Amazing visual arts lineup this summer at Valhalla Grand Hall

Lake Tahoe isn’t the only beautiful thing people will be gazing at this summer because the Artist-In-Residence program is sure to catch the eye of many at the annual summer-long Valhalla Arts, Music and Theatre Festival.

Featuring local and regional Lake Tahoe talent, exhibits and artists will be on hand on scheduled dates in the Viking Room from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Valhalla Grand Hall. For more details go here or call 530-541-4975 and for real time updates, follow Tahoe Tallac Association on Facebook.

“What’s incredibly special about the Artist-in-Residence program is that each artist will be available to discuss their own work and may be working on new pieces while there,” said David Hamilton, Festival director. The public is invited to view and enjoy a variety of art that will also be for sale. There is no charge to view the artwork. Here’s the line-up of artist appearances (11 a.m. to 4 p.m. each date):

June 19-26: Addie Chernus will be showcasing her fine art, wall hangings and fabrics from her “Art to Wear” dolls, quilts, and performance silk paintings. Chernus has been a creative silk artist for 20 years and is a member of the Board of Silk Painters International. She has been featured at The Smithsonian and Ratner Museums, Wyland and Siegel Galleries. 

July 3-10: John Holland has been in the mural business for more than 30 years. From the supergraphics of the 70s to the realistic murals of today, Holland has been the first choice for decorative painting for hundreds of clients throughout the West Coast.

July 31-Aug. 6: Lyn Twitchell is an artist from the Carson Valley and she works primarily in oil and watercolor with showings at The East Fork Gallery in Gardnerville. According to Twitchell: “There is great inspiration to be found in the constant cyclical nature of both human and botanical lives.  I hope that my paintings will not illustrate a moment in time, but draw one in to explore a universal moment in the human experience.”

Aug 8-18: Kit Knight is an award-winning painter and member of Oil Painters of America. She’s known for her uplifting and radiant color. Her work, which is influenced by jazz, redefines how we think of contemporary still life, which includes large oils of glasses.

Aug 21-28: Millicent Meng will feature paintings of recognizable objects such as Tahoe area landscapes. According to Meng: "The subject is a jumping off point. Really, my paintings are about paint and the process of painting. I am inspired by my subjects, and the paintings are love letters about those subjects, made in rich abstracted layers and textures.”
 
Finishing out the Artist-in-Residence program will be Dee Meyer, Aug 28-Sept 4 with more details to come.

To round out the visual artist theme of the Festival, two special Children’s Painting Workshops will be offered on July 15 thru19 and again July 22 thru 26 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Gina Stowell’s painting workshops are designed to help children develop and discover the excitement of painting via the instinctual urge to play with color and shapes. Each outdoor workshop is one week long and the cost for the week is $150 to include the materials. To register, please call 530-318-3639.

The annual summer-long Valhalla Arts, Music and Theatre Festival is a unique celebration of music, live theater and the visual arts set against the magnificent backdrop of Lake Tahoe. The Festival takes place at the historic Tahoe Tallac site on the shore of Lake Tahoe, a 74-acre setting currently listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Now in its 33rd year, events occur at the most unique and authentic locations including the historic Boathouse Theatre, Valhalla Grand Hall and the Grand Lawn. Go here or call (530) 541-4975 and for real time updates on the events festival, follow on Facebook.

2013 Valhalla Arts, Music and Theatre Festival Ticket Prices are as follows (discounts and Passes must be purchased by calling 530-541-4975):
• Boathouse Theatre events:
• $18 online or prepaid; $20 at the door – no discounts at the door
• $10 Tahoe Improv Players
• Special Passes:
• $45 Theater Pass – 3 theatre performances
• $175 Season Pass – 3 theater performances; 5 Improv; 6 music performances
• Discounts:
• 10% off with membership (does not include ticket packages or tickets at the door)
• 10% off for prepaid tickets of a 6 or more person party
• Music on the Lawn Series is free of charge to all attendees 

The historic Tahoe Tallac site is located two miles past the intersection of Highways 50 and 89. Head toward the Lake and just past Camp Richardson on the lake side of Highway 89, turn right on the road at the sign Valhalla. There is limited parking at the site and event goers can also park along Highway 89 outside the entrance or on the right side of the Kiva Picnic area (access Valhalla Festival via Pope Estate). The parking lot and walkways are only lit from the Valhalla parking lot to the Grand Hall and the Boathouse Theatre. Because there are no lights from the Highway to the site or from the Kiva parking area, it is advisable to bring a flashlight.

About Tahoe Tallac Association
The Tahoe Tallac Association was formed in 1979 as a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization with the goal of assisting the Forest Service in restoring the three estates on the Tallac Historic Site, developing the site as a historic center, and sponsoring/producing the Valhalla Arts, Music and Theatre Festival held annually on the Heller Estate. For details and tickets go here or call 530-541-4975. The Tahoe Tallac Association is operated under a special use permit with the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit.