What would make Charlottesville a better community to live in? For you and people you know?

This fall, WTJU is asking this core civic question through artistic expression and people’s voices. We’re creating Dreaming Charlottesville, a two-pronged community arts project:

1. Three consecutive in-person exhibitions in WTJU’s Odd Little Museum, currently open to the public.
2. A month-long on-air audio series in October & November, featuring the voices of community members like you (Details below.)

EXHIBITIONS

Dreaming Charlottesville exhibitions are open Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Fridays 10 a.m. – 9 p.m., now through mid-Decembeer in the Odd Little Museum. Free.

Currently on display: MALA LECHE

Ramona Martinez & Sri Kodakalla, founders of Bad Milk Press, (formerly Feminist Union of Charlottesville Creatives), and publishers of MALA LECHE. Friday, October 14 through Friday, November 11.

MALA LECHE, a quarterly radical art zine, was born out of a vision of solidarity. The zine features the art and writing of women, non-binary, and genderqueer artists and thinkers. Through paid contributor opportunities, shared curatorial control, and a belief in the power of creative work, MALA LECHE creates impactful and necessary change in the community.

This exhibition showcases MALA LECHE’s development from a self-funded endeavor into a sustainable community project with the continued allyship of local organizations and supporting community members.

Coming soon:

• Artists from The Bridge Progresssive Arts Initiative (opens mid-November)

Past Exhibitions:

• In September, recent UVA Studio Art graduates Kim Salac and Stephanie DeHart displayed an immersive exhibition focused on home and Charlottesville history called Province Song. Read more at OddLittleMuseum.org.

Dreaming Charlottesville is sponsored by UVA Arts Council, enriching the Arts on Grounds.

HOW YOU CAN PARTICIPATE:

If you’d like your voice to be included, use one of the two methods described below. We may share what you send us on WTJU Radio in October & November, as well as our web and social media platforms.

Method 1 (Smartphone):

On your smartphone, open an audio recording app (Voice Memos on iPhone; Recorder or Voice Recorder on Android). Hit record.

State your name and occupation or affiliation. Then respond to some or all of these prompt questions:

• What brought you to Charlottesville?
• Why do you live here?
• What’s the best part of living here?
• What’s the hardest part about living here?
• If you could wave a wand and change one thing about our community, what would it be?
• What would make this place better for you and people you know?
• Imagine Charlottesville as the best community it could be. What does that look like?
• How could we get there?

Hit stop on the recording.

Email the file to dreamingcville@virginia.edu. Also send us a headshot photo of yourself that we might use in social media.

Method 2 (Voicemail):

Call (434) 260-3560‬. Leave a voicemail using the prompt questions listed above.