April First Fridays Event Round-up

Our Spring Kick-Off is almost here! This Friday, April 7th, First Fridays in the Arts District is back bigger and better to celebrate the Arts District with happy hour specials, store and sidewalk sales, vendor markers, opening exhibits, live performances, community celebrations & more throughout the Arts District’s galleries, restaurants, and shops.

Here’s the full round-up of events, markets, sales, happy hours & more!

Art

  • Breaking Ground Opening Reception at Anne’s Visual Studio / 6-9PM / FREE
  • Work/Life/Balance by Wesley Page at Hanbury / 5-8PM / FREE
  • The Sideshow Gallery Opening Reception of The Artwork of Vicki Bruner / 6-8PM / FREE
  • Art and Toy Show by Oura’s Opening Reception at Vinyl Conflict / 5-9PM / FREE
  • Algorithm Update: Paintings by Sweaty Glue at Circle Thrift / 6PM / FREE
  • Living It Forward Art Exhibit at The Gallery at The Gallery at UNOS / Starts at 5PM / FREE
  • Visiting Artist: Victoria Weiss at The Brickhouse RVA / FREE
  • Sadza Series at 1708 Gallery / Open until 9PM / FREE
  • Contemporary Moroccan Artist: Aziz Kibari presented by Brenda Priebe at Black Iris / 5-10PM / FREE
  • Open Studio at Antennae / 5-11PM / FREE

Music

  • Gallery5’s 18th Birthday Celebration featuring NO BS! Brass Band, PrabirTrio, and Sweet Potatoes Music / Starts at 5PM / FREE 
  • Battle of the Bands at CNTR / Starts at 6PM / $15-20
  • First Friday in the Rabbit Hole at Vagabond / Doors at 9PM / FREE before 11PM
  • Metro Sound & Music / Live music / 5-7:30PM / FREE

Markets

  • Richmond Moon Market at Gallery5 & GWARBar / Starts at 5PM / FREE
  • Community Youth Pop-up at The Nurturing Cafe / 5-8PM / FREE
  • Art Walk Vendor Fair at Kinky Cardio / 6-9PM / FREE

& More!

  • PLF’s PyroCircus at Gallery5’s 18th Birthday Party / Starts at 5PM / FREE
  • Live Paintings & New Booths at My Selfies RVA / Starts at 5PM / 
  • Open House at Unkindness Art / 5-9PM / FREE
  • Test Pattern 07 with Holland Andrews at ICA at VCU / 7-10PM / FREE with RSVP
  • $20 Golf with an appetizer sampler plate special & The Resident Ghost: Madame Blavatskaya at Hotel Greene / 5-7PM 
  • First Fridays Improv Sampler at Coalition Theater / Starts at 6:30PM with 20-minute sets / Pay What You Can
  • Live music performance at Charged Up / 7-10PM / FREE
  • Sidewalk Cuts, Color & Flower Hair at Parlor Salon / 6:30-8PM / $

Store Sales & Specials:

  • Vinyl Conflict / 10% off everything excluding audio equipment
  • Metro Sound & Music / 10% off new, 15% off used (excluding vintage) & live music / 5-7:30PM
  • Shakoors Merchandise / Buy One Get One ½ Off on All Oils or Buy Two Get One Free on All Oils / 5-10PM
  • Capitol Vintage / Spring Fling Sale / 5-10PM
  • Solitary Confinement / First Fridays Super Sale / 6-10PM
  • Virginia Mercantile / Laszlo’s Leather Pop-up / 6-8PM
  • Sarah’s Den / Falln Pop-up Shop / 6-8PM

Food Deals:

  • Cheddar Jackson / Panini Special ($4 Alice, $6 Duval Sisters, $8 Brooklyn)
  • The Lobby Bar at Quirk / Specialty First Fridays Cocktail
  • Buna Kurs / ½ off pastries and 10% off food from 1-3PM
  • Elegant Cuizines / $2 off drinks and 15% off appetizers

Happy Hour Specials:

  • Wok This Way / $7 Woktails, 1/2 off Singha, Kirin, and Sapporo Beers & $5 Dim-Sum / 4-7PM
  • 4 Cyber Cafe / $7 select shots & cocktails and discounted food items / 4-7PM
  • Barcode / $1 off all drinks / 4-7PM
  • Bar Solita / $4 well drinks, $7 house wine and classic cocktails, $5 draft beers / 5-7PM
  • Juan’s Cantina / ½ off select beer and cocktails / 5-7PM
  • NAMA / $3 off select cocktails and $2 off domestic beers / 4-7PM
  • The Riviere / $3 rails, $5 margaritas and Long Island Iced Teas, ½ off beer / 4-7PM
  • Tarrant’s Cafe / $2 off wine by the glass, select draft beers, cocktails and $4 highballs / until 8PM
  • Ay Caramba / $1 off signature margaritas and beer / 5-7PM
  • Henley on Grace / $4.55-$6.55 select food items / 4:30-6:30PM
  • Julep’s / $5 draft beers, wine, and cocktails / 4:30-7PM
  • Lillie Pearl / $2 off drafts and $6 select glasses of wine / 4:30-6PM
  • Maya / $8 classic margaritas and ½ off draft beer / 4-6PM
  • Parterre / ½ off all draft beer and wine / 4-6PM
  • Secret Sandwich Society / $2 off drafts, $5 rail drinks and 25% starters and appetizers / 3-6PM
  • Wong Gonzalez / $3 rails, $5 margaritas, $2 off drafts, $1 off packaged beer and wine by the glass / 4-7PM
  • GWARbar / $1.25 mystery beers, $2.25 16 oz. cans of PBR, Natty Boh, and High Life, $3.75 rail drinks / 4-7PM
  • KOGI / $5 snacks, $4 rail shots and drinks, $3 domestic beers, $2 off cocktails, $1 soju shots / 4-6PM

Find the April First Fridays Google Map Here!

Don’t forget to check out Manchester Manifest and their first event of the 2022 season south of the river!

FREE PARKING AT FIRST FRIDAY!

Use the code: APRILFF tonight at the 2nd & E. Marshall (Lot 200) surface parking lot and enjoy FREE parking courtesy of the Downtown Neighborhood Association in the Arts District!

Instructions:
• Scan QR code on white sign
• Select # of Hours
• Enter license plate number
• Start/End Time will automatically populate
• Click on “Add Promo”
• Type in “APRILFF” & click “Apply”
• Start parking session!

*The free parking offer is extended to the first 50 cars that use the promo code (first come, first served)

May First Friday!

It’s here! The First Fridays map of places and spaces to explore! 5-9pm.

Link to Map: https://rvaff.richmondartsdistrict.org//bit.ly/mayRVAFF

…and don’t forget the trolley!

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April Showers Bring First Fridays!

It’s here! The First Fridays map of places and spaces to explore tonight! 5-9pm.

Link to Map: https://rvaff.richmondartsdistrict.org//bit.ly/AprilFirstFridaysArtWalk

Parking stress? Dodging the raindrops? We’ve got you covered!:

FREE 2-hour parking between 5-9pm at these CityParking Inc. lots:
-Adams & Grace
-Foushee & Grace
-50% off at 7th & Broad behind Dominion Energy

How:
-Go to the kiosk and enter the code: RVAFF19

FREE Trolley!
Hop on/off the RVA Trolley which will be doing a loop of Broad 5:30-8:30

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March First Fridays is Here!

First Friday is here! Lots of great places to visit and don’t forget the FREE parking!

FREE 2-hour parking between 5-9pm @cityparkinginc lots:
Where?:
-Adams & Grace
-Foushee & Grace

How:
-Go to the kiosk and enter the code: RVAFF19

Link to Map: https://rvaff.richmondartsdistrict.org//bit.ly/MarchArtWalkRVA

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February First Fridays!

It’s here! The First Fridays map of places and spaces to explore tonight! 5-9pm.

Parking stress? We’ve got you covered:
FREE 2-hour parking between 5-9pm @cityparkinginc lots:
Where?:
-Adams & Grace
-Foushee & Grace
-50% off at 7th & Broad behind Dominion Energy

How:
-Go to the kiosk and enter the code: RVAFF19

Link to Map: https://rvaff.richmondartsdistrict.org//bit.ly/FebArtWalkRVA

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August First Friday

It’s August and First Fridays will be in full swing tomorrow!
Lots of great goings-on in the #RVAArtsDistrict Link & Map below.
(Note: No trolley this month, it will return in September. Try out the GRTC Pulse–there’s an Arts District stop!)

Link to map here

August_FirstFridaysMap

July First Fridays

It’s July and a lot of Richmonders have escaped to the beach, but not us! First Fridays will go on tomorrow!
Note: No trolley this month, it will return in September. A good excuse to hop on the GRTC Pulse!

Link to map here

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June First Fridays!

The June art walk is upon us! Here’s the link to the Google Map:https://bit.ly/2kDbAln

And don’t forget Broad Appetit is this Sunday–we’ll be handing out swag bags with some special discount offers to the first 50 lucky people at the Downtown Neighborhood Association tent.

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May First Fridays!

Our May Art Walk is only a day away! Here’s the link to the Google Map

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Also, don’t forget to take the FREE trolley (sponsored by Linden Row Inn).  5:30-8:30, new stops this month. Look for signs which will be up by late afternoon on Friday. Link to Trolley Route Map

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April First Fridays!

Our April Art Walk is only a few hours away! Here’s the link to the Google Map

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And, your list of April participants, in no particular order.

VALET
The Broad
Gallery at 23
Little Nomad
Richmond Performing Arts Alliance (performance @ Dominion Energy Center Rhythm Hall w. musical guest Classical Revolution RVA)
Fresh Richmond
68 Home
Vagabond
Shop Evolve at Lou Stevens “Glam Squad” – On Location Hair and Makeup
John Marshall House
Richmond International Film & Music Festival (Pop-up at the Quirk Annex)
Black History Museum & Cultural Center
Endeavor RVA
HI Richmond Hostel
Rider Boot Shop
1708 Gallery
Candela Books + Gallery
Gallery5
Quirk Gallery
Richmond Public Library
Linden Row Inn
Coalition Theater
Elegba Folklore Society
Threadcount Custom T-Shirts
Gallery Edit
Visual Art Studio
Black Iris Music
Steady Sounds
Blue Bones Vintage
The Anderson (2018 VCUArts MFA Thesis Exhibitions)
Ada Gallery

Lyft discount code available

If you haven’t heard, Lyft is offering $5 off two trips, as long as they end on Broad between Thompson and 9th. So, if you’re looking for an option on how you want to get to the art walk this week, you can use promo code EMXPRICWDPD0218. (Code expires on Sunday.)

March’s First Fridays

Your list of March participants is below, in no particular order, and here’s the link to the Google map. Everything will be updated as new participants announce their plans.

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1708 Gallery
ART 180
Black Iris
Candela Books + Gallery
Coalition Theater
Elegba Folklore Society
Gallery Edit
Gallery5
Linden Row Inn
United Network for Organ Sharing
VALET
Virginia Repertory Theatre
Visual Art Studio
The Broad
Gallery at 23
Ledbury
Little Nomad
Richmond Public Library
Threadcount Custom T-Shirts
University of Richmond Downtown
Richmond Performing Arts Alliance
The Anderson
Fresh Richmond
Shop Evolve pop up at Lou Stevens “Glam Squad” – On Location Hair and Makeup
Vagabond
68 Home
Sediment Arts
Mod&Soul
Storefront for Community Design
Current Vapor Co.

February’s First Friday

Your list of February participants is below, in no particular order, and here’s the link to the Google map. Everything will be updated as new participants announce their plans.

 

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1708 Gallery
9WG Studios
68 Home
Ada Gallery
ART 180
Candela Books + Gallery
Coalition Theater
CodeVA
Elegba Folklore Society
Endeavor RVA
Fresh Richmond
Gallery Edit
Gallery5
Lou Stevens “Glam Squad” – On Location Hair and Makeup
John Henley, a 1708 Gallery Satellite Exhibition at Linden Row
MOB – Middle of Broad / Storefront for Community Design
Quirk Gallery
Richmond Public Library
Rosewood Clothing Co.
Sediment Arts
The Anderson
TheatreLAB
Threadcount Custom T-Shirts
University of Richmond Downtown
Vagabond
WRIR’s 13th Anniversary Party at The Renaissance
Rider Boot Shop
Mod&Soul
Chez Foushee
Lift Coffee

January’s First Friday

Yes, I know, I know, it’s colder than whatever cold thing you want to shove into this analogy. But warm your soul by coming out to the art walk this Friday! Yes! It’s still happening! We’re year-round, darling!

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Here is the list of places that have confirmed their First Friday plans. As things change, I’ll keep this list and the map updated.
ART 180
1708 Gallery
68 Home
Ada Gallery
Candela Books + Gallery
Charm School
Coalition Theater
Fresh Richmond
Gallery5
Linden Row Inn
Quirk Gallery
RED Books and Coffee
Richmond Public Library
Rosewood Clothing Co.
Sediment Arts
Threadcount Custom T-Shirts
United Network for Organ Sharing
Vagabond
Virginia Repertory Theatre
It’s a Man’s World
Blue Bones Vintage
Steady Sounds
Barcode

Update:

9WG Studios will not be open tonight.

October’s First Friday round-up

First up, the link to the map (and it’s also all the way at the bottom of this post) with of all of tonight’s events, including trolley stops for the free RVA Trolley!

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Next up, the list of everywhere that I know of that is doing something tonight for downtown’s First Fridays art walk:
1708 Gallery
68 Home
9WG Studios
Ada Gallery
ART 180
Candela Books + Gallery
CodeVA
Elegba Folklore Society
Fresh Richmond
Gallery Edit
Gallery5
Lou Stevens “Glam Squad” – On Location Hair and Makeup
HI Richmond Hostel
Linden Row Inn
Little Nomad
MOB – Middle of Broad
North 1st Street Studio Gallery (at R1 Furnishings)
Palindrome Creative Co.
Quirk Gallery
Richmond Public Library
Rider Boot Shop
Rosewood Clothing Co.
Richmond Times-Dispatch
Sediment Arts
The Anderson
TheatreLAB
Tony Turner Unleashed Hair Products/the Unleashed Salon
University of Richmond Downtown
United Network for Organ Sharing
Verdalina
Virginia Repertory Theatre
Visual Art Studio

 

See you out there! Happy First Fridays!

Screenshot 2017-10-06 13.07.26

“THIS IS NOT A SOCK” at Ada Gallery

Ada Gallery presents “THIS IS NOT A SOCK”, a solo exhibition of photographs and objects by Barbara Weissberger. Opening Friday October 6th, 2017 and on view until October 28, 2017.
 
Weissberger’s playful photographs step over the edge of the image and onto the frame or onto the wall with paint, plaster and sculpture extruding like the limb of a hidden character. She explores materials in a way that reveals a quirky fascination with the containers that frame our lives: cardboard, packing materials, tape. Within the temporary studio installations she photographs she frequently places cutout shapes in the foreground. As the viewer looks through the cutouts negative spaces unhinge and appear as objects. Weissberger says, “I invite the viewer to be an active participant in dealing with illusion and the anxieties that arise from parsing the ambiguous picture.”
oct ada

“Theory of Place” at Candela Books + Gallery

Often, we introduce ourselves by where we come from or where we live, and sometimes, by where we do not. Our environment influences our identity. Inversely, we define locations by giving names to them. The aura of a place is tethered to both physical and cultural perceptions, but what happens when this delicate balance is altered and that tether is warped or frayed at the edges?

