Not to mention the skeletal jaw remains of a green monkey and a baboon native to West Africa, possibly “ship pets” during the British colonization period or exotic pets kept by wealthy residents.

Those are just a handful of the imported items in The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation’s collection of more than 60 million artifacts. Together, they paint 18th-century Williamsburg as a surprisingly international city.

“People might think of Williamsburg as a really sleepy Colonial town, a place on the periphery of what was going on in the world,” said Sean Devlin, Colonial Williamsburg’s senior curator of archaeological collections. “That’s not at all the case. It really was a central hub.”

On Sept. 7, Colonial Williamsburg will open an exhibition of 225 artifacts, “Worlds Collide: Archaeology and Global Trade in Williamsburg.” The collection will remain on display through Jan. 2, 2027, in the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum.

The exhibit will showcase tangible items that reflect daily life in Williamsburg for a diverse population of men, women and children; African, European and Indigenous Americans; rich, middling and poor families; and free residents and the enslaved.

Some artifacts are evidence of cultural blending, such as locally produced ceramics called colonoware unearthed at nearly every 18th-century Williamsburg site. The clay bowls, pans and other vessels are European in form but were fired at low temperatures in open pits — a Native American technique — rather than in a pottery kiln, and were pressed into shape, not thrown on a wheel.

“These aren’t abstract ideas, but materials that we can all look at together and that can spark discussions about our shared past,” said Jack Gary, CW’s executive director of archaeology. “Guests will likely see themselves and the modern world in many of these items.”

Take a thin copper dog tag, likely once sewn onto a collar, with the letters “JASPE” clearly visible. Archaeologists believe they spell out part of the dog owner’s name, following a community directive for animals to have identification if they roamed outdoors.

“People had pet dogs in their households for personal enjoyment, in addition to guard dogs and hunting dogs,” Devlin said. “That’s so relatable for us.”

So is Pyrmont bottled water, a predecessor to the likes of Poland Spring and Dasani. In 1725, King George I of England visited the spring of Pyrmont in modern-day Germany and gave a “celebrity” endorsement of sorts to its water. Branded bottles then became popular among British consumers, setting off a health craze that crossed the Atlantic Ocean.

Many objects in “World Collide” traveled great distances, such as a fragment of a Chinese porcelain platter owned by John Murray, Earl of Dunmore, the last royal governor of Virginia, and porcelain tea vessels from China. Many colonists developed a taste for tea, largely imported from China, along with European wines, particularly from Spain and Portugal.

Some items also reflect influences from multiple countries and time periods. A fashionable white-on-blue Persian urn, made in England, imitated tin-glazed wares produced in 17th-century France that were inspired by Persian styles of earlier centuries.

“Worldwide commerce is nothing new and touched most parts of the North Atlantic world in the 18th century, even in a place as small as Williamsburg, Virginia,” said Ron Hurst, The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation’s chief mission officer.

As for the export side, tobacco became such a lucrative crop in Virginia and the Colonies that Britain began producing and shipping tens of thousands of broad hoes such as the one discovered at Carter’s Grove Plantation, a style originally designed by Colonists.

The majority of Williamsburg’s early Black population was enslaved. One type of artifact that reflects the traumatic journeys and resilience of slaves is cowrie shells, external casings for sea snails native to the Indian and Pacific oceans that were used as money throughout the Indo-Pacific and sub-Saharan Africa for centuries.

While slave traders frequently used the shells as currency, archaeological evidence indicates that enslaved residents also saved them as keepsakes and turned them into jewelry, hair ornaments and decorations for clothing.

For young CW visitors, “Worlds Collide” includes a gold ring for a child engraved with the name Mary Brodnax, likely crafted by her father, local goldsmith John Brodnax. There’s also a small wooden spinning top, a common toy for boys in particular, found in a well during a 1960s dig.

“It’s amazing to think the last person to touch it before that probably was a child in the 1700s,” Devlin said. “An object can be a powerful bridge between past and present, and if the past feels more relevant, we hope people will want to learn more — find more connections.”

Alison Johnson, ajohnsondp@yahoo.com

___

If you go

Where: DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum, 201 S. Nassau St., Williamsburg

When: Sept. 7 through Jan. 2, 2027

Prices: Single-day admission to the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg is $14.99 for adults (13 and older) and $8.99 for youths (ages 6 to 12)

Details: 855-296-6627; colonialwilliamsburg.org

Not to mention the skeletal jaw remains of a green monkey and a baboon native to West Africa, possibly “ship pets” during the British colonization period or exotic pets kept by wealthy residents as a sign of their worldliness.

Those are just a handful of the imported items in The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation’s collection of more than 60 million artifacts. Together, they prove that 18th century Williamsburg was a surprisingly international city.

“People might think of Williamsburg as a really sleepy colonial town, a place on the periphery of what was going on in the world,” said Sean Devlin, Colonial Williamsburg’s senior curator of archaeological collections. “That’s not at all the case. It really was a central hub.”

On Sept. 7, Colonial Williamsburg will unveil a new exhibition of 225 artifacts focused on that very theme. “Worlds Collide: Archaeology and Global Trade in Williamsburg” will remain on display through Jan. 2, 2027, in a gallery at the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum.

The exhibit will showcase tangible items that reflect on daily life in Williamsburg for a diverse population of men, women and children; African, European and Indigenous Americans; rich, middle-class and poor families; and free residents and slaves.

Some artifacts are literal evidence of cultural blending, such as locally-produced ceramics called colonoware unearthed at nearly every 18th-century Williamsburg site. The clay bowls, pans and other vessels are European in form but were fired at low temperatures in open pits — a Native American technique — rather than in a pottery kiln, and were pressed into shape, not thrown on a wheel.

“These aren’t abstract ideas, but materials that we can all look at together and that can spark discussions about our shared past,” noted Jack Gary, CW’s executive director of archaeology. “Guests will likely see themselves and the modern world in many of these items.”

