THURSDAY, February 10
ART
Double Parking: Landscape designer Michael Van Valkenburgh speaks on "Two Parks in New York City and the Wellesley College Landscape." 5pm. Room 153, Campbell Hall. 982-2921.

Mysteries of the Mandapa: Dr. Darielle Mason of the Philadelphia Museum of Art speaks on "Re-Investigating Philadelphia's Indian Temple Hall," at the Architecture School's Campbell Hall (Room 153). 5:30pm. 924-3592.

FAMILY
Tales for Tots: The 5 and under crowd can hear some favorite picture book stories about Valentine's Day at Barnes & Noble's preschool story time. 10:30am. Free. Barracks Road Shopping Center. 984-6598.

WALKABOUT
Ninja Yoga: Toward a revolution of consciousness. Free yoga classes today at 9:15am. Bring a mat. Silent meditation 8am. Suitable for all levels of expertise. Free and open to the public at "Better than Television," a new community center at 106 A3 Goodman St. 295-0872. Yoga classes also offered at the Downtown Library, Market St., today at 5pm.

Be a SHE Volunteer: The Shelter for Help in Emergency offers twice-weekly training sessions Tuesday and Thursday nights through March 3. Volunteers are needed to staff the Shelter Hotline as well as work as managers, court monitors, children's program assistants or office staff. 6-9pm. 293-6155.

Floral Demonstration: Kick off your Valentine's celebration with the Flowers for all Humanity design demonstration and auction at the Gentle Gardener in Gordonsville. Benefits the Habitat for Humanity of Louisa. 6-8pm. $10/person; $15/couple. 540-832-7031.

Bird Business: The Monticello Bird Club's monthly meeting features Ruth Burch presenting a program on plant selection and garden design to create habitats for butterflies and moths. 7:30pm at the Ivy Creek Natural Area. Open to the public. 971-9271.

Gender and Popular Culture: The UVA Women's Center sponsors this discussion about fatherhood in cinema. 6:30-8pm. Minor Hall Conference Room 225. 982-2361 or womenscenter.virginia.edu.

Landscape Discussions: Learn all about the gardening business at the Central Virginia Landscape Management Seminar. Topics include perennials, water gardening, turfgrass, and the role of landscaping in crime prevention. 8am-5pm. Albemarle County Office Building Auditorium. Open to the public. Registration at the door. 263-4022 x103.

PERFORMANCE
Taming of the Shrew: Long seen as the ultimate battle of the sexes, this robust comedy is just as much an illustration of how nonconformists can outwit society. Shenandoah Shakespeare blends romance and outlandish farce to give us a story of psychological liberation. 10:30am school matinee. Blackfriars Playhouse, 10 S. Market St., Staunton. $14-26. 540-885-5588

Highway Child: Piedmont Virginia Community College presents Highway Child, a modern fable incorporating American Indian mythology into a contemporary landscape, by Sean Harvey and Drew Bergman. A "heavily staged" reading. Tonight is opening night. 7:30 pm. Maxwell Theatre (Black Box), 500 College Road. $8-10. 961-5376. See Performance feature.

The Dazzle: Obsessive meets compulsive in this new Richard Greenberg play loosely based on New York's Collyer brothers and the 136 tons of uncontrolled clutter they filled their mansion with. A high-stakes sibling rivalry in which zinging epigrams do battle with existential despair. 8pm. Live Arts UpStage, 123 E. Water St. $10. 977-4177.

WORDS
History, Race, and City Schools: The Charlottesville PTO Council hosts a panel discussion on the history of segregation and integration in Charlottesville. 7pm. Walker School Media Center. 293-5516 or 979-1111.

TUNES
Travis Elliott at Atomic Burrito: Radiohead, Weezer, and his own folk stylings inform Elliott, but the young man is a true original, with the pop tunes to back up that claim. No cover, 10pm.

David Rogers at the Prism: Classical guitarist Rogers also performs early music for those wacky sounding instruments, the lute and vihuela. $10/Students $5, 8pm.

Karaoke Night with DJ Wild Wes at Buffalo Wild Wings. Free, 9pm

Danny Beirne (piano-man) at Coupe DeVille's. No cover, 10pm.

Karaoke Night at Damon's Sports Bar. Free, 9-12am.

Chicken Head Blues Band at Dürty Nelly's. $4, 9pm.

Karaoke with Ron Courtney at Fat Daddy's. No cover, 8-11pm.

Peter Markush (piano) at Gravity Lounge. Free, 12:30pm.

Vulgar Bulgars and Las Gitanas at Gravity Lounge. $5, 8pm.

Darrell Rose and Matthew Willner Duets (Afrikan percussion, nylon string guitar, bass, synths , loops, and devices) at Michael's Bistro. No cover, 9pm.

Rocket Queen at Outback Lodge. $3, 10pm.

Satisfaction with Noel Sanger (18 and up dance party) at Rapture. $3/Ladies free, 10:30pm.

Middle Eastern Belly Dance Class at Rapunzel's Coffee & Books. Free, 6:30pm.

Dirty Dozen Brass Band with Oregon Hill Funk Allstars at Starr Hill. $14/$12 advance, 8pm.

FRIDAY, February 11
ART
Paul's a Hit: "Installations/Abstractions," new work by Paul C. Hitopoulos, opens today with a reception, 6-8pm. Newcomb Hall. .

Small Wonders: The Kluge-Ruhe Collection sponsors a reception to open its new show of Aboriginal art miniatures. 5:30-7:30pm. 400 Worrell Drive, Peter Jefferson Place, Pantops Mountain. 244-0234 or .

FAMILY
For the Love of Children: Renowned child development specialist Joseph Chilton Pearce presents a lecture and workshop at the Charlottesville Waldorf School. See Family feature.

Ahoy, Matey: Old Michie Theatre brings Robert Lewis Stevenson's classic children's tale to the stage with a new main stage production of Treasure Island. Pirates, sailors, and the infamous Long John Silver sail the seas on a quest for buried treasure in a performance that features a cast of local youth. 7pm. $7.50. 221 E. Water St. 977-3690. oldmichie.com.

PERFORMANCE
Drum Circle: No experience needed. All welcome. Bring drums and other instruments and prepare to dance and groove. Free. 8pm. Better than Television, 106 Goodman St., Apt. A3. 295-0872.

I Do! I Do! Just in time for Valentine's Day, ThornRose Theatre Company presents a dinner theater production of this musical on marriage. The show begins with Michael and Agnes on their wedding day and traces their life together over a period of 50 years. Doors open 6pm. Show at 7:30. Clock Tower Tavern, 27 W. Beverley St., Staunton. $35 includes dinner and dessert. 540-248-3224. thornrosetheatre.com.

The Dazzle: See Thursday, February 10. Tonight's show is at 8pm.

Organ Concert: The Westminster Organ Concert Series continues its 25th anniversary season with Sound the Trumpet, a program of French and English baroque tunes. This month's concert is dedicated to the memory of Ben Sturgill, a longtime supporter of the series. 8pm Westminster Presbyterian Church, 190 Rugby Road. Free. 963-4690.

King's Singers: Founded in 1968 at King's College in Cambridge, the King's Singers are one of the world's most acclaimed vocal ensembles, a group that can handle Renaissance madrigals as deftly as folk and pop music. $33-39. 8pm. Paramount Theater, Downtown Mall. 979-1333.

Tamer Tamed: This is John Fletcher's hilarious sequel to The Taming of the Shrew, written 20 years after Shakespeare's play. Petruchio marries a second wife, who seeks revenge on behalf of Kate (and browbeaten women everywhere) by denying her husband earthly pleasures-- a reversal of roles that recalls the sex strike in Aristophanes's Lysistrata. Opening night. 7:30pm. Attend a pre-show lecture at 6pm. Blackfriars Playhouse, 10 S. Market St., Staunton. Pay what you will. 540-885-5588.

Highway Child: See Thursday, February 10.

Hip-Hop Workshop: Studio 206 offers a beginner's workshop on hip-hop dance. 6:30-8pm. Studio 206, 206 W. Market St. $8-10, no registration needed. 510-681-8255 or .

WALKABOUT
A Taste of Jewish Mysticism: Heena Reiter presents this fascinating look at the intricacies of the Jewish faith. 10am in the Senior Center Board Room. No fee, but registration is required. 974-7756 or seniorcenterinc.org.

Public Service & the Law: Students, faculty, attorneys, local residents, and policymakers come together to explore public interest issues facing today's legal community. 8:30am-6pm at the UVA Law School. 296-4539. See Walkabout feature.

