Hand-drawn art and a committed group of students helped put Charlottesville on the musical map. 

In exchange for free concert tickets, 1985 University of Virginia graduate Dabney Lancaster Stellmann lent her artistic talents to promote the Charlottesville music scene in the 1980s. At the time, PK German, a student group, handled every aspect of booking musicians – signing off on contract riders, selling tickets and promoting the gigs.

Acts ranging from Kool & The Gang to the Grateful Dead came to Grounds, and Stellmann made sure everyone knew about the shows. Now, the posters are held in the Special Collections Library. They offer a new perspective on what UVA was like in the 1980s and 1990s.

You can learn more about the artist who hand-drew unique promotional concert posters when a special edition of UVA Today, the “Music Beat,” lands in your inbox this Friday. Plus, you’ll have the chance to learn about the time Johnny Ramone tried to play basketball in University Hall and meet a current student who records original music in her bedroom to share with the world.

There’s good news if you like music as much as we do: Friday’s special edition is the first part of a music series we’re launching. Stories in the Music Beat will offer you the chance to learn about musical happenings on Grounds – past, present and future. 

We want you to be a part of the Music Beat. Send us the rundown of your college mixtapes from your time on Grounds and you might be featured in a future edition.