Thursday, Jan. 13 at the Jewish Community Center Things were buzzing at the busy Jewish Community Center Jan. 13, as they are most weeknights. But in the U-shaped Sara D. November gallery, local photography aficionados and their pals gathered for coffee and cookies at the opening reception of “Cheap Shots: Fine Art from Toy Cameras.” The concept is to show what’s possible with low-tech or cheap cameras like Holgas, Banners or Slim Pix 35. The results proved surprisingly wide-ranging, successful and in some cases, beautiful. Spotted at the opening night were longtime Virginia Commonwealth University photography professor George Nan; painter Jack Lawrence; and printmaker Mary Holland. Among the photographers spotted explaining their approaches were Alan Entin, Greg Hill, Elisabeth Flynn-Chapman, Taylor Dabney, Pam Shelor and Etta Edwards. The exhibit continues through Feb. 28. Saturday, Jan. 15 at the National Religious Freedom Day Dinner National Religious Freedom Weekend, presented by the Council for America’s First Freedom which promotes the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, has become a rite of winter. Festivities began at noon on Friday, Jan. 14, in Shockoe Slip on the site where the Virginia General Assembly passed the Thomas Jefferson-authored statute in 1786. On Friday afternoon, things moved to Bruton Parish Church in Colonial Williamsburg, where Justin Marlles, a senior at the Governor’s School for Government and International Studies, delivered his award-winning oration. The council sponsors a statewide student competition each year for essays, graphic design and oratory expressing religious freedom. The religious freedom fest ended on Mayo Island Sunday afternoon with remarks by Mayor Timothy Kaine, a rousing performance by the Ululating Mummies and a grand display of fireworks over the 14th Street Bridge. But the annual highlight of National Religious Freedom Weekend is the glittering awards dinner. And this year’s Saturday night gala attracted not only an A-list of Richmonders, but attendees from afar. Patrons who saluted recipients of the annual International First Freedom Awards — all individuals and groups who have fostered peace in Bosnia-Herzegovina — were Nathaniel and Amy Krumbein, the Rev. Robert G. Trache of St. James’s Episcopal Church, U.S. Reps. Robert Scott, and Thomas Bliley and Mary Virginia Bliley. Guests who applauded as the Very Rev. C. Nicholas Dombalis received the 2000 Virginia First Freedom Award were Lt. Gov. John and Maggie Hager; James and Bobby Ukrop; Brenton Halsey; Tommy P. Baer; the Most Rev. Walter Sullivan, bishop of the Catholic Diocease of Richmond; and Neilson November. When journalists and film producers and directors Bill and Judith Moyers received the 2000 National First Freedom Award, a standing ovation included Mary Tyler McClenahan, James and Pat Glave, and Nick Spinella and Jay Weinberg and David Clinger. And where were