Calendar

4 Women Working in Fiber: Julia E. Pfaff, Cynthia Harrison, Lynne Sward, and Kat Allison

• Date(s): 03/05/2010 - 04/11/2010
• Recurring daily
• Times: Tuesday - Friday 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM Saturday - Sunday 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM
• Location: Portlock Galleries at SoNo
• Address: 3815 Bainbridge Blvd.
  Chesapeake, VA 23324
• Contact: Nicole Benson
• Phone: (757) 502-4901
• Admission: Free

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Portlock Galleries is pleased to announce the opening of their next exhibition, Four Women Working in Fiber on Friday, March 5, 2010. The exhibition continues through April 11 and features works by Virginia artists Lynne Sward, Kat Allison, Julia E. Pfaff, and Cynthia Harrison. This exhibition is presented in conjunction with the statewide initiative "Minds Wide Open:  Celebrating Women in the Arts". Each of the artists in this show use fiber in a unique way.

Lynne Sward will be showing vessels, dolls, and animals created using many different techniques and incorporating other materials including beads, paper, and found objects. Her works include machine and hand-sewn layered techniques that give a sense of mystery and depth to her works. Sward's work has been included in museums and galleries all over North America, Japan, Canada, and Great Britain. She has been featured in numerous books and magazines. She maintains a studio in Norfolk and teaches at various locations.

Kat Allison will present her unique quilted works. Her works incorporate a number of different materials and use a number of materials and processes. She works with fiber, paper, metal, and beads in her work. She uses a combination of modern technological tools and traditional techniques. She began working in fiber as a child and was taught by her grandmother early in life. She has worked in a number of different media and has found fiber to be the common thread in all of her works. Her creations have been included in exhibitions across the region and state, and she has extensive experience in teaching and has had her work included in numerous publications.

Julia E. Pfaff is a Richmond-based artist who also incorporates technology and contemporary processes to her quilts. Works in this exhibition were created from fabrics that were digitally printed from blown up and altered images of her hand-dyed and stitched works. The result is a blend of processes that creates a piece with the structure of a quilt that has been informed by contemporary and graphic design traditions. Pfaff received her Masters of Fine Arts degree from Virginia Commonwealth University and is currently teaching courses in fiber art there. Her works have been included in many juried exhibitions across the state and region and she has won many awards for her works.

Cynthia Harrison will show her quilts and paintings on silk in this exhibition. Her unique paintings reflect her love of natural forms, landscapes, and gardens. She has been working in fiber for many years and worked as a teacher and art therapist for forty years. After retiring in 2008, she has been able to focus on her own art and creative work. Her works are included in public and private collections and have been exhibited in national and international venues. Most recently, one of her works was selected to be a 2010 Easter Seal.

Eggstravaganza 2010

• Date(s): 04/03/2010 - 04/03/2010
• Times: 10 AM - 12 PM
• Location: Chesapeake City Park
• Address: 900 Greenbrier Parkway
  Chesapeake, VA 23320
• Phone: (757) 382-6411
• Admission: Free and Open to the Public

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Patricia Sterritt and Margie Sawyer Exhibition

• Date(s): 04/16/2010 - 05/23/2010
• Recurring daily
• Times: Tuesday - Friday 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM Saturday - Sunday 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM
• Location: Portlock Galleries at SoNo
• Address: 3815 Bainbridge Blvd.
  Chesapeake, VA 23324
• Contact: Nicole Benson
• Phone: (757) 502-4901
• Admission: Free

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Dismal Swamp Stomp Half Marathon & Children's Half-Mile Cub Run

• Date(s): 04/17/2010 - 04/17/2010
• Times: Half Marathon starts promptly at 8:00 AM. Cub Run starts promptly at 11:30 AM.
• Location: Dismal Swamp Canal Trail
• Address: 1200 Dismal Swamp Canal Trail
  Chesapeake, VA 23323
• Contact: Kale Running
• Phone: (757) 373-4174
• Admission: Half Marathon- $50 if postmarked before 01/31/10; $55 if postmarked after 01/31/10-04/13/10; $60 on site at Expo 04/16/10; Cub Run- $10 through 04/16/10

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Leave winter in the dust and welcome spring by joining us for the fourth annual Dismal Swamp Stomp Half Marathon and third annual Children's Half Mile Cub Run on April 17. The 13.1 mile scenic trail leads runners through the picturesque countryside and historic surroundings of Chesapeake, Va. And the $4,000 purse prize will get any pair of feet stomping!