Theory of Place” continues this Friday at Candela Books + Gallery, featuring the works of Marcus Desieno, Courtney Johnson, Camilo Ramirez, and Justin James Reed.

 

sep candela 4

 

“The Last Five Years” at TheatreLAB

Jamie is a novelist whose star is on a dizzying rise. Cathy is an actress trying to get a toehold on the bottom rung. And as fate, or chance, or internet algorithms would have it, they meet. In a series of emotionally intimate songs, we follow Jamie and Catherine through the course of their five-year involvement, entering into each of their perspectives at opposite points in their love story. Jamie tells their story from first infatuation, while Cathy moves backward in time from the closing notes of their marriage. “The Last Five Years” is a musical journey through their relationship—in all its elation and heartbreak—captures the beauty of being in love, no matter how fleeting. Starring Alexander Sapp as Jamie and Christie Jackson as Cathy.

A co-production from TheatreLAB and Yes And Entertainment, the team that brought you the award-winning productions of HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH, RIDING THE BULL, and VENUS IN FUR.

oct tl

“works in progress” at mOb

The MOB – Middle of Broad studio will be showing progress reports from 12 projects in and around Richmond that this semester’s studio of 30 students have been working on for the past 5 weeks. These projects range from community art project catalogues to larger-scale spatial redesigns for health clinics in Richmond’s public housing projects.

In addition to these projects, students have updated their mOb suits with a new motif. The studio will also be revealing the new faces of the Stonestreet Diamond sign for 209 East Broad which were hand-stenciled by mObians.Oct mob

October First Fridays map

The October art walk map has been updated! Save that link for later, there are a couple more updates to come before tomorrow night.

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“Red Rover (Red Rover)” at Quirk

Quirk’s current Main Gallery exhibition, Aimee Joyaux’s “Red Rover (Red Rover), continues through October 15. Visitors to the gallery will have the opportunity to enjoy six of Aimee’s newest pieces. “My work is grounded in a visceral response to current events, be they personal, political, cultural, or imagined. Bright colors and graphic shapes crash into the picture plane. Half glasses of water, the shells of a building and shape-shifting folds are drawn to characterize a sense of displacement, a reactionary free fall in a tumultuous time. The scale of these works on paper is ambitious for me. It allows for exaggerated responses to the stream of combative and imposing rhetoric surrounding me. My thoughts explode on the page like rolling dice when they hit the wall.”

Quirk’s gallery shop is being stocked with new items for fall. New artwork has been added to the downstairs Archives gallery including work from Stephen Clark, Suzanna Fields, Aggie Zed, and Kendra Dawn Wadsworth. The Quirk Represents art jewelry collection also has brand new pieces from Nikki Couppee, Meghan Patrice Rily, and Ashley Buchanan.

oct quirk

RVA Cures at URDowntown

Stop by the University of Richmond Downtown Friday from 5-7pm to check out the RVA Cures Connor’s Heroes Foundation Zebrafish exhibit.

RVA Cures is an exhibition of Kristin Seward’s photography. Each picture captures moments when children and caregivers showed incredible strength and courage, and the exciting research that is happening in Richmond, Virginia. Lining the walls of the gallery are a hundred, wooden zebrafish in sizes from 18 inches to 8 foot long. Richmond artists or the young children who are part of Connor’s Heroes painted each zebrafish. The zebrafish are available for sale or auction atwww.501auctions.com/rvacures. The exhibit runs September 1, 2017 – January 19, 2018 at the Wilton Companies Gallery, University of Richmond Downtown, 626 E. Broad Street. It is free and open to the public. 

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The Black Art Market at Elegba Folklore Society

Elegba Folklore Society’s Cultural Center features art and artifacts from around the African world. Guests can also enjoy music, film, poetry and discussions among other programs. Tomorrow night’s exhibition is The Black Art Market, beautifully matted and framed prints by celebrated contemporary artists that express culture.
oct efs

Open House at Palindrome

Emordnilap a Esuoh Nepo. (Let it be known: I gots jokes.)

Join Palindrome Creative Co. during the First Fridays art walk for an open house at their new branding studio. You can also check out Palindrome’s custom letterpress stationary and printed goods, and nosh on beloved The Dog & Pig Show cookies!

oct palind

“Destinations of the Heart” at North 1st St Studio Gallery

North First Street Studio Gallery presents “Destinations of the Heart” featuring paintings by Ron Courtney and pottery by Bob Leek. Come join us at the opening reception from 5-9 on October 6th sponsored by Hummel Associates and R1 Furnishings.

oct n1sg

The Picture Book Project at Little Nomad

Young writers from Richmond Young Writers teamed up with local illustrators to create brand new books for The Picture Book Project. This Friday, come by Little Nomad to meet 6 of the writer/artist pairs. Buy books, get them signed, and find other little treasures to take home.

oct nomad

Lineage at Gallery Edit

Join Gallery Edit as they present “Lineage,” an exhibit featuring the works of three generations of artists.

oct edit

October Open House at CodeVA

Codeva welcomes you to their October First Friday open house and showcase, coinciding with artoberVA AND the 2nd Street Festival. Stop by and see just what the summer camp students were up to, and maybe try your hand at coding.

oct codeva

Jack Rodriguez at 9WG

Stop by 9WG Studios this Friday for the art walk to see Jack Rodriguez’s stunning pencil portraits.

oct 9wg

October exhibits at the library

The following exhibits will be on display at the Richmond Public Library‘s Main Branch, with a First Fridays reception on October 6.

In the Gellman Room: “Nature as Mentor: A visual education through observation” – oil paintings
and etchings of our natural world by Palmyra artist Tom Tartaglino

oct library
In the 2nd Floor Gallery: “Rescued in Richmond ” – uplifting photographs showcasing the playful and
loving personalities of adoptable pets cared for by the dedicated staff and volunteers of
Richmond Animal Care and Control by Richmond photographer Ashley Dobbin Calkins

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In the Dooley Foyer: “Tradition and Modern” – the fusion of traditional Chinese ink and modern
color in flower and bird freehand brushwork by artist Yu Fang of Guizhou in China

In the Dooley Hall: “Uncertain Boundaries” – small, semi-abstract landscapes that explore
appearances and perception by Richmond artist Kay Vass Darling

oct library 3

Tree Fairfax popup at Rosewood

Rosewood Clothing Co hosts Tree Fairfax for a First Friday pop-up! Shop her beautiful leather goods and other fall finds from 6-9 pm!

oct rcc

Made To Order Trunk Show at Rider Boot Shop

Stop by Rider Boot Shop this weekend, and join in the festivities at their Made-to-Order trunk show. Meet the owner of Cortina (their Italian factory) and get measured for a pair of custom shoes or boots. Check out archived samples and patterns and choose from an array of leathers to make your own very special pair!

Oct 6th will also include First Friday fare from JM Stock Provisions – while supplies last!

oct rider

Judith Anderson at the RTD Gallery

Join the Richmond Times-Dispatch on the First Fridays Art Walk for an evening with artist Judith Anderson. Anderson is fascinated by the abstract geometric qualities of old train cars and the textures and layers of the cars’ surfaces. Her recent train paintings and photographs reflect the influence of trains’ colors, textures and compositions.

Beginning at 6:30 p.m. Anderson will talk about the process, techniques and inspiration behind her craft.

Light refreshments will be served. Parking is free in the Richmond Times-Dispatch deck. The entrance is on Third Street between Grace and Franklin.

oct rtd 2

oct rtd

Generator RVA at Sediment

The opening weekend of Generator RVA: Now Playing at Sediment will feature a pop-up market, with contemporary and historical, local and non-local, noise and experimental sound works for sale and distribution, including tapes, zines, posters, and more.

First Friday Opening Reception, October 6th from 6-9pm
Inaugural Remote Call-In Proclamation by The Kings of Elgaland-Vargaland: Michael von Hausswolf & Left Elggren (from Stockhom)
Octophonic Concert by Gen Ken at 8pm

Lots more on deck throughout the month. Check the whole schedule here.

oct sediment

The Richmond Cookbook: Pot Luck & Open Mic at the Anderson

The Anderson is excited to partner with the Richmond Cookbook Project to bring you a special event – the Richmond Cookbook: Pot Luck & Open Mic!

SHARE FOOD, STORIES, AND RHYTHMS

POT LUCK: ft homemade food from all over the city. Artist, Steven Casanova, will be making tortillas. Bring a dish to share, or just come by and try!
DRUM CIRCLE: ft Drums No Guns‘ Dr. Ram Bhagat, Shyamuu The Drumaddict, and guest percussionists.
& OPEN MIC: Topic: Food. led by Mikemetic, Jade Fleming, and CheapGarlic.

This event will also serve as a closing reception for our current exhibition “Reach Out and Touch” – So come by to see it one last time, share a bite and celebrate with the artists!

MORE ABOUT RICHMOND COOKBOOK:
The Richmond Cookbook project wants to encourage conversation and consideration around the rich diversity of cultures, backgrounds, and life around the city. All are invited, all food is welcome, all messages are encouraged. Experience a world of food, recipes, and stories and come share your own.

oct and

United for UNOS soirée

United for UNOS 9th Annual Soirée is Richmond’s premier fall event and is uniquely held where their lifesaving mission is centered – UNOS headquarters. Satisfy your appetite for food and philanthropy at this one of a kind event. Indulge in specialty dishes from Richmond’s favorite restaurants and caterers and meet the 2017 Stories of Transplantation – including organ recipients, living donors, donor families and transplant professionals. Tickets are available now.

Event proceeds support United Network for Organ Sharing’s lifesaving work including organ matching and transplantation education programs.

oct unos

Fun Home and Shakespeare in Love at VaRep

You’ve got a tough decision to make Friday night at Virginia Rep. Fun Home at the Theatre Gym, or Shakespeare in Love in the November Theater? Both start at 8pm. Both are towards the end of their run. Lucky for you, you can always come back on Saturday to see the other one! Tickets are going fast, so snap them up now.

Fun Home:

Years after her father’s unexpected death, Alison comes to terms with memories of her unique childhood, growing up in the Bechdel Funeral Home. Moving between the past and present, she relives her struggles to connect with her father and her growing awareness of her own sexuality. This ground-breaking musical is funny, honest, and uplifting.

Fun Home

Shakespeare in Love:

Disguised identities and a clandestine love affair inspire a young Will Shakespeare to pen the greatest love story of all time. Based on the Oscar-winning film, this delightful comedy of Shakespearean proportions reimagines the romance between the writer and his muse.

oct varep2

“That Time When I Was Young” at the Visual Art Studio

anne’s Visual Art Studio gallery proudly presents “That Time When I Was Young, Acrylic and Oils on Canvas” by Terrie Powers in the Main Gallery, with an opening reception at First Fridays, October 6 from 7-10PM. Terrie Powers is 2013 recipient of the Woman in the Arts award and Virginia Rep’s set designer for over 30 years.

oct vas

Dannyboy Comes Home by Terrie Powers

Fashion Crawl from fresh and the Glam Squad

fresh Richmond has teamed up with RVA Fashion Week and Lou Stevens Glam Squad to bring you the first ever Fashion Crawl on October 6th.

First check out designs by Azi Blas at Fresh Richmond starting at 5:30p. Then join us for a fashion party at Lou Stevens “Glam Squad” from 7:30p-9p. Check out a mini fashion show featuring fall looks from local boutiques AshbyTAILOR and Trunk Up!! Featured drinks from Belle Isle Moonshine at both locations.

oct fashion

 

“My Reality” at ART180

My Reality” is a groundbreaking exhibition and virtual reality installation created by teens impacted by the juvenile justice system in Richmond, VA. Using art and technology, the exhibit amplifies the powerful stories, dreams, and desires of incarcerated youth, while showcasing how artists, communities, and advocates can come together to imagine a better world for all of us.

oct a180

“The project is about looking to youth in the system as experts who can teach us so much about what youth need to be free and out of the system. In all of our work, we use art to amplify their ideas and perspectives and this exhibit takes that to a whole new level. Viewers will walk into a room the size of a prison cell, put a virtual reality headset on, and be transported into a virtual jail cell experience that includes the teen’s stories and artwork,” said Mark Strandquist, creative director of ART 180’s Youth Self Advocacy Through Art program.

The exhibit, was created in partnership with RISE for Youth (a bipartisan coalition a part of Legal Aid Justice Center), Scenic (a virtual reality content studio based in New York City), and artists Kate DeciccioRoscoe BurnemsCatherine Komp and Mark Strandquist. Each part of the exhibit presents viewers with immersive and eye-opening experiences that share the perspectives of youth most impacted by the juvenile justice system. Beyond the virtual reality installation, the exhibit will include photographs, poetry, immersive audio installations, and a take-action station created by Legal Aid Justice Center for any viewers interested in getting involved in local juvenile justice reform campaigns.

ART 180 will host an opening reception for the exhibition on Friday, October 6, from 6-9 p.m. during RVA First Fridays. The reception is open to the public. Viewing access to the exhibit is limited, due to the layout of the exhibit, so please expect a wait.

“Of a Piece” at 1708

Of a Piece” presents work by Chicago-based Bethany Collins, continuing this week at 1708 Gallery. As Holland Cotter noted writing in The New York Times, “language itself, viewed as intrinsically racialized, is Bethany Collins’ primary material.”  Through translation and transposition, drawing and installation, Collins explores multiplicities and contradictions in language as a lens for considering racial identity.

Bethany Collins, America: A Hymnal, 2017, Book with 100 laser cut leaves, 9 x 10 x 2 inches, Edition of 25,

Bethany Collins, America: A Hymnal, 2017, Book with 100 laser cut leaves, 9 x 10 x 2 inches, Edition of 25,

“Memento Mori” at the Linden Row

Memento Mori” is 1708 Gallery‘s latest satellite exhibition at the Linden Row Inn, on view from until January 14, 2018.

Join 1708 and the Linden Row Inn for an artist reception on October 6 from 6-8pm.

Thirteen artists explore the tradition of memento mori – an artwork that reminds the viewer of their mortality, impermanence, and even the shortness and fragility of human life. Memento mori is a Latin phrase meaning ‘remember you must die’. Memento mori artwork became popular in the seventeenth century, in a religious age when almost everyone believed that life on earth was merely a preparation for an afterlife.

We are reminded almost every day of the truth of impermanence. We often want to assign cause and effect and blame to these losses, at the same time that we recognize the randomness of nature. The artworks you see here explore how artists sometimes find a way to deal with loss.

“Momento Mori” includes works by Nick Candela, Miguel Carter-Fisher, Ginna Cullen, Bill Fisher, Vaughn Whitney Garland, Stella Graham-Landau, Jonathan Lee, John MacLellan, Amie Oliver, Michael A. Pierce, Michael-Birch Pierce, Elaine Rogers, Janet Scagnelli

Momento Mori is curated by Michael A. Pierce, 1708 Gallery Satellite Exhibitions Guest Curator

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Humble Vizion at Unleashed The Salon

Unleashed The Salon is a full service hair salon, featuring Tony Turner’s Unleashed Products. For their first month on the art walk, a celebration of their 5th Anniversary, they will be joined by Humble Vizion, presenting fine art photography.

