“In the last few years, it has become more evident that there is an outpouring of artistic talent in our community, especially among our youth,” Brown said. “There is a growing number of painters, writers, musicians—and most importantly, open-minded people—who don’t always have a venue to express themselves.”
Although the primary function of the site is to report on local artists and their work, Brown promises much more than what you’d expect. “Originally, our concept was simply for local artists and writers to have a place to showcase their work, with articles about local arts-related events interspersed, but we’ve progressed a lot since that original brainstorm. Now we’re including reports about the most fascinating people and interesting places we can find locally. I think it really shows a different perspective of the people and lifestyles of the Roanoke Valley area.”
Will Ward, the website and project developer behind The Valley Muse, agrees. “The concept is quite interesting. I don’t think a publication like this really exists in print form, because The Valley Muse is essentially an art and literary magazine and a special-interests magazine combined into one. It sounds kind of erroneously juxtaposed in theory, but the output works well because there is a local twist to every topic presented.”
To illustrate this, Ward points out the site’s main categories. “We’ve got an arts and entertainment section, which includes reviews and articles on local artists and local events; and then we have a health and home section, which features articles similar to what people may read in popular magazines, such as tips for healthier and happier living and solutions for home and garden, but what makes it unique to The Valley Muse is that there is an emphasis on how to do these things with local means.”
Both Brown and Ward admit that the idea of creating The Valley Muse probably wouldn’t have worked several years ago. “You don’t automatically think to relate art and progressive lifestyles to Roanoke Rapids, but times are changing and people are too. I think it’s obvious that an effort is being made to promote our area as a destination of entertainment and diverse culture and our locals seem to be excited about exploring their own creative sides as well.”
Currently, the website features just a handful of articles for the first issue, but Brown says the site’s vision will be fully met in mere months. Visitors can sign up to receive notifications of site updates through the Valley Muse e-newsletter.
http://www.thevalleymuse.com