Ice Action: The Virginia hockey team takes on Georgetown at the Downtown Ice Park tonight at 10pm. UVA students free, general public, $6. uvahockey.com.

WORDS
Getting Over It: In time for Valentine's Day, editors Mary Esselman and Elizabeth Ash Vélez introduce their new collection of poems, You Drive Me Crazy: Love Poems for Real Life. Meet the editors and join the discussion of romance good and bad. Noon. New Dominion Bookshop. 401 E. Main St. 295-2552. See cover story .

TUNES
SoulBone at Fellini's No. 9: Another local super-group pops up from the netherworld0-- starring Art Wheeler, T.A. Anderson, Tony Fisher, and Spencer Lathrop playing "Soul Jazz, Blues & Rave-Ups." No cover, 10pm.

George Turner and Mike Rosensky (jazz guitar duets) at Bashir's Restaurant. No cover, 7pm.

Richelle Clayborne and Ezra Hamilton with Devereaux Nash at Gravity Lounge. $5, 8pm.

Jackass Flats at Gravity Lounge. No cover, 10:30pm.

Vernon Fisher ("romantic side of jazz") at Keswick Hall. No cover, 6:30pm.

Full Circle (country) at Miller's. $3m 10:30.

Intenebris at Outback Lodge. $6, 10pm.

King's Singers at the Paramount Theater. $33-29, 8pm.

Open Mic Night at Rapunzel's. No cover, 8pm.

Pietasters with the Stabones, Star City Wildcats, and Lucky So Far at Starr Hill. $12/$10, 9pm.

Guitarist George Turner with Greg Nossaman on Hammond organ and Phil Riddle on drums (soul jazz) at Vivace Restaurant. No cover, 10:30pm.

SATURDAY, February 12
WALKABOUT
Trails Workday: Help the Rivanna Trails Foundation build a trail network around Charlottesville, and get dirty in the process! 8:45am. 923-9022 or rivannatrails.org.

Tracing the Past: Gayle Schuman and Caruso Brown discuss funeral home records at the monthly meeting of the Virginia Genealogical Association. 1:30pm at Northside Library. 973-7471 or avenue.org/cvga.

Public Service & the Law: See Friday, February 11. 8:30am-6pm at the UVA Law School. See Walkabout feature.

Wintergreen is for Lovers: Celebrate with your Valentine at the Wintergreen Winery. Complimentary candlelight tastings, Belgian chocolates, wine shop specials, long stemmed roses, and door prizes. 10am-5pm. No fee. 361-2519 or wintergreenwinery.com.

Ice Action: The Virginia hockey team takes on George Mason at the Downtown Ice Park tonight at 4pm. UVA students free, general public, $6. uvahockey.com.

Jefferson's Valentine: Kick off the official release of Jefferson Vineyard's Chardonnay Reserve '03 with your sweetheart and tastings, light hors d'oeuvres, and a complimentary corsage. 1-4pm. $15 per person, advanced reservations required. 800-272-3042 or jeffersonvineyards.com.

Oyster Fest: Forget about chocolates, oysters are the perfect Valentine's Day fare. Seriously. Rappahannock River Oysters shows how to enjoy fresh oysters, while live music from Junior Moment and a variety of wine tastings round out the day. 11am-5:30pm. $7 fee, reservations recommended. 540-456-8400 or cardinalpointwinery.com.

Sweethearts Weekend: Warm up your sweetie with traditional honeymoon wine, soup, and hors d'oeuvres at Hill Top Berry Farm and Winery in Nellysford. 11am-5pm. Fee. 361-1266 or hilltopberrywine.com.

Day of Dialogue: Sit down for an in-depth discussion on race and society with the UVA Women's Center. 9am-5pm at Newcomb Hall. No fee. Call 982-2361 or womenscenter.virginia.edu.

Couples Run: This brisk, annual 5K winds through several Downtown neighborhoods and features teams of two competing for the best combined time. 8am start. $15 entrance fee per runner. 293-3367 or avenue.org/amnesty/race.html.

St. Valentine at Barboursville: Bring your sweetheart to celebrate with Phileo and select desserts from Palladio Restaurant. 11am-4pm. $12 per person. No reservations required. (540) 832-3824 or barboursvillewine.com.

Red Wines & Valentines: Join the 10 Blue Ridge WineWay wineries for a Wine Lover's Weekend at Farfelu Vineyards. Live music, an outdoor fire, wines, and chocolate. 11am-5pm. $5 per person. 540-364-2930 or farfeluwine.com.

Get Ready to Rumble: Banner and sign-making party for upcoming rally to protest Nuclear Reactor Plan and hearings about same on February 17. noon-2pm. Call 970-2026 or email for information and directions.

Disaster Discussion: Come to a public talk on the subject "Dominion's Plans for New Nuclear Reactors-- Will These Reactors Be Safe?" 2-3pm. Louisa County Library. 540-903-9343.

WALKABOUT AND FAMILY
A Year to Crow About: The Piedmont Chinese Association celebrates the Year of the Rooster with a Chinese New Year Festival at Fashion Square Mall. This festival of Chinese culture and tradition features interactive displays and activities, a raffle, live performances and samples of Chinese cuisine. 1-5pm. Free. Sears Court. 924-2336

Animal Stories: Kate and Hub Knott of the Living Earth School search for signs of wildlife in the fields at Ivy Creek Natural Area. Outdoor adventurers are welcome to join them and learn how to read the story animals record in the landscape. Meet at the barn at 9am. Free. Earlysville Road. 973-7772.

FAMILY
For the Love of Children: See Friday, February 11 and Family feature.

Hot off the Griddle: Those who come to confess their devotion for pancakes in poem, picture, dance, or song shall have their love requited with hot cakes right off the griddle at Scottsville Library. 11am. Free. Registration required. 330 Bird St., Scottsville. 286-3541.

If I Had a Hammer: Carpenter Judy Cahill brings her popular woodworking workshop to Crozet Library. Participants ages 5 and up will be introduced to the joys of building and leave with a finished project. Adult helpers are encouraged to come along. 1pm. Free. Registration required. 1500 Gordon Ave. 296-5544.

Royal Engagement: A prince travels the world in search of a proper princess, but will any young lady be able to pass the Queen's test? Old Michie Theatre presents a puppet play adaptation of Hans Christian Anderson's fairy tale the Princess and the Pea. 11am, 2 and 4pm. $5. 221 E. Water St. 977-3690.

Giving Your Heart: Northside Library gives people lovers in grades 5-12 the chance to make someone else's Valentine's Day a little bit brighter. Materials are supplied so kids can create extra-special Valentines to donate to a good cause. 10-11:30am. Free. Albemarle Square. 973-7893.

Ahoy, Matey: See Friday, February 11.

Digging up Dirt: A morning workshop at Monticello focuses on what archaeology has revealed about plantation life at TJ's big spread. Aimed at children in grades 4-7 accompanied by an adult. 10am. Free, but reservations required. 984-9853.

FAMILY AND PERFORMANCE
Tricky Tales: Coyote and his amigos come to town for a performance of Coyote Tales. Presented by Dallas Children's Theatre and brought to Charlottesville by Community Children's Theater, this is a rescheduling of the performance originally scheduled for January 30. 2pm. $10. Martin Luther King, Jr. Performing Arts Center, CHS, Melbourne Road. 961-7862. avenue.org/cct.

PERFORMANCE
I Do! I Do!: See Friday, February 11. Same times, includes dinner and dessert.

Taming of the Shrew: See Thursday, February 10. Today's show is a 2pm matinee.

The Dazzle: See Thursday, February 10. 8pm tonight.

Tamer Tamed: See Friday, February 11. (prices: $14-26)

Highway Child: See Thursday, February 10.

Give it A Try (out): The ThornRose Theatre Company announces auditions for The Foreigner by Larry Shue. Auditions will be held at the Clock Tower Tavern in Staunton, and all positions are paid. 2pm. At thornrosetheatre.com, click on auditions.

WORDS
Sneaky Pie: Rita Mae Brown reads from her new Sneaky Pie detective adventure, Cat's Witness, at Barnes & Noble. 7pm. Barracks Road Shopping Center. 984.6598.

TUNES
Darrell Rose and Friends at Gravity Lounge: Percussionist Darrell Rose, founder of the Afrikan Drum Festival, brings a cornucopia of his friends for an evening that is sure to be heavy on the beats. $7, 8pm.

Thomas Gunn, John Rimel, Jay Pun & Morwenna Lasko, and Andy Waldeck at Live Arts Downstage: Join some of Charlottesville's best acoustic performers for another edition of the continuing saga of Acoustic Charlottesville-- saving the environment by conserving energy. $6, 8pm.