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OccasionGenius

I am working with a new Richmond startup called OccasionGenius. It’s genius – they make it seamless to find all of the awesome things that are going on around town (‘cuz dudes, trust me, that can be HARD.)

On OccasionGenius you can find events and out-of-the-box activities based on your individual interests. Each week, you’ll see foodie or boozy or family-friendly activities, all depending on the interests you select. Aaaaannnnddd… they’ve rolled out a “First Friday” category JUST FOR US!

First things first: it is FREE. It’s free for the general public to use and get a look-see at what’s happening here in town. It is also FREE to have your events listed. (Email me at rvafirstfridays [at] gmail [dot] com if you need more info about getting your events listed.)

Second: click here to create your account. (Since transparency is important: that’s an affiliate link, as is the earlier one. If enough people use that to sign up, DNA will receive a donation.)

Stay tuned for all of the usual posts about First Fridays, going live on Monday. 🙂

The Black Art Market at Elegba Folklore

This month at Elegba Folklore, browse and buy expressions of diverse thematics that are priced especially for The Black Art Market. Some are limited editions. All tell poignant stories. One — or more — can be yours. If you are planning ahead for the holidays, think about art as an endearing gift. This collection also features traditional and contemporary African art for your consideration.

Plus, of course, you can enjoy paintings, memorabilia, artifacts, imports, collectibles, home decor, wearables, books, jewelry, shea and cocoa butters, black soap, oils, incense, more — and good vibrations.

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September’s First Friday – the roundup

Not only do we have the usual list o’ greatness for you, but this month we’ve also got a fresh hot link to a Google Map. Everyone I know of that has a First Fridays event in the ‘hood has a pin on the map: purple palettes for art exhibits, green shopping bags for boutiques with events, blue scissors for salons, and orange utensils for restaurants. Let me know what you think!

As always, please tag us on social media with #rvafirstfridays.

Here’s what I know of for this month:
•Quirk Gallery
•Richmond Public Library
•1708 Gallery
•Visual Art Studio
•Richmond Times-Dispatch
•Gallery Edit
•ART 180
•Candela Books + Gallery
•University of Richmond Downtown
•68 Home
•Rider Boot Shop
•9WG Studios
•Chocolates By Kelly
•Sediment Arts
•Coalition Theater
•Gallery5
•Lou Stevens “Glam Squad” – On Location Hair and Makeup
•Little Nomad
•Verdalina
•Mod&Soul
•Fresh Richmond
•Vagabond
•Linden Row Inn
•Endeavor RVA

Free Trolley tonight!

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The free RVA Trolley is back this month guys! Stops at: 7th & Broad (at the University of Richmond Downtown​), Jefferson & Broad (at the Virginia Repertory Theatre​), Henry & Broad (near Chocolates By Kelly​), Franklin & Belvidere (in front of the Park Plaza at Belvidere​ apartments), Franklin & 2nd (at the Richmond Public Library), and Franklin & 4th (across from theRichmond Times-Dispatch​). Every gallery is within 2-block walk of a trolley stop!

The trolley stops are also featured on our brand-spankin’ new Google Map, which you can see here.

Trolley Stop Design 3

Grand Reopening at Vagabond

The folks behind Mama J’s, F.W. Sullivan’s and Lady N’awlins have taken over Vagabond to unveil their new and improved concept! This coming Friday, September 1st, they are throwing a party hosted by Kelli Lemon that you will not want to miss. Come enjoy free appetizers from our new southern comfort style menu, art by Eddie Johnson, and music by DJ Lonnie B, DJ Ron P, plus an after party with live cover band, Dance Candy! The doors open at 5:00pm so don’t be late!

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Art & Clothing pop-up at 68 Home

68 Home welcomes local artist Ellie Gill, with originals and prints available, and Folkling‘s vintage clothing collection.

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Endeavor’s 2 Year Anniversary!

Time flies when you’re having fun. Somehow it’s been 2 years already, and it feels like Endeavor RVA is just getting started! September 1st is going to be a night to remember, and all of Richmond is invited to celebrate!

Endeavor could not be more thankful for all of the overwhelming support they’ve received over the past 2 years, all of the amazing and diverse people, the musicians, the shows, the many artists, and connections that will never be forgotten.

Exhibiting Artists this month:

Chad Hilton
Emily Herr
Erek Jones
Mickael Broth
Moonie Co.
Prentice Carroll
Sarah Apple
Shawn Saharko
Ryan Lauterio
Ynes Bouck
Younan Ghebrial

And, of course, the in-house crew:
Eli McMullen
Ian C. Hess
Christina Wing Chow

Musical Performances from:
THIVA
Vanilla Summit

Arroz RVA will be warming bellies throughout the night with their amazing food truck out front as well!

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“Live” at Fresh

Fresh Richmond presents “Live“, an exhibit featuring work by six photographers and their shots of live music performances.

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Closing weekend for “Manifest” at the Linden Row Inn

It’s the final weekend for 1708 Gallery‘s Manifest, a satellite exhibition hosted by the Linden Row Inn, featuring Jack Glover, Aaron McIntosh, Gordon Stettinius, Wesley Taylor, and Dennis Winston—artists who question, observe or celebrate American freedom. Each artist’s work focuses on creating and engaging with community. Each painting, print and collage within the exhibition adds their voice to the conversation on American politics and culture.

Each of the artists on view in Manifest exemplify a distinctive voice that conveys their individual desire to create conversation and community – a goal the founders of 1708 Gallery made manifest almost 40 years ago.

Amie Oliver, curator of this exhibition, is an artist and educator and a board member of 1708 Gallery.

Aaron McIntosh, Lonely Boyfriends Pentaptych, 2010, Romance novel covers, frames, Bristol board

Aaron McIntosh, Lonely Boyfriends Pentaptych, 2010, Romance novel covers, frames, Bristol board

 

Gordon Stettinius, How Stupid…, 2008, Sepia toned gelatin silver photograph, Courtesy of Candela Books + Gallery

Gordon Stettinius, How Stupid…, 2008, Sepia toned gelatin silver photograph, Courtesy of Candela Books + Gallery

“130 Years of Übercorp: 1887–2017” at Gallery 5

130 Years of Übercorp: 1887-2017,” a historical exhibition of Richmond’s most obscure and prolific company curated by Noah Scalin opens at Gallery5 on September 1. With objects from the collections of 30+ artists and music from League of Space Pirates, Flashlight Tag, and Maximum Zero.

What if a huge and powerful corporation existed right under your nose and you never knew it was there? Meet Übercorp. Since its formation in 1887 by a German immigrant here in Richmond, VA, Übercorp has been a powerful force in the pharmaceutical world. And yet, despite its long history – and forays into myriad side ventures – Übercorp has been off the radar for the general public. Indeed you may have been using their products for years without even realizing it, unless you noticed their little octopus logo.

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“What Was I Thinking” and “Wet Hot American Summer” at the Coalition

This Friday at 8, the Coalition Theater presents “What Was I Thinking,” a comedy show featuring live improv inspired by the awkwardness of adolescence. Three Coalition performers will share journal entries & ephemera from their wonder years, in all their unedited glory. A team of improvisers will spin their tales of hormones and heartache into comedy gold.

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At 10 pm, the Coalition hosts its second-ever LIVE READ. The film will be the original “Wet Hot American Summer” from 2001. This event will be a live interactive reading of the full movie script written by Michael Showalter and David Wain onstage, and will star many of your favorite Coalition Theater performers. Costumes are encouraged, but bring your own can of mixed vegetables (BYOCOMV).

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“with* the dust of this planet” at Sediment Arts

https://rvaff.richmondartsdistrict.org//www.sedimentarts.org/upcoming/

https://rvaff.richmondartsdistrict.org//www.sedimentarts.org/upcoming/

Phoenix Handcraft mosaics at Chocolates by Kelly

Join Chocolates By Kelly for a month of mosaics! Kelly’s family has been making chocolate for generations, and you can taste the knowledge & experience in her delicious work. She also celebrates other local businesses each month on the walls of her shop. For the month of September, Johannah Willsey of Phoenix Handcraft will be the featured artist.
Johannah will be showing her recent Domestica and Nature Therapy series, as well as older work and mirrors. Come for the chocolate, stay for the mosaics!

sep chockel

“X2 – Flipped Vectors and Junkyard Mashups” at 9WG Studios

Photographer Greg Garner opens “X2 – Flipped Vectors and Junkyard Mashups” at 9WG Studios in Richmond’s Arts District for this RVA First Fridays event. On display will be a collection of double exposure photography of RVA landmarks and junkyard decay.

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“The Picture Book Project” at ART180

The Picture Book Project” originated by Richmond Young Writers – an organization that teaches creative writing to young people ages 8 to 17 – features stories written by youth, and illustrations created collaboratively by professional artists and young people in the workshop. The illustrations from each book will be on display at Atlas, ART 180‘s art center for teens, alongside the stories in this preview of each.

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“Theory of Place” at Candela

Often, we introduce ourselves by where we come from or where we live, and sometimes, by where we do not. Our environment influences our identity. Inversely, we define locations by giving names to them. The aura of a place is tethered to both physical and cultural perceptions, but what happens when this delicate balance is altered and that tether is warped or frayed at the edges?

Theory of Place” opens this Friday at Candela Books + Gallery, featuring the works of Marcus Desieno, Courtney Johnson, Camilo Ramirez, and Justin James Reed.
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RTD Gallery Presents: Carson Price

Join the Richmond Times-Dispatch at the First Fridays Art Walk for an evening with painter Carson Price. Carson works in a variety of genres including florals, abstracts, nudes and landscapes. Her paintings deliver a vibrant color palette for the modern home.

Beginning at 6:30 p.m., don’t miss an exclusive talk with the artist to learn more about the process, techniques and inspiration behind her craft.

Light refreshments will be served.

Parking is free and will be available in the Richmond Times-Dispatch deck. The entrance is on Third Street between Grace and Franklin streets.

sep rtd

“Of a Piece” at 1708 Gallery

Of a Piece” presents work by Chicago-based Bethany Collins, opening this week at 1708 Gallery. As Holland Cotter noted writing in The New York Times, “language itself, viewed as intrinsically racialized, is Bethany Collins’ primary material.”  Through translation and transposition, drawing and installation, Collins explores multiplicities and contradictions in language as a lens for considering racial identity.

sep 1708

“Field Notes in a Stream of Bright” at Quirk Gallery

It’s the last week for Kathleen Markowitz’s “Field Notes in a Stream of Bright” at Quirk Gallery. The show closes Sunday 9/3.

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“Tape” and “Doors” at the Visual Art Studio

anne’s Visual Art Studio gallery proudly announces the Opening Reception on First Friday, September 1 from 7-10PM of two new shows. “Tape: The Dissection of Popular Culture” is a collection of Nickolai Walko’s pop culture inspired pieces, all dissected through his medium of masking tape. “Doors of Le Castellet, Toulon, France” by Elaine Bankston is a new addition to her European Door Series. Live music will be provided by Aurika.

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September at the library

The following exhibits will be on display at the Richmond Public Library, starting with an opening reception at 6:30pm on September 1st.

In the Gellman Room and Dooley Foyer: “Tradition and Modern” – the fusion of traditional Chinese ink and modern color in flower and bird freehand brushwork by artist Yu Fang of Guizhou in
China

In the Dooley Hall: “Uncertain Boundaries” – small, semi-abstract landscapes that explore appearances and perception by Richmond artist Kay Vass Darling

In the 2nd Floor Gallery: “Lot of Woman” – art focusing on a woman’s role in society and her relationship within the social institution by Richmond collage artist Dare Boles

sep rpl

August’s First Friday – the roundup

EDIT: Memory Map at Gallery Edit

This Friday, August 4th, Gallery Edit hosts the opening reception of “EDIT: Memory Map” featuring artist Stacey Silkey.
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Manifest at the Linden Row Inn

1708 Gallery is pleased to present Manifest, a satellite exhibition hosted by the Linden Row Inn, featuring Jack Glover, Aaron McIntosh, Gordon Stettinius, Wesley Taylor, and Dennis Winston—artists who question, observe or celebrate American freedom. Each artist’s work focuses on creating and engaging with community. Each painting, print and collage within the exhibition adds their voice to the conversation on American politics and culture.

Each of the artists on view in Manifest exemplify a distinctive voice that conveys their individual desire to create conversation and community – a goal the founders of 1708 Gallery made manifest almost 40 years ago.

Amie Oliver, curator of this exhibition, is an artist and educator and a board member of 1708 Gallery.

Gordon Stettinius, How Stupid…, 2008, Sepia toned gelatin silver photograph, Courtesy of Candela Books + Gallery

Gordon Stettinius, How Stupid…, 2008, Sepia toned gelatin silver photograph, Courtesy of Candela Books + Gallery

 

Aaron McIntosh, Lonely Boyfriends Pentaptych, 2010, Romance novel covers, frames, Bristol board

Aaron McIntosh, Lonely Boyfriends Pentaptych, 2010, Romance novel covers, frames, Bristol board

Faster Satisfaction at Gallery5

To celebrate the release of Brad Douglas’ first collection, “Faster Satisfaction,” Douglas will be taking over the upstairs gallery at Gallery5 and will have his works hung and the collected works for sale in a perfect bound, paperback book published by Sink/Swim Press.
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Alexis Hope Ceramics at Rosewood

Join Rosewood Clothing Co. on 8/4 for a First Friday event with Alexis Hope Ceramics!

aug roswd

Susan Stuller at the RTD Gallery

Join the Richmond Times-Dispatch Culture at First Fridays Art Walk for an evening with watercolor artist Susan Stuller. Specializing in bold and vivid palettes, Stuller’s watercolors beautifully capture light in her many still lifes.
 
Beginning at 6:30 p.m., don’t miss an exclusive talk with the artist to learn more about the process, techniques and inspiration behind her craft.
 
Light refreshments will be served.
 
Parking is free and will be available in the Richmond Times-Dispatch deck. The entrance is on Third Street between Grace and Franklin streets.
aug rtd

BlackList: Lorraine Hansberry at TheatreLAB

This Thursday and Friday only, TheatreLAB presents BlackList: Lorraine Hansberry.

After the success of last season’s tribute to August Wilson, TheatreLAB is thrilled to announce the second annual BlackList celebration. This year they will be honoring contemporary theatre icon Lorraine Hansberry with an evening that features selections from her plays, essays, and lesser-known writings.

BlackList celebrates the African American voice. By spotlighting the individual works of an influential artist, we shed light on the stories of those who have been otherwise cast in the dark. BlackList is a platform for communication about African American Artistry and its place in our shared American experience.

