PVCC Announces Opening Reception for TRAD: Portraits of Irish and Scottish Traditional Musicians Exhibition

Charlottesville, Va. – January 21, 2025 – The Piedmont Virginia Community College (PVCC) Art Department will hold an opening reception with live music for its latest art exhibition, “TRAD: Portraits of Irish and Scottish Traditional Musicians,” Friday, January 31, from 5 to 7 p.m., in the PVCC Gallery. Attendees will view large-scale photographs of traditional musicians by Christopher Bickford while listening to tunes by members of the Blue Ridge Irish Music School (BRIMS). A brief introduction to the works, the artist and BRIMS will take place at 6 p.m.

Most of the subjects of these portraits are local performers, interspersed with well-known traveling musicians from Ireland and Scotland who frequently visit the Charlottesville scene.

“Like most folk music, Irish traditional music (known as “trad”) is passed down directly from person to person, one song at a time.” notes Chairperson of Visual and Performing Arts Fenella Belle. “The photographs in this exhibition aim to capture the depth and richness of the multi-generational and extremely vibrant local community, for which BRIMS is the epicenter, that regularly gathers to keep these traditions alive.”

Christopher Bickford is a Charlottesville-based photographer who has worked for National Geographic, The New York Times and Time Magazine, among others. He is the photographer and author behind “Legends of the Sandbar: A Life of Surf of the Outer Banks.” His portraits commonly feature musicians from Nashville and Charlottesville.

For 25 years, BRIMS has offered instruction in traditional Irish dance, music and song to the Charlottesville community, as well as concerts and meet-up sessions that form the lifeblood of the Irish music community. This collaboration with Bickford traces the non-profit arts organization’s history, community and the living art of traditional music.

Admission to the reception and the gallery is free and open to the public. Hours are Monday through Thursday, from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m.; and during Fine Arts and Performance events.  

For more information, contact Belle at 434.961.5362 or fbelle@pvcc.edu. Learn more about the PVCC Fine Arts and Performance season at pvcc.edu/performingarts.

About Piedmont Virginia Community College
Established in 1972, Piedmont Virginia Community College is a nonresidential two-year institution of higher education that serves Central Virginia – principally, residents of the City of Charlottesville and the counties of Albemarle, Buckingham, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, and Nelson. PVCC is one of 23 community colleges in Virginia that comprise the Virginia Community College System. PVCC is committed to providing access to a college education for all who can benefit, an opportunity for each student to reach their potential and excellence in all programs and services. Visit pvcc.edu.


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MEDIA CONTACT: 
Susian Brooks
Director, Marketing and Media Relations
434.961.6574 | sbrooks@pvcc.edu 

Photograph: Kevin Donleavy, by Christopher Bickford
 

Department

Humanities, Fine Arts and Social Sciences Division