John Cephas and Phil Wiggins at the Prism: Winners of the W.C. Handy blues award, the Piedmont duo bring their acoustic guitar and harmonica back to the Prism for another go at greatness. $18/$15 advance, 8pm.

King Wilkie with Justin Jones at Starr Hill: Back from a much needed hiatus, King Wilkie continue to reach for the golden ring this year with their bluegrass intensity. $10/$8 advance, 9pm. See Tunes feature.

The Virginia Ramblers (formerly Virginia Cut-ups), M.D. Mallory, and Charlottesville Grass at Albemarle High School auditorium. $10, 7pm.

Victor Cabas (blues) at Basic Necessities. No cover, 6:30pm.

Populist Dancing at Club Rio. $10, 9pm. .

The Star City Wildcats (rockabilly) at Durty Nelly's. $3, 9pm.

The Red Hot Chilly Pickers (old-time/bluegrass) at Fabulous Foods in Crozet. No cover, 1-2:30.

Vernon Fisher ("romantic side of jazz") at Keswick Hall. No cover, 6:30pm.

The Red Hot Chilly Pickers (old-time/bluegrass) at Miller's. $3, 10:30pm.

Las Gitanas (gypsy tunes) at Odell's, 212-214 N. Main St., Gordonsville, $5. 8 PM.

The Vagina Monologues at Rapunzel's. $5, 8pm.

Vocalist Lori Derr and the George Turner Trio with Bob Hallahan on piano (jazz standards and bossa novas) at Starry Nights Valentine's at Veritas Vinyards. Free, 7pm.

SUNDAY, February 13
ART
Dignity & Despair: Carbon pigment images of Iraq by Craig Spaulding are on view during February. A reception at noon today honors the artist. See the show Sunday-Friday, 9am-2pm. Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church, 717 Rugby Road. 977-5411.

Rosenberg Rocks: Meet Janice Dunn Rosenberg and enjoy her pastel and oil paintings at a reception 3:30-5:30pm today. Sevenoaks Pathwork Center, 403 Pathwork Way, Madison. 295-8315.

Sampler: A Valentine Sampler Concert of recorder music featuring the Shenandoah Consort happens today at Sage Moon Gallery. 3:30pm. Free. Downtown Mall. 591-0762.

FAMILY
Sweets for the Sweet: Chocoholics in grades 6-12 can make their own yummy chocolates and a gift box to match. Give it as a present or keep for yourself, but sign up at Central Library soon. Space is limited. 2-3:30pm. Free. 201 E. Market St. 979-7151.

Ahoy, Matey: See Friday, February 11. 3pm today.

PERFORMANCE
Taming of the Shrew: See Thursday, February 10. Tonight's show is at 7:30pm.

Tamer Tamed: See Friday, February 11. Prices for today's 2pm show are $14-26.

The Dazzle: See Thursday, February 10. Today's show is a 2pm matinee.

I Do! I Do! See Friday, February 11. Doors open today at 1pm. The 2pm show includes dessert.

Barhoppers Audition: Help make performance in a bar as fun as Tina Fey and Dave Matthews did. Offstage Theatre holds auditions for its 15th anniversary Barhoppers Series. Cold readings from the scripts. 2-5pm. Culbreth Theatre. 244-8432.

Big Band Swing: The Jefferson Heights senior community on Pantops hosts an afternoon of live big band swing. Cut a rug to the tunes of Charlottesville's Swingtime Orchestra with vocalist May Robinson. Refreshments and prizes. Donations benefit the American Red Cross tsunami relief fund. 2-5pm. 1550 Pantops Mountain Place, off Route 250. Free. 977-4094.

WORDS
Don't Speak: Nationally known artist Reanae McNeal performs her one-woman play Don't Speak My Mother's Name in Vain as part a public awareness campaign to stop domestic violence and sexual assault. The play-- part oral history, part dance, part song-- brings to life eight female characters with common bonds of oppression under racism and sexism. 5pm. Mt. Zion Baptist Church, 105 Lankford Ave. Free. 963-4676. See Words feature.

WALKABOUT
American Sweethearts Tea: It's the Valentine season, but it's also James and Elizabeth Monroe's wedding anniversary (February 16, 1786). Today, interpreters portraying the two receive visitors in their home at Ash Lawn-Highland for tea and cookies. 1-4pm. Included in regular admission. 293-9539 or ashlawnhighland.org

Wintergreen is for Lovers: See Saturday, February 12. 10am-5pm. No fee. 361-2519 or wintergreenwinery.com.

Oyster Fest: See Saturday, February 12. 11am-5:30pm. $7 fee, reservations recommended.

Sweethearts Weekend: See Saturday, February 12. 11am-5pm. Fee.

Red Wines & Valentines: See Saturday, February 12. 11am-5pm. $5 per person.

Soften Up: Informative discussion of natural and organic skin care and free trials of products. 1:30pm. Body, Mind, Spirit. Preston Ave. 540-932-8585.

TUNES
The UVA Chamber Music Series at Old Cabell Hall: UVA's performance faculty present Mozart's "Quartet, K. 465," Colgrass's "Variations for Viola and Four Drums" among other works. $10/$5 students. 3:30pm. 924-3984.

Evan Mook (jazz pianist) at Fellini's No. 9. No cover, 6-9pm.

Ellis Paul with Anna Wolfe at Gravity Lounge. $12, 7pm.

Barling and Collins (cello-pop) at Miller's. No cover, 10:30pm.

The Vagina Monologues at Rapunzel's. $5, 3pm.

Irish Music Session at Shebeen. No cover, 3-6pm.

MONDAY, February 14
WALKABOUT
Defend Yourself: Self-defense workshops run for six Monday nights at 7 Tigers Tae Kwon Do. $5/class. 7:40-9pm. 3335 Seminole Lane across from Wal-Mart. 831-1292.

Barboursville Valentine Dinner: Romance the season at Barboursville Vineyard's award-winning Palladio Restaurant. 7pm. $110/person, reservations required. 540-832-7848 or barboursvillewine.com.

Talk About It: Black Women, White Women, All Women In Dialogue holds its monthly meeting in the Madison Room at the Central Library downtown. 5:45-7:15pm. Open to all. 295-2612.

Paws To Ponder: Caring For Creatures presents a free community lecture series designed to enhance your relationship with the animal in your life. This month's focus is on understanding your pet's emotions. 7pm. No fee (except for dinner). Wild Greens Restaurant, North Wing Barracks Road. 591-6113 or visit caringforcreatures.com.

All Aboard: The National Railway Historical Society- Rivanna Chapter convenes at Golden Corral for their monthly meeting. The program features two videos concerning Colorado's narrow gauge railroading. Pay-as-you-go dinner/social at 6pm followed by the meeting at 7. Visitors welcome. 978-7980 or avenue.org/nrhs.

Valentine Wine Dinner: Join King Family Vineyards for a candlelit five-course dinner prepared by Chef Pierce McCluskey. Limited seating available in the barrel room. 7pm. $100/person, pre-paid reservations required. 823-7800.

NAACP Meeting: The local chapter of the NAACP meets on the second Monday of each month. 7pm. Tonsler Park Community Center, Cherry Ave. near Fifth St. 293-4044.

Senior Center Anniversary: Join Senior Center member and guest speaker Betz Gleason as the center celebrates 45 years of involving, enriching, and empowering seniors in our community with a reception and live music. 1pm. RSVP at the front desk. 974-7756.

Women Voters: Hear from two members of the Fluvanna Planning Commission at the monthly meeting of the Fluvanna League of Women Voters. 4:30pm at the Public Safety Building on Route 53 in Palmyra. 589-4886.

Winemakers' Dinner: Dial up the romance at First Colony Winery's four-course Valentine's wine dinner. Reception at 6:30pm, dinner at 7. $70/all-inclusive. 877-979-7105.

Rick and Elsa: The Center for Christian Study presents a viewing and discussion of Casablanca. 7:30pm. 1530 Rugby Ave. Free. 817-1050. studycenter.net.

PERFORMANCE
Bitter-Sweet Honey: Spend this Valentine's Day with Sweet Honey in the Rock. A vital and innovative presence in the music world for over 30 years, Sweet Honey is rooted in the rich textures of African-American song. Their stunning vocal prowess captures elements of blues, spirituals, traditional gospel hymns, hip hop, reggae, African chants, ancient lullabies and jazz improv. 8pm Paramount Theater, Downtown Mall. $37-43. 977-1333.

