On Saturday, Sept. 1, Maxfield Parrish Exhibition Opens;
On Labor Day, Sept. 3, the MSV Hosts Final Day of
Nature Connects®: Art with LEGO® Bricks
Winchester, VA 08/22/2018. . . Offering the first opportunity to see what’s opening in the galleries and the last chance to enjoy a popular exhibition of LEGO brick sculptures in the gardens, Labor Day weekend at the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley (MSV) will engage the entire family.
Opening on Saturday, September 1, Maxfield Parrish: Paintings and Prints from the National Museum of American Illustration will present a comprehensive collection of works by one of the twentieth century’s most popular American painters and illustrators. Images by Maxfield Parrish (1870–1966) are universally popular and instantly recognizable due to their long-standing proliferation on calendars, art prints, greeting cards, magazine covers, and novels. On view through January 6, 2019, Maxfield Parrish: Paintings and Prints will feature nearly 100 works from the 1890s through the 1940s, including several original paintings displayed alongside vintage reproductions. The exhibition’s presentation at the MSV is generously sponsored by WINC 92.5 FM.
Following Saturday’s opening of the Parrish exhibition, the MSV will be OPEN ON LABOR DAY, September 3, to provide one final chance to see the award-winning, traveling exhibition Nature Connects®: Art with LEGO® Bricks. Featuring works by New York-based artist Sean Kenney, Nature Connects presents 13 larger-than-life displays made out of LEGO bricks. Sculptures installed throughout the seven-acre MSV gardens include a six-foot-tall hummingbird, a peacock built with 68,827 LEGO bricks, a giant corn spider suspended from a tree, a Monarch butterfly perched among pollinator plants, a family of deer nestled among blooming roses, and more.
As part of the Nature Connects exhibition, visitors can build with thousands of LEGO bricks in a “Play and Let Stay” hands-on station. They also can take pictures in an anthill mosaic built with 12,990 LEGO bricks. In addition, families may bring picnics to enjoy on the MSV grounds, and they may purchase ice cream, light snacks, and souvenirs at the Pop-up Shop in the gardens. Food will also be available for purchase from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. from Shaffer’s BBQ food truck (Saturday & Monday), The Talk of the Mountain Seafood (Saturday & Sunday), and the Roaming Bistro Food Truck (Monday).
According to MSV Executive Director Dana Hand Evans, Nature Connects has broken attendance records at the MSV as word has spread that it is a wonderful activity for the entire family to enjoy together. While normally the MSV is closed on Monday, says Evans, the decision was made to remain open this Labor Day to allow as many people as possible, particularly families, one final chance to see the engaging display.
Admission to the MSV, which includes access to the galleries, house, gardens, and Nature Connects: Art with LEGO Bricks, is $10 for adults, $8 for youth ages 13–18 and seniors, and $5 for ages 5–12. Admission is free to ages 4 and under and to MSV Members.
The MSV display of Nature Connects: Art with LEGO Bricks has been made possible thanks to generous sponsorship from the Valley’s corporate community, including: Shenandoah Country Q102; Frederick Block, Brick & Stone; The George Washington Hotel; Lantz Construction Winchester; O’Shea + Wilson Siteworks; Perry Engineering Company; Reader & Swartz Architects; Shentel; The Wise Foundation; Painter-Lewis, P.L.C.; Beyer Auto Group of Winchester: Volvo–Mazda–Volkswagen; Continental–O’Sullivan Films; Four Winds Tree Experts; Jan & Dan Team Realtors; Simpson, Gumpertz & Heger, Inc.; TDC Virginia; The Winchester Star; Valley Health; Virasec; and Yount, Hyde & Barbour.
A regional cultural center, the MSV is located at 901 Amherst Street in Winchester, Virginia. The MSV includes galleries displaying permanent collections and rotating exhibitions, the Glen Burnie House, and seven acres of gardens. The site is normally open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will be open the same hours throughout Labor Day weekend, including Labor Day, Monday, September 3. –END—