Take a thin copper dog tag, likely once sewn onto a collar, with the letters “JASPE” clearly visible. Archaeologists believe they spell out part of the dog owner’s name, following a community directive for animals to have identification if they roamed outdoors.

“People had pet dogs in their households for personal enjoyment, in addition to guard dogs and hunting dogs,” Devlin said. “That’s so relatable for us.”

So is Pyrmont bottled water, a predecessor to the likes of Poland Spring and Dasani. In 1725, King George I of England visited the spring of Pyrmont in modern day Germany in 1725 and gave a “celebrity” endorsement of sorts to its water. Branded bottles then grew popular among British consumers, setting off a health craze that crossed the Atlantic Ocean.

Many objects in “World Collide” traveled great distances to Williamsburg, such as a fragment of a Chinese porcelain platter owned by John Murray, Earl of Dunmore, the last royal governor of Virginia, and porcelain tea vessels from China. Many colonists developed a taste for tea, largely imported from China, along with European wines, particularly from Spain and Portugal.

Some items also reflect influences from multiple countries and time periods. A fashionable white-on-blue Persian urn, made in England, imitated tin-glazed wares produced in 17th century France that in turn had drawn inspiration from Persian styles of earlier centuries.

“Worldwide commerce is nothing new and touched most parts of the north Atlantic world in the 18th century, even in a place as small as Williamsburg, Virginia,” said Ron Hurst, The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation’s chief mission officer.

As for the export side, tobacco became such a lucrative crop in Virginia and other 18th century colonies that Britain began producing and shipping out tens of thousands of broad hoes such as the one discovered at Carter’s Grove Plantation, a style originally designed by colonists.

The majority of Williamsburg’s early Black population was enslaved. One type of artifact that reflects both the traumatic journeys and remarkable resiliency of slaves is cowrie shells, external casings for sea snails native to the Indian and Pacific oceans that acted as money throughout the Indo-Pacific and sub-Saharan Africa for centuries.

While slave traders frequently used the shells as currency, archaeological evidence indicates that enslaved residents also saved them as keepsakes and turned them into jewelry, hair ornaments and decorations for clothing.

For young CW visitors, “Worlds Collide” includes a gold ring for a child engraved with the name Mary Brodnax, likely crafted by her father, local goldsmith John Brodnax. There’s also a small wooden spinning top, a common toy for boys in particular, found in a well during a 1960s dig.

“It’s amazing to think, the last person to touch it before that probably was a child in the 1700s,” Devlin said. “An object can be a powerful bridge between past and present, and if the past feels more relevant, we hope people will want to learn more — find more connections.”

Alison Johnson, ajohnsondp@yahoo.com

___

If you go

Where: DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum, 201 S. Nassau St., Williamsburg

When: Exhibit opens Sept. 7 and runs through Jan. 2, 2027

Prices: Single-day admission to the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg is $14.99 for adults (ages 13 plus) and $8.99 for youth (ages 6 to 12)

Details: 855-296-6627 or visit colonialwilliamsburg.org

Each instrument is crafted one tiny layer at a time on a 3D printer at the James City County Library, emerging in three pieces that easily fit together. One violin takes about 24 hours to complete and costs less than $40 to produce.

For 20 students in a new afterschool program spearheaded by the Williamsburg Youth Orchestra, the instruments will be free. The yearlong pilot program will give two violins to each selected third- through fifth-grader at Waller Mill, a fine-arts magnet school — one for hourlong lessons on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, the second for at-home practice.

The school plans to prioritize students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds during a September application process, reaching kids who would not otherwise have access to music lessons, Principal Khrista Brownlee said.

“We’re excited to expose even more students to the arts, in this case string instruments,” Brownlee said. “My own son used to play violin, and it helped him with so many things: memorization, hand-eye coordination, music appreciation and more. Hopefully, we’ll see this effort succeed and expand to other schools.”

Waller Mill administrators plan to advertise the program through online platforms and a display case with prototype instruments near the main office. The school’s activities buses can provide transportation home.

The program is largely funded by a $10,000 grant to the Williamsburg Youth Orchestra from the Charles S. & Millicent P. Brown Family Foundation, a private nonprofit. Three local residents, the late Nanci Bond and Paul D. Try and Linda Kligman-Try, provided additional donations.

The violin is an ideal way to introduce string instruments to students in York County Public Schools, noted Tanya Song, WYO’s executive director. WYO draws local students from third through 12th grade for its annual performance seasons.

“Kids can pick skills up quickly, and by third grade they’re ready to learn the unnatural position to play violin,” Song said. “You need a little more breath strength for wind and brass instruments, but the violin can open doors to many other instruments.”

The 3D printed violins are nearly identical in shape and weight to traditional wooden violins, which can cost $200 to $400 for a basic model. The printer also can be programmed to make smaller or larger instruments based on individual student size and arm length.

And while the sound is not exactly the same, experienced musicians describe it as close enough for beginners. “It’s a good sound, and you play these violins just the same way,” said Jena Chenkin, a violist with the Williamsburg Symphony Orchestra who will be the main instructor at the Waller Mill program. “It’s really quite amazing.”

Mary Dart Jackson, a former orchestra teacher at Jamestown and Lafayette high schools and the program’s assistant instructor, added: “It’s a sweet, thinner sound that isn’t quite as loud and doesn’t project quite as much, but for this purpose it’s perfect.”

The Williamsburg Regional Library has eight 3D printers between its two branches. The machines have created everything from nametags and children’s toys to plastic shields for medical facemasks and replacement wheels for library vacuum cleaners.

The printer that is making violins arrived in February and is much larger and more advanced than the other two at the Croaker branch. Ben Strohm, Williamsburg Regional Library’s youth services director, worked with Chenkin to tweak instrument designs and materials to get the best acoustic qualities.

