2022 Alleghany Living Guide - 10

THE ARTS
the annual FX2: A Regional Photography
Exhibit, highlights the work of professional
and amateur photographers alike to great
acclaim and draws entries from across the
Commonwealth of Virginia.
Both the Clifton Forge School of the Arts
and Alleghany Highlands Arts and Crafts
Center offer the work of local and regional
artisans for sale. The Arts and Crafts Center
maintains a shop that is open year-round and
features the work of talented local artists.
The Clifton Forge School of the Arts has
become famous for its annual Kriskindlmarkt,
a festival inspired by the German Advent
markets and modeled after a European
Christmas village. The festival features food,
artisan crafts, live music and traditional
European Christmas customs.
The Alleghany Highlands is also home to
two quilting shops, Lollie's Quilt Shop in Clifton
Forge and Sew Many Quilts in Covington.
Lollie's Quilt Shop offers a variety of sewing
services, such as supplies, lessons, and even
sewing machine repairs. Sew Many Quilts,
located on Main Street in Covington, offers
quilting classes for quilters of all ages and skill
levels in addition to sewing supplies and 5000
plus bolts of fabric from which to choose.
If you're looking for a show, the Historic
Masonic Theatre, located on the block between
the School of the Arts and the Arts and Crafts
Center, continues a history of celebrating the
arts that stretches for more than a century.
The Masonic has played host to the likes
Judith Sivonda, owner of Caffe Museo in Clifton Forge, enjoys sculpting in her free time.
of Roy Rogers, the Virginia Opry, Grammy
award winners, the Roanoke Symphony
Orchestra and countless others in its 115year
history. The COVID-19 pandemic,
however, left theatres across the world
struggling to keep the lights on, and the
Masonic was no different.
" The theatre business wasn't easy in the
first place, " says Justin C. Reiter, director of
the Masonic. Running a theatre is challenging
in the normal world, but what do you do when
a global pandemic puts a halt to shows and
sponsorships?
The Masonic relied on grants and aid to
keep afloat while the pandemic raged and
many acts stopped touring altogether. Now, as
the pandemic wanes and people are beginning
to work their way back to normal, Reiter is
hopeful the Masonic will raise the curtain on
a full house soon. However, he isn't relying
Glen Bryant demonstrates his blacksmithing talents.
solely on shows to make it happen.
" Over the past 18 months, we've been
looking for new opportunities to serve our
10 Alleghany Living
2022 Alleghany Living Guide

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of 2022 Alleghany Living Guide
