by Charles Hendricks | Jul 27, 2024 | Charles Hendricks, citizen architect, community, Empathy, Leadership, Local Leaders, Office Culture, Rotary, team
The Rotary Club of Rockingham County is working on a Peace Pole project to spread peace in the Harrisonburg / Rockingham community. Promoting peace is a cornerstone of the Rotary Mission. We believe when people work to create peace in their communities, that change can have a global effect.
The Peace Pole is an internationally recognized symbol of the hope and dreams of the entire human family, standing vigil in silent prayer for peace on earth. Each Peace Pole bears the message
May Peace Prevail on Earth in eight different languages, a braille plaque, and these poles will also have a Rotary logo, Veterans for Peace logo, and a rainbow flag. It’s estimated that
there are over 200,000 Peace Poles in the world with at least one in every country, each dedicated as a monument of peace.
Planting a Peace Pole is a way of bringing people together to inspire, awaken and uplift the human consciousness the world over. It is a wonderful project for any community, organization, or your home. They remind us to think, speak, and act in the spirit of peace and harmony. Planting a Peace Pole in a high pedestrian traffic area will remind those seeing it on a daily basis to be kind to others.
There is an international registry showing Peace Pole locations around the world. The Rotary Club is also working on finding and registering existing Peace Poles in the Valley. So far we have registered 3 and are waiting to hear back from the owners of two more to get permission to register them.
Each peace pole will cost approximately $600, including installation. We have secured installation locations for the first two poles and are working on fundraising for our third. We hope and plan to do many more.
by Charles Hendricks | Jul 19, 2024 | artwork, citizen architect, community, First Friday, Harrisonburg Architect, Local Leaders, Office Culture
On August 2nd, from 5:00pm-7:00pm, we are thrilled to host a First Fridays Gallery Opening at The Depot featuring artist Aaron Moyer! Join us to welcome Aaron and view his photography exhibition entitled An Ode to the Unnoticed, and to enjoy refreshments and community. RSVP for this event on Facebook here and get to know him more in his biography below!
*Accessibility Note: This building was previously restored from a fire. The elevator shaft is currently not functioning and there is an absence of ramps in the space. Because the show is on the 2nd floor, this may pose an issue for those who have mobility needs. We are aware of this need and we apologize greatly if this changes your ability to attend.
Bio:
Aaron is a 23-year-old amateur photographer from the Shenandoah Valley. He recently graduated from Eastern Mennonite University with a major in Biology and a minor in Art. The subjects of his photography range from large landscapes to tiny bugs, focusing mostly on capturing the essence of the natural world. Apart from photography, he enjoys listening to and creating music, making yummy coconut curries, playing pickleball, and spending time with friends.
Artist Statement:
An Ode to the Unnoticed
Through the lens of a camera, the Shenandoah Valley is transformed from a small, ordinary dot on Earth into an impressively diverse and intrinsically beautiful landscape. Walking around with a camera in my hand has been a physical reminder to pay attention to the details of the world around me, and to capture the unnoticed features of life that we often forget to appreciate. In my view, a good photograph helps us remember that our lives are drenched in art and that the only barrier to unlocking a lifetime of free exhibitions lies in our perspectives and willingness to observe.
“An Ode to the Unnoticed” Sneak Peek
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This event is free and open to everyone. Snacks and refreshments will be served and we look forward to seeing you there!
Each month we host a new artist in our building’s 2nd floor gallery at the Chesapeake Western Depot at 141 W. Bruce St. (second floor entrance is on Chesapeake). Artwork will remain on exhibit through the month. Come view the show anytime and get a tour the Depot! We will have food and drink available!
by Charles Hendricks | Jun 29, 2024 | artwork, citizen architect, community, First Friday, Office Culture
We are thrilled to have a special presentation on “The Remnants of the Crooked and Weedy” at the Depot (141 W. Bruce St. Harrisonburg, VA) on July 5th at 5:30 pm. Colby Lowry, a James Madison University history major (secondary Education and Anthropology) will join us. He is a member of the Marching Royal Dukes, a model railroad enthusiast, and a lover of all things antique. Colby and his grandmother used to watch advertisements for train sets and he remembers talking history with his grandfather on nearly a daily basis growing up leading to his passion for both history and the railroad.
Combining his love for history and trains he has done research on the Chesapeake Wester Railroad. Learning from Charles Grattan Price’s book Crooked and Weedy he will highlight the relics of a bygone era of railroading for all that attend.
This presentation will coincide with our July 5th First Friday Art opening at the Depot. All are welcome.
by Charles Hendricks | Jun 21, 2024 | artwork, citizen architect, community, First Friday, Harrisonburg Architect, Local Leaders, Office Culture
On July 5th from 5:00pm-7:00pm, we are thrilled to host a First Fridays Gallery Opening at The Depot featuring artist April Sachs (she/her)! Join us to welcome April and view her gallery entitled Rising (March 20, 2022-March 20, 2023), and to enjoy refreshments and community. RSVP for this event on our Facebook and get to know her more in her biography below!
*Accessibility Note: This building was previously restored from a fire. The elevator shaft is currently not functioning and there is an absence of ramps in the space. Because the show is on the 2nd floor, this may pose an issue for those who have mobility needs. We are aware of this need and we apologize greatly if this changes your ability to attend.
Bio
April Sachs is an accidental artist. She currently teaches at Eastern Mennonite School in Harrisonburg, and has also worn the hats of linguist, bookkeeper, office manager, and library assistant. She enjoys writing poetry, gardening, reading, and dancing at sunrise.