The selected bioplastic, called PLA Pro, is both stiff and lightweight. “Those are the same qualities you want if you’re making a violin out of wood in the traditional way,” Strohm explained. “It’s also fairly inexpensive and comes in all sorts of cool colors.”

The motor-powered printer melts and lays down material in lines that are just a quarter of a millimeter thick, incrementally building and fusing the layers to replicate a pre-programmed model. The instruments feel warm when first finished, much like paper from a copier.

The violin’s body takes about 17 hours to print, the neck another seven hours and the small bridge that helps support strings a final 30 minutes. Strohm often turns on the printer in the morning and leaves it running with only a few checks during the day.

At Waller Mill, students will learn to pluck notes to simple songs such as “Hot Cross Buns” and “Mary Had a Little Lamb” before picking up a bow. Chenkin has been collecting donated bows, while Strohm has found $15 string sets on Amazon. Students also will receive cases and learn how to care properly for their instruments.

Come spring, Waller Mill plans to hold a concert where students can show off their skills before returning their violins to the school for use in future years.

If the lessons are a hit, the youth orchestra hopes to raise money to continue offering them at Waller Mill, as well as possibly expand to other local schools and/or help pay for private music instruction for deserving students. Brownlee also would like students to watch a 3D printing demonstration to add a STEM educational component.

“A lot of youth orchestras around the country are just beginning to explore programs like this,” Song said. “We’re very proud to be a smaller-town group that is helping lead the way to improve access to the arts for all children.”

To learn more about the Williamsburg Youth Orchestra and the new afterschool violin program at Waller Mill Elementary School, visit wyomusic.org.

Alison Johnson, ajohnsondp@yahoo.com

Instead, surviving fragments of plates, platters and teacups — many imported from China — show upper-middle-class Americans favored artistic flourishes such as bright paintings of animals, flowers or nature scenes and faux stone or tortoiseshell finishes. Even more whimsical creations were shaped like fruits, vegetables and wildlife.

“Sometimes, there is the mistaken perception that the past was a boring place to live,” said Angelika Kuettner, associate curator of ceramics and glass for The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. “All you need to do is look at the amazing arrays of patterns and colors to see that was not the case.”

Enter Mottahedeh, a New Jersey-based company that specializes in reproductions of luxury period ceramics.

Founded 100 years ago, Mottahedeh has collaborated with multiple museums to design historically accurate products for sale in modern times. In 1989, the business partnered with Colonial Williamsburg to develop licensed products through its WILLIAMSBURG brand.

Next month, Mottahedeh President Wendy Kvalheim will visit Colonial Williamsburg to sign copies of her illustrated book, “Splendid Settings: 100 Years of Mottahedeh,” in a public event with Kuettner and Liza Gusler, CW’s deputy director of interior design. The event takes place Sept. 20 at the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg.

“We are fascinated by the creative energies of artists in bygone ages and feel our culture can be enhanced by a knowledge of what has gone before,” said Kvalheim, who has run Mottahedeh since 1992. “Beauty and elevated conversation are important to us as human beings, in addition to sharing beautiful meals and living with things that feed the soul.”

Mottahedeh has a deep relationship with Colonial Williamsburg. Its founders, antiques fans Mildred and Rafi Mottahedeh, were friends with former Vice President Nelson Rockefeller, son of John D. Rockefeller Jr. and Abby Aldrich Rockefeller. The elder Rockefellers funded the restoration of CW in the 1920s.

The company’s current WILLIAMSBURG line includes “Chelsea Birds,” based on mid-18th century plates from the prestigious Chelsea factory in London; “Duke of Gloucester,” a pattern with fruits and butterflies that was originally crafted for a brother of King George III; and “Virginia Blue,” inspired by popular Chinese imports with dainty floral borders.

“WILLIAMSBURG products are an integral part of our assortment of dinnerware accessories,” Kvalheim noted. “WILLIAMSBURG has a vast array of ideas to choose from and has been generous in allowing us access to their archives.”

Colonial Williamsburg’s ceramics collection totals about 10,000 pieces dating from the 17th century to the 1830s, with a focus on items made between 1740 and 1780 and a particular strength in British ceramics. The museum also has one of the most complete assemblages of German stoneware in America and a growing collection of pre-Revolutionary Chinese porcelain styles.

Most dinnerware in colonial-era Williamsburg was imported from Asia and Europe, outside of early commercial enterprises such as the 18th century porcelain factory of Bonnin and Morris in Philadelphia, according to Kuettner.

“It was often less expensive to import than to make them domestically,” she explained. “And until after the American Revolution, the colonies were part of a mercantile economy that was supposed to provide unfinished goods to England.”

Based on archaeological and documentary records such as surviving probate inventories — accounts taken after a person’s death — the majority of porcelain came from China. “English porcelain is much rarer because it was extremely expensive,” Kuettner said.

CW’s historic buildings are furnished with pieces often matched to old earthenware, porcelain and stoneware fragments discovered at each site. The DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum, meanwhile, showcases pieces that may not have physically present in early America but played a role in shaping the tastes and choices of colonists.

Kvalheim, like the Mottahedehs before her, travels the world to source products. Among the company’s other prominent partners are Mount Vernon, Historic Charleston, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Winterthur Museum in Delaware.

“Mottahedeh has kept tradition vibrant in a world that increasingly favors goods that are disposable, generic and neutral,” Gusler said. “I’ve known (Kvalheim) to work for four years developing a pattern before she was satisfied.”

For Kvalheim, the payoff is preserving styles that can fit in any century. “Our assortments come from great historical designs that have withstood the test of time,” she said. “Our tagline, ‘Tradition for a Modern World,’ is central to our reason for being.”

Alison Johnson, ajohnsondp@yahoo.com

___

If you go

When: Sept. 20, 5:30-6:30 p.m.

