How Ken Moorman, founder of Jirani Coffeehouse, helped bring to life ‘One Love,’ the coming 3-day Manassas arts festival

MANASSAS — A new, three-day multi-media art event, One Love Manassas, will be held in May.

Designed to give artists a platform to perform and share and leverage their art with the greater community, the event is aimed at bringing awareness and inspiring hope for the love of all artistic platforms — along with spreading a few other messages, according to Ken Moorman, co-owner of Jirani Coffeehouse in Historic Manassas.

“It was the city’s desire to have three-day art event and solidify Manassas as an art Mecca of [Northern Virignia]. There are so many artists all around, coming from everywhere, so many levels of artists. They said, ‘Let’s solidify it,’” Moorman explains.

Moorman was approached by the folks at Historic Manassas, Inc. and was asked to oversee music and entertainment for the event. He said he connected with James Whitley of Grand Master Studios, the same person who helps him curate art for Jirani. James had the vision and the city had the heart, said Moorman.  

Then there was the challenge of naming the event. The organizers held a meeting.

“Everyone kept talking about loving art, loving community, and I just wrote on a piece of paper ‘one love,’” Moorman said.

That name became “it.” And it encompasses many messages.

“It might sound cliche, but love your neighbor,” Moorman said. “With everything going on, pause and take a break….Something is happening through the arts. I see it.”

Another component of One Love Manassas is about using art to raise awareness of those suffering mental illness, and how to help them.

“Through Jirani, we found if you put a cause to something, people show up,” Moorman said. “Our cause is suicide prevention. The message is try to love each other through art and life.”

The event is set for May 18 through 20 in the Historic Downtown in the City of Manassas. There will be a juried art competition; a three-day marketplace; multiple stages for performances and music from folk, to rap, to jazz; film and photography displays; workshops and more.

“People think they have to go to New York or L.A. for great art, but what about here?” Moorman said.

Moorman also said he learned from his experience hosting art events at Jirani that there are many artists who live in the area but go to D.C. to perform because they think there are few opportunities locally.

“We’re truly looking for local artists and give them a platform,” said Moorman. “One Love is like one huge Jirani, with a bigger stage. I can’t wait.”

The city would like One Love Manassas to become an annual event, a destination, according to Moorman. They have set up a website and have put out an open call for performers and artists of all varieties to participate.

The website went live Saturday, March 10, and by Monday, March 12, they already had 20 submissions.

“This is what people have been waiting on,” Moorman said. “They need it.”