As part of the BlackList project, TheatreLAB sponsors the “No Dream Deferred” scholarship for African American theater students enrolled in college. For more information on the 2-night program, including how you can contribute to the scholarship, click here.

aug tl

Molly Anne Bishop and Joe Kraft Pop-up at Quirk

Molly Anne Bishop and Joe Kraft are returning to Richmond for a pop-up event and trunk show at Quirk Gallery featuring their newest ceramics, drawings, and other recent work. Their event begins during the RVA First Fridays Art Walk on August 4 and continues through the weekend. Molly and Joe are two of Quirk’s favorite makers and humans. Come meet them and see what each of these amazing artists have been working on during a very busy and productive summer.
 
While both artists are known for their work in ceramics, they’ve each been exploring 2D techniques and discliplines. Prints, paintings and drawings will be available for purchase along with pots and other ceramic pieces.
 
aug quirk

Harmony at ART180

Harmony Reopen!, an exhibition featuring watercolor paintings, repurposed fashion, album cover art illustrations, is back at ART 180 for the art walk this Friday, August 4! The exhibit spotlights work produced by local teens through ART 180 programs fostering creative expression.
 
Teens were inspired to create intricate watercolor mobiles following conversations about color theory, led by artists Angel Graves and Marie Sicola. The mobiles represent the culturally perceived meanings of colors and explores how colors can be used to evoke emotions.
 
The exhibition also features constructed repurposed fashions made from found and recycled materials in a project led by Mica Whitney and Bo Hundley. The hand sewn pieces are a reflection of the designers’ internal feelings and self-identity.
 
Aspiring DJs explored the similarities and differences of analog and digital DJing, with guidance from local DJs Alex Cortes and Zavi Harman. Teens were given the opportunity to record their own tracks and design their own cover art.
 
ART 180 will host a reception for the exhibition on Friday, August 4 from 6-9 p.m. during RVA First Fridays. The reception is family friendly, open to the public and features an all-ages activity. During the event, participants in the DJ program will perform their original music at 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.
 
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Sailor Moon Art Show at Charm School

Charm School has gotten together with friends at Black Rabbit Tattoo and The Byrd Theatre & Foundation to celebrate International Sailor Moon Weekend. The party starts Friday on the art walk at Charm School, with a Sailor Moon art show. Black Rabbit is having a flash tattoo sale, and the Byrd is screening “Sailor Moon R the Movie.” All the details for the weekend are available here.
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“Reach Out and Touch” at the Anderson

The Anderson is VCUarts‘ student-centric exhibition and performance space, and this week opens “Reach Out and Touch,” featuring recent alumni from the MFA and BFA programs at VCUarts. The six artists present works of painting, sculpture, installation, performance, photography, digital media and film.

Bringing with it a host of pop-cultural allusions, the exhibition title “Reach Out and Touch” provides a multifaceted lens through which both the exhibition as a whole and individual works can be viewed: It functions as a sentimental nod to the gesture of reconnecting with old friends (it’s an alumni show…); As a tongue-in-cheek enticement to transgress the number one rule of all gallery and museum space (‘Don’t touch the art!’); As an acknowledgement of the haptic appeal and assertive materiality of works like Nick Fagan’s bas-relief wall sculpture “Stigmata Bond”; As an invitation to a more personal and meaningful community engagement as posited in works like Steven Casanova’s “The Richmond Cookbook”; Or, more darkly, as shorthand for the desires, powers and violence that drive hidden economies in Eva Rocha’s works addressing human trafficking.

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Kremlin Game Broadcast and Heart Girls at the Coalition

The Coalition Theater brings you two shows this Friday for your amusement needs!

At 8pm, straight from Mother Russia it’s the KREMLIN GAME BROADCAST – an exciting new interactive improv gameshow that pits comedians against each other in outrageous challenges. Watch as contestants compete to win games selected by the Soviet Sweetheart, the Ravishing Russian, the Moscow Madame – your host, Eve Privman. Great rewards await the victors, cruel punishment awaits the losers, and much laughter awaits the audience. Dasvidania!

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At 10pm, HEARST GIRLS & FRIENDS takes over. Hearst Girls is an all-female improv team committed to sensational dramedy. Comprised of three Coalition Theater house team members, HG hopes to win hearts and minds with captivating characters and compelling narratives, all framed within a monoscene. Prepare to laugh and potentially cry as the stakes get higher and the world gets weird.

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UnBound6! closing at Candela

UnBound6! is Candela’s annual juried & invitational exhibition. UnBound! features a wide array of photographic techniques from both emerging and established artists, both locally and abroad. Candela is very proud to bring you a compelling selection of photographic work for the sixth year in a row. This weekend is the final weekend for the show.

aug cand

“X2 – Flipped Vectors and Junkyard Mashups” at 9WG Studios

Photographer Greg Garner opens “X2 – Flipped Vectors and Junkyard Mashups” at 9WG Studios in Richmond’s Arts District for this RVA First Fridays event. On display will be a collection of double exposures.

aug 9wg

“Drifting Dreamers” at 1708

1708 Gallery​ presents “3×3: Summer Sessions,” the latest segment in its community engagement program. For the past two summers, 1708 has facilitated community engagement projects that imagine the gallery as an active community space, inviting artists to experiment with innovative and participatory projects. In 2015, 1708 hosted 10×10 (Richmond Takes the Gallery), for which 10 artists and nonprofits were each given the gallery for one week. In 2016, 5×5 (Summer Studio Sessions) invited five artists to each engage the gallery space for 2-week sessions.
 
3×3: Summer Sessions extends this mission out into the community, presenting three socially engaged projects that connect with communities outside the gallery. Socially-engaged art focuses on social and cultural issues impacting contemporary society, imagining the artist as community organizer or activist. The 3×3 projects engage the community through partnerships and collaborations, and participatory activities. While much of the work will take place outside the gallery, 1708 will serve as a hub, providing work space for each artist. Open to the public, audiences are invited to engage with these artists and their projects across the summer as artists provide ongoing updates and progress reports.
 
This weekend is the final weekend for the takeover.
Sayaka Suzuki is the final artist to be featured, with “Drifting Dreamers.”
 
Suzuki’s project invites diverse audiences to consider the word “immigration.” These responses will be written on upcycled fabric of various shades of blue (to reference the traditional Indigo used in Sashiko, a traditional embroidery technique of rural Japan). These thoughts, fears, dreams, and hopes of the people will be stitched together to create a life-sized fiber boat bonded together by the thickness of fabric and structural integrity only attained by its layering effects. This sculpture will function as both a metaphor for this moment in history and the strength of diverse ideas. Suzuki hopes that through this idea of sharing personal histories and ideas, people will begin to see the current situation of the world’s immigrants with more of an empathetic mindset.
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Hillary Waters Fayle‘s “Grass Roots” and the Virginia River Healers‘ “Dig it Up – Rivers without Coal Ash” are also on display in the space.

Atmospheric Art Opening at North 1st Street Gallery

The North 1st Street Gallery hosts an Atmospheric Art Opening, with Paintings by Herb Pulliam & ceramics by Collin Sandler. Lute guitar provided by Paul Vrooman.

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Namean at Fresh Richmond

Fresh Richmond is the newest gallery to join the art walk, and presents their August show, featuring artwork by Stephon Reid, Tara Jo, & U. DJ Neili Neil will provide the soundtrack for the night.

aug fresh

First Fridays at the Main Library

The following exhibits will be on display at the Richmond Public Library starting with an opening reception on August 4th.

In the Gellman Room: “The Modern Plague – Voices and Images of the Early AIDS Epidemic” – journey of fear, despair, and isolation becoming courage, hope, and community through images by Kathy Yost Benham, photographer, and voices collected by Betsy Brinson, PhD, Public Historian

In the Dooley Foyer: “Pachamama” – a collection of works embodied by the creation, dependence, and extension of Mother Earth by local Latinx artists Steven Casanova, Sammie Correa, and Dominique Muñoz.

In the Dooley Hall: “Wiggle” – using a syringe to create strings of acrylic, Richmond artist Joe Olney forms lumpy patterned abstractions on built-up surfaces that challenge the boundaries between painting, drawing, and relief sculpture

In the 2nd Floor Gallery: “Lot of Woman” – art focusing on a woman’s role in society and her relationship within the social institution by Richmond collage artist Dare Boles

aug rpl

 

Patio at Max’s is open!

A little birdie told me Max’s on Broad just got their brand spankin’ new permit for their sidewalk patio + the ABC license to go with it. Give ’em a ring and make a reservation for tonight and we’ll see you out there!

July’s First Friday – the roundup

“FAKERS and the FLAKERS” at Ada Gallery

“FAKERS and the FLAKERS,” by Sean “Purl” Samoheyl, opens tonight at Ada Gallery.
 
Samoheyl explores replica, social commentary, nostalgia, and play through multiple art mediums. From studying painting early on, learning woodworking crafts through apprenticeships, and recently exploring textiles and puppetry, Samoheyl’s medium is truly the ideas as he embraces function and form through explored materials.
 
Sean will present a Puppet Show at 7:30
jul ada

“Grass Roots” at 1708

1708 Gallery​ presents “3×3: Summer Sessions,” the latest segment in its community engagement program. For the past two summers, 1708 has facilitated community engagement projects that imagine the gallery as an active community space, inviting artists to experiment with innovative and participatory projects. In 2015, 1708 hosted 10×10 (Richmond Takes the Gallery), for which 10 artists and nonprofits were each given the gallery for one week. In 2016, 5×5 (Summer Studio Sessions) invited five artists to each engage the gallery space for 2-week sessions.

3×3: Summer Sessions extends this mission out into the community, presenting three socially engaged projects that connect with communities outside the gallery. Socially-engaged art focuses on social and cultural issues impacting contemporary society, imagining the artist as community organizer or activist. The 3×3 projects engage the community through partnerships and collaborations, and participatory activities. While much of the work will take place outside the gallery, 1708 will serve as a hub, providing work space for each artist. Open to the public, audiences are invited to engage with these artists and their projects across the summer as artists provide ongoing updates and progress reports.

Hillary Waters Fayle / Grass Roots

Hillary’s mission is to inspire awareness of and stewardship for urban green spaces. She will create an ethno-botanical map of Jackson Ward made by documenting the plant life and collecting specimens that she identifies around the neighborhood —in residents’ yards, in city-managed sites, and growing wild. The map will include photographs and artworks and will be created at 1708 during the summer. Additionally, a self-published book of the collected conversations, photographs, and other relevant information or ephemera will be printed after the project is completed, a copy of which will be donated to the Historic Jackson Ward Association. Finally, Beautiful RVA’s Ginter Urban Gardener Program is currently working with the community of Jackson Ward. Fayle will connect with this group of Jackson Ward neighbors for collaboration to expand the neighborhood’s green spaces.

jul 1708

“Tempor” at Quirk Gallery

Artist Megan Nolde was born and raised in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, steeped in craft, tradition, work, family, stories, and drawing. The daughter of a civil engineer with construction knowledge and a developmental psychologist turned photographer, Megan became a printmaker, incorporating family traditions of textile handwork and guild craftsmanship in the process. Her exhibit “Tempor” is on display in the Main Gallery at Quirk Gallery until July 16th.

Run, photolithography on vintage linen; displayed with found object, $4000

RTD Gallery Presents: Eleanor Cox

Join the Richmond Times-Dispatch for the First Fridays Art Walk for an evening with watercolorist Eleanor Cox. Cox’s paintings feature color and light in the landscape and garden. Her work focuses on Virginia, but she travels abroad annually to paint en plein air in England, Ireland, France and Italy.
 
Don’t miss an exclusive talk with the artist to learn more about the process, techniques and inspiration behind his craft.
 
Light refreshments will be served.
 
Parking is free and will be available in the Richmond Times-Dispatch deck. The entrance is on Third Street between Grace and Franklin streets. More info on the evening here.
jul rtd

“Heathers: The Musical” from TheatreLAB and Firehouse

TheatreLAB has a bit of a good news/bad news situation for you. The bad news: their co-production with Firehouse Theatre of Heathers: The Musical is sold out for this weekend. That ship has sailed (though you can show up a half hour before show time to see if you can snag a waitlist ticket.) HOWEVER, the good news is that because they love you, and even though the show only opened two days ago, they’ve already extended their run to mid-August. Right now, the next available tickets are for the 21st, so maybe you should get on those sooner rather than later, you catch me?

I saw a dress rehearsal a couple weeks ago and it was brilliant then. From what I’ve heard, the show is only getting tighter, and the performances more stellar. Tix available here: https://rvaff.richmondartsdistrict.org//heathers-rva.bpt.me/

jul heathers

“In the Heights” at Virginia Rep

On stage at the November Theatre, including for this week’s Art Walk, Virginia Repertory Theatre presents “In the Heights,” winner of four Tony Awards.
 
Lin-Manuel Miranda, creator of the current smash hit “Hamilton,” brings New York City’s Washington Heights to life in his first groundbreaking work. With spirited characters, pulsing choreography, and an award winning Latin-hip-hop-infused score, “In the Heights” won 4 Tony Awards in 2008, including Best Musical, and was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2009. Click through for tickets, dates, and more.
jul va rep

EDIT: OUT OF EGYPT at Gallery Edit

In collaboration with Endeavor RVA, Gallery Edit presents EDIT: OUT OF EGYPT. Come see the work of Younan Ghebrial, an Egyptian artist, refugee, and Coptic Christian.
 
I saw Ghebrial’s work earlier this year at Endeavor’s studio, and it is hands-down one of the most exquisite shows I’ve seen.
 
Artist talk at 6pm.
 
Open 6-10pm for opening reception.
jul edit

Closing month for “Memories of the Motherland” at Elegba Folklore Society

It’s the final month for the “Memories of the Motherland,” a collection of paintings by Jerome Jones, father, and Jeromyah Jones, son.
 
For over 40 years Jerome W. Jones, Jr. has been using his original paintings to teach, what Jones says is “the art of life through the love of art“ to inspire young and old to use their gifts to uplift others. Jones’ creative style of portraiture reflects the likeness of his subjects and what they love to do. The artist believes every home should own art that exhibits the “heart and history” of the resident and that affirms, “Who I am, what I Am and where I am.” Jones’ art company is The Painter’s Poetree. It houses Jones’ original portraits, landscapes and still life paintings. Jerome Jones has over 100 autographed portraits in his Ingenious Artistic Minds collection of paintings. His work is in the collection of Evander Holyfield, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jordan, Michael Vick, VCU Health Systems and the City of Richmond among others. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting and printmaking from Virginia Commonwealth University.
 
A visionary for justice, a writer of truth, a painter of life and a poet of love, Jeromyah Jones is following the creative footsteps of his father. He has exhibited at Maymont Park’s centennial of the Japanese Garden, the Hampton University Museum, the 2015 Trumpet Awards and the Virginia Governor’s office. His work has been featured in print and online on CNN, in Ebony, GRIT, Huffington Post and USA Today. Following his mission to portray and define the true essence of beauty, Jones says, “I hope people will recognize the love, the hunger and dedication that I have for painting. I want my work to inspire, enlighten and uplift those who have the courage to look beyond.”
jul elegba

The KREMLIN GAME BROADCAST at the Coalition

Greetings comrades! Straight from Mother Russia and the Coalition Theater comes the KREMLIN GAME BROADCAST – an exciting new interactive improv gameshow that pits comedians against each other in outrageous challenges. Watch as contestants compete to win games selected by the Soviet Sweetheart, the Ravishing Russian, the Moscow Madame – your host, Eve Privman. Great rewards await the victors, cruel punishment awaits the losers, and much laughter awaits the audience. Dasvidania!
 