Get Lucky: Lucky Supremo graces Club 216. Show hosted by current Miss Gay Charlottesville, Kristina Kelly. 11pm. Water St.

WORDS
Eros Rules: Rapture's seventh annual Valentine's Day erotic poetry festival combines open mic readings by participants and of original works by Moira Egan from her new volume, Cleave. Open mic sign-up begins at 7:15. Readers are encouraged to come early to sign up for a 5-10 minute spot. Readings should relate to the topics of the erotic, sensual, romantic, amorous. Free admission; $5 suggested donation. 7:30-10:30pm. Club R2 inside Rapture on the Downtown Mall. 293-9526. See Words Feature.

TUNES
Paul Curreri and Devon Sproule at Gravity Lounge: Charlottesville's first musical couple, Curreri and Sproule dazzle with their country-folk harmonies and knowing glances. $10, 7pm.

Open Mic Night with Charles Davis at Baja Bean. No cover, signup 8:30pm/9pm.

The Rusticators (acoustic) at The Biltmore Grill. Free, 10pm.

George Turner (solo guitar renditions of jazz standards) at Fellini's No. 9. No cover, 5:30-9:30pm.

Crooked Road at the Lafayette Hotel, Main St., Stanardsville. Free, 8pm.

Matthew Wilner at Miller's. No cover, 9pm.

George Melvin (piano merriment) at South Street Brewery. No cover, 9:30pm.

Travis Elliott (pop) and John Figura at the Virginian. No cover, 10pm.

TUESDAY, February 15
ART
No Carpet Bombing: Elizabeth Fentress speaks on "Islamizing the Berbers: Excavations at Volubilis and the first centuries of the Arab conquest of North Africa." 5:30pm. Campbell Hall, Room 160. 924-7648 or .

PERFORMANCE
Barhoppers Audition: See Sunday, February 13. Tonight 7-10pm, in Room 107 of the Living Education Center,

WALKABOUT
Civil War Round Table: Join Civil War enthusiasts for an evening of historical discussion with noted authors and professors. 7:30pm at the UVA JAG School, North Grounds. Public welcome. 295-9463 or avenue.org/cwrt.

TUNES
Josh Scolaro at Atomic Burrito. Free, 10pm.

Karaoke Night (what you make of it) at Baja Bean. Free, 8pm.

Glen Mack (rock) at Coupe DeVille's. No cover, 10:30pm.

The Red Hot Chilly Pickers (old-time) at Dr. Ho's. No cover, 7pm.

Tom Proutt at Fat Daddy's. No cover, 8:30-11pm

Alan Rashid (guitarist) at Miller's. $3, 9:30pm.

Rule of Thump at Orbit. No cover, 10:30pm.

$2 Tuesdays with Big Circle at Outback Lodge. No cover, 10pm.

Adelyn at Starr Hill Cocktail Lounge. Free, 8pm.

WEDNESDAY, February 16
FAMILY
Bears in Our Backyard: Wildlife biologist Ron Hughes talks about bears in Albemarle County and how to avoid common problems. He'll distinguish fact from fiction at Ivy Creek Natural Area in the Education Building. 10am. Free. Earlysville Road. 973-7772.

What's for Dinner?: Who's eating whom? Nancy Newman from the Virginia Museum of Natural History talks about nature's food chain and brings some taxidermied specimens and skulls for show and tell. 4pm. Free. Gordon Avenue Library. 296-5544.

More Tales for Tots: The 5 and under crowd can hear some favorite picture book stories featuring monkey tales at Barnes & Noble's preschool story time. 10:30am. Free. Barracks Road Shopping Center. 984-6598

Music in the Air: The Youth Orchestra of Charlottesville-Albemarle and the Evans Orchestra perform a concert of classics at Burley Middle School Auditorium. Carolyn Bancroft conducts. 7pm. 901 Rose Hill Drive. 974-7776. yoca.org.

PERFORMANCE
Taming of the Shrew: See Thursday, February 10.

The Dazzle: See Thursday, February 10. Tonight's pay-what-you-will performance is at 8pm.

WALKABOUT
Masculine Moviegoers: Documentary filmmaker Byron Hurt hosts a screening of his film, I am a Man Black Male Masculinity in America Today, followed by a discussion of the issues it raises about society. 8-9:30pm at the Newcomb Hall Theater. No fee. 924-7923.

Sierra Club Meeting: The Piedmont Group of the Sierra Club meets to discuss environmental issues facing central Virginia. 7:30pm at St. Mark Lutheran Church. 973-0373.

WORDS
Tantalus in Love: Poet Alan Shapiro comes to the Medical Center Hour to talk about his work. 12:30-1:30pm. Jordan Hall Auditorium.

TUNES
Josh Mayo and Dane North at Fat Daddy's: Mayo's sweet voice goes with his sweet original songs- nice pop, the kind you could take home to mama. No cover, 8:30-11pm.

Salsa night at Berkmar: Beginning and intermediate lessons offered from 8 to 9:15 p.m. Free, 8-10pm. 652 Rio Road W. 975-4611.

Cheesy Trivia with M&M Express at Buffalo Wild Wings. No cover, 8:30pm.

Benny Dodd (rock covers) at Coupe DeVille's. No cover, 10pm.

Open Mic Night at Dew Drop Inn. No cover, 7:30pm.

Country Dance Night (couples and line) at Fry Spring Beach Club. $7/$4 students, lessons 7-8pm, dancing 8-11pm.

The Mike Rosensky Jeff Decker Quartet (jazz) at Miller's. No cover, 9:30pm.

Snug at Orbit. No cover, 10:30pm.

Stable Roots (reggae) at Outback Lodge. $5, 10pm.

Open Jam at Rapunzel's Coffee & Books. Free, 7pm.

Middle Eastern Belly Dance Class at Rapunzel's Coffee & Books. Free, 6:30pm. .

Jimmy O at the South River Grill in Waynesboro. No cover, 7:30pm.

Neko Case with Visqueen & the Sadies at Starr Hill. $17/$15 advance, 8pm.

Jim Davies (acoustic rock and blues) at the Virginian. No cover, 10pm.

Karaoke Night at West Main. No Cover, 10pm.

THURSDAY, February 17
FAMILY
Black History Heroes: Northside Library tells the stories of the heroic men and women of the African Diaspora, their brave feats and contributions to humanity. 4pm. Free. Registration required. Albemarle Square. 973-7893.

Conflict Resolution: Parent Resource Center offers parents with special ed students help in understanding how to work with the system with a workshop called "Resolving Disagreements: Dispute Resolution in Special Education Complaints, Mediation, and Due Process" at the Albemarle Resource Center. Presenters are Jonnell Lilly and Patrick Andriano from the state Department of Education. Refreshments served. 6-8pm. Free. Registration requested. 1200 Forest St. 975-9400, ext. 2342.

More Tales for Tots: See Wednesday, February 16.

PERFORMANCE
Taming of the Shrew: See Thursday, February 10.

The Dazzle: See Thursday, February 10.

Highway Child: See Thursday, February 10.

Tamer Timed: Tonight there's a pre-show lecture at 6pm. Chat with the cast after the show. $14-26.

WORDS
Less Lewis, More Clark: Landon Y. Jones, author of William Clark and the Shaping of the West, discusses the book at a meeting tonight of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation. 7:30pm. St. Paul's Church, Ivy. 296-5162.

WALKABOUT
Be There or Be Radioactive: Rally (6pm) to oppose new nuclear reactors in North Anna. Immediately following the rally (7-10pm) the Nuclear Regulatory Commission hosts a public hearing to discuss the draft version of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for building new reactors at the North Anna site in Mineral. Louisa Middle School. 1009 Davis Highway. 296-2494 or citizen.org/cmep/VARally/

Monticello Wine Dinner: Indulge in this five-course dinner in the Old Mill Room at the Boar's Head Inn featuring Monticello wines paired with the cuisine of Chef Douglas Knopp. 6pm. $80/person, plus tax and gratuity. 972-2230 for reservations.

Memory Medicine: Join the Alzheimer's Association of Central and Western Virginia as they explore practical suggestions on Alzheimer's treatment. 1-3pm in Room B at the Senior Center. No fee. 973-6122 or seniorcenterinc.org.

Know Your Rights: The UVA Women's Center's free legal clinic offers 30-minute advising appointments with a lawyer, available to University faculty and staff and Charlottesville community members. Clinics take place the third Thursday of every month at the Women's Center in the Corner Building on the corner of 14th Street and University Ave. 7-9pm. 982-2902 or .

