New Virginia Initiative Celebrates Women in the Arts

- Performances and Exhibitions Statewide Showcase Virginia as an Arts Destination -

(Richmond, Va.) Virginia's status as a destination for those who love the arts receives a special boost this spring with the launch of Minds Wide Open: Virginia Celebrates Women in the Arts, a statewide celebration of music, dance, theater, literary and visual arts. The first statewide initiative of its kind, Minds Wide Open focuses on plays, choreography, compositions, paintings, photography or films created by women or featuring women as the primary focus. Performances and exhibitions will occur at venues throughout the Commonwealth.

Virginia has been the birthplace or home of some of the most beloved women artists. Ella Fitzgerald, Patsy Cline and Shirley MacLaine are American legends. Daphne Reid has delighted audiences as both an actress and director. Photographer Sally Mann, artist P. Buckley Moss and writer Rita Mae Brown are celebrated as among the very best of their medium. Their legacy is shared by women throughout Virginia whose talents inspire those around them.

From March through June 2010 Minds Wide Open offers more than 5,000 performances, exhibitions and events across Virginia to honor women who have shared the treasures of their hearts through artistic expression. Included are signature performances by the Richmond Ballet, Anoushka Shankar, the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra, Richmond Shakespeare and the Virginia Chamber Orchestra. Venues range from metropolitan concert halls and theaters to community centers and libraries.

Minds Wide Open offers a chance to take a memorable journey in Virginia through its Standing Ovation Vacation Sweepstakes. Twelve special arts getaways complete with tickets to events such as theater, ballet and concerts - and including accommodations and dining - will be given away from March through June 2010. Register to win at www.ArtsVA.com, where you can also find a complete schedule of Minds Wide Open events and exhibitions.

Love of art and of travel has always been among the best reasons to visit Virginia and each year the Commonwealth seems to add new venues to its existing collection. In Richmond the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts reopens in the spring of 2010 after the completion of a dazzling expansion project. Norfolk's Chrysler Museum of Art houses a gorgeous collection of portraiture and Tiffany glass. The new Taubman Museum of Art in Roanoke is a work of art in itself and houses paintings and sculpture by famous names. In Alexandria, the Torpedo Factory Art Center houses the working studios of more than 80 artists.

Performing arts have a home throughout the Commonwealth and draw audiences from around the world. Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts hosts the biggest names in music. The new Richmond Center Stage complex is a multi-venue facility for theater, music and dance. In Abingdon the historic Barter Theatre is where actors such as Patricia Neal, Ernest Borgnine and Gregory Peck got their professional starts. The mountain music venues of The Crooked Road - Virginia's Heritage Music Trail are found throughout Southwest Virginia and are packed for each performance.

Special arts events can be found throughout Virginia at nearly any time of year. The Richmond Folk Festival and the Virginia Arts Festival are filled with song and dance while the Virginia Film Festival and the Virginia Festival of the Book draw film and literature enthusiasts from all over. Each June Virginia Beach's Boardwalk Art Show Festival brings thousands to the beachfront. Lorton, in Northern Virginia, is one of several Virginia cities with a monthly Art Walk.

Combining the arts with visits to Virginia's wineries, historic sites, wonderful restaurants, great cities and memorable small towns makes for the best of vacations or getaways and helps connect hearts to what's really important. For trip planning information visit www.Virginia.org or call 1-800-VISITVA for a free Virginia is for Lovers Travel Guide.