ENTERTAINMENT & THE ARTS A hands-on center for the visual arts and the country’s only national park for the performing arts make for an invigorating day of creative exploration and reflection. – By Christine Snyder What a one-of-a-kind day: It’s just after sunset and I’m at WOLF TRAP , swaying along to Ziggy Marley's “One Love” and other reggae anthems made famous by his beloved dad. But before capping off my day this way, I made the afternoon special, too, with a trip to Lorton's WORKHOUSE ARTS CENTER , where I studied painter Phoebe Twichell Peterson’s rowboat series and an exhibition of sculptural ceramics. There’s plenty of stunning art here, but also an incredible history. Once a prison, this 55-acre refuge now celebrates all the freedom that comes with art. The complex – with several galleries, cooperative studios, performance space, room for drop-in classes and the chance to shop for one-of-a-kind art – even includes a museum to tell the prison’s fascinating story. For nearly a century, wrongdoers got locked up here, until the federal government moved the last inmates out in 2001. Dozens of suffragists languished here, arrested for their six-day-a-week “Silent Sentinels” protests outside Woodrow Wilson’s White House. Today, visitors enjoy beautiful art on the repurposed grounds. It’s all a perfect prelude to my evening at Wolf Trap, which is on its second life, too. Once Catherine Filene Shouse’s working farm, it’s now the country’s only national park dedicated to the performing arts. ARTFUL expressions PHOTO: WORKHOUSE ARTS CENTER (DEBORAH BOWE) Over the past 40+ years, thousands of stars plus ballet troupes, Chinese acrobats, symphony orchestras and more have wowed crowds here. And no matter what artist is on the amphitheater’s stage, it’s a getaway you won't forget. Pack a dinner with wine, sangria or the like or pick up buttermilk fried chicken or other perfect-for-picnic fare at the on-site eatery. Just don’t make my mistake – come early enough to fully enjoy the park’s beautiful setting. • FXVA.COM • 27
Fairfax County Official Visitors Guide Fairfax County Official Visitors Guide 2020: Page 27
