This year marks an art-and-culture climax in the River City — starting off with January's Edgar Allan Poe bicentennial bash (events continue throughout the year), followed up in the fall by the long-awaited opening of Richmond's CenterStage, previously the Carpenter Center. CenterStage (the grand opening is Sept. 10-13) will feature four venues — Carpenter Theatre, an 1,800-seat performance space with larger chairs and big plans for Broadway productions; Rhythm Hall; Gottwald Community Playhouse; and Showcase Gallery. But before then, make sure to pond-hop at Maymont during the park's Spring Break events (April 6-10), wander through 1708 Gallery's "Rain or Shine" mixed-media exhibition or hear George Winston's piano solos (March 7, Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen). And in the meantime, check out downtown Richmond once a month to sample our local culture at the First Fridays Artwalk.