TUNES
Gráda at the Prism: Contemporary Irish group Gráda includes Alan Doherty, solo flutist on the Lord of the Rings soundtrack. $18/$15, 8pm. $15 advance/$18 at the door or online.

Barling and Collins (cello-pop) at Atomic Burrito. No cover, 10:30pm.

Karaoke Night with DJ Wild Wes at Buffalo Wild Wings. Free, 9pm

Danny Beirne (piano-man) at Coupe DeVille's. No cover, 10pm.

Karaoke Night at Damon's Sports Bar. Free, 9-12am.

Chicken Head Blues Band at Dürty Nelly's. $4, 9pm.

Peter Markush (piano) at Gravity Lounge. Free, 12:30pm.

Mark Erelli at Gravity Lounge. $15/$10, 8pm.

Thompson / D'earth and friends (freeform jazz) at Miller's. $4, 10pm.

Fletcher Bridge at Outback Lodge. $5, 10pm.

Satisfaction with Noel Sanger (18 and up dance party) at Rapture. $3/Ladies free, 10:30pm.

Middle Eastern Belly Dance Class at Rapunzel's Coffee & Books. Free, 6:30pm.

Donna the Buffalo at Starr Hill. $16/$14, 8pm.

Ongoing and Future
FAMILY
Knitting for Felting: Stony Mountain Fibers offers a class February 26-27 to help with the winter doldrums. Using textured yarns, students will knit a small bag out of wool and novelty yarn and then felt it in the washing machine. Pre-registration required. $75 includes all supplies. 295-2008.

Spelunking: The Virginia Discovery Museum goes underground with its latest Back Gallery exhibit "Under the Earth: A Cave Exploration." Through May 22, young children can squeeze through tiny spaces to explore caves and critters from deep inside the earth. Included in the price of admission. East end of the Downtown Mall. 977-1025.

Get Moving: Move your body, free your mind, lift your spirits and have loads of fun at Dancefit Movement Center. Cardio Hip-Hop (Mon 5:30pm); Cardio-Flex (T/Th 5:30pm and Sat 12:30pm); Dancefit (T/Th 6:30pm and Sat 1:30pm); Yoga Being (T/Th 7:30pm and Sat 2:30pm) and Kids Dancefit (ages 3-7, Sat 10:30am; ages 8-12, Sat 11:30 am). Classes and coaching in pageantry, image & style, and modeling available. Beginner through advanced; no experience required. 609 E. Market St., Studio 110 (across from Market St. garage). 295-4774. or njira.com/dancefit.

Boning Up: Find out what you're really made of at the Science Museum of Virginia's new exhibit, Bones: An Exhibit Inside You. Visitors can examine bone biology, find out how proper diet and exercise keep bones healthy, explore how technology helps us "see" our bones, and learn the ways bones are used as tools, jewelry, art, and musical instruments in cultures around the world. Through May 1. Included in the price of admission. 2500 W. Broad St., Richmond. 800-659-1727. smv.org.

Write On: WHTJ's annual Reading Rainbow Young Writers & Illustrators Contest is now on. Authors and artists from kindergarten through third grade are encouraged to get creative with words and pictures and submit their stories for the prize. All contest participants, their friends, and families are invited to a celebration on Saturday, March 19 at the Jefferson Theater on the Downtown Mall, and every participant receives a certificate signed by Reading Rainbow host LeVar Burton. Winners will read their stories aloud. Entry deadline is February 28. Entry forms and guidelines can be downloaded at ideastation.org. 295-7671.

PERFORMANCE
Dances of the Divine Feminine: Instructor Kimberly Gladysz focuses each week on a different goddess from around the world. Drawing on yoga as well as Tahitian and West African dance, these workshops claim to inspire an awakening of "primal energies in a sacred circle." No experience necessary. Wednesdays, 7:30-8:30pm. Studio 206 Belmont. 960-1092 or naturedances.com.

Practice Swing: The Charlottesville Swing Dance Society hosts weekly practice sessions for beginners and intermediates Thursdays. Singles and couples welcome. DJ takes requests. 7:30-9pm. Auditorium of the Albemarle County Office Building, 401 McIntire Road. Free. 980-2744.

Contra Dance: Monthly contra dances with live music held 8-11pm every second Saturday at the Dayton Learning Center, 90 Mill St. in Dayton, about 4 miles southwest of Harrisonburg off Route 257. Free beginner's workshop starts at 7:15pm. Alcohol-free, smoke-free. $5. Call Lisa McCumsey, 540-234-8379, or Mike Williams, 540-269-2035.

Sunday Salsa: The Charlottesville Salsa Club sponsors a weekly opportunity to learn and practice Salsa and other dances, in a smoke-free nightclub atmosphere. A basic lesson (usually salsa) gets the evening started at 8. DJ'd music is 80 percent salsa mixed with other Latin styles. Complimentary water and sodas. The Outback Lodge, 917 Preston Ave. 8pm-midnight. $5 (members $3). 979-7211.

Country Dance: Couples and line dancing at Fry's Spring Beach Club. Dance lesson Wednesday 7-8pm, dancing 8-11pm. $7, students $4. (students $2 every fourth Wednesday). 2512 Jefferson Park Ave. 977-0491.

Belly Dance and More: Get kinky at the Berkmar Ballroom with lessons in everything from exotic dance to salsa and tango. Classes, schedules and prices vary. Visit www.bermarballroom.com for a complete listing or call for more information. 652 Rio Road W. 975-4611.

More Belly Dance: Studio 206 Belmont offers one-hour belly dance lessons every Tuesday with instructor Amalia Habibi. 7:15pm. 501 Monticello Road (above Mas tapas bar). $9-12. 296-6250.

Keep Rotating those Abs: Studio Bijoux's Leila offers Egyptian belly dance for advanced beginners (permission required) at 7pm Mondays and 7:15pm Wednesdays. A technique course open to dancers of all skill levels takes place at 8pm Mondays. Ages 15 and up welcome. All courses at ACAC Albemarle Square. $10-12. 978-3800 or studiobijoux.com/dance.

WALKABOUT
Glassy Classes: Among the weekend and weekday classes offered by the Glass Palette through March are kiln forming, fusing and slumping, glass jewelry with precious metal clay, and stained glass. Class sizes limited. Call 977-9009 to register, or visit the shop at 110 Fifth St. NE on the Downtown Mall.

City Garden: City residents who did not rent a plot in the Charlottesville City Garden last year may sign up for a new plot starting February 14. Garden plot rentals will be open to everyone beginning February 22. 970-3592.

Water Watchers: StreamWatch needs volunteers interested in stream ecology and willing to collect aquatic organisms for the purpose of evaluating stream health. See streamwatch.org for info, then call 923-8642.

Green Gatherings: Explore the spiritual side of nature with NatureSpirit. Explore the spiritual teachings of earth-centered traditions and learn how to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature. Meets the first Sunday of the month at Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church at 6:30pm. , call 243-6421, or naturespirit.info.

Parla italiano? If you don't, Christina Ball of Ecco Italy offers "Italian for Beginners" lessons on Wednesday mornings (9:30-11am; $15 drop-in fee). If you do, why not drop by for the Tavola italiana (Wednesdays 11:30am-12:30pm) for a free chat hour in italiano? Or what about "Cinema Chat," a series of intermediate Italian conversation classes inspired by Italian films. ($55 for five-week chat series or $15 single class drop-in; Thursday 7L30-9pm). All classes held in the Verity blue Tower Lounge at the Main Street Market 406A W. Main St. Contact or 825-4390.

Fair Volunteers: The Albemarle County Fair is looking for volunteers, not only at fair time, but also for planning and promotions throughout the coming year. 293-6396.

Alliance Dinner Meeting: Interfaith Gay Straight Alliance of Central Virginia, a faith-based group working for full civil rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgenders and their families, meets the first Thursday of each month. 7pm. St. Paul's Memorial Episcopal Church, 1700 University Ave. Brown bag supper at 6pm. 220-0970.

Bead Business: Studio Baboo presents weekly classes in bead stringing and jewelry making. The winter class schedule continues, with "Basic Bead Stringing," "Embellished Spiral Bracelet," "Fashion Earrings," "Bead Crochet," Maggie Meister's "Hercules Knot Bracelet," and "French Beaded Flowers" on the docket. Call the shop for specifics. 106 Fifth St. Downtown Mall. 244-2905 or studiobaboo.com.

Early Music Meeting: The Shenandoah Recorder Society meets on the third Sunday of every month to discuss the recorder and early music in general. Open to all. For more information, call 295-1395.

