Virginia begins its largest arts campaign

Virginia has a long, rich history of arts programs, with more than 500 nonprofit organizations representing the arts. But state officials say many of these groups work independently of one another, leaving the small art gallery or the obscure dance troupe unnoticed.

"There are a lot of smaller organizations that don't get the recognition they deserve for the quality of work that they're doing," said Peggy Baggett, executive director of the Virginia Commission for the Arts.

To boost the visibility of Virginia's diverse arts community, the commission has launched Minds Wide Open, a large-scale celebration that will honor the contribution of women in the arts.

The focus on women is an inclusive theme, Baggett said. "We wanted to make it easy for people to participate."

Between March and June, organizations throughout the state will hold thousands of events, including plays, exhibits and dance performances.

The Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts, which is participating in the program, has a history of promoting female artists.

Lisa L. LaCamera, a senior director at Wolf Trap, said that opera sensation Denyce Graves got her start through its young artists program and that pop singer Celine Dion performed at the Vienna-based arts center early in her career.

For Minds Wide Open, she said, the foundation is planning a schedule of performances featuring female artists.

"We applaud what Minds Wide Open is doing for the state and for women artists and are privileged to be part of this unique initiative," LaCamera said.

State officials said about 1,600 events are registered, and an average of 12 are being added each day.

"This is the largest collaboration of the arts and cultural celebration in the history of Virginia," Baggett said.

She said the program will feature a wide range of events because "we want to give people the opportunity to be as creative as possible."

In April, the Richmond Ballet will offer a panel discussion to discuss the lack of female directors among the major ballet companies in North America.

"We wanted to do something that would leverage change, hopefully, and also promote dialogue and discussion," said Keith Martin, the ballet's managing director.

Other arts groups will feature new works, such as dance routines choreographed by women or plays featuring strong female characters.

History museums have joined the celebration. The Beth Ahabah Museum & Archives will feature exhibits showcasing the contribution of Jewish women to performing and visual arts in Richmond. The Old Coast Guard Station in Virginia Beach plans to feature an exhibit about the history of women in the Coast Guard, and the Eleanor D. Wilson Museum at Hollins University in Roanoke will host an exhibit about women in the military.

Minds Wide Open has been nearly three years in the making. Its seeds were planted in spring 2007, when state officials met with leaders from the 23 largest art groups in Virginia, including Wolf Trap and the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra. They sought to create a project that would foster greater collaboration among artists and showcase their talents.

"We're hoping that Minds Wide Open will demonstrate the value of working together," Baggett said.