Sunday, April 20, St. James Armenian Church is hosting Guest Speaker, Karine Birazian, following Badarak (approximately 1 p.m.)

Light lunch provided by the Armenian Relief Society, Richmond Hooys
Chapter. Event co-sponsored by the ANC Richmond.
Karine Birazian currently serves as the Eastern Region Director for the Armenian National Committee of America.
Ms. Birazian was born and raised in Illinois and holds a degree in
nursing. She has maintained a strong focus on genocide education and
broader human rights issues.
As an activist, Ms. Birazian has educated students in Illinois
schools about genocide awareness. She has also exhibited and given
presentations on the topic of genocide curricula at the National
Council for the Social Studies.
On Capitol Hill, Ms. Birazian has lobbied for genocide and human
rights issues. She is an effective community-events organizer and
public speaker who continues to build coalitions with various human
rights organizations. Ms. Birazian co-founded the Genocide Education
Network of Illinois in 2006 and, in the last year, has worked to
advance the Armenian cause through the works of the ANCA. She also
works with various organizations to stop the ongoing genocide in
Darfur.

The location of the April 10 symposium kicking off the inauguration of Edward L. Ayers as president of the University of Richmond has been changed to accommodate high demand for tickets.

“New Perspectives on the American Civil War” will be held on campus at the Robins Center at 4:30 p.m. April 10. A book-signing by the three panelists — Ayers, Harvard University president and history professor Drew Gilpin Faust, and University of Virginia professor of the Civil War Gary W. Gallagher — will follow.

Ticket requests have significantly exceeded the capacity of the originally scheduled location, 600-seat Camp Concert Hall, and continue to come in. Admission is free and open to the public, but advance online registration is required at inauguration.richmond.edu. For more information, call 804-287-1800.

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The Compass Club of Mary Munford is sponsoring a pancake breakfast, Featuring Mr. Muzik’s famous Buckwheat Pancakes to raise money for children in Southeast Asia.
Also, come help clean up the Munford playground, you know you’ll likely have lots of energy to burn after eating all those pancakes!
Date: April 26th
Time: 8 a.m. - 10 a.m.
Cost: $5 for adults, $4 for children
Come enjoy Principal Muzik’s Buckwheat Pancakes, Sausage and Orange Juice
This is a fundraising even for Munford’s Compass Club. During the breakfast, the children will educate people about the plight of children who live in the developing world.

Although it is not exactly in the Near West End, I’m posting a link to coming events at Short Pump Town Center because they are nearby, and best of all free.   Recently, our family has found ourselves at Short Pump often to ride the Short Pump Express, which is $2 and going to our favorite restaturant, Tara Thai Richmond, where our friend, Birdie, is the manager.
Next weekend, the mall will feature a petting zoo:

Spring Petting Farm

Saturdays: April 5 & 12 - 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Sundays: April 6 & 13 - 1:00 – 5:00 PM
Come visit baby bunnies, chicks, ducks, lambs and more…The Spring Petting Farm is located in the Main Plaza, and is held weather permitting. Admission is free. For more information, please call 804-360-1700.

As they are announced, look here for more information on other free concerts in the area.
Summer Concert Series
May 30 - August 29

The Summer Concert Series returns beginning May 30th and continuing every Friday evening (weather permitting) through August 29th. Families are invited to enjoy FREE live music performed by local bands, great food, PRIZES and of course, fabulous shopping! Concerts begin at 6:00 PM and run until 8:00 PM in the Main Plaza.
Friday, May 30
Steve Bassett & The Mystic Soul Bubba’s

Friday, June 6
Susan Greenbaum

Friday, June 13
KOS

Friday, June 20
B2B

Friday, June 27
English Channel

Friday, July 11
The Ray Pitman Project

Friday, July 18
Souler Coaster

Friday, July 25
Son Quatro

Friday, August 1
Marna & Macy

Friday, August 8
E3

Friday, August 15
Cyrus McCormick & The Reapers

Friday, August 22
Ron Moody & The Centaurs

Friday, August 29
KOS

SHOW DATES: APRIL 11th- MAY 23rd                                                                                           
OPENING FRIDAY, APRIL 11th

Gallery 5800 located at Grove and Libbie above Suitable for Framing will feature a solo exhibition of oil paintings from Roanoke artist Greg Osterhaus. Osterhaus’s 25-year career has established him as a well recognized painter in the Eastern United States and beyond. His vibrant oil paintings are rich in their depiction of rural settings including Cow Portraitures, Southern Landscapes, and Blue Crabs of the Chesapeake.

Join us on Friday, April 11th 5:30-8:00PM for the artist reception where we will be holding a drawing at 7:00PM for a free Cow Portrait.

Contact: Robin Grabinska
285-0774

GALLERY 5800 AT SUITABLE FOR FRAMING
5800 GROVE AVE
RICHMOND, VA 23226
804-285-0774

Printmaking Open House

In conjunction with the exhibition “Virgil Marti: Ah! Sunflower,” the Visual Arts Center of Richmond will host a printmaking open house 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., on Saturday, March 29, featuring demonstrations of screen and relief printing techniques as well as activities visitors can take part in.
Faculty and student work will be on display inside and outside the printmaking studio.
At 4 p.m. Artist Virgil Marti will present a Gallery Talk.
All events are free and open to the public.