Where: Hennage Auditorium, Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg, 301 Nassau St.

Price: Free with admission to the Art Museums ($14.99 for a single-day ticket for adults). No advance tickets are required.

Details: bit.ly/4dGwt7F

In October 2012, Vanhoozier, president of Riverside Doctors’ Hospital Williamsburg, was finishing her Master of Healthcare Administration degree with a residency in Newport News when her father was diagnosed with Stage 4 brain cancer. He soon began inpatient treatments at a Richmond medical center, three hours from his home in southwest Virginia.

For months, Vanhoozier visited her dad at least twice a week, often taking him dinner. On weekends, she drove him home to spend time with the rest of their family. He died in August 2013, at age 63.

“On top of losing my dad to cancer, it was just emotionally exhausting and mentally draining because none of us felt like we got to see him enough,” Vanhoozier said. “I realized those hours and minutes are precious, and you don’t want to spend them on the road. It’s a big reason why I’m so passionate about keeping health care local.”

Vanhoozier, 36, has led RDHW’s nearly 400-member team since 2016, presiding over a period of steady growth for the 11-year-old hospital and affiliated medical services in the surrounding community.

This year, for example, Riverside opened a 67,000-square-foot medical office building on the RDHW campus, now home to more than 30 medical and surgical providers in specialties such as physical therapy, orthopedics, internal medicine, endocrinology, pulmonology, women’s health and vascular and general surgery.

The health system also expanded its stereotactic radiosurgery services — non-invasive, targeted treatments for cancerous and benign tumors and lesions — from Newport News to a specialty center on Treyburn Drive in Williamsburg.

Another 2024 highlight was RDHW’s medical-surgical and intensive care units’ designation as “age-friendly” by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, a nod to prioritizing medication safety, mobility, mental health and respect for individual care preferences in older adults.

“Since Adria became hospital president, we have continued to see significant growth in services, while improving quality and patient experience,” said Bill Downey, executive vice chair of Riverside Health. “It was a natural fit for her to lead Riverside Doctors’ Hospital.”

Vanhoozier grew up in Christiansburg and met her future husband, Jacob Lambert, in first grade. While the two didn’t start dating until high school, Vanhoozier has a vivid memory of Lambert, now assistant city attorney for Williamsburg, giving her a bracelet on Valentine’s Day in third grade.

Her path to health care goes back years. As a teenager and young adult, Vanhoozier experienced what she calls “quirky” health episodes that were not life-threatening but did require surgery and hospitalization. She spent her 17th birthday in the hospital when doctors had to remove an abnormally large appendix that had wrapped around her gallbladder and caused abdominal pain.

In college, Vanhoozier had a rib removed to relieve a condition marked by compression of blood vessels and nerves in her neck and chest, which had caused one of her arms to suddenly turn purple.

“I was fascinated by everything the doctors and nurses did, and I saw how much they helped people,” she said. “Later, I moved toward the business side of health care because I like thinking about how organizations work together.”

After majoring in government at the University of Virginia, Vanhoozier earned her master’s at the Medical College of Virginia (now Virginia Commonwealth University) in Richmond. In 2012, she matched to Riverside for a required one-year residency in the degree program.

As an administrative resident, one of Vanhoozier’s tasks was helping to open RDHW by focusing on accreditation and preparation for a state inspection. “This hospital has always had such a special place in my heart,” she noted.

Continuing on in various full-time business management roles at Riverside, Vanhoozier served as cardiovascular and pulmonary service line administrator before stepping into her current position more than seven years ago. She was just 28.

“From the start, Adria proved to be a smart and talented leader,” recalled Downey, one of her mentors during residency. “She handled roles and responsibilities with skill and maturity.”

Vanhoozier has prioritized building personal relationships with team members while embracing RDHW’s frequent role as a site for pilot programs within Riverside. One was the Purple Flower Program, which has educated staff on working with memory loss patients and placed images of forget-me-not flowers in their rooms to alert providers of such conditions.

RDHW also debuted a room service system that allows patients to order any cafeteria menu item, rather than choose from a limited list of options. Hospital team members can use a mobile app to get food at all hours.

Vanhoozier’s future goals include further increasing the number of providers in Williamsburg, particularly in primary care and physical therapy. One immediate project will be recruiting new team members to expand Riverside medical practices along Kings Way.

Outside work, Vanhoozier has two sons, Callum, 7, and Kai, 4, who love soccer, taekwondo and outdoor and water play. “I’ve visited every playground that exists around here,” she said with a laugh. “They keep us busy.”

In the community, Vanhoozier is chair of Williamsburg’s Economic Development Authority and vice chair of the Greater Williamsburg Chamber of Commerce, while serving on the boards of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, Peninsula Emergency Medical Services, Walsingham Academy and the Williamsburg Health Foundation.

She’s also chair of this year’s Go Red for Women campaign for the American Heart Association in Hampton Roads, which aims to raise awareness of the prevalence and symptoms of heart disease in women as well as identify gaps in services.

As a young female leader — and one with inevitable bouts of “mom guilt” to boot — Vanhoozier is aware that women often care for others before themselves.

“I want to help empower women to prioritize their own wellness and listen to their bodies,” she said. “It’s part of continuing to invest in our community to get as many of our health needs covered here as possible.”

Alison Johnson, ajohnsondp@yahoo.com

And if its members are lucky and talented enough: Legendary.

Next weekend, two legendary bands will join a young Icelandic-Chinese artist as headliners of the 2024 Williamsburg Live festival. The Beach Boys and Tower of Power will play Friday and Saturday nights, respectively, while recent Grammy-winner Laufey will take the stage Sunday.

The Beach Boys, an American rock institution, and Tower of Power, a dynamic funk and soul group, have each toured for more than 50 years. Laufey, just 25, is a singer, songwriter and record producer who fuses jazz and pop music and has built a large social media following.

