The African American Read-In and Family Day, hosted annually by Piedmont Arts, is growing this year. In addition to the beloved tradition of the Read-In, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts’ Artmobile will be set up at the museum. Sponsored by Sovah Health and Carter Bank and Trust, this Family Day will also feature crafts, music, food, and face painting. The event will be held on Saturday, Feb. 10 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Piedmont Arts. Admission to the event and to the Artmobile will be free for all participants.
Piedmont Arts’ African American Read-In and Family Day is held in conjunction with the National African American Read-In established in 1990 by the Black Caucus of the National Council of Teachers of English to make literacy a significant part of Black History Month. This initiative has reached more than 6 million participants around the world. The National African American Read-In is a groundbreaking effort to encourage communities to read together, centering African American books and authors.
VMFA on the Road is the museum’s 21st-century Artmobile, coming to you from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. VMFA on the Road will showcase the exhibition Love, Laughter, Tears: An Artist’s Guide to Emotions. This compilation of works from the VMFA collection examines the relationship between art and emotion across various cultures and time periods to explore human emotion as a unifying and universal factor. The Artmobile will be available for the duration of the event.
Musical entertainment will be provided by Dionte Hall, or “Taye the Truth.” Hall is a lyricist native to Roanoke, Virginia. His music is hailed as uplifting, relatable and accessible to a variety of audiences, paving the way for building an established brand in Southwest Virginia. Taye the Truth ceaselessly continues to use his music as inspiration for his community to both believe in and express themselves. He was featured in The Roanoker’s 40 Under 40 list for 2023 and his contributions to the community are vast.
In addition to these major elements of the day’s programming, families can expect face painting and crafts hosted by the Teen Arts Council. Food trucks will be set up for more substantial meal offerings in addition to an assortment of free snacks. The full schedule of events can be found at www.PiedmontArts.org.