Mindfulness Meditation: Tuesdays 12:15-12:45pm. UVA Hospital Chapel. Meditation practice with guidance. Free. No experience necessary. 924-1190.

WORDS
Got Forgiveness?: Len Worley invites those who have a personal account of forgiveness of self and others to share it as part of the Forgiveness Project. Anonymous voice-recorded interviews are being sought for the upcoming Psychology of Forgiveness Seminar, planned for early summer. 434-293-3271 or .

Asian-American Poets Alert: Kundiman is now accepting applications for the 2005 Poetry Retreat, including workshops led by nationally renowned poets and one-on-one mentoring sessions. The retreat, especially for Asian-American poets, takes place at UVA July 13-17. To apply, send three copies of five to seven paginated and stapled pages of poetry, with your name on each page. Include name, address, phone number, email address, and a brief paragraph describing your goals for attending the retreat. Mail all, with SAS postcard if you want receipt acknowledged, to Kundiman, 245 Eighth Ave. #151, New York, NY 10011. Deadline 3/1/05.

Book Fest Reaches Tipping Point: New Yorker staff writer Malcolm Gladwell, author of The Tipping Point and the new book, Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, speaks Thursday, March 17 at 7:30am in the Omni Hotel. Reserved tables, $300. Individual tickets, $20. Seating is limited, so sign up early by email or vabook.org/biz-breakfast/index.html/.

Register as a Community Scholar: Community members can take classes at UVA as a community scholar: two courses a semester max, not for credit. Registration at the School of Continuing and Professional Studies open through February 4. 924-4789, or .

ART LIST
Second Street Gallery offers two shows during February. "Attention Spans: Kinetic Sculpture by Andy Holtin" sets the main gallery in motion, while the Dové Gallery ripens with "Tomato Baby," a multi-media video environment created by high school students who participated in Light House's 2004 "Video as Art" workshop. 115 Second St. SE. 977-7284.

During February, the McGuffey Art Center presents "Findings," paintings by Farida Hughes, in the Main Gallery. On view in the downstairs hall galleries: painter Randi Hvatum's oil exhibtion "Along Shore," and Will Kerner's photographs of the village of L'Acul in Haiti. Upstairs, McGuffey and Second Street Gallery collaborate to present "Mapping a Day in the Life," 22 photographs by city school students who took part in a two-week workshop at UVA. 201 Second St. NW. 295-7973.

The University of Virginia Art Museum presents "Anastasi / Bradshaw / Cage / Cunningham," a major exhibition exploring the collaborative relationships of the four artists from the years 1950-2004, on display through March 27. Also on view: "Corapeake," a visual documentary of the community of Corapeake, N.C., by photographer and filmmaker Kendall Messick, which runs through February 27, and "After Collage," a show of mixed-element work by contemporary artists, including John Baldessari, Katherine Porter, and Frank Stella, which continues through August 27. 155 Rugby Road. 924-3592. See Art feature.

Coinciding with the UVA show of their work, Bill Anastasi and Dove Bradshaw are the featured artists at Les Yuex du Monde during February. 115 S. First St. 973-5566.

The University of Virginia McIntire Department of Art presents "Dwellings," an exhibition of works on paper by Dragana Crnjak, on view at the new Off Grounds Gallery through February 28. 300 W. Main St. 924-6123.

The University Programs Council's Artspace shows "Installations/Abstractions," new work by Paul C. Hitopoulos, on view through March 9. Opening reception, February 11, 6-8pm. Newcomb Hall. Info: .

The Satellite Ballroom features the photography of fifth-year UVA Aunspaugh Fellow Alice Bailey during February. Under and behind Michael's Bistro on the Corner. 1427 University Ave. 825-6914.

The UVA School of Architecture's Victor and Sono Elmaleh Gallery shows the landscape designs of Michael Van Valkenburgh and Associates through March 4. Van Valkenburgh presents a lecture, "Two Parks in New York City and the Wellesley College Landscape," at 5pm, February 10 in Campbell Hall, Room 153. 982-2921.

The Main Street Market Galleria displays "dreams/experiences," paintings by Michal Mitchell through the end of February. 416 W. Main St. 244-7800.

Transient Crafters presents the hand-painted pottery of Maggie Stultz during the month of February. 118 E. Main St. on the Downtown Mall. 972-9500.

Monticello is hosting an exhibition, "Nathaniel Gibbs Paintings of African-American Life at Monticello" through February 25, in honor of African-American history month. 10am-4pm weekdays at Kenwood, Route 53, two miles beyond Monticello. 984-7500.

During February, The Charlottesville Community Design Center presents "Postcards from the Field," an exhibition of work by the Frederick P. Rose Architectural Fellows. 101 E. Main St. 984-2232.

Kelly Lonergan displays "Places to Be/People to See," an exhibition of his paintings and mixed-media work, at Mudhouse during February. 213 W. Main St. 984-6833.

Take It Away features "Jazz at UVA," photographs by John Mason, on view through the end of February. 115 Elliewood Ave. 924-6492.

Dorothy Siu-ling Chan displays her Chinese brush paintings on rice paper at the UVA Cancer Center through March 2. Hospital Drive. 924-9333.

Nurse Marissa Minnerly shows her oil paintings in the second-floor Martha Jefferson Hospital Surgery Lounge through February 28. 459 Locust Ave. 249-7723,

The Renaissance School presents a retrospective exhibition, "From Prague to Charlottesville," featuring the paintings of John Hetzel through February 28. 406 E. Main St. on the Downtown Mall. 984-1952.

Nature Visionary Art displays the dark and mysterious paintings of Laurel Hausler through March. 110 Fourth St. NE. 296-8482.

CODG's February show, "Color World," features the work of three artists: Jennifer Santos, Rob Grachus, and John Grachus. 112 E. Main St., under the Jefferson Theater. 242-4212.

The C&O Gallery offers "Discerning Focus," interpretive and abstract landscapes by Kelly Gravely Mattox, during February. 511 E. Water St. (next to the C&O Restaurant). 971-7044.

During February, Fusion displays "Twigs," paintings by Nancy Jane Dodge. 412 E. Main St. on the Downtown Mall. 984-2819.

On February 13, the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church opens Craig Spaulding's photography exhibition, " Dignity & Despair: Images of Iraq." The show runs through March 6. An opening reception will be held February 13 at noon. 717 Rugby Road. 293-8179.

The Charlottesville/Albemarle District of VSA Arts Virginia presents its Fifth Annual Visual Art show, featuring work by over 70 adult and youth disabled artists. The exhibition runs through March 6. Martin Luther King Jr. Performing Arts Center. CHS, Melbourne Road. 970-3264 or 296-3518.

Piedmont Virginia Community College presents an exhibition of 2-D and 3-D works on paper by 15 Virginia artists through February 16. V. Earl Dickinson Building. 961-5203.

The 5th Floor Gallery at Keller Williams is currently showing explorations of realism by painter Tom Tartaglino, paintings of Italy by Doris daSha, and photography by Candace Schoner. Ten percent of proceeds from artwork sold goes to Habitat for Humanity. Suite 500, Citizens Commonwealth Building (UVA Credit Union), 300 Preston Ave. 220-2200.

Through February, Angelo displays "Generous Nature," works in watercolor, oil, pencil, and collage by J. Scott Robinson. 220 E. Main St. 971-9256.

Kluge-Ruhe Collection of Aboriginal Art presents "Small Wonders: Aboriginal Art Miniatures," which will be on view through April 16. An opening reception is scheduled for February 11, 5:30-7:30pm. The exhibition "Black & White & Red Ochre" has been extended through February 26. 400 Worrell Drive, Peter Jefferson Place (off Route 250 East at Pantops). 244-0234..

For its February show, The Gallery @ 5th & Water offers the fruit pastels of Juliann Godine. 107 Fifth St. 979-9825.

Sage Moon Gallery presents "Ancestral Footsteps: Vision, Beauty, Courage, Life," works by Hoover Wantue Major, plus "Mother Nature Double Crossed," photography by Karla Berger. Both shows run through February. 420 E. Main St. on the Downtown Mall. 977-9997.

New work by members of the Central Virginia Watercolor Guild, featuring watercolors, oils, pastels, and mixed media are on display at the Albemarle County Courthouse. 501 E. Jefferson Court Square. 296-8484.

View Coy Roy's exhibition, "Water, water, everywhere&" at Art Upstairs during February. 316 E. Main St., above The Hardware Store, on the Downtown Mall. 923-3900.

For the month of February, Bozart Gallery features "Lowest Common Denominator," a show of works in oil by Dave Bascom. 211 W. Main St. 296-3919.