(You may note that the dates in this image are for May and not July, but those are just alternative facts. Buy your tickets anyway!)
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July’s Markets at Monroe

This week at the Markets at Monroe, in addition to artists like D for Dolls, Robin’s Egg Jewelry, and Trails & Shores, and ice cream from Gelati Celesti Ice Cream, the folks from Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden will be on-site with an interactive art installation that YOU can help with (hence the “interactive” part…)

In celebration of art on First Fridays, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in conjunction with Kevin Orlosky with Art on Wheels will set up a interactive art display that consists of a sand pendulum that visitors can manipulate to create a collaborative work of art.

In celebration of art on First Fridays, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in conjunction with Kevin Orlosky with Art on Wheels will set up a interactive art display that consists of a sand pendulum that visitors can manipulate to create a collaborative work of art.

“Body of Work” at the The Anderson Gallery

Stop by The Anderson Gallery during RVA First Fridays from 5-9pm to see work from our Space Grant recipients, Lauren Thorson and a performance by Phillip Tim Williams.

Note: The performance starts at 8pm and is suitable for adult audiences

jul and 1 jul and

“Sweet Dreams and Goals and Objectives and Demands” at Gallery5

Head writer of ClickHole, Jamie Brew, is used to whipping up content for the satirical website from The Onion that parodies clickbait websites such as BuzzFeed and Upworthy.

With the multi-media art experience “Sweet Dreams and Goals and Objectives and Demands“, Jamie brings a collection of texts, songs, and narrated fragments generated using a ‘predictive text emulator’ computer program to the walls of Gallery5 for the month of July.

“This exhibition features various pieces of writing created using a computer program I wrote that first ingests a text or collection of texts, then uses the source material’s basic word sequence patterns to supply the writer (me) with suggestions for words.

The program is “memoryless” in that it only models very local, word-to-word patterns. It has no understanding of broad structure, or even of whole sentences. So the arc of the piece remains still somewhat under my control, even though my word choices are limited to repetitions of sequences that have already occurred. To me, this is an exaggerated version of how language sometimes seems to operate anyway. It’s also fun.

The project (and the exhibition title) arose from some experimental writing using the predictive text feature of my smartphone, which supplies three suggestions of likely next words for you to type.”

jul g5

“Harmony” at ART180

Harmony,” an exhibition featuring watercolor paintings, repurposed fashion, album cover art illustrations, opens July 7, 2017. The exhibit spotlights work produced by local teens through ART 180 programs fostering creative expression.
 
Teens were inspired to create intricate watercolor mobiles following conversations about color theory, led by artists Angel Graves and Marie Sicola. The mobiles represent the culturally perceived meanings of colors and explores how colors can be used to evoke emotions.
 
The exhibition also features constructed repurposed fashions made from found and recycled materials in a project led by Mica Whitney and Bo Hundley. The hand sewn pieces are a reflection of the designers’ internal feelings and self-identity.
 
Aspiring DJs explored the similarities and differences of analog and digital DJing, with guidance from local DJs Alex Cortes and Zavi Harman. Teens were given the opportunity to record their own tracks and design their own cover art.
 
jul art180

“HOME” at the Gallery at UNOS

Opening this week at the Gallery at UNOS (the United Network for Organ Sharing):

HOME
…….is where the heart is. It’s where we strive to be and to feel its comfort.

Mandy Fitzgerald paints as a way of confronting her fears and creating a safe environment for her anxious mind. Emotions rule her work, which is created in a very physical way. Mandy is the 2015 “Visual Artist of the Year” in Richmond, VA. View her work at MandyFitzgerald.com

Lee Hazelgrove breaks art down into two parts: process and the tangible object. Lee loves the physicality of creating with his creative impulse surfacing through bold and vibrant colors. His vessels, though sheer in size and weight, have soft and subtle lines. View his work at LeeHazelgrove.com

jul unos

“DUSK” at Ada

“DUSK” opens this Friday at Ada Gallery at 7pm, featuring work by Cameron Spratley, Theresa Pfarr, Steven Roebuck, Kirsten Kindler, Rob Lee, Brian Novatny, Nathan Tersteeg, Ricardo Vicente Jose Ruiz and more.
jun ada

Markets at Monroe

The Markets at Monroe will be back this Friday in the old Moore’s Auto Body parking lot, at Monroe and Broad. Shop all the most beautiful locally-crafted goodies while you’re strolling the art walk.
jun mam

“Grounded” at TheatreLAB

An ace fighter pilot’s career in the sky is ended early due to an unexpected pregnancy. Reassigned to operate military drones from a windowless trailer outside Las Vegas, she hunts terrorists by day and returns to her family each night. As the pressure to track a high-profile target mounts, the boundaries begin to blur between the desert in which she lives and the one she patrols half a world away.
 
“Critic’s Pick. A scorching sharp-eyed, timely script…lets no one off easy…clap all you want at the end of the play—and you’ll want to clap a lot—but the game stays with you” – Time Out New York
 
This weekend is your last chance to see “Grounded” at TheatreLAB, including a show at 8pm on Friday. Times and tickets available here.
jun tl

Hamilton Glass at the RTD Gallery

Join the Richmond Times-Dispatch at the First Fridays Art Walk for an evening with Richmond artist (and art walk fave!) Hamilton Glass. Whether mural or on canvas, his work is usually distinguished by his use of architectural elements with bright, vivid colors and sharp lines.
 
Beginning at 6:30 p.m., don’t miss an exclusive talk with the artist to learn more about the process, techniques and inspiration behind his craft.
 
Parking is free in the Richmond Times-Dispatch deck. The entrance is on Third Street between Grace and Franklin streets.
jun rtd

June exhibits at Main Library

The following exhibits will be on display at the Richmond Public Library:
 
In the Gellman Room: “Icelandic and Archipelagic Encounters” – mixed-media drawings and collages by Winchester artist Geraldine W. Kiefer
 
In the Dooley Foyer: 2016 Virginia Vistas Photo Contest winners from Scenic Virginia
 
In the Dooley Hall: “Reaching toward a Hope and a Future” – a series of eight portraits of refugees depicting the trauma and trials of their journey toward a better life by Richmond artist Constance de Bordenave
 
In the 2nd Floor Gallery: “Abstract Surrealism” – stream-of-mind acrylics by Richmond artist Fred Weatherford

Winner, 2016 Virginia Vistas Photo Contest, Best in Show: Autumn on the Vine by Deb Snelson

Winner, 2016 Virginia Vistas Photo Contest, Best in Show: Autumn on the Vine by Deb Snelson

“Tempor” at Quirk

Richmond-based artist and educator Megan Nolde will exhibit new work in her first solo show, “Tempor” opening at Quirk Gallery this week. This Main Gallery exhibition will feature some of the print methods Nolde has become known for while incorporating new explorations and manipulations of familiar materials installed alongside patinated tools that stand in contrast to the delicate papers, laces, and threads used in her work.
jun quirk

1708 Gallery​ presents “3×3: Summer Sessions”

1708 Gallery​ presents “3×3: Summer Sessions,” the latest segment in its community engagement program. For the past two summers, 1708 has facilitated community engagement projects that imagine the gallery as an active community space, inviting artists to experiment with innovative and participatory projects. In 2015, 1708 hosted 10×10 (Richmond Takes the Gallery), for which 10 artists and nonprofits were each given the gallery for one week. In 2016, 5×5 (Summer Studio Sessions) invited five artists to each engage the gallery space for 2-week sessions.

3×3: Summer Sessions extends this mission out into the community, presenting three socially engaged projects that connect with communities outside the gallery. Socially-engaged art focuses on social and cultural issues impacting contemporary society, imagining the artist as community organizer or activist. The 3×3 projects engage the community through partnerships and collaborations, and participatory activities. While much of the work will take place outside the gallery, 1708 will serve as a hub, providing work space for each artist. Open to the public, audiences are invited to engage with these artists and their projects across the summer as artists provide ongoing updates and progress reports.

Starting the project this week: Virginia River Healers​ are a group of artists and activists working to address regional water rights that relate to coal ash waste. The VRH launched the Dig It UP campaign in 2016 to vocalize the need to remove coal ash waste from the banks of the James River. For 3×3, Virginia River Healers will continue these conversations and their ongoing critical planning. VRH will hold public meetings for communities in Chesterfield, Chesapeake, and Richmond. These communities will be asked to imagine what the waste sites could look like if the coal ash was removed. The drawings and plans that represent these visions will be on view at 1708 and will ultimately serve as a form of community directive to be used as part of a public awareness campaign.

jun 1708

“No More Violence” at Gallery5

Gallery5 Presents “No More Violence,” an exhibit of mud stencils, photography, screen prints and more, for this First Fridays Art Walk.
 
The “No More Violence” project is a series of art-based workshops and creative output directed and curated by Malena Magnolia, a local interdisciplinary artist whose work focuses on community engagement and social justice. In collaboration with the community utilizing art therapy, art activism, photography, and eco-friendly street art, this powerful project is in reaction to a climate of violence, which in turn questions survivors, fueling the violence in which many openly condemn.
 
Collaborating with Magnolia is Dr. Sarmistha Talukdar, a photographer, experimental musician, and Postdoctoral Scientist in the Department of Human and Molecular Genetics at Virginia Commonwealth University.
 
Also as part of the exhibit, Talukdar will display “Take Your Power Back: Therapy Through Photography,” a series of double exposure photography aiming to highlight and empower survivors through powerful symbolic representation of indomitable strength, healing, self-care and inspirations for others.
 
All of the artwork made at or inspired by the associated workshops will be exhibited. All submissions are focused on the topic of sexual and domestic violence and respectful to survivors. All participants will be given credit as artists and participants unless they prefer to remain anonymous.
 
Screen prints made during one of the workshops will be sold with 60% donated to the Greater Richmond Region Collaborative on Domestic and Sexual Violence Programs.
 
As always, First Fridays at Gallery5 includes live music, tabling from local artists and organizations, and more.
jun g5

“River City Royalty” at Endeavor

For the art walk this First Fridays, Endeavor presents “River City Royalty,” a showcase of the diversity of recent works by artists local to Richmond.jun endeav

“‘Til Death Do Us Part” at the the Coalition Theater

8 women compete to win the love of one eligible bachelor. But when he dies unexpectedly, what’ll they do? The producers have already rented the mansion and planned the challenges, so I guess the show must go on. Come watch the drama boil over as 8 of the funniest women in RVA navigate the world of alliances, white wine, hot tubs, and epic breakdowns. They’re not here to make friends, they’re here for the ratings.
 
If you need to know what happens next, stop by the Coalition Theater at 8pm on Friday for “‘Til Death Do Us Part: The Improvised Reality TV Show.”
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“Double Vision” at the Black History Museum

At the closing program for the Murry DePillars exhibition “Double Vision” at the Black History Museum & Cultural Center, learn more about Murry from the one who knew him best – his wife, Mary. “He felt a great responsibility to tell our stories, and art was his medium to do that,” she said. His passion for what he believed in was palpable and Mary will talk about the driving forces behind his work through five decades.

“Double Vision” has received many wonderful accolades. Museum visitors stare at his brilliantly colored pieces with admiration while trying to decipher the codes and symbols. There are many layers to Murry DePillars’ work, but what’s easy to see is his love of music. You can feel the rhythm pulsating in his later pieces. That’s why the museum has invited one of his favorite musicians to join Mary at our closing program.

Dr. Weldon Hill is an accomplished jazz pianist, composer, author and beloved friend of Murry and Mary DePillars. He will play some of Murry’s favorites and share a few stories as well.

Museum Tour – 5:30 PM
Conversation and Music – 6:30 PM
FREE, but reservations requested

gen bhm freedome friday

“Catalyst” at 9WG Studios

Benjah White (IG: @visualsbybenjah) and CJS (IG: the.art.of.cjs) present “Catalyst” at 9WG Studios this Friday, an immersive photography experience. Delve into the surrealist landscapes, portrayals of human existence reclaimed by the natural world, and thought-provoking imaginative interpretations of everyday life, seen through the eyes of two photographers.
jun 9wg

“little BIG!” at Art 180

Join ART 180 next week to celebrate the opening reception of their annual summer exhibit for First Fridays, called little BIG!

little BIG features selected works from the Really BIG Show, spotlighting spring programs from 12 sites throughout Richmond. These colorful, creative projects explore themes ranging from positive self-expression to identity to teamwork and include:

• Everyday Super Hero Capes – St. Andrew’s School
• Mixed Media Community Sculpture – St. Joseph’s Villa
• Revealing Your Inner Story (3D books) – Charterhouse School
• Comic Books – Bon Air Juvenile Correctional Center
• Cycles (animation) – Richmond Juvenile Detention Center
• The Met in RVA (fashion design)- The Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club
• Happy Place (landscape painting) – Northstar Academy
• Fiber Art Animals – Binford Middle School/ Communities In Schools (CIS)
• 3 Sources of Inspiration (painting) – Lucille Brown Middle School/CIS
• The Meaning of Wellness (performances) – Fairfield Middle School/CIS
• Folding Through Inspiration (origami) – Wilder Middle School/CIS
• Rhythm Ensemble (performance) – Redd Elementary School/CIS

The exhibition opens on June 2 from 6-9 p.m. and remains up until June 30!

jun a180

“Everything is Going to Be All Right” at Candela

In “Everything is Going to Be All Right,” on exhibit at Candela Books + Gallery (along with Alyssa Salomon’s “Animal Land”), Jared Ragland reflects on his personal history living in the American South and visually narrates the existential journey of Walker Percy’s character, Binx Bolling from the 1961 novel, The Moviegoer. Set in New Orleans, The Moviegoer follows Binx’s pilgrimage for a clearer understanding of himself. In a similar way, Ragland’s work challenges viewers to experience beyond the lens of visual observation, encouraging them to reflect within, and strive for a more personal understanding. Steeped in the New Orlean’s landscape, the images within the series are a combination of black and white photographs and appropriated, digitally sourced images that often blur our perception of reality and evoke a deeper meaning.

“Untitled (Resurrection, or, Orson Welles in The Third Man),” 2015

“Untitled (Resurrection, or, Orson Welles in The Third Man),” 2015

Two shows this weekend at the Visual Art Studio

Shop “Black and White with a Little Red and Blue” by Diane Clement & “Views of Richmond Skyline and Wedding Venues” by Elaine Bankston this week at the Visual Art Studio. With the Art Walk on Friday and Broad Appétit on Sunday, you’ll have two opportunities this weekend!
 
Meet the Artists at First Fridays on June 2nd and at Broad Appétit on Sunday June 4th. Elaine will sketch your portrait during Broad Appétit, between 1-3PM. Sign up begins at 11AM.

jun vas 2

View of Richmond III by Elaine Bankston, 20″ x 16″ Oil on Canvas Framed $350.