“If you just don’t go away, one benefit is you get a chance to play with many different acts,” Emilio Castillo, 73, a founding member of Tower of Power, said in a recent phone interview. “We’re still on the road 200 days a year, stronger than ever. My feeling is, ‘Bop ’til you drop.’”

Williamsburg Live, hosted annually by the Virginia Arts Festival, is held on the lawn of the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg. The festival is known for attracting major national acts and drawing fans of all ages. Past performers have included Norah Jones, Jason Isbell, Emmylou Harris, Keb’ Mo’ and Kenny Loggins.

“We strive to have something for everyone, and this year’s lineup is extremely diverse,” said Jon Martin, event director and a Williamsburg resident for 30-plus years. “We’re blending new and familiar music in an effort to make the festival even bigger and better.”

The Beach Boys began as a family affair in 1961, made up of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson and their cousin Mike Love and friend Al Jardine. Known for its rich harmonies and celebration of a laid-back California lifestyle, the band had its first of numerous national hits with “Surfin’ U.S.A.” in 1963.

All five original members were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988. Dennis and Carl Wilson have now died and Brian Wilson is suffering from a neurocognitive disorder, but Love, 83, and Jardine, 81, still perform.

In Williamsburg, lead singer Love will appear with longtime Beach Boys member Bruce Johnston, 81, as part of the band’s Endless Summer Gold tour. (Actor and musician John Stamos, a regular collaborator as one of 60-plus artists featured in the group’s changing lineup, will not).

In a May interview with USA Today, Love shared that he had turned to transcendental meditation to keep himself strong during his tiring travels. “Even now, my biggest responsibility is to get the rest and relaxation to have the energy to do a great show,” he said.

Castillo first turned to music at 14, when he and his brother were caught shoplifting three T-shirts from a store in their native California. His father told the boys to find something constructive to do if they ever wanted to come out of their room that summer.

“The Beatles had come out, so I said, ‘I want to make music,’” Castillo recalled. “And I thought the saxophone players were the coolest guys, so that’s what I did. And here I am still doing it.”

Tower of Power formed in 1968, with Castillo playing tenor saxophone and singing some vocals. Hits have included “So Very Hard to Go,” “What is Hip?” and “You’re Still a Young Man.” The band also has backed high-profile artists such as Elton John, Otis Redding, the Grateful Dead, Aerosmith and Bonnie Raitt.

The group’s current lineup features a powerful horn section, drums and a new lead vocalist, Jordan John, who is 37. “Expect a high-energy show and some deep funk, along with plenty of audience participation,” Castillo said.

Laufey (“LAY-vay”), whose full name is Laufey Lín Bing Jónsdóttir, was born in Reykjavik, Iceland. She performed as a cello soloist with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra at 15 and was a finalist on “ĺsland (Iceland) Got Talent” and a semi-finalist on “The Voice ĺsland.”

A graduate of the Berklee College of Music, Laufey released her debut album, “Everything I Know About Love” in 2022. Her 2023 follow-up “Bewitched” won Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album at the 2024 Grammy awards.

“As a musician, my goal is to bring jazz and classical music to my generation through a more accessible road,” she said on her website. She also has created The Laufey Book Club to encourage reading among her followers, known as “Lauvers.”

“It was just a phenomenal feather in our programming cap to have her choose to come here, when she’s not making many American stops,” Martin said. “She brings in a whole other demographic as well. We’re looking forward to a great weekend of music.”

Want to go?

When: June 21-23. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with food trucks and craft beer and wine available for sale; performances begin at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 7 p.m. Sunday.

Where: Lawn of the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg, 326 W. Francis St.

Lineup: The Beach Boys (Friday); Tower of Power, featuring TAUK (Saturday); Laufey, featuring Grace Enger (Sunday — SOLD OUT, although tickets remain available on third-party sites)

Tickets: From $25 for lawn general admission to $35-$200 for tent seating.

Parking: Available free at the Colonial Williamsburg Visitor Center, 101 Visitor Center Drive, with bus transportation to the venue.

Information: Visit vafest.org, call 757-282-2822 or go to the Virginia Arts Festival box office, 440 Bank St. in Norfolk. Tickets are also available for purchase and will call in Williamsburg at the Campus Shop at the corner of Duke of Gloucester and Henry streets. The hours are this Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and June 21, 22 and 23 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Alison Johnson, ajohnsondp@yahoo.com

At age 32, Rebar was facing what she now calls “the event” — likely a stroke of mysterious origins that left her with permanent and unpredictable neurological deficits and ended her career as a nurse practitioner.

But that’s not the story Rebar wants to tell. Her story is about finding herself again.

Now 40, the York County resident has discovered a new passion for writing children’s literature. She has published one book, “Welcome Home Melanie Mae,” based on her two daughters’ imaginary adventures with their beloved stuffed giraffe, and has more on the way.

Rebar’s books are aimed at preschoolers and kindergartners, in part because a reading test that measures how quickly eyes can scan across a page — and not get stuck on words — puts Rebar at a first-grade level despite her advanced education, vocabulary and comprehension.

“I wondered, ‘Is there any better way to honor your new self than to write a book that you could read to your children, which was a joy of mine?” she asks. “I’m so grateful to have a new source of belief and identity.”

The friendly, gentle Melanie Mae teaches young readers the days of the week by describing a playtime activity for each as she settles into a human family. The book also includes giraffe facts and a list of hidden objects to find.

Two more “Melanie Mae” books are written but not yet published, with a companion activity book in the works. Rebar also is penning a memoir on her transition from medical provider to patient while raising her girls, 10 and 8, with her husband, Dr. Michael Rebar.

“I’m so proud of her for finding something new that she can be passionate about,” says Michael Rebar, an optometrist and Air Force reservist. “It was devastating to her to lose her career as (a nurse practitioner), and it took her a while to come to terms with it.”

