Pro-Art announces Picnic with the Arts Summer Series - Dave Eggar & Friends to kick off series with ChamberGrass

Big Stone Gap, VA – The Pro-Art Association is delighted to welcome friends and families back out to the arts this summer! Beginning in June, the Picnic with the Arts Summer Series will offer opportunities for our communities to celebrate the arts and one another’s company in safe outdoor settings across Wise, Lee, and Dickenson Counties.

Dave Eggar & Friends will kick off the series with ChamberGrass on Saturday, June 12 at 5 p.m. on park grounds at the Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park in Big Stone Gap. Grammy award winning extreme cellist Dave Eggar joins forces with the Knoxville Symphony's own Sean Claire and blues singer extraordinaire Jamen Denton in an adventurous evening of classical music, bluegrass, blues, and rock. From Bach to The Beatles, Bluegrass to Brahms, this evening will take the listener on a fun and rambunctious musical journey. Classical guitarist Phil Faconti and world percussionist Levi Trent fill out the band to create an experience you won't soon forget.

Admission to ChamberGrass is free, and the event is open to the public. Local food trucks will be on site to provide food for this event. Bring a blanket or lawn chairs and picnic on the lawn as we come back together again to share in the joy of live music in good company!

Symphony of the Mountains

Then, join us in welcoming Symphony of the Mountains' celebrated string ensemble, the Mountain Strings, for two outdoor performances on Saturday, June 26. The ensemble will perform at 3 p.m. at the Cumberland Bowl Park Amphitheater in Jonesville, and at 7 p.m. at the June Tolliver Playhouse in Big Stone Gap. These performances will include a variety of styles including pieces by Mozart, Strauss, and Bizet, among others, and are free and open to the public.

more programs

Please look forward to additional Picnic with the Arts announcements and events as we finalize program details. Anticipated projects include a community art installation, Indian dance classes, and Rangoli workshops in sand art! The series will culminate with the 10th anniversary of the beloved Symphony By the Lake concert at UVA Wise at sunset on Saturday, July 24. So come out this summer and Picnic with the Arts!

Pro-Art’s mission is to promote the arts and expand accessibility to cultural experiences for residents and students in Wise, Lee, and Dickenson Counties and the City of Norton. For more information about our planned performances, please visit proartva.org. You can find the Pro-Art Association on social media @ProArtVA.

The Pro-Art Association is offering these performances, and all events of their 2020-2021 season, at no cost to its community. This performance is supported in part by a grant from the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts. If you have any questions, please visit proartva.org, call the office at (276) 376-4520, or send an email to proartva.org.