Art in Atlanta
By QB Social Butterfly
QuailBellMagazine.com
Washington D.C. has its cherry blossoms and Atlanta, Georgia has its dogwoods – and an art festival. The 76th Annual Atlanta Dogwood Festival will be held in Piedmont Park and, every year, features a variety of artists in a variety of mediums including clay, glass, photography, metal, and paint. Dozens of these artists set up shop at the Artist Market, and there is an art contest for high school students. This, in addition to the International and Eco Villages and live music, makes the (free!) Atlanta Dogwood Festival a unique and noteworthy art celebration. Below, are the festival times and some paid events:
Friday, April 20, 12 – 10 p.m.
Saturday, April 21, 10 a.m. –11 p.m.
Sunday, April 22, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Friday, April 20, 7 – 10 p.m.
La Fête International Wine Tasting
Advance tickets are $29, regular $35,
Saturday and Sunday, April 21 and 22, 1 – 5 p.m.
Friends of Dogwood
Enjoy the festival from the comfort of an upscale pavilion with catered food and wine tasting. Advance tickets are $25, regular $35. For an open bar, the prices increase to $54 and $60.
Make your plans now, Quail Bell(e)s!
The Most Beautiful Napkins in the World By Christine Stoddard
QuailBellMagazine.com Part of a nascent women's artisan cooperative, these Mixteca women are preparing to sell their servilletas (tortilla napkins) and other handicrafts at a new mercado on April 14th at Broad Rock Park in Richmond, Virginia. Hooray for artesanía folklórica!
Tomorrow's St. Patrick's Day Spend the night reading your favorite Irish fairy tales aloud with a group of close friends. You (probably) won't regret going to your favorite pub, either--as long as you wear plenty of green.
Underappreciated: Franz Xaver von Schönwerth By Julie DiNisio
QuailBellMagazine.com
Fairy tales have their place in the past. Most children grow up hearing the same cultural stories and lore, many of which have been immortalized by Disney. But the concept of a previously unheard fairy tale is a foreign one, until now. Recently, a set of 500 fairy tales – most of them completely new – was discovered in Regensburg, Germany, a city in Bavaria.
The stories were collected and written by Franz Xaver von Schönwerth, a local historian and folklorist and contemporary of and Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, arguably the most famous fairy tale icons. He lived from 1810 to 1886 and spent much of his life amongst the Bavarian locals in a place called Oberpfalz, learning about customs, traditions, and, most importantly, folklore. Von Schönwerth published these stories in three volumes called Aus der Oberpfalz, which failed to gain popularity.
German cultural curator Erika Eichenseer published many of Von Schönwerth’s stories. She argues that his stories could not compete with the Brother Grimm’s because they were written with a less literary tone. The stories are presented in a very-straightforward manner, an unfamiliar style for those accustomed to fairy tales today with the less savory details sugarcoated after years of retelling.
Due to her growing interest in the author and his life work, Eichenseer founded the Franz Xaver von Schönwerth Society which is committed to publishing his stories. Though they are not yet available in English, a translator is working on them. Thus far, “The Turnip Princess” is one of the translated stories and can be read here.
And in the meantime, fairy tale fans can relish the fact that there are more to be discovered and Von Schönwerth is finally getting the credit he deserves.
Lions and Tigers and (Loopholes), oh, my! By Christine Stoddard
QuailBellMagazine.com Alright, Virginian Quail Bell(e)s! We know how much you love your codices. Well, bid farewell to tax-free buys from the world's most popular virtual bookstore. Last week Gov. McDonnell announced that Virginia and acclaimed online book and media seller, Amazon.com, have come to a consensus: the Seattle-based company will pay Virginia state sales tax.
Gov. McDonnell endorsed SB 597, which would require online businesses with a brick-and-mortar presence to pay general sales tax, after the House of Delegates passed it on a 95-2 vote. Amazon will begin collecting the standard 5% sales tax next year. According to the bill's patron Sen. Frank Wagner, Virginia can expect to gain at least $23 million in tax dollars from Amazon in 2013 alone.
A press release from Virginia Retail Merchants Association stated, “State law requires that online retailers with a physical presence in the commonwealth collect sales tax on purchases from individuals with a Virginia address, but Amazon has been using a loophole to avoid those taxes.”
Thanks to a 2007 state Tax Department ruling, Amazon has evaded the law demanding that all retailers with buildings situated in Virginia pay sales tax. The Virginia retail industry lobbied for Amazon's tax compliance in 2010, but the bill, clearing the Senate, died in the House of Delegates.
Currently Amazon runs a warehouse in Sterling and a data center in an undisclosed location. The retailer also plans to build two distribution centers in Chesterfield and Dinwiddie counties at the end of this year.
The Unicorn Queen Speaks
By Julie DiNisio
QuailBellMagazine.com
Photo by Bust Magazine. _ Doe Deere, blogger and founder of the highly successful Lime Crime makeup brand, embodies girliness, made apparent by her line of work and her would-be-ridiculous-but-amazing-on-her outfits. Recently, she was photographed by BUST Magazine in a characteristically colorful and feminine shoot. Read on to learn her thoughts on the experience!
QB: On a blog post, you’ve indicated a past with BUST. How have you worked with them before this?
DD: They have featured my makeup line, Lime Crime, before. I think BUST is a breath of fresh air in so many ways. They have my respect.
QB: Did you choose your outfit and makeup? How much creative control did you have over the look?
DD: I had full creative control of my look--hair, makeup, outfit. They just said "Be you!" They sent a photographer over to my house and asked us to shoot two outfits (both were purple). They chose the second one, and I'm happy with the choice!
