The Wayside Art Gallery - The Curtain Call Café
The Curtain Call Café. the large area on the ground level and to the right of the theatre building, went through different names and transformations over the years. In the movie house days, it was a grocery store, and was later transformed into an Art Gallery.
The Art Gallery was first located on the second floor. When it was moved to the ground level, one entered from the street level through the door to the stairway that leads to the second floor, and turned immediately to the right to enter the gallery. A variety of art exhibits could be viewed during the theatre season. Sometimes, the exhibitors were local artists whose works were on display for one to two weeks. Announcements of these showings appeared in the local press and were always listed in the Theatre playbill. Those attending performances for the 1965 season were invited to view the exhibit before curtain or during intermission. The exhibition schedule for the 1965 summer season was:
May 28 – June 12. Lester Miller, Sara Dietrich
June 14 – July 11. Mr. & Mrs. Ronald Masterson, Canada
July 12 – July 25. Frances Grove, Elizabeth Ball
July 26 – Aug. 13. Barbara Jenks
Aug 14 – 22. Blue Allee (Art & Drama Festival)
Aug. 23 – Sept. 5. Pete Carr, Richard Kiabel
Sept. 6 – 10. Robert M. Wick, Paul Kline
Sept 20 -- Oct 3. Theodore Dourakos
Oct 4 – 17. Open
Oct 18 – 31. Open
Nov. 1 – 14. Mary Baldwin College
A similar listing was listed for the 1966 season:
May 22 – May 28. Blue Allee Art show
May 29 – June 4. Costume designs of Maida Jones
June 6 – 18. Mrs. Jean L. Mundy and Mr. Gerald Hennesy
June 20 – July 1. A special exhibition honoring the late Mrs. Marjorie Gault; as well as
the showing of works by Mrs. John Pohl.
July 4 – 16. Mr. Melvin Gerhold, Mr. Robert Maphis Wick
July 18 – 30. Students of Shepherd College, Shepherdstown, W. Va
August 1- 13. Loudoun Sketch Club
August 15 – 27. Carol Ann Rowzie
August 29 – September 10. Paintings (1966) by Robert Mephis Wick
Not all the exhibitors were local artists. One exhibit that was on display during the performance of Blithe Spirit, April 8 and 15, 1967, was entitled “Our Religious Heritage,” and exhibited the work of Washington area high school students. It was brought to Wayside’s gallery through the courtesy of William M. Carrigan, coordinator of the American Council on Religious Art, Inc. of Washington, DC. “The exhibit consisted of 50 pieces of religious art created by talented boys and girls selected through competition. Formal opening will be on March 25 at 2:00 and will be at the Gallery through April 15 (“ ‘Blithe Spirits’ Production at Wayside.” HDNR. 1 Apr. 1967).
An announcement in a 1968 Playbill states that the sculpture and paintings exhibited in the Wayside Gallery for several years were the works of local and East Coast artists. It also mentioned that at one time there had been some consideration for developing a Wayside School of Art where talented amateurs and professionals would study various art techniques and art history as well as have a place to exhibit their work. It is not known how much discussion actually took place regarding the creation of such a school, as it appears never to have developed.
For the year 1967, the Playbill lists the following exhibit schedule for the artists. These included:
June 5 – 17. Collection of selected paintings by Robert Maphis Wick
June 18 – July 1. Culpeper Sketch Club
July 2 – July 16. Featuring Mrs. Newbold Noyes and guest artists
July 16 – July 29. Loudoun Sketch Club Annual Show
July 30 – August 12. Nancy Davies and James Bennett
August 13 – August 26. Photography by Allan Richards of New York
August 26 – September 12. Diane Artz and Donna Mooney
When the theatre space went through major renovation, the Art Gallery was transformed into the Curtain Call Café.