building or place, but a state of mind: the belief that in a small town, music, art, and creativity can happen anywhere, any time.
In the past year, two Poolesville churches have opened their doors to Riverworks-sponsored concerts. Locals Farm Market hosts Riverworks’ Friday night jam sessions and rotating“ Artist in the House” exhibitions to highlight local and regional talent. In Beallsville, drawing and painting classes for adults and music and theater classes for children fill the studios at Alden Farms. Community Roundtable Projects move participants beyond the studio, and sometimes out of town altogether, to explore cultural and historical questions and express their discoveries through art.
“ Our programs are inspired and shaped by the Ag Reserve, a location that makes us unique among art centers,” Wright explains.“ Poolesville is the gateway to all this natural beauty, all this history. The rural roads, the forests and farm fields, the small-town vibe— these are resources art centers rarely have. People out here feel a special connection to this place.”
Supporters of the arts have taken notice. Catherine Pickar, the first woman hired as a fulltime music professor at the George Washington University, recently became president of the Riverworks board of directors, a role that highlights both her arts expertise and her organizational skill. As one of several down-county board members and creative partners who regularly make the long drive to Poolesville, she’ s inspired by the excitement of building an art center from the ground up.
“ My passion, both professionally and personally, has always been to unite and create community through the arts,” says Pickar, who has been active as a teacher, composer, and civic leader since her 2001 retirement.“ The Riverworks mission, my faith in Sandy and David’ s vision, plus a longstanding love of the Ag Reserve from my time out here when my daughters were young— all of these things have captured my heart. How often do you get to see a shared dream become a reality right before your eyes?”
Beallsville resident Jeff Sypeck is a Riverworks Art Center board member. He coauthored I Have Started for Canaan: The Story of the African American Town of Sugarland and has written extensively about history and the arts.
The interior of the former church will receive a fresh look, with unfinished woodwork evoking the rural roots of Poolesville and the surrounding forests and fields.
20 plenty I spring sowing 2025