QB: What did it feel like to have photographers come to your house and do a photo shoot?
DD: Very flattering! I wasn't too nervous since I'd had publications come over with cameras before. I just wanted to be prepared and have fun.
QB: How long did the photo shoot take? Did it differ from what you'd imagine it would be like?
DD: The shoot itself took under an hour (with one outfit change); it's the preparation that took forever! I'm a perfectionist and need at least two hours to get ready. I appreciate that the photographer, Yerin, was so very patient with me.
QB: How do you hope this will raise awareness about your makeup brand and identity as the Unicorn Queen?
DD: Honestly, I didn't do it for exposure. I just wanted to be a part of a good publication. If it raises awareness about me and my brand, in addition to that, great!
QB: Would you have changed anything about how you looked?
DD: My facial expression! I came out a little grumpy. I wish I was smiling in the picture. Next time!
QB: I doubt anyone thinks you’re grumpy, Doe Deere!
_
Winter at American Art By QB Social Butterfly
QuailBellMagazine.com Washington D.C. has just about everything in the way of museums, with the Smithsonian varieties being huge contributors. For a taste of American folklore this holiday season, spend some time this winter enjoying these events at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and Renwick Gallery:
December 18, 1:30–3:30 pm
Luce Unplugged with John Davis of Title Tracks
Enjoy this installment of the museum’s acoustic concert series. Admission is free.
December 21, 12 pm
American Craft Masterpieces
Admission is free.
December 29, 1:30–3:30 pm
Art + Coffee: Visual Artist Talk Kristina Bilonick
This event will feature a local artist led discussion and refreshments afterwards. Admission is free.
January 18, 12 pm
American Craft Masterpieces
Admission is free.
January 18, 6:30–8:15 pm
The Seven Year Itch
The museum will be showing this classic film in the Portrait Gallery. Admission is free.
January 19, 5-7 pm
Andrea Wood Quintet Presents Winter Blues
Admission is free.
January 22, 1:30-3:30 pm
Luce Unplugged with Dance for the Dying
Admission is free.
Get Lost in the VMFA
By QB Social Butterfly
QuailBellMagazine.com
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is a gem in the Museum District of Richmond, Virginia. Recently renovated, it is easy to get lost amongst the paintings and sculptures featured within the VMFA. It also has plenty going on aside from the permanent and the visiting exhibits. Here’s what’s going on the rest of this holiday season:
Thursday, December 15th, 6:00 to 9:00 pm
Jazz Café at Best Café featuring Jack Winn-Tet
Friday, December 16th, 5:00 to 8:30 pm
Friday Art and Wine: The Mod Squad
Thursday, December 22nd, 6:00 to 9:00 pm
Jazz Café at Best Café featuring Antonelli Trio
Friday, December 23rd, 5:00 to 8:30 pm
Friday Art and Wine: Hungry Like the Wolf
Thursday, December 29th, 6:00 to 9:00 pm
Jazz Café at Best Café featuring Glenroy & Company
Friday, December 30th, 5:00 to 8:30 pm
Friday Art and Wine: Walk Like an Egyptian
Unicorn Horn or Rhino Horn? By Paisley Hibou
QuailBellMagazine.com
Folklore's fun, except when it kills. In the case of rhinos, folklore practically pulls the trigger. One of the inspirations for the all-purpose healing unicorn horn, rhino horn is a highly sought commodity even in the modern era. This is one positively medieval practice that Quail Bell(e)s are not thrilled to embrace.
A poster designed by SavingRhinos.org states 10 essential facts about the burly beasts—#4 being that, “Scientific testing has confirmed that rhino horn is NOT medicine.” It goes on to explain that, “Unfortunate beliefs throughout China and parts of Southeast Asia attribute medicinal properties to the rhino's horn. Illegal rhino horn is sold in 'cuts' or manufactured into 'medicine' and marketed as a 'remedy' for pain, fever, acne, laryngitis and even as a cancer treatment.” In reality, rhino horn's made of keratin, the same substance that makes up our fingernails, and has no affect on the human body.
The November '11 issue of Vice Magazine includes a teeny story called “Rhinocide” by Harry Cheadle. Harry describes the poaching procedure pretty bluntly: “Poachers shoot the innocent animal with a huge gun, saw off its horn, sell it for an estimated $1,000 an ounce on the black market, and leave its two-ton corpse to rot in the hot sun.”
An article that appeared in The Guardian on November 4th reported that South Africa's rhino poaching has reached a record high. So far, 341 rhinos have been killed this year alone.
As folklore enthusiasts, The QB Crew hopes that our fledglings will take this opportunity to think about the potentially harmful effects of superstitions. For the rhino, what at first sounds like an innocent child's fairy tale, means death.
Give Me Christmas or Give Me Death By QB Social Butterfly
QuailBellMagazine.com Personally, I think that Patrick Henry was about the coolest Founding Father that ever graced American soil. Anyone that intense about independence and that intensely against taxes is OK by me. So spend Christmas how he might have while he lived on his Virginian estate, Scotchtown. Located in Hanover County, it’s not a far drive from Richmond, and is absolutely worth a visit. If the Christmas event isn't twisted enough for you, take a tour of the house and see the basement where his mentally-insane wife lived. (At this time of year, tours are only available by appointment; drop-in hours resume March 1st.)
December 17, 2 to 4 pm
Hansel and Gretel Tea Party
Take a little one to decorate a gingerbread house and enjoy some Christmas treats. Admission is $25 per person.
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