Gonna Find Myself a Hole in the Wall by Diane Clement, 48" x 60" Oil & Acrylic on Canvas $4,000

Gonna Find Myself a Hole in the Wall by Diane Clement, 48″ x 60″ Oil & Acrylic on Canvas $4,000

“Memories of the Motherland” continues at Elegba

“Memories of the Motherland” continues at Elegba Folklore Society’s Cultural Center, open from 5p – 9p in conjunction with the First Fridays Art Walk. The exhibit is a collection of paintings by Jerome Jones, father, and Jeromyah Jones, son.

For over 40 years Jerome W. Jones, Jr. has been using his original paintings to teach, what Jones says is “the art of life through the love of art” to inspire young and old to use their gifts to uplift others. Jones’ creative style of portraiture reflects the likeness of his subjects and what they love to do. The artist believes every home should own art that exhibits the “heart and history” of the resident and that affirms, “Who I am, what I Am and where I am.”

A visionary for justice, a writer of truth, a painter of life and a poet of love, Jeromyah Jones is following the creative footsteps of his father. Following his mission to portray and define the true essence of beauty, Jones says, “I hope people will recognize the love, the hunger and dedication that I have for painting. I want my work to inspire, enlighten and uplift those who have the courage to look beyond.”

may efs

“Colors Collaborate” at Gallery @ 23

“Colors Collaborate” is an exhibition of work by artists Lydia Marek and Scott Tilghman, both members of The Hillians. Lydia experiments with color layering, mixing, and placement to create her abstract acrylic paintings. Scott finds his inspiration from his walks around Church Hill, shooting photos at a downward angle of color patterns he discovers, then recreates them using acrylics, watercolors, and color pencils.

“Colors Collaborate” will be up during the month of June at Cornerstone Architects’ Gallery @ 23, located at 23 W. Broad Street, Richmond, Virginia, 23220. The opening reception will be held during RVA’s First Friday Art Walk on June 2nd, from 6p-9p, during which, art lovers will have the opportunity to meet Lydia and Scott as they showcase their work.

Scott Tilghman

Scott Tilghman

Minecraft Madness & Earsketch Extravaganza! & CodeVA

Join CodeVA at their June First Friday event for Minecraft Madness & Earsketch Extravaganza! summer camp showcase event and open house. Come tour the space, and try your hand at Minecraft either on a desktop PC or in virtual reality using Oculus Rift! If you’re more musical than Minecraft-y try your hand at EarSketch. EarSketch lets you use computer coding to make music! Create a song and take it home with you. For the little ones there will be emoji magnet art projects; they can paint their favorite emoji onto a magnet and take it home with them. Camp counselors will be on hand to sign your little ones up for these classes at summer camp.

jun cva

May’s Trolley Stops

Keep an eye out for these signs around the Arts District for your free RVA Trolley stops. They’re 12″x18″ and laminated, and close to bus stops or other no-parking-zones.

Eastbound stops at:
9th and Broad (at the Library of Virginia)
3rd and Broad (in front of CodeVA, the Bijou Film Center, and TheatreLAB)
Jefferson and Broad (in front of Virginia Rep, and close to a metric ton of places)
Monroe and Broad (in front of Steady Sounds and Blue Bones Vintage, and catty corner to the Markets at Monroe, not to mention near Verdalina and Mod&Soul.)

Then the trolley swings around to a stop at Laurel and Franklin (near The Anderson Gallery at VCU)

Then it drops down to Leigh for a stop across from the Black History Museum & Cultural Center.

From there it swings up Adams to Franklin, with stops in front of the Richmond Public Library (close to the hostel) and another near the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Then it heads back to the Library of Virginia at 9th.

Enjoy the ride!Trolley-Stop-Design-web

May’s First Friday – the roundup

PHEW. Guys, I almost ran out of time to squeeze in ALLLLL the things happening tonight. Wear comfy shoes, and be sure to take advantage of the *FREE* RVA Trolley that will be cruising through the art walk all night. (List of stops will be up soon!)

In no particular order, here the places that will be open for the art walk tonight (plus more, I’m sure!)
1708 Gallery
9WG Studios
Ada Gallery
ART 180
Bijou Film Center
Black History Museum & Cultural Center
Blue Bones Vintage
Candela Books + Gallery
Coalition Theater
CodeVA
The Anderson
Dress for Success Central Virginia
Elegba Folklore Society
Endeavor RVA
Gallery5
Gallery Edit
HI Richmond Hostel
Ledbury
Linden Row Inn
MOB – Middle of Broad
Mod&Soul
Quirk Hotel
Richmond Public Library
Rosewood Clothing Co.
Richmond Times-Dispatch
Sediment Arts
Steady Sounds
TheatreLAB
The Gallery at UNOS Opening Reception
Virginia Repertory Theatre
Visual Art Studio
North 1st Street Gallery (at Hummel & Associates)
Library of Virginia
Charm School
Parlor Salon
Markets at Monroe

Markets at Monroe

Markets at Monroe is an outdoor market happening tonight at the corner of Broad and Monroe, and features lots of local vendors selling handmade designs, crafts, art, food, and other goodies.

may matm

Peter Nappi pop-up at Ledbury

Ledbury celebrates a First Friday launch of a month-long pop-up installation with Nashville-based shoemaker Peter Nappi. Enjoy Italian-inspired aperitifs, snacks, and music by DJ Ant Boogie!

They’re also offering an exclusive discount during the event: Spend $200+ on Peter Nappi product and receive a complimentary $50 Ledbury gift card!

Designed in Nashville and handmade in Tuscany, Peter Nappi premium leather footwear and goods are a distinctive blend of Italian heritage and American personality. A hand-picked assortment of men’s and women’s shoes from Peter Nappi’s Spring/Summer 2017 Collection will be available to shop at Ledbury on Broad throughout the month of May.

may ledbury

Fashion at the Hostel

Tonight at HI Richmond Hostel, stop by to see a fashion installation by Lizz Bruce, Ben Park, and Alissa Pivaral.
may hi

“Memories of the Motherland” opens at Elegba Folklore Society

Memories of the Motherland” opens at Elegba Folklore Society’s Cultural Center tonight, with a reception from 5p – 9p. The art opening happens in conjunction with the First Friday’s ArtWalk.
 
“Memories of the Motherland” is a collection of paintings by Jerome Jones, father, and Jeromyah Jones, son. The exhibition will run through July 31.
 
For over 40 years Jerome W. Jones, Jr. has been using his original paintings to teach, what Jones says is “the art of life through the love of art” to inspire young and old to use their gifts to uplift others. Jones’ creative style of portraiture reflects the likeness of his subjects and what they love to do. The artist believes every home should own art that exhibits the “heart and history” of the resident and that affirms, “Who I am, what I Am and where I am.”
 
A visionary for justice, a writer of truth, a painter of life and a poet of love, Jeromyah Jones is following the creative footsteps of his father. Following his mission to portray and define the true essence of beauty, Jones says, “I hope people will recognize the love, the hunger and dedication that I have for painting. I want my work to inspire, enlighten and uplift those who have the courage to look beyond.”
may efs

Shop for a Cause at Dress for Success

Join Dress for Success Central Virginia on Friday, May 5, 2017 for their signature pop up, Shop for a Cause. During their excess inventory sale you can choose from new, designer, gently used and vintage clothing at great prices with 100% of proceeds benefiting Dress for Success Central Virginia!

may dfs

“Animal Land” and “Everything Is Going To Be All Right” at Candela

Candela Books + Gallery presents two new shows this month: Alyssa Salomon’s “Animal Land” and Jared Ragland’s “Everything Is Going To Be All Right.”

Jared Ragland, Untitled, from the series EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE ALL RIGHT, 2015; Archival pigment print; Edition of 5 jaredragland.com

Jared Ragland
“Untitled (White City),” 2015
11” x 14” Archival Pigment Print

 

Jared Ragland, Untitled, from the series EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE ALL RIGHT, 2015; Archival pigment print; Edition of 5 jaredragland.com

Jared Ragland
“Untitled (Black City),” 2015
11” x 14” Archival Pigment Print

 

Alyssa Salomon in collaboration with Anne Wright, Science in the Park, and VCU Rice Rivers Center “EK000183 2015-11-30 JRP (Blue),” 2017 17″ x 17″ Van dyke photo emulsion on pigmented cotton handmade (Twinrocker) paper

Alyssa Salomon in collaboration with Anne Wright,
Science in the Park, and VCU Rice Rivers Center
“EK000183 2015-11-30 JRP (Blue),” 2017
17″ x 17″ Van dyke photo emulsion on pigmented cotton handmade (Twinrocker) paper

 

Alyssa Salomon in collaboration with Anne Wright, Science in the Park, and VCU Rice Rivers Center “EK000183 2015-11-30 JRP (Natural),” 2017 17″ x 17″ Van dyke photo emulsion on kozo-abaca paper

Alyssa Salomon in collaboration with Anne Wright,
Science in the Park, and VCU Rice Rivers Center
“EK000183 2015-11-30 JRP (Natural),” 2017
17″ x 17″ Van dyke photo emulsion on kozo-abaca paper

“Put This On” at Endeavor

For First Friday, May 5th, Endeavor opens their doors to showcase 20 (!!!) multi-faceted local artists with a wide variety of T-shirt designs for “Put This On.” From stitched patch work, to hand done screen prints, to sublimation, there will be a breadth of styles and fashion to see. Thanks to sublimation artists are able to print on location and will be able to display just how versatile this process can really be. Alongside this, Travis Robertson, a local screen-printer, artist, and friend of the studio will be air-brushing custom shirts live.
 
There’s even more on deck, so stop by and say hi!
may endeavor

“Altar Pieces” at Gallery Edit

Altar Pieces” by Seth Remsnyder opens this week at Gallery Edit. Check his Insta feed @scremmyart to see more.
may edit

Minecraft Madness at CodeVA

CodeVA hosts a Minecraft Madness event and open house this week for First Fridays. Take a tour of the space, and try your hand at Minecraft either on a desktop PC or in virtual reality using Oculus Rift! For the little ones there will be pixel art projects. Drinks and light refreshments will be served.

may cva

Two shows at the Coalition for First Fridays

Rejoice! The RVA Tonight team is back from their exclusive five-month tour of Europe, Scandinavia and the subcontinent, and will return to the Coalition Theater on Friday, May 5 at 10 p.m.

Their guests this month are the Bearded Band of Brothers behind High Point Barbershop & Shave Parlor: Jacky Flav, David Foster and Elliott Kinney. The team will premiere their video highlight reel from the pop-up show at the Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10k.

rvatonight-may2017-event

And if 10pm is past your bedtime, or if you need to pack more laughs into your night, the Coalition also presents “Til Death Do Us Part: The Improvised Reality TV Show” at 8pm.

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Freedom Fridays at the Black History Museum

The New York style Hustle is a social partner dance that was created in the 70s. The dance was developed at neighborhood parties by young people who had little or no dance training. By the mid 70s it was a full blown dance craze. It’s flamboyant styling was perfectly suited for the era’s discos.

Kym and Kyle Grinnage will be on hand at the Black History Museum & Cultural Center to teach you the simple basic steps and how to lead and follow. With a little practice, you will develop your own hustle style and be comfortable hitting any dance floor.

The Museum will be open until 8 PM. Guided tours will be available at 5:30 PM and Kym & Kyle will dance at 6:30 PM.

may bhm

“I, OLGA HEPNAROVA” at the Bijou

The Bijou Film Center presents “I, OLGA HEPNAROVA” with shows all weekend long, including at 7 and 9:30 on First Fridays.
 
Olga Hepnarova was a young, lonely lesbian outsider from a coldhearted family, who couldn’t play the part society desired of her. Her paranoid self-examination and inability to connect with other people eventually drove her over the edge of humanity when she was only twenty-two years old.
 
The film is based on her crimes of July 10, 1973, when Hepnarova drove a rented truck into a group of about 25 people waiting for a tram in Prague, Czechoslovakia. The victims were all aged between 60 and 79, and 8 of them were killed in the attack. Before the murder, she sent a letter to two newspapers explaining her action as revenge for all the hatred against her by her family and the world. She was found to be sane and sentenced to death. The execution took place on March 12, 1975 in the Pankrác Prison in Prague. She was the last woman executed in Czechoslovakia.
may bijou

“Open Inbox” at Gallery5

As usual, Gallery5 is packing so much into their plans for First Fridays, I can barely fit it all in.

Upstairs/Main Gallery:
“Open Inbox” Exhibition of new work by Barry O’Keefe

“Open Inbox” is a series of five public sculptures, designed for five different neighborhoods. These sculptures are designed to function both as reverent monuments to neighborhood history and identity, and as functional community message boards and meeting points. At a time in our culture when traditional models of community are under threat, these sculptures provide neighbors a way to connect, communicate, and construct shared identity.”

Upstairs/Rear Gallery:
“Tandem” – Kappa Pi International Honorary Art Fraternity Show

Kappa Pi, the International Honorary Art Fraternity at VCU has brought together work exploring themes of dualities and parallels, balances and tensions.

Kappa Pi is a society of student artists across disciplines and majors who seek to support each other, to grow as individuals and as a collective, and have the same common goal of building a stronger artist community in Richmond. Kappa Pi at VCU is currently made up of 25 students from across the university that create in a wide variety of mediums and motives.

Music on tap for the night includes:
Fat Spirit
BIG NO
Slump
Dynamo music

Gallery5’s continuing mission is to be a cultural hub that celebrates diversity, creativity, camaraderie through all art mediums and avenues of expression.

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“Raft” at ada Gallery

Whitney Oldenburg has been accepted to the Skowhegan School of Painting and Drawing for this summer’s residency and her work appears in the current issue of New American Paintings. Ada Gallery welcomes Oldeburg’s exhibit “Raft” for their May show. The gallery opens at 7pm during the art walk.

AT SEA - Robert Brakes, a 60-year-old resident of Morehead City, N.C., watches a Coast Guard C-130J aircraft circle his life raft 102 miles southeast of Cape Lookout, N.C., Friday, June 6, 2008. Brakes was hoisted to safety by the crew of a Coast Guard rescue helicopter and flown to the Carteret County Hospital in North Carolina for treatment. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Mark Jones)

AT SEA – Robert Brakes, a 60-year-old resident of Morehead City, N.C., watches a Coast Guard C-130J aircraft circle his life raft 102 miles southeast of Cape Lookout, N.C., Friday, June 6, 2008. Brakes was hoisted to safety by the crew of a Coast Guard rescue helicopter and flown to the Carteret County Hospital in North Carolina for treatment. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Mark Jones)

Photography exhibit at 9WG

9WG Studios presents local photographers Mark Bare, Jimmy Powell, and Rob Pfeiffer. Each has won awards for their photography in juried exhibitions in all-media shows.
 
A variety of photographic genres are on exhibit, including: landscapes, cityscapes, nature, macro, street, black & white, and travel photography.
 
Most of these photos were taken in and around Richmond, so you will see plenty of recognizable scenes, but in a new light or from a new perspective.
 
The reception includes music, wine, and appetizers. Stop by 9WG (at 9 West Grace) and check out the space and the artists.
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“Step into My World” at ART180

Step into My World,” an exhibition featuring personalized handmade bags, wearable art made from recycled materials, and original hip-hop music, opens tomorrow and spotlights ART 180‘s most recent projects fostering creative expression.
 