Gravity Lounge presents "Reality Bites!," two consecutive shows of paintings by Lynn Jangochian during February and March. 103 S. First St. 977-5590.

L'étoile Restaurant displays paintings by local artists Barry Gordon, Malcolm Hughes, and Christian Peri. 817 W. Main St. (across from the Amtrak Station). 979-7957.

Radar

During February, the Artisans Center of Virginia presents a show juried, created, and presented by junior and senior high school students who participated in the Shenandoah Valley Governor's School Visual Arts Program. 601 Shenandoah Drive (Exit 94 off I-64), Waynesboro. 540-946-3294.

The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts displays "Selections: 20th Century Latin American Art in the VMFA Collection" through March 13. 200 N. Broad St., Richmond. 804-340-1400.

Washington and Lee University presents an exhibition of work by Anne Sherwood Pundyk, up until June. Lexington. 540-458-8954.

Madison's Sevenoaks Pathwork Center displays the pastel and oil paintings of Janice Dunn Rosenberg through February 22. Reception, February 13, 3:30-5:30pm. 403 Pathwork Way, Madison. 434-295-8315.

In celebration of African American History Month, The Arts Center in Orange presents "Ancestral Rhythms," paintings by Darrell Rose (yes, that Darrell Rose), plus "Brown vs. The Board of Education: The Orange County Experience," a documentary photography retrospective. 129 E. Main St., Orange. 540-672-7311.

Through February 28, Richmond's Rentz Gallery presents its "Small Works Invitational" of over 150 works. 1700 W. Main St. 804-358-5338.

Noon Whistle Pottery and Art Gallery presents an exhibition of three local landscape artists, Will Brown, Mark Collins, and Carol Weiss. Main Street, Stanardsville. 434-985-6500.

The Barn Swallow features pottery by Janice Arone and Mary Ann Burke, plus other handcrafted artwork. Route 682 off 250W. 434-979-4884.

Staunton's Painted Thunder Studios welcomes the work of equine artist Jennet Inglis. 19 W. Beverley St. 540-851-0864.

The Ed Jaffe Gallery features paintings and marble sculptures by Ed Jaffe, plus abstract photographs by Marc Jaffe. 108 W. Main St., Orange. 540-672-2400.

Staunton's Middlebrook Gallery offers contemporary art and fine crafts, including sculpture by Ken Smith. 5 Middlebrook Ave. 540-885-9955.

A winter group show at Barboursville's Nichols Gallery Annex continues through February 27 featuring paintings by Gray Dodson, Frank Hobbs, Philip Koch, Frederick Nichols, and others. Intersection of Routes 20 & 33. 540-832-3565.

Other

ArtinPlace invites entries for its annual Charlottesville in 2 Dimensions Art Show, "Views of Charlottesville," which will hang at the McGuffey Art Center during March. Entries due February 26, 1-5pm, on the second floor of the McGuffey Art Center. $25 prizes for youth: $500 prize for adults. 979-5388.

The Artisans Center of Virginia invites entries for a national competition/juried exhibition, "Sacred Icons: A Collective Vision of Symbolic & Ritual Objects." All media are accepted, but work must have been completed in the past two years. The entry fee is $20, and the submission deadline is February 19. 540-946-3294 or .

ART FEATURE
Conceptual: artists converge at UVA Musuem
BY LAURA PARSONS

I heard it again the other night. An otherwise brilliant friend threw out the tired line that makes my teeth clench: "The problem I have with a lot of modern art is I could have done it." If you're of that mind, and you're not an artist (then again, no artist would ever say that), turn the page. The University of Virginia's exhibition "Anastasi/Bradshaw/Cage/Cunningham" has little to offer you.

On the other hand, if you appreciate artists who push the envelope of what constitutes art, who openly flirt with aesthetic boundaries, then this tour de force of work by William Anastasi, Dove Bradshaw, John Cage, and Merce Cunningham is right up your alley.

Although the show includes several 1980s-era videos of Cunningham-choreographed dances-- for which Cage composed the music and Anastasi and Bradshaw designed the sets, lighting, and costumes-- the real collaboration between these four artists was intellectual. They shared an interest in exploring the idea of relinquishing control to see how art might spontaneously progress. As creative friends, they spurred each other on, inspired by their respective routes of inquiry.

Cage's and Cunningham's contributions venture beyond their better-known territories of music and dance into drawing and printmaking. But it is Anastasi's and Bradshaw's wildly varied experiments that give the exhibition its juice.

Beginning in the 1950s, Anastasi was one of the first artists to thrash around in what later came to be known as Conceptual Art. His pieces range from a scribbled "blind drawing" overlaid with snapshots that reveal the very drawing they obscure ("Without Title,"1964) to a slab of cement with a small sediment-laden valley at its center, eroded by the artist's own urine (hey, I warned you "could-have-done-it-myself" people up there in the first paragraph, so no eye-rolling).

The latter work, punning-ly named "Relief" (1961), simultaneously resembles an aerial view of a desert arroyo and a woman's vulva.

Bradshaw's work primarily revolves around "convergences," pieces that perpetually change due to chemical reactions initiated by the artist. Using a combination of silver, liver of sulfur, varnish, and beeswax, Bradshaw creates abstract compositions and then subtracts herself from the process as they evolve on their own. Her large "Convergency Pour," "activated" in 1994 and 1996, effuses with areas of lichen-like gray and black blooming across its surface, resembling a telescopic view of galaxies and nebulae.

"Anastasi/Bradshaw/Cage/Cunningham" will no doubt irk and challenge many people's notion of what art is. But that's part of these four artists' synergistic point.

"Anastasi/Bradshaw/Cage/Cunningham" is on view at the University of Virginia Art Museum through March 27. 155 Rugby Road. 924-3592.

FAMILY
Pearce's brainiacs: Scientist probes kids' heads
BY LINDA KOBERT

I'll admit it: I'm not always confident that the decisions I make as a parent are the best ones. How much computer time is too much, for example? Should I let my son watch television and IM his friends while he's doing his homework? Do I buy that new toy he's begging for because the commercials say he needs it?

This weekend, the Charlottesville Waldorf School's Parent Association gives parents a chance to ponder some of these questions with a lecture and workshop by an internationally renowned expert in child development theory, Joseph Chilton Pearce.

In a two-day program entitled "For the Love of Children: A Roadmap for Our Future," Pearce uses findings from the latest research in neurobiology to offer advice on raising healthy children.

Drawing from his most recent book on human development and brain research, The Biology of Transcendence, Pearce describes the evolutionary structure of the human brain and its dynamic interactions with the heart. He asserts that human beings are designed by nature to reach beyond our current evolutionary capacities, but that some aspects of modern culture interfere with the full expression of this potential.

The list of factors that he says block development of the brain's capacity for higher levels of intelligence is long and disturbing: negative imprinting, failure to nurture, inappropriate education, television viewing and early computer use, the corporate exploitation of the child-mind, and dietary chemical mutations are among them.

Fortunately, according to this expert, there are things we can do to counter these influences.

Pearce presents his ideas in a Friday evening lecture and a Saturday workshop. Citing numerous studies in neural development over the last 10-20 years, his approach is to remove the discussion of child rearing from any moral, ethical, or self-righteous arena and ground it in empiric biological research.

The presentation includes a review of the developmental stages of growth as described by child development theorists such as Maria Montessori, Jean Piaget, Rudolf Steiner, and others. It moves into cultural conformity, the interdependence of biology and spirit, and adolescents and the future.

My hunch is this weekend's presentation won't give parents any easy answers, but it will surely give us lots to think about.

Pearce lectures Friday, February 11, 7-9pm. $20, $15 advance. Saturday's workshop is 9am-4pm. $40, $35 advance. Lunch available for purchase. 1408 Crozet Ave. Registration requested; 823-6805.

PERFORMANCE
Coyote's tale: Highway Child wanders into town
BY ROBERT ARMENGOL

As Sean Harvey remembers it, he and his buddy Drew Bergman had gone out for drinks after watching one of those "atrocious" Hollywood flops that come out every year.

Remember Virus? Probably not. The 1999 flick featured Jamie Lee Curtis trying to save the world from an electronic alien with plans to wipe out humanity. Harvey and Bergman, both theater-types with improv experience in Staunton, told themselves they could write something better than that, maybe even with their eyes closed.

"It was just the fact that the movie was so bad," Harvey says, "and that as a society we're totally bombarded with all this hallow media, often just for the sake of marketing a car or a candy bar. We wanted to try to do something with substance."