Artist Statement
Rising (March 20, 2022-March 20, 2023)
In late 2021, in the midst of life-changing events, I decided to photograph a constant: the sunrise. The result is 366 sunrise photos, all taken in exactly the same spot. But they are far from identical. The images portray the same scene in many moods, reflecting the changing seasons, weather, and position of the sun (from equinox to solstice and back again).
These photos, each similar and yet unique, echo my own experiences during that year. Sometimes I felt as bleak as the cloudy February mornings, when for days at a time I had to guess at the moment of sunrise, since the sun itself could not be seen. Other days were as joyful as the mist-filled mornings of June, with a mockingbird in the adjacent pasture, singing, flying, and falling with pure delight in life. But whether my own internal weather was bleak or joyful, I knew I had foundations as constant as the sunrise. This was my year of rising.
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This event is free and open to everyone. Snacks and refreshments will be served and we look forward to seeing you there!
Each month we host a new artist in our building’s 2nd floor gallery at the Chesapeake Western Depot at 141 W. Bruce St. (second floor entrance is on Chesapeake). Artwork will remain on exhibit through the month. Come view the show anytime and get a tour the Depot! We will have food and drink available!
by Charles Hendricks | May 19, 2024 | Charles Hendricks, citizen architect
I own a small business in a post-pandemic economy, and life is difficult. (Disclaimer: I have 4 business partners, I don’t do this alone).
I keep seeing posts on social media from other small business owner friends of mine and I think we are all feeling the weight of the world right now. I can tell you I need help, support, and compassion right now more than I have in the 16 years I have been a business owner. Thank you to all those who are supporting me and offering words of encouragement. Thank you also to all my clients who are allowing me to design for them.
But more about the challenges: Owning an architectural firm means I have to have thick skin, a very high tolerance for stress, and be extremely flexible in schedule, goals, and expectations. I have not found the balance, if there is such a thing, and tend to give more to others and the business than to my own mental and physical wellbeing. Owning a business is hard.
Something changed coming out of the pandemic. Expectations are higher, timelines are shorter, price structures are more volatile, and product shortages are unpredictable. It is beyond stressful to figure out the challenge of balancing meeting our clients expectations, mental health of staff, and providing a safe place for design creativity, with staying economically competitive and quick. Are you done yet? While all these challenges / goals have always been there for small architectural firms, since the pandemic it seems they are all heightened. It is not necessarily directly related to the pandemic, but there was a shift in how our clients think about us and what our employees expect in a workplace since the pandemic. Many days it feels like everything is in a very fragile balance and any small wrong move will break the system. We balance building code compliance with aesthetic beauty with structural product price spikes with changing communication patterns from our clients, consultants, and employees. We are expected to pivot quickly and stay on top of all the changes all the time. Products that used to be readily available are no longer in our market. Builders that used to need work are booked out for a year or so. Software costs skyrocketed from just a few years ago when you could purchase a software package to now having to purchase an annual subscription. The market has shifted where the big firms will frequently compete with smaller firms for local projects. These larger firms have entire teams dedicated to responding to potential client requests while in a small firm we each wear many different hats and have to give time in many different ways and directions.
I am not complaining about owning a business and getting to set my own schedule, write my own mission statement, and set my own path. (Well sort of set my own path and as long as my schedule is work a lot I can set it for sure.) I love what I get to do: solve spatial problems for our clients that enhance their livability, protect the environment through sustainable design practices, and inspire joy through beautiful design work. I just wish it was a little easier to find the clients, deliver the projects efficiently in a more relaxed schedule, and figure out the balance between earning a comfortable living and being affordable. It does feel like I am climbing a steep hill with the sun in my eyes many days.
Does anyone else have some insights on the joys and challenges of owning a small business? Please share, it is good to know that others face similar challenges.
by Charles Hendricks | May 16, 2024 | artwork, citizen architect, community, First Friday, Harrisonburg Architect, Local Leaders, Office Culture
On June 7th from 5:00pm-7:00pm, we are thrilled to host a First Fridays Gallery Opening at The Depot featuring artist Rebecca Ryan (she/her)! Join us to welcome Rebecca and view her gallery entitled Orchards in Spring, and to enjoy refreshments and community. RSVP for this event on our Facebook and get to know her more in her biography below!
*Accessibility Note: This building was previously restored from a fire. The elevator shaft is currently not functioning and there is an absence of ramps in the space. Because the show is on the 2nd floor, this may pose an issue for those who have mobility needs. We are aware of this need and we apologize greatly if this changes your ability to attend.
Bio:
Rebecca Ryan has been a Shenandoah Valley based artist since 2011. She is an acrylic artist who draws inspiration from living on her family’s working fruit farm. Her art is influenced by impressionism and open-impressionism and uses thick brush strokes of bold color to create the natural light and drama of her subject matter. Rebecca has been showing art in the downtown area since 2011 and has had gallery shows at Madison hotel and a permanent display at Clementine Cafe. She sells her art from the Harrisonburg Farmers Market in downtown Harrisonburg and takes commissions.
“Orchards in Spring” Sneak Peek
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This event is free and open to everyone. Snacks and refreshments will be served and we look forward to seeing you there!
Each month we host a new artist in our building’s 2nd floor gallery at the Chesapeake Western Depot at 141 W. Bruce St. (second floor entrance is on Chesapeake). Artwork will remain on exhibit through the month. Come view the show anytime and get a tour the Depot! We will have food and drink available!