Teens were inspired to create handbags following conversations, led by instructors Lindsey Pritchard and Sydney Vick, about personal development. They turned those discussions into backpacks that they designed, sewed and filled with the essentials that they need to “survive” on a daily basis, apart from food and water.
 
The exhibition also features constructed wearable art made from found and recycled materials in a project led by Adriane Dalton and Byerly Young. The pieces represent each young person’s interpretation of the social and environmental ecosystems they inhabit.
 
“[The wearable art workshop] taught me something new. I learned that recycled materials are better for the environment.”
– Chloé Hagins, 15
 
Meanwhile, hip-hop artists Maurice Jackson and Billy Nguyen explored the origins and histories of hip-hop focusing on emceeing and DJing as artistic strategies to resolve interpersonal and communal conflicts.
 
ART 180 will host an opening reception for the exhibition on Friday, May 5, from 6-9 p.m. during RVA First Fridays.­ The reception is family friendly, open to the public and features an all-ages activity. During the event, participants in the hip-hop workshop will perform their original music at 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.
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MFA Thesis Exhibitions at the Anderson

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The second round of 2017 MFA Thesis Exhibitions will be on view at the Anderson from 6-8pm on Friday May 5th.

Artists Exhibiting in Round Two:
Francisco Besa
Lucy Dabney
Cassandra Ellison
Patrick Harkin
Lexy Holcombe
Ellie Hunter
Grace Kubilius
Chelsea Lee
An Liu
Hallie McNeill
John Orth
Heather Overby
Lauren Prisco
Moriah Rhodes
Shannon Slaight-Brown
Joana Stillwell
Ryan Syrell
Russell White
Katya Yakubov
Mingming Zhao
Weijian Zhou

“Perversion of Form” continues at 1708

Built around a longstanding conversation between artists Robert Beatty, Sarah Briland, Ryan Crowley, Ben Durham, and Mike Goodlett, “Perversion of Form,” currently on exhibit at 1708 Gallery, explores the parallels between these artists’ adversarial attraction to traditional forms of art-making. Although they often work in strikingly different media, each artist employs compulsive, process-based practices as a means of engaging yet subverting the prevailing notions and functions of their craft. The ambiguities at play in their work reflect an attraction to and reaction against the pre-existing systems, products, and infrastructures that dominate our sense of self and the surrounding world. Spanning drawing, sculpture, video, and sound, this work reveals a need to experience the world through the transformation of material, and a desire to speak not of function, comfort, and beauty, but of doubt, unease, and corporeality.

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“Under the Layers” at Sediment Arts

Under the Layers“, features the work of Jina Seo in the storefront at Sediment Arts from May 5th through May 21st, 2017.
 
Opening reception on Friday, May 5th from 6-9pm. “Under the Layers” is funded in part by VCUarts and the Crafts and Material Studies Department.
 
ARTIST STATEMENT
The extraordinary power of objects is obtained because people believe in them. The more mundane the objects are, the more powerful they become. My practice contextualizes the embodied energy that is submerged beneath the layers of vintage leather gloves. The fragments of ordinary gloves convey a tactile and erotic interaction, emphasizing the physical movements between certain parts of body and garments. When the body is absent, the empty, internal structure retains evidence of human existence. It remains full of authentic spirit and fantasy.
 
Through the processes of deconstructing and reconstructing materials into symbolic forms, I uncover the intimate and sensual power of humanity. The individual records and stories from the gloves turn into something that is universally relatable. Yet, it loops back to the idea of private at the same time. When the broad concept of primitive and elemental human desire meets the audience or wearer, it encourages them to find his or her own sensations and conclusions of desire. It is a moment when ordinary objects become surreal and uncanny in order to redeem the socially constructed expectations and perceptions.
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“An Exploration Through Time and Tape” at RPL

The Richmond Public Library hosts an exhibit by Nickolai Walko, “An Exploration Through Time and Tape.” Highly detailed and unique anatomical/historical black masking tape art pieces will be on display in the Dooley Foyer.

The Gellman Room will feature “The Tiny Quilt Project,” with over 40 tiny quilts featuring hand-dyeing, printing, shibori, and embroidery in unique designs and patterns by Richmond artist Julia E. Pfaff.

In the Dooley Hall, “OZMOSIS” is a look into the mind envisioned with ink-pen works by Richmond artist Steve McIntire.

The 2nd Floor Gallery hosts “Black Inspiration,” oil and acrylic portraits of African and African American women who have inspired Richmond artist Fatiyah Neville.

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Joyce Satterwhite at the RTD Gallery

Join the Richmond Times-Dispatch at the First Fridays Art Walk for an evening with Richmond artist Joyce Satterwhite. Inspired by her travels, her paintings features people and places she meets during her journeys.

Beginning at 6:30, don’t miss an exclusive talk with the artist to learn more about the process, techniques and inspiration behind her craft.

Parking is free and available in the Richmond Times-Dispatch deck. The entrance is on Third Street between Grace and Franklin streets.

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Diego Sanchez at Quirk Gallery

Quirk Gallery welcomes a new show by Diego Sanchez in the Main Gallery. Diego serves as the chair of the art department at St. Catherine’s School.

“The genesis for this body of work started about five years ago. My friend, Cindy Neuschwander, encouraged me to take a risk with my work and remove the representational elements from my paintings. We often talked about our work and exchanged ideas about painting that challenged us as artists. Sadly, a year later, Cindy passed away. Two years after her death, her husband, Jay Barrows, generously gave me her painting supplies. This kind gesture and the memory of my dear friend were the catalysts for this exhibition. This body of work reflects the gradual change that has been taking place in my work for the past few years.

At this point in my career, my paintings deal directly with formal concerns. At the beginning of each painting, my approach is purely an intuitive endeavour. Gradually, as I build the surface, textures, patterns and colors, relationships begin to emerge as the development of space begins to appear in the picture plane. I love the nature and the plasticity of the medium and how malleable it is. Non-representational painting to me is an act of faith and trust. Not knowing where I might end up and being open to learn from mistakes and failures reminds me that I must pursure honesty in my work. I hope that the viewer is able to experience it while he or she stands in front of my paintings.

I would like to dedicate this exhibition to the memory and adventurous spirit of my dear friend, Cindy Neuschwander.”
—Diego Sanchez

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“Sunshine and Shadows: Hidden Beauty” at the North 1st St Gallery

Opening Friday at the North 1st St Gallery (around the corner from Elegba Folklore Society on 1st St), Beverly Baker presents her watercolor paintings in “Sunshine and Shadows: Hidden Beauty.”
 
“The watercolor medium is frequently undervalued, although the process of watercolor painting requires a great deal of thought, planning, and careful execution. This medium presents a constant challenge but rewards the artist with great depth, delicacy, and luminosity of studied subjects. I once painted with oils but became a convert!”
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DRY LAND at TheatreLAB

Ester is a swimmer trying to stay afloat. Amy is curled up on the locker room floor. DRY LAND is a play about abortion, female friendship, resiliency, and what happens in one high school locker room after everybody’s left. Playwright Ruby Rae Spiegel was only 21 years old when DRY LAND premiered Off-Broadway to rave reviews in 2014. With DRY LAND, Spiegel has written a brazen, no-holds-barred play about that time in your life when no one else can possibly understand what you’re going through. DRY LAND, a New York Times critics’ pick, is a brave portrayal of the contemporary American teenager. There are only three performances left at TheatreLAB: this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Tickets and more available here.

may tl

“Watershed Extension” continues at the Linden Row Inn

1708 Gallery presents Watershed Extension, a satellite exhibition at Linden Row Inn on view through May 21, 2017. Watershed Extension is an expansion of the previous exhibition, Watershed featuring works by Pierre Bowring, Genesis Chapman, Andrea Keys Connell, Alex Nyerges, and Sayaka Suzuki.

Each artist presenting work in Watershed creates art that evokes the power, beauty and fragility of The James River and the watershed basin that feeds it. Richmond’s origins are a combination of geography, memory and the will of humanity, all waterborne. Recent landmarks in the political, environmental and cultural climate inspire us to embrace what sustains us. These seven artists create art that functions as a bridge for questioning and understanding political and environmental change.

Beauty & the Beast at VaRep

If the reviews from my friends who’ve seen it are anything to go by, you do not want to miss Virginia Repertory Theatre‘s production of Beauty and the Beast. The timeless fairytale musical has returned to the November Theatre for the first time since it was staged in 2006. The show is running now through May 14th, including a show on First Friday.
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“Inspiration” at the Gallery at UNOS

Inspiration” is a new exhibit opening at the Gallery at UNOS (the United Network for Organ Sharing), with work by Nancy Jacey and Greg Taylor.
 
Jacey is recognized for her vidid, colorful work in colored pencil and acrylic that brings her subject matter to life. Nancy’s work is inspired by marine, nature and wildlife.
 
Taylor is an artist who is inspired by various mediums including copper wire, sculpture and latex on canvas. Greg says his work is the result of a need to create. It’s a discipline and a passion. Greg’s other passion is educating others about organ transplantation and donation. Greg is a 2013 heart recipient.
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“Goodbye, Booze” at the Library of Virginia

Stop by the Library of Virginia this Friday during the art walk for a new exhibit on the Prohibition era, as told through popular music. Drawing on sheet music, period recordings, and anti-liquor songbooks, “Teetotalers & Moonshiners: Prohibition in Virginia, Distilled captures the debates over temperance and Prohibition through the music of the times. Following the music program, a reception will feature “Last Call” Imperial Brown Ale, created by the Library in collaboration with the Three Notch’d Brewing Company.

Enjoy live performances of songs that advocated temperance, documented the growth of a clandestine alcohol business (moonshine), and lampooned Prohibition and the efforts to enforce it, along with narration to place the music within its historical context. Performers include Kinney Rorrer, Mark Campbell, and sisters Samantha Willis and Jessi Johnson. Also featured are recordings of well-known Virginia artists such as Charlie Poole and the North Carolina Ramblers (which had deep ties to Franklin County), Bela Lam and His Greene County Singers, and Sister Rosetta Tharpe, a Richmond-area resident during her heyday.

This event is supported in part by a grant from the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities and Public Policy. The reception is sponsored by Virginia Distillery Company. For more information, contact Catherine Wyatt, 804-692-3999 or catherine.wyatt [at] lva.virginia.gov.

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April’s Trolley Stops

Keep an eye out for these signs around the Arts District for your free RVA Trolley stops. They’re 12″x18″ and laminated, and close to bus stops or other no-parking-zones.

Eastbound stops at:
7th and Broad (at University of Richmond Downtown)
3rd and Broad (in front of CodeVA, and close to Saadia’s Juicebox)
Jefferson and Broad (in front of the November Theatre, and close to a metric ton of places)
Monroe and Broad (in front of Steady Sounds and Blue Bones Vintage, and catty corner to the Markets at Monroe, not to mention near Verdalina and Mod&Soul.)

Then the trolley swings around to a stop at Laurel and Franklin (near The Anderson Gallery at VCU)

Then it drops down to Leigh for a stop across from the Black History Museum & Cultural Center.

From there it swings up Adams to Franklin, with stops in front of the Richmond Public Library and near the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Then it heads back to UR at 7th.

Enjoy the ride!

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April’s First Friday – the roundup

The free trolley is running tonight! The list of stops will be announced soon (look on our Facebook page.)

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Here are all the places that I know that are doing events tonight, in no particular order:
CodeVA
Chocolates By Kelly, with From South Side to Somewhere
Candela Books + Gallery
Richmond Public Library
Linden Row Inn
Coalition Theater
Visual Art Studio
University of Richmond Downtown
Sediment Arts
Richmond Times-Dispatch
Quirk Gallery
Markets at Monroe
Gallery Edit
Endeavor RVA
Elegba Folklore Society
North 1st St Gallery (at Hummel Associates)
Black History Museum & Cultural Center
Lou Stevens “Glam Squad” – On Location Hair and Makeup
Mod&Soul, with Mac’s Smack
Websmith Studio, with Twon Smith ‘s Designs
1708 Gallery
Gallery5, with Party Liberation Front
ART 180
Verdalina
Steady Sounds & Blue Bones Vintage
9WG Studios
Ada Gallery
Saadia’s Juicebox
Rosewood Clothing Co.

 

First Fridays at 9WG

9WG Studios will be open for First Fridays this week, with artists Mark Bare and Jimmy Powell.

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“Keep Kids Free” at Atlas

“Keep Kids Free,” an exhibition of spoken word, prints, paintings, and drawings created by young people who have been affected, directly or indirectly, by the prison system, opens April 7 at the Atlas gallery in Jackson Ward. ART 180 will host an opening reception for the exhibition from 6-9 p.m. during RVA First Fridays.­

This group exhibition highlights the work of several teen-focused creative youth development organizations across the region. Highlighted programs include Teens With a Purpose from Norfolk, Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop from Washington, D.C., ART 180’s own Performing Statistics program, and others.

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Twon Smith at Websmith Group

Websmith Studio is back on the art walk this week, with Twon Smith. Stop by to see who’s next on their big wall…

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Freedom Friday at BHM

The Black History Museum & Cultural Center joins the art walk this week with a concert and guided tours.

One Voice Chorus Richmond is an intentionally integrated community choir dedicated to performing uplifting choral music while fulfilling their mission to sing the beauty and power of diversity. One Voice was founded on the belief that all people benefit from an understanding of the diverse world around us. They are dedicated to the idea that uniting people of different backgrounds promotes not only kindness and respect, but the embracing of those differences. By demonstrating there is so much more that unites us than divides us, we can help our community find power in our collective strength.

Listen, then join in as they sing spirituals that tell the stories of slavery and freedom.

In partnership with RVA First Fridays, guided tours will be available at 6 PM and 8 PM, One Voice Chorus Ensemble will perform at 7 PM.

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“Man and His World” at the North 1st St Gallery

This month at the North 1st St Gallery (around the corner from Elegba Folklore Society), “Man and His World” features plein air paintings by Tomas Ehrenberger.

Tomas loves the challenge of plein air painting. He believes that the joy of working in the open air comes through on the canvas imparting a special energy to his work. ”To sense the mood of a given scene, feel the nuances in color; and capture the whole experience on canvas. This is living to its fullest; this is being present. My hope is to awaken the same experience in people through my paintings.”

His works are currently exhibited in Brno, Czech Republic, and are also available from Oxide Gallery, Denton, TX and Bradshaw Gallery, Blackstone, VA.


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“CITYSCAPES IN NOIR” at Chocolates By Kelly

Chocolates By Kelly welcomes artist Keith Ramsey (From South Side to Somewhere) for the month of April. They will be open for the art walk from 7-9pm. The CITYSCAPES IN NOIR series demonstrates personal, emotional conflict and social disconnection through deliberate placement of shadow and light to draw attention to isolated subjects in the paintings. These works painted with oil and acrylic on canvas and paper are inspired by American painters Edward Hopper and Charles Sheeler.

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“Obscura” continues at Elegba Folklore Society

Obscura” continues at Elegba Folklore Society.
 