Despite ongoing medical setbacks, Tiffany Rebar has no interest in inspiring pity or special treatment. She simply wants to make a difference, just as she did in a nursing career that she fought to build as her family’s first college graduate.

“I’ve decided to be uncomfortable and push past my fear of being judged, so I hopefully can inspire others to be brave, stand tall, be unique and find their place,” she says. “Just like Melanie Mae.”

Always a go-getter, Rebar grew up in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and earned a nursing degree from Duquesne University. She also completed a master’s-level family nurse practitioner degree at Thomas Jefferson University.

As a registered nurse, Rebar worked in a Level 1 trauma-surgical intensive care unit and neuro-surgical ICU, where an agitated patient once attacked her on an overnight shift and caused injuries leading to two back surgeries.

As a nurse practitioner, Rebar worked at a geriatric continuing care retirement community and in outpatient adult primary care, occupational health, inpatient drug and alcohol and skilled nursing rehabilitation, and long-term and memory care services.

“I loved my career and my patients,” she recalls. “I had a specific identity and a sense of pride about helping people every day.”

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The event that changed her life

In 2016, the Rebars had busy, active and happy lives with their careers and then-2-year-old daughter. They were eager to welcome their second child following what had been a normal pregnancy.

Then came the event. Rebar’s symptoms gradually increased to include muscle weakness, imbalance and trouble walking, ultimately landing her in a neuro ICU in Philadelphia for a stroke evaluation.

While brain scans showed no definitive evidence of a stroke, clinical findings suggested a cerebellar stroke, or blockage in blood flow to a brain region involved in balance and body and eye movements. That diagnosis with a negative MRI is rare but possible, according to the American Heart Association.

Questions poured through Rebar’s mind: Will my baby survive, and how will I deliver her? How will I keep up with my toddler? Will my husband have to become my caregiver? “The fear was indescribable,” she remembers.

At 37 weeks of pregnancy, doctors induced labor and Rebar gave birth to a healthy girl. She was prescribed daily aspirin to prevent blood clots and underwent three months of physical therapy and a year of visual rehabilitation. For months, she was so sensitive to light that she had to ride blindfolded as a car passenger.

Over the next seven years, the road to Rebar’s new normal has been both harrowing and triumphant. She has consulted top specialists nationwide in search of a more precise diagnosis and treatment plan but mostly hears a version of, “This is unique.”

“I’ve been told, ‘You have a delicate brain’ and ‘Your brain software does not work correctly,’” she says.

Often, Rebar’s neurological deficits are invisible to people around her. She can drive when her symptoms are stable, uses word-recognition techniques for reading and leans on technology reminders for appointments and errands. She has a team of physicians monitoring her and takes medication for symptom control and stroke prevention.

Yet Rebar’s eyes occasionally dart uncontrollably, and she struggles with focus, memory, mental fatigue and sensitivity to light and peripheral stimuli. She is prone to making “silly” mistakes, such as only buying milk on grocery runs and forgetting she had a full list.

Unpredictable major episodes, such as difficulty swallowing, walking and speaking, have put Rebar in the hospital, feeling as if more of her old self is slipping away. During her most recent crisis, in October 2022, she could only say “no” or “yes” for several days, until infusions of high-dose steroids returned her abilities.

“Nothing in all my years of being a nurse could have prepared me for the terror of being a patient who can’t communicate effectively,” she says.

A 2017 move to Virginia, where her husband served on active duty at Langley Air Force Base, was an important fresh start. Finding journaling therapeutic, Rebar began writing about her girls’ dress-up sessions, parades and safaris with their towering stuffed giraffe.

In June 2022, as she watched an Outer Banks sunrise after a restless night of sleep, Rebar wondered if Melanie Mae’s character might appeal to a wider audience. Her husband was supportive but anxious.

“I was nervous about the process and whether she could do it with her ongoing visual and neurological issues,” Michael admits. “There was much uncertainty already around her medical issues, and I didn’t want her to experience another blow mentally if things didn’t work out.”

Over a sometimes-tedious 18 months, Rebar finished writing and collaborated with the Pennsylvania-based Christian Faith Publishing to illustrate and release her book in November 2023. Since then, she has given presentations at elementary schools, done several book signings and donated copies to local libraries.

While appearances can trigger heightened neurological symptoms for hours or days, Rebar is determined to show “the event” does not define her, as well as to encourage kindness and patience in a world where invisible disabilities and pain are common. Luckily, the smiles of her young fans are powerful rewards.

“I’ve learned that you can choose your perspectives,” she says. “You can focus on your brokenness or your blessings. As a good book relies on the perspective of the narrative, your life story relies on yours.”

“Welcome Home Melanie Mae” is available at the Tabb and Yorktown public libraries, Turn the Page Bookshop and the Playful Educator in Williamsburg, and online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Alison Johnson, ajohnsondp@yahoo.com

Now 14, Hunter has built a regional following and released two albums of solo performances, the latest a patriotic CD in collaboration with the Mathews County VA250 Commission. Hunter is a youth representative on the committee, which is planning local celebrations prior to and during America’s semiquincentennial in 2026.

Hunter pitched the idea for his “Songs of America” project to the commission’s adult members and chose five pieces to sing: “America the Beautiful,” “God Bless America,” “God Bless the USA,” “This Land is Your Land” and “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

“They are my favorites, which makes things more meaningful for me,” he said. “I just wanted to give people something they could enjoy, because our country is amazing.”

A freshman and straight-A student at Mathews High School, Hunter recorded and produced the album himself. His mother shot its cover photography, and he included a written mention of Mathews County VA250 on an inside sleeve.

Hunter regularly performs at restaurants, churches, festivals and private events — including at an upcoming Mother’s Day lunch at the York Gardens and Tea Room on Route 17 in York County. He’s selling his new CD online and at the Mathews County Visitor and Information Center and the Howard-Dooley Café, where he appears most Friday evenings. He recently donated 25% of sales from a Mathews May Faire booth to the Mathews County VA250 Commission.

