What s New in Virginia 2021
Wondering whatâs latest in Virginia? Browse through our list of Where to WanderLove in 2021 that gives you a sneak peek into what you can expect in Virginia this year. Definitely a good way to begin the year with lots of anticipation.
Major News and Openings
⢠The Crozet Blue Ridge Tunnel opened to the public in November 2020 after nearly 20 years in the making. The trail offers a unique outdoor experience for railroad enthusiasts, hikers, bikers, history buffs, and cave dwellers. From sunrise to sunset, visitors can explore the 2.25-mile trail that passes through an abandoned train tunnel, which is more than 700 feet below the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Openings and Closings: February 3 to February 10 Elizabeth Lanza
Ben Fisher Photography, courtesy of Masterpiece London.
Masterpiece London Art Fair,
Thurs. Feb. 4 12 pm (EST)
Masterpiece London Art Fair recently announced their planned return to the Royal Hospital Chelsea in late June will be preceded by the release of a new online program. Beginning this week, the Masterpiece London website will be home to panel discussions, videos, and podcasts as a prelude to the in-person fair. One of the must-attend events this week is
Masterpiece Symposium | Journeys through the Material World. Attendees will be able to hear a discussion of the different ways that an object can be displayed in an exhibition, and how it might affect a visitor’s understanding of the object. Speakers at this panel include Christopher Maxwell, curator of Early Modern Glass at the Corning Museum, and Caroline McCaffrey-Howarth, 17
New World Wonder: How a geological oddity became an enduring symbol of the nation in American Art Christopher C. Oliver
Fig. 1.
Thomas Jefferson at Natural Bridge by Caleb Boyle (active 1800–1822), c. 1801. Oil on canvas, 92 by 60 inches.
Lafayette College, Easton, Pennsylvania, Kirby Collection of Historical Paintings.
The Natural Bridge of Virginia is a 215-foottall geological formation located in the Shenandoah Valley that is the last remnant of the roof of an ancient cavern that collapsed millions of years ago. Its impressive height and unique features inspired generations of artists who visited the site, which for many eighteenth- and nineteenth-century artists was relatively remote. Yet, its craggy, foresttopped visage made a familiar and frequent appearance in painting, prints, photography, and the decorative arts of the era. As one of the earliest painters to depict the site, Joshua Shaw, remarked upon his visit to the Natural Bridge in 1820: “It is one of those s