

The show starts at 5 and runs until 8:30 p.m. Tickets, available at the door, are $8, and a cash bar will be serve up drinks. No children younger than 12 permitted; those younger than 21 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

For more information, visit www.theellington.org.

Bluegrass concert to benefit WAMV manager

The James River Bluegrass Association is sponsoring a benefit concert for Bob Langstaff, general manager of Amherst’s WAMV radio station (AM 1420), who has been hospitalized for about three months.

The concert will be 2 to 6 p.m. Feb. 21 at the Madison Heights bingo hall at 117 Seminole Drive.

The concert feature Dobie Toms and Faithridge, Hard Drivin’ Grass, the Little Mountain Boys, Long Mountain Grass and Solid Rock 3. Admission is $10.

All proceeds will be used to defray Langstaff’s medical expenses, including money raised with a silent auction.

Langstaff has long been a fixture at Amherst County benefits, for which he has been master of ceremonies, including an annual bluegrass benefit for Amherst County Habitat for Humanity at Sweet Briar College.

For information, call (434) 946-9000.

Arts Council hosts monthly meeting

The James River Council for the Arts & Humanities latest CultureBuzz event is set for 5:30 p.m. today in the lobby of the Pearson Cancer Center (1701 Thomson Dr.). Beer, wine and light hors d’oeuvres will be served, and the bar will accept cash or check only.

For more information, visitwww.jamesriverarts.com.

Film Noir Friday series premieres for Big Read

The Big Read Film Noir Friday series begins with “Chinatown,” screening at 8 p.m. at Sweet Briar College’s athletic center movie theatre.

Amazement Square will also host a book cover art event from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday. Used book covers and craft supplies will be provided, and admission is free.

Free copies of “The Maltese Falcon” are still available at Amazement Square and Lynchburg College.

The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and Arts Midwest. The Big Read Lynchburg is sponsored by Amazement Square and the Lynchburg College Library. For more information, visit www.bigreadlynchburg.org.

Sweet Briar shows work from collection

Sweet Briar College’s latest exhibit, “Art/Art History,” is opening with a reception and gallery talk from 4:30 to 6 p.m. today in the Pannell Gallery.

The show is a collaboration between artist Craig Pleasants, program director at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, and art historian Christopher Witcombe, a Sweet Briar professor. The pair chose 65 works for the show, everything from large paintings to tiny etchings, with the pieces put together in clusters that influence each other and the viewer’s interpretation of them.

“It has been intriguing to watch these two intelligent and creative people explore our permanent collection,” says Karol Lawson, Sweet Briar’s galleries director. “I hope their presentation prompts people to look at the art here on campus with fresh eyes.”

The exhibit will remain up through April 4. A series of “conversations in the gallery,” informal discussions intended to reveal the stories behind some of the art, will be held at 7 p.m. Feb. 11 and 25 and March 4.
The gallery’s hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday and 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday. Call (434) 381-6248 for more information.