The committee is part of the Virginia American Revolution 250 Commission, or VA250, an initiative established by the General Assembly in 2020. The multi-year project supports national unity and education on Virginia’s role in the fight for independence through speaking engagements, museum exhibits and events such as concerts and parades leading up to the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 2026.

Last summer, a Mathews County School Board member asked Hunter to join the local VA250 group to provide a young voice. Sandy Warhol, a commission member and events chair for the Mathews Historical Museum, describes him as “earnest, savvy and very engaged with us, even though he is so busy.”

Welcoming Hunter’s offer to link his new album to the VA250 campaign was a no-brainer, Warhol added: “This community really likes to support him. Not to mention, his music is fabulous and anything we can do to support him, we will.”

Hunter describes himself as a proud lifelong Mathews resident. He enjoys being able to walk to his grandmother’s house for regular visits; she gave him his first 12-string guitar, a favorite for gigs, two years ago. He now has nine guitars.

Although Hunter’s parents are not particularly musical, they nurtured a natural interest in both Hunter and his fraternal twin brother, Hayden. Along with guitar, Hunter plays clarinet in his school’s marching band and electric guitar in certain jazz band pieces; he also knows a few tunes on the piano and mandolin, another stringed instrument.

“But I like acoustic guitar best,” he said, citing John Denver and James Taylor as two musical inspirations. “It feels smooth and earthy, and you can go from simple to complex. And you don’t have to find anywhere to plug it in.”

While Hunter has written some original songs, he says he doesn’t like many of them and sticks mainly to cover tunes. Hayden, meanwhile, is a percussionist who occasionally performs with his brother.

“He also coincidentally plays his drums right next to my room at night all the time,” Hunter said. “So, that’s a lot of fun.”

“Songs of America” follows Hunter’s 2023 album “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” a 13-song compilation that celebrates the holiday’s power to bring loved ones together. He also sells black-and-white T-shirts and koozies, or insulated drink covers, with his name and a guitar image on his website.

Not surprisingly, Hunter is debating between a music or business major in college. What’s certain is that he wants his career to revolve around music; in fact, he already teaches guitar lessons to one of his friends.

“A lot of what I do is centered on music and learning as much as I can about it,” he said. “I never want that to change.”

Alison Johnson, ajohnsondp@yahoo.com

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To learn more

For a list of upcoming performances and information on albums and merchandise, visit hunterowensmusic.com or the “Hunter Owens Music” page on Facebook. The “Songs of America” CD also is available for $15 at the Mathews County Visitor and Information Center, 239 Main St., and the Howard-Dooley Café, 9303 Buckley Hall Road in Mathews.

To learn more about Virginia American Revolution 250 Commission events, visit va250.org.

A recipient of the Academy Award for Costume Design in 2019 and 2023 for “Black Panther” and “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” Carter spent a summer as an interpreter at Colonial Williamsburg while an undergraduate at Hampton University.

Carter, now 64, learned everything she could about two past residents she portrayed — a free Black dressmaker and a tavern garden worker — and tweaked their costumes to be as authentic as possible, including mismatched clothing and, for the gardener, bare feet.

“That summer changed my life,” she said in a phone interview last week. “I had some of the biggest crowds surrounding my monologues on the street than anybody. I was very proud of that.”

Carter’s traveling exhibit, “Afrofuturism in Costume Design,” opens May 11 at Jamestown. It highlights more than 60 costumes from her career in film and television, including Spike Lee’s “Malcolm X,” Steven Spielberg’s “Amistad” and Ava DuVernay’s “Selma,” and the television series “Yellowstone” and the 2016 remake of “Roots.”

The exhibition also features sketches and a behind-the-scenes look at Carter’s use of documents, images, travel and materials (such as clay soil mixes for hair used in parts of Africa) to research fashion from a specific time and place. Her studio is often filled with pictures, books and drawings by illustrators worldwide.

A separate gallery, “Fashions in History,” will outline a similarly painstaking process by tailors at the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation. They rely on 17th- and 18th-century paintings, drawings, journal descriptions, prints and garments to dress interpreters at Jamestown Settlement and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown.

“Using clothing to help tell stories is a shared passion for her and for our team,” said Mariruth Leftwich, senior director of museum operations and education for the foundation. “Clothing is a deeply personal way to connect people to past history or to characters.”

Afrofuturism is a blend of science fiction, technology, and African and African American history in art, music and literature. The movement mixes real life and fantasy to empower and celebrate Black culture, resilience and innovation.

In “Black Panther,” for instance, Carter’s intricate costumes incorporated geometric shapes, colors and elements of African tribes for the wardrobe of the royal family, superheroes and villains.

Jamestown, where the first Africans kidnapped from their native land arrived in 1619, can be viewed as the birthplace of Afrofuturism in the United States, Leftwich said. Carter’s vision is that visitors to her exhibit will consider history — and possibly themselves — in a new light as they walk through from 1619 into the universe of “Black Panther.”

“I hope people will leave feeling inspired and empowered, and envision a future that is equitable and just,” she said. “I hope they walk away with a renewed sense of agency and hope for what today and tomorrow can hold.”

The exhibit includes colorful and unique garments. Pieces from “Black Panther” films include major characters such as M’Baku, Namor and Namora, plus the Dora Milaje, elite female warriors whose bold red garments have extensive beadwork and metal neck and arm rings.

In the foundation’s display are Pocahontas dressed as an English woman, an 18th-century farm woman, a pregnant, enslaved woman and a formerly enslaved man. Tailors have incorporated Black and Indigenous figures into museum displays just as Carter has in her movies, Leftwich said: “I hope people leave thinking about the importance of both cultures because they have informed so much of American culture as a whole.”