Out of that came a play they call Highway Child, which in its own strange way is also about saving the world-- from ourselves. This weekend and next, Piedmont Virginia Community College presents what director Sean Chandler calls a "heavily staged" reading of the script.

Highway Child, a sexually ambiguous character (played in this rendition by a woman) wanders the earth, creating the road she travels with each new step. Along the way, she encounters the trickster Coyote, drawn from a liberal reinterpretation of American Indian mythologies. Coyote tells her the story of the beginning of time, and prophesizes the end of it.

The burden the child takes on leads her into a final battle of good vs. evil, but not without a dash of Jimi Hendrix (from whose song the title is drawn) and a dose of the postmodern: Highway Child's journeys also take her to Camp Town, site of a bustling and disquieting carnival that mirrors the absurdity of our own frenzied lives.

If this all sounds somewhat psychedelic, that's by design. Chandler says his biggest challenge as director has been using sound and light to compensate for the lack of special effects available to the boot-strap cinematographer.

"I would love to be able to turn this into a movie," he says, which is only somewhat ironic considering the play's underlying message: we've lost a sense of ourselves by straying from our connections with nature and with each other. But you've got to tell the story somehow, right?

As for the playwrights, they have hopes that this work-- now five years in progress-- might someday transcend stage and screen, might enter into a new kind of oral tradition, might become, as Harvey says, "a story kids tell each other at camp."

Piedmont Virginia Community College presents Highway Child, a modern fable incorporating American Indian mythology into a contemporary landscape, by Sean Harvey and Drew Bergman. Opens 7:30pm Thursday, February 10. Other shows at 7:30pm February 11-12 and 17-19, and at 2pm February 20. Maxwell Theatre (Black Box), PVCC. $8-10. 961-5376.

WALKABOUT
Civic duty: Strossen headlines legal pow-wow
By TIM SPRINKLE

The only brush with the legal system for many of us is when we buy a house or get divorced. Otherwise, the legal system can seem like nothing more than a murky maze of regulations.

But these are the codes that shape our lives. And for anyone working in the public sector, legal issues like gender bias, financial oversight, and freedom of speech are day-to-day concerns.

This weekend, interested parties can learn more about the public side of legal work at the UVA School of Law's sixth annual Conference on Public Service and the Law. Featuring two days of workshops, panel discussions, and a keynote address from Nadine Strossen, president of the American Civil Liberties Union, the conference is aimed at attorneys interested in getting involved in public service, as well as members of the local community with a curiosity about the legal system.

"We wanted to reach out to the community at large this year," explains student organizer Jessica Blaemire, "to let them know that the conference isn't just for lawyers, but for anyone interested in legal issues or becoming a lawyer. It's an open, bipartisan forum where members of the community can come for academic discussions on issues that matter right here in Virginia."

Participants have their choice of topics from mental health law to religion to political issues. Legal eagles interested in nitty-gritty career details can enroll in afternoon workshops ("Serving the Public in the Private Sector" and "Working as a Lobbyist," for example). Strossen's address and a reception cap the events on Saturday afternoon.

"These are all very hot topics," Blaemire says, "and since many of the panels will be talking about specific issues related to Charlottesville, it's a good opportunity for the community. The people on these panels are the ones making the changes."

She's not kidding around. From "(Re)examining Slavery Reparations" to mountaintop removal mining, much of this weekend's docket could have been lifted right from the pages of a local Virginia newspaper, making this a must event for civic-minded Charlottesville residents.

The Conference on Public Service and the Law happens Friday and Saturday, February 11-12, at the UVA School of Law. All events are free and open to the public. Registration is available online or at the conference, and even includes lunch. student.virginia.edu/~law-conf/2005/home.htm

WORDS
Lotsa love: Take your choice: one or both
By SUSAN TYLER HITCHCOCK
This is a personality test.

What will you be doing on February 14, Valentine's Day?

Choose A or B.

A. You'll be spending the morning and on into lunch at a workshop with Reanae McNeal. Singer and songwriter, artist and speaker, McNeal is coming to Charlottesville as the guest of SARA, the Sexual Assault Resource Agency. She promises soul food at every level.

A storyteller in the African griot tradition, McNeal highlights women, and especially women of color, in her workshops and presentations. She calls herself a "survivor of so many things"-- including sexual assault in her college years-- and she uses public presentations to rouse the spirit and confidence of any women who resonate with that identity.

She offers "inspirational speaking from my womb-spirit" and challenges all "to look injustice in the eye... and say 'You can't win.'" Visit her website, rmcneal.com, and soon you'll be singing along with her deep, soothing voice, "I shall not be moved." It's a song that resounds in your mind long after you click out of the website.

B. You'll be spending the evening at our town's annual Erotic Poetry Festival, this year hosted by Rapture. Sit back and get titillated by poets who step up to the open mike and share their own rapturous words. Got a few good lustful verses of your own? Come early to sign up for your own 5 to 10 minutes of erotic fame.

Poets best known for their sexy words will be among the guests, including Moira Egan, Baltimore poet and author of Cleave, a collection of lyrics on love and longing. "In Cleave," wrote former poet laureate of Maryland, Michael Collier, "Moira Egan reminds us that the 'wildest things require the strongest cages,'" He calls her poems "sturdy enclosures--triplets, sapphics, quatrains, sonnets, and sestinas" in which "the creatures of her passions perch and sing."

Having a hard time choosing between A and B? Not sure just which type of lover you are? Have a little bit of both of these personality types in you?

Not to worry. Given the timing, you can attend both and make it a day-long love fest.

Reanae McNeal speaks February 14 at the Mt. Zion First Baptist Church, 105 Lankford Ave. 10am-1pm. $15. Mail or fax 434-293-6614 your registration form to Shelter for Help in Emergency, PO Box 3013, Charlottesville 22903. Registrations due by February 11. The Erotic Poetry Festival is at Rapture. See Cultural Calendar entry for February 14.

TUNES
Star-studded: A week's stellar lineup
BY MARK GRABOWSKI

There's an outbreak of good concerts over the next week, an itchy sort of rash that one must scratch to get any sort of relief, and scratch you will if you have any idea of what's good for you.

The country/folk/pop cult classic Neko Case comes to Starr Hill on February 16, the contemporary Irish group Gráda is at the Prism on the 17th, ska elder-statesmen The Pietasters with those local party-punk favorites The Stabones rock Starr Hill on the 11th, and that country-folk troubadour Paul Curreri gets jiggy with Devon Sproule at the Gravity Lounge on Valentine's Day.

Next week also marks first local concert in months for my favorite home-grown act, the high-octane bluegrass sextet King Wilkie, who've been riding the white lightning (of success) of late. After spending the last few months in seclusion to write new material, the group's February 12 show at Starr Hill will not only see them prematurely shedding their winter coats, but also be awash in new sounds to add to their already brilliant live show.

King Wilkie began its near 90-degree ride into the stratosphere in the buckeye state back in 2000, where guitarist and vocalist Ted Pitney and mandolinist and vocalist Reid Burgess got together with the intention of rocking us like a hurricane, though decidedly in an old-timey sort of way.

2001 saw the duo moving to Charlottesville, where they immediately began collecting cocooned musicians in their bluegrass web, much like your average band adds members, though with more literary allusions.

Their independent debut True Songs followed in 2003 which spurred the interest of bluegrass/old time-focused Rebel Records, which signed the group and led to the release of Broke in 2004.

Broke revealed an act reaching for the big time, reaching, reaching, almost got-it, almost&

A mixture of well-chosen bluegrass standards and superbly written originals revealed the group's talents at both performing and contributing something that smacks of new blood to a genre aged more than sixty years. From what seems to be their signature song of late, Burgess' "It's Been A Long Time"-- awash in close harmonies and a traditional vibe, but with pop edges-- to Pitney's "Broke Down and Lonesome"-- slower and moodier with a naturalistic melody-- the disc burns with the fires of originality.

In the last year, King Wilkie has won the International Bluegrass Music Associations' Emerging Artist of the Year Award (a big deal), played the Grand Ole Opry (I'd rate this as an even bigger deal), performed with the revered traditional bluegrass practitioners the Del McCoury Band, and has even been featured in a piece in Acoustic Guitar magazine.

Though their manager, Rick Easton, has recently instituted a new policy of emphatically denying rumors such as "band members have been seen cavorting with Winona Ryder and Elton John," there is no need for him to go buy up every copy of Broke around to boost the SoundScan numbers-- the group just might find out in the near future that truth is stranger than fiction.

King Wilkie performs with Justin Jones at Starr Hill, February 12. $10/$8 advance, 9pm.

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