PVCC Fine Arts and Performance to Host Horace Scruggs Evenings of Film, Music and History Events
Charlottesville, Va. – February 6, 2025 – The Piedmont Virginia Community College (PVCC) Fine Arts and Performance division will welcome back Fluvanna County-based musician, educator and documentary filmmaker Horace Scruggs, as he presents recent projects over two consecutive evenings of film, music and history. Events include a screening of his 2023 documentary chronicling life in a local, historically African American neighborhood, followed by another in his signature series of “learning and listening” concerts on African American music. The events will be held in the V. Earl Dickinson Building Main Stage Theatre, on the main campus at PVCC.
Events kick off Friday, February 21, at 7 p.m., with a free showing of the short film "The Port Republic Times” and a talk back with Scruggs and local historians. The film captures life in the Port Republic neighborhood of Waynesboro, Virginia through stories from those who call it home. First-hand accounts detail school, church, and civic life in an upbeat production that celebrates a neighborhood and a culture. Special guest panelists joining Scruggs include Mary Baldwin University Professor of History Dr. Amy Tillerson-Brown and historian Chris Wilmott.
“African American Voices from the Stage and Screen” will take place Saturday, February 22, at 7:30 p.m. A concert of musical selections from Broadway shows and movie soundtracks, Scruggs’ commentary highlights the African American experience with his trademark combination of thoughtful inquiry, humor, and deep knowledge of his subject matter.
Renditions of songs from Broadway musicals like “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” “The Wiz,” and “The Color Purple,” will be performed along with works from the movie soundtracks of “Dreamgirls,” “Mudbound,” and “Harriet.” Joining Scruggs onstage for this concert will be:
• Soprano Precious Anderson-Bland, a native of Fluvanna County, is known for her singing by churchgoers in the region.
• Mezzo-soprano Leslie Scott-Jones is also a local actress, writer, director and Artistic Director of the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center’s Charlottesville Players Guild.
• Alto singer Ronee Martin, a central Virginia native who appeared on season 11 of the “America’s Got Talent” television show, has recorded as a backing vocalist for artists such as Wynton Marsalis and Patti Labelle.
ABOUT HORACE SCRUGGS
A multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer, conductor, and documentary filmmaker, Scruggs has worked as a professional musician since 1985. His extensive education in music includes studies at Longwood University, the Shenandoah Conservatory and Berklee College of Music. In addition to educating countless students of all ages in music education, Scruggs began to develop “lecture concerts” for the public, looking to provide in-depth presentations on the history of African American music and culture.
Upon retiring from public education in 2020, Scruggs produced a documentary film on the African American history of Fluvanna County. The work was featured in screenings by the Fluvanna County Arts Council, The 2021 Montpelier Juneteenth Celebration, and the 2021 Maupintown Film Festival. Other films followed, each one highlighting his unique approach to investigating and documenting local African American history. For “The Port Republic Times,” Scruggs paired with UVa’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute to produce the film.
TICKETS
Tickets for the “African American Voices from the Stage and Screen” concert are $12 for adults and $10 for seniors and students. Patrons may purchase advance tickets online at pvcc.edu/performingarts or by calling 434.961.5376 (major credit cards accepted). The PVCC Cashier’s Office, located in the main building, has tickets available for purchase during normal business hours. If available, tickets may also be purchased starting two hours prior to the performance at the PVCC Box Office, located at the main entrance of the Dickinson Building. The V. Earl Dickinson Building is at the south end of 501 College Drive on the PVCC main campus in Charlottesville. Ample free parking is available.
For more information, email boxoffice@pvcc.edu or call 434.961.5376. View upcoming events in the Fine Arts and Performance season at pvcc.edu/performing arts.
Media support for this event is provided by CBS19.
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