The Dismal Swamp Stomp is open to runners and walkers ages 12 years old and up, and baby strollers are permitted. The Cub Run Children's Half Mile Fun Run, a compliment to the half marathon, is open to children 12 years old and under. All participants will receive a T-shirt, runner's packet and a medal upon crossing the finish line.

Registration is on a first come, first serve basis, and space is limited. To register, visit http://dismalswampstomp.kalerunning.com/registration.html. For more information, visit kalerunning.com.

  This is a Virginia Green certified event.

Chesapeake Dog Fancier's Dog Show

• Date(s): 05/01/2010 - 05/02/2010
• Recurring daily
• Times: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM (Times are approximate)
• Location: Chesapeake City Park
• Address: 900 Greenbrier Parkway
  Chesapeake, VA 23320
• Contact: Carol Cooke
• Phone: (757) 421-2656
• Admission: Adults - $3.00. Children - Under 12 Years of Age - Free

Chesapeake VA Dog Fanciers Association will host American Kennel Club (AKC) all-breed dog shows at the Chesapeake City Park on Saturday, May 1, 2010 and Sunday, May 2, 2010. Judging will begin at 9:00 AM both days. Each day the show will culminate at approximately 5:00 PM when Best Dog in Show will be chosen.

There will be approximately 800 dogs competing each day representing over 100 AKC registered breeds. As a special event, Best Puppy in Show will be selected on Saturday and Best Bred by Exhibitor Entry in Show will be chosen on Sunday.

Championship dog shows provide excellent opportunity to observe many AKC registered breeds. Free educational material about responsible dog ownership and information on AKC events will be available at the club information booth. A variety of vendors will be on grounds offering dog-related items. Food will be available on site.

Only pre-entered dogs are allowed on the show grounds.

Paddle for the Border

• Date(s): 05/01/2010 - 05/01/2010
• Times: 7:30 AM - 1:30 PM
• Location: Dismal Swamp Canal Trail
• Address: 1200 Dismal Swamp Canal Trail
  Chesapeake, VA 23323
• Phone: (757) 382-6411
• Admission: TBD

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Calling all Paddlers!! Join the fun and come to Chesapeake to participate in the seventh annual Paddle for the Border, located along the Dismal Swamp Canal. The beautiful 7.5 mile trip is enjoyable for canoers and kayakers of all ages and skill levels. Landlubbers needn't fear; the canal trail features areas for, picnicking, and bird watching.

Boats will launch from the Dismal Swamp Canal Welcome Center and State Park in South Mills, N.C. The 7.5 mile journey ends with a splash at the Great Dismal Swamp Boat Ramp at Ballahack Road in our fair city of Chesapeake, Va. After the voyage, stay for a celebratory lunch on the scenic grounds of the Dismal Swamp Canal.

Paddlers must bring their own canoe or kayak and are required to bring and wear Coast Guard approved personal flotation devices (PFD) while on the water. If you're interested in renting a canoe or kayak on site, click here for options . All participants must be able to swim. In addition to your boat and PFD, you may want to bring binoculars and a camera.

Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge Birding Festival

• Date(s): 05/06/2010 - 05/08/2010
• Recurring daily
• Location: Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge
• Address: 3100 Desert Road
  Suffolk, VA 23434
• Contact: Deloras Freeman
• Phone: (757) 986-3705
• Admission: FREE

• Visit Website

The Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge hosts its fourth annual Birding Festival on May 6 - 8, 2010. The festival strategically falls during the height of the spring Neotropical songbird migration, when the greatest diversity of species are on the fly.

Bird lovers will delight in catching a glimpse of the Swainson's warbler and the Wayne's warbler (a race of the Black-throated Green warbler), two of the most secretive and least observed of all North American birds. Lucky visitors will likely catch a "peep" of the white-throated Sparrow, the graceful Great Egret and even the regal Bald Eagle. Other birds of interest are the wood duck, barred owl, pileated woodpecker and prothonotary warbler.

The FREE annual Great Dismal Swamp Birding Festival is open to the public and offers family-fun activities, such as guided bird walks, owl prowls, bus tours and photography workshops. Bird walks and bus tours require reservations and can be made by calling the Refuge Headquarters at (757) 986-3705. For more information about the festival, visit www.fws.gov/northeast/greatdismalswamp.