Carter grew up in Springfield, Massachusetts, the youngest of eight children raised by a single mother. She learned to sew at a young age at a Boys & Girls Club. Her late mother’s family is from Bedford, Virginia, and she frequently traveled to Virginia for visits during school holidays.

At Hampton University, then known as Hampton Institute, Carter earned a degree in theater arts in 1982. During her time as an undergraduate, she rented a room from a William & Mary instructor who was writing a dissertation on Black female slave narratives. Carter read several of its chapters, including a standout description of a woman who hid in an attic for months before stealing away to freedom.

“I just fell in love with the history of Black people in Virginia,” she said.

Carter moved to California in 1986 for a job with the Los Angeles Theatre Center. There, she met Lee, who hired her for his 1998 film “School Daze.” She is now the first African American Oscar winner for costume design and the only Black woman to receive multiple Oscars in any category. She also was nominated for “Malcolm X” and “Amistad.”

Carter will discuss her work at the Saturday opening, and the foundation plans to offer special monthly programming on costuming during the exhibition’s run.

“We’re incredibly excited to bring this exhibit here,” Leftwich said. “We feel like it will spark curiosity in whoever gets to experience it.”

Carter feels the same.

“I can’t wait.”

Alison Johnson, ajohnsondp@yahoo.com

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IF YOU GO

When: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, except on Thanksgiving Day. May 11 through Dec. 1.

Where: Jamestown Settlement, 2110 Jamestown Road

Tickets: Included with general admission to Jamestown Settlement. $18, adults; $9, children ages 6 to 12; free for kids younger than 6. Free for residents of James City and York counties, Williamsburg residents and William & Mary students with proof of address.

Conversation with Ruth Carter: 3 p.m. May 11. In-person tickets have sold out, but online tickets are available; $10.

Details: jyfmuseums.org

Twenty years later, the outreach center occupies a 6,000-square-foot building on Pocahontas Trail and has dramatically grown its service area and programs. Once focused solely on the Grove community of James City County, the center now serves people from all over JCC and Williamsburg, as well as portions of upper Newport News and York County.

Next week, the center will kick off its 20th anniversary celebration with an event to support an even wider regional initiative: Give Local 757, an annual online fundraiser that benefits charitable organizations across Hampton Roads.

“We’ve expanded so much simply because the need is great,” said Robin Wootton, the center’s development manager. “We try to think holistically about all the ways we can help improve our community’s overall health and help people feel connected.”

Give Local 757, run by the Peninsula Community Foundation, is part of that larger picture. The drive has raised nearly $11 million since 2014, which the outreach center will highlight along with its own mission during an April 23 celebration at Precarious Beer Project in Williamsburg.

“Even a small donation can have a profound impact,” Michael Monteith, the Peninsula Community Foundation’s chief executive officer, said in a news release. “Together, we can amplify our support and make a real difference for those who need it most.”

Grove Christian Outreach Center offers a wide range of programs for children, adults and seniors, serving a total of 31,901 people in 2023. Free resources include food, clothing, toiletries, diapers and bus tickets; financial assistance, school readiness programs and literacy tutoring; art classes, reading activities and Bingo games; and school supply and holiday gift giveaways.

Several of those initiatives started during or shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic, funded by new grants and donations. Since 2021, for example, the center’s food pantry has stocked not only nonperishable items but also fresh fruit and vegetables, dairy, meats and ready-to-eat meals from partners such as Trader Joe’s, Food Lion and KelRae Farm in Toano.

The center’s fresh food room is set up like a market, allowing people to select healthy items that they enjoy and are unlikely to waste. Shoppers also can request canned goods and toiletries by circling them on a list.

Bita Pagan, a Grove resident and mother of five, often chooses apples, bananas, peaches and chicken for her family. Pagan, 31, is a trained phlebotomist — a blood draw specialist — who currently is staying home to raise her children, ages 4 months to 10 years.

“Grocery prices have gone up like crazy like everything, and this helps me give the kids things to stay healthy,” she said. “It’s not just food that other people don’t want, or that’s basically about to expire, which feels good.”

This past Christmas, Pagan’s kids picked out toys and craft sets; she also has used a clothing closet with sizes for babies, kids and early teens. The center carries some adult items but largely partners with FISH Inc., a Williamsburg-area nonprofit, to serve that population. And every spring, local high school students can find prom dresses and suits at the center.

The year-round Supporting Our Seniors effort provides minor external and internal home repairs such as replacing damaged carpet, putting in new light bulbs and fixing small leaks. Last summer, the center partnered with the James City County Fire Department to check for working smoke detectors at area homes, particularly in mobile home parks.

And Grove Christian Outreach Center is still evolving. Next week marks the debut of Grove Gallery, an exhibition space where local artists can share their work and life stories. The center also hopes to form more program partnerships with schools, libraries, social services agencies and fellow nonprofits.

“Our area is growing quickly, especially James City County,” Wootton said. “We need to consider longer-range needs as much as possible.”

Grove residents, meanwhile, are happy to have the center just minutes from their homes. Pagan recently dropped her older kids off for an art class taught by a student from William & Mary while she shopped in the fresh food room.

“People here do their best to get to know us and listen to our ideas,” she said. “If they can’t help with something, they will try and find someone who can. They care.”

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What’s happening next week

Grove Christian Outreach Center’s celebration party for Give Local 757 (givelocal757.org) will run from noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Precarious Beer Project, 110 S. Henry St. The free event will include door prizes, quarters for arcade games and a live tally of donations for the annual fundraising drive.

The center also will host an open house from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday at its own headquarters, 8800 Pocahontas Trail, to highlight its programs, resources and volunteer opportunities. A grand opening reception for its new art gallery will run from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday. Visit groveoutreach.com for more information.

Alison Johnson, ajohnsondp@yahoo.com