From the Latin word for darkness, this exhibition of Nicole Wandera’s paintings lifts the veil off the superficial to reveal inner expressions of self. The portrayals, collectively, answer Wandera’s question, “Who are we and what part of ourselves do we allow others to see?” What the artist shows, through the subtle densities of pen, pencil and color pencil, is the interplay of internal energy fields, the environment of the “true self.”
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“GAME ON” at Endeavor Studios

If you couldn’t get enough of Google’s Ms. PacMan map on April Fool’s, you should probably stroll on into Endeavor Studios this Friday. They’re showcasing art, live music, and live gaming inspired by beloved classic video games. “GAME ON” features the works of 21 visual artists, music from 4 producers, and on-site video games courtesy of Bits and Pixels.
 
Pick up the controller, experience the premiere of several new pieces and listen to quality jams as you celebrate your favorite video games and their icons.
 
Gamers are encouraged to spread the love and pass the controller off every game. Original merchandise will be available from artists in the show.
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“Simple Things” at Gallery Edit

Simple Things” opens this week at Gallery Edit, with a reception from 6-9pm.

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“Vacant” continues at Quirk

The Main Gallery exhibition at Quirk Gallery, from Richmond-based photographer Kip Dawkins is the gallery’s first photography exhibit. “Vacant” is a collection of images captured on spontaneous roadside stops during Dawkins’s travels across the country.
 
“In my everyday work as a commercial photographer I shoot luxury interior products in studio and on location in upscale homes. Everything, the setting, the light, the styling, is very tightly controlled. We have people combing fringe on pillows. The moments in my personal projects tend to be forgotten places, negative space. They have been allowed to decay or weather through neglect, poverty or the forces of landscape.
 
I happen upon them by chance. My only control is my ability to see and capture the fleeting moment when light and space and structure come together. I create an atmospheric moment that suggests chaotic forces at work. I got my original start photographing punk rock bands. I liked the chaos and the lack of control, trying to find the happy accident of the moment that comes together.
 
I’m drawn to these moments because I do the exact opposite every day of the week, but they’re all taken with the technical knowledge that I’ve gotten in all my years of shooting interiors. Technically they come out as highly refined as I can get them. It’s the highest level of processing I can do. The same amount of time goes into them as for the luxury projects, but there is no staging, no styling team and no tons of equipment. I have to wait for the clouds to part or the rain to come down on some castoff place.”

California 3, archival ink print, 20" x 26"

California 3, archival ink print, 20″ x 26″

Artist Christopher Mize at the RTD Gallery

Join the Richmond Times-Dispatch at the First Fridays Art Walk for an evening with Richmond artist Christopher Mize. Mize, an oil painter, specializes in beautiful landscapes, figures and still lifes that feature Virginia wine, beer and spirits.
 
Beginning at 6:30, don’t miss an exclusive talk with the artist to learn more about the process, techniques and inspiration behind his craft. Light refreshments will be served.
 
Parking is free and will be available in the Richmond Times-Dispatch deck. The entrance is on Third Street between Grace and Franklin streets.
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“Familiars” at Sediment Arts

Familiars,” at Sediment Arts for the art walk this First Friday, presents the work of Katie Wynne and Haynes Riley, two artists whose recent work utilizes personal, commonplace objects to explore a language of otherness and recognition. Riley and Wynne have worked together in the past, as designer and artist respectively, to publish a continuing series of non-observational drawings. The most recent publication, familiars, sparked the foundational conversation for this exhibition.
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“UncoveRVA: Archaeology of Our Past, Present, and Future” at URDowntown

UncoveRVA: Archaeology of Our Past, Present, and Future is a new exhibit at the University of Richmond Downtown curated by students in the course “Archaeology in the City,” taught by Derek Miller, UR visiting lecturer of anthropology. There will be a presentation and open discussion with the curators at 5:30 p.m.

“UncoveRVA: Archaeology of Our Past, Present, and Future” sheds light on the hidden histories beneath the city of Richmond. The showcase also explores the current legislation that covers archaeological resources, how archaeology informs us about who we are and where we came from, and the positive impacts when a city chooses to engage with its archaeological heritage.

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“Cut by Cut” at the Visual Art Studio

Opening this week at the Visual Art Studio, Cut by Cut by Francis Scott Horner and Nickolai Walko is a collaborative exhibition in which these Richmond artists have created their work together and apart by cutting their materials. Horner, an adjunct professor at VCU, cuts and assembles his photographs into beautifully back-lit wall pieces. Walko, VCU sculpture ’14, creates tape drawings on painted panel by cutting designs with an X-acto blade then pealing away the tape to reveal the image.

The First Fridays reception is from 6-9pm, with live music by Sonika.

Muse #2 by Nickolai Walko, tape drawing - Floral Enigma #1 by Francis Scott Horner, paper, LED

Muse #2 by Nickolai Walko, tape drawing – Floral Enigma #1 by Francis Scott Horner, paper, LED

Richmond Famous with Amy Black

The Coalition Theater’s longest-running show series, Richmond Famous, features live and totally unscripted comedy created on the spot and inspired by the true stories of some of RVA’s most interesting people. This month’s show features local tattoo artist, Amy Black!

Born in Seoul, Korea, Amy was adopted and came to the United States in 1975. After graduating from high school early, she attended the Columbus College of Art and Design, where she studied oil painting, with a focus on anatomy, and first became interested in tattooing. Since 2000, she has owned and operated her own tattoo studio in Richmond, Amy Black Tattoos, which specializes in custom designs. In 2011, she expanded into post-mastectomy tattooing and founded the Pink Ink Fund, which aims to ease the financial burden for men and women seeking nipple and areola repigmentation or tattooing after a mastectomy.

Through her work, Amy hopes to be able to show people the power and importance of art in their lives and its ability to directly impact and heal the life of a person post-mastectomy. Amy realizes the importance of a supportive environment like Richmond to help artists grow and continue to contribute on both a local and a global level.

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“Watershed Extension” at Linden Row Inn

1708 Gallery presents Watershed Extension, a satellite exhibition at Linden Row Inn on view through May 21, 2017. Watershed Extension is an expansion of the previous exhibition, Watershed featuring works by Pierre Bowring, Genesis Chapman, Andrea Keys Connell, Alex Nyerges, and Sayaka Suzuki.

Each artist presenting work in Watershed creates art that evokes the power, beauty and fragility of The James River and the watershed basin that feeds it. Richmond’s origins are a combination of geography, memory and the will of humanity, all waterborne. Recent landmarks in the political, environmental and cultural climate inspire us to embrace what sustains us. These seven artists create art that functions as a bridge for questioning and understanding political and environmental change.

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“Coming Together, Moving Apart” and “A Portrait of Richmond” at the library

The following exhibits will be on display at the Richmond Public Library starting this Friday, April 7, with an opening reception from 6:30-9pm.

In the Gellman Room, Dooley Foyer & Dooley Hall – “Coming Together, Moving Apart” – works in all media from the artist membership of artspace. The opening reception on April 7 the will feature live music from Ragtime Pete Sims.

In the 2nd Floor Gallery – “A Portrait of Richmond” – the public is invited to sit for a series of black-and-white photographs celebrating the diversity of Richmond by Richmond photographer Kim Frost.

The library’s permanent collections include works by David Freed, Helen & Alvin Hattorf, and Anne Newbold Perkins.

“CHOP SHOP” continues at Candela

“CHOP SHOP” continues at Candela Books + Gallery for this week’s art walk. “CHOP SHOP” is an exhibition exploring the work of seven artists, who are transforming images through various processes of manipulation. Featured artists are: Nadine Boughton, Tom Chambers, Blythe King, Peter Brown Leighton, Lissa Rivera, Ayumi Tanaka, and Maggie Taylor.

Though each of the photographic works in this exhibition have been altered through digital manipulation, the tools of collage, illustration, deconstruction, redaction, surrealism are used in different measures by the exhibiting artists. By chiseling the foundation of their imagery, new perspectives are presented, as meaning shifts away from the real, slipping through different eras and otherworldly narratives.

Since it’s invention, the camera has been considered a truth telling instrument. But all along, there have been subversive applications, when depictions of the real have been pushed to suit the needs of the maker. So, information became less concrete and far more subjective and photography more mutable. Each of these artists, have uniquely embraced fabrication and the whole cloth creation of ideas, shaping reality by their own designs.

Ayumi Tanaka "The path," from the series Wish You Were Here. 2014. 16" x 20" Silver Gelatin Print

Ayumi Tanaka “The path,” from the series Wish You Were Here. 2014. 16″ x 20″ Silver Gelatin Print

Maggie Taylor "What remains?," 2016. 22"x 22" Inkjet Print

Maggie Taylor “What remains?,” 2016. 22″x 22″ Inkjet Print

Peter Brown Leighton, "Man Lives Through Plutonium Blast," 2014. 10" x 7" Archival Pigment Print

Peter Brown Leighton, “Man Lives Through Plutonium Blast,” 2014. 10″ x 7″ Archival Pigment Print

“Tech In Craft” at CodeVA

Join Code VA for the opening night of the “Tech In Craft” exhibit: An exhibition of contemporary jewelry combining digital and handmade processes. Curated by Maggie Smith, CodeVA’s curriculum designer, and independent curator.

There will also be computer science education fun for the kiddos in the form of Game Making and Robot Wrangling workstations.

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“Perversion of Form” at 1708 Gallery

Built around a longstanding conversation between artists Robert Beatty, Sarah Briland, Ryan Crowley, Ben Durham, and Mike Goodlett, “Perversion of Form,” currently on exhibit at 1708 Gallery, explores the parallels between these artists’ adversarial attraction to traditional forms of art-making. Although they often work in strikingly different media, each artist employs compulsive, process-based practices as a means of engaging yet subverting the prevailing notions and functions of their craft. The ambiguities at play in their work reflect an attraction to and reaction against the pre-existing systems, products, and infrastructures that dominate our sense of self and the surrounding world. Spanning drawing, sculpture, video, and sound, this work reveals a need to experience the world through the transformation of material, and a desire to speak not of function, comfort, and beauty, but of doubt, unease, and corporeality.

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Gallery 5’s 12th Birthday Party

I would run out of room if I tried to tell you everything that’s on deck this Friday for Gallery5‘s big 12th birthiversary party. There’ll be *inside* bands, *outside* bands, everyone’s favorite fire spinners from Party Liberation Front, a gallery show, an art market, the bar, a raffle, and I don’t even know what else…

Come show your love and support for one of the key anchors of our art walk, and while the First Fridays show at G5 is always free, you should feel free to slip their magnificent non-profit hearts a little $$$ love while you’re there and show them how much you appreciate everything they do for us and our city.

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March’s First Friday – the roundup

First off, don’t forget we’ve got the free trolley running tonight! The list of stops will be announced soon (look on our Facebook page.)

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“Watershed” closes at the Linden Row Inn

Watershed,” a satellite exhibit from 1708 Gallery, continues at the Linden Row Inn this First Friday. “Watershed” features works by Andras Bality, Pierre Bowring, Genesis Chapman, David Freed, Andrea Keys Connell, Alex Nyerges, and Sayaka Suzuki. This is the final weekend for this show.
 
Each artist presenting work in “Watershed” creates art that evokes the power, beauty and fragility of The James River and the watershed basin that feeds it. Richmond’s origins are a combination of geography, memory and the will of humanity, all waterborne. Recent landmarks in the political, environmental and cultural climate inspire us to embrace what sustains us. These seven artists create art that functions as a bridge for questioning and understanding political and environmental change.
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“Vacant” at Quirk Gallery

The current Main Gallery exhibition at Quirk Gallery, from Richmond-based photographer Kip Dawkins is the gallery’s first photography exhibit. “Vacant” is a collection of images captured on spontaneous roadside stops during Dawkins’s travels across the country.
 
“In my everyday work as a commercial photographer I shoot luxury interior products in studio and on location in upscale homes. Everything, the setting, the light, the styling, is very tightly controlled. We have people combing fringe on pillows. The moments in my personal projects tend to be forgotten places, negative space. They have been allowed to decay or weather through neglect, poverty or the forces of landscape.
 
I happen upon them by chance. My only control is my ability to see and capture the fleeting moment when light and space and structure come together. I create an atmospheric moment that suggests chaotic forces at work. I got my original start photographing punk rock bands. I liked the chaos and the lack of control, trying to find the happy accident of the moment that comes together.
 
I’m drawn to these moments because I do the exact opposite every day of the week, but they’re all taken with the technical knowledge that I’ve gotten in all my years of shooting interiors. Technically they come out as highly refined as I can get them. It’s the highest level of processing I can do. The same amount of time goes into them as for the luxury projects, but there is no staging, no styling team and no tons of equipment. I have to wait for the clouds to part or the rain to come down on some castoff place.”
mar quirk

“Cadence” at Gallery EDIT

The work of Amelia Key visualizes the vibrance and repetition of music, as exhibited in “Cadence,” opening tomorrow night.

Come to Gallery Edit during RVA First Fridays Art Walk for a night of color, sound, and good company.

 

mar edit

The Endeavor Four at Endeavor Studios

This First Fridays, Endeavor RVA is opening its doors for an open studio with the FOUR in-house-artists who make all the magic happen!
 
They’ll be introducing their brand new Marketplace, a new sign, and a revamped logo to tie it all together, not to mention two new members to the family! Say hi to Nick Desouza, the studio’s new Marketing and PR Manager, as well as their first ever intern Linda Kirova. In-house artists Ian C. Hess, Eli McMullen, Christina Wing Chow, and Alex Beck will be showcasing their most recent work, as well as a peek into their artistic processes within the studio that happen everyday!
mar endeav

“The Future is Calling | The Present is Fleeting | The Past is Calling” closes at the Anderson

Friday, March 3 is the final day of the “Future is Calling” exhibition at The Anderson Gallery at VCU, which is open for the First Fridays art walk from 5-8 PM. You can hop on the *free* trolley that runs from UR Downtown to VCU, with stops in the downtown arts district.

Evolution, regression, progress, change — these are all part of the human experience. It is in our nature to draw attention to forward progress and positive evolution, with hopes and desires for what the future may bring. Reflection on the past informs the present moment, yet the present is never fixed and is always escaping our grasp. The ephemerality of life, anxieties surrounding change and stagnation, and frank observations of the world are all on display in this exhibition. Bringing together work by thirty-six artists, “the future is calling | the present is fleeting | the past is calling” takes visitors through personal histories, shares anxieties, and communicates hopefulness for the future which is always just a moment away.
mar galand

“Past, Present and Future” at ART 180

Representing different moments of time in ART 180, work from young people from the “Past, Present and Future” will be on display. This group exhibition highlights their art from painting to sculpture and celebrates Youth Art Month.
mar 180

“Colorful Places” at North 1st Street Studio Gallery

North 1st Street Studio Gallery and the designers at R1 Furnishings & Hummel Associates present “Colorful Places,” watercolors and acrylic paintings by Margaret S. Bucher, opening this Friday on the art walk. Lute guitarist Paul Vrooman will be performing as well. The opening reception is tomorrow March 3rd from 5-9.
mar n1stg

Stravinsky’s “Pétrouchka” with the Richmond Symphony

Relax, it’s Friday! Dominion Casual Fridays returns this season with an exciting line-up of orchestral music in an informal and relaxed setting. Sit back in the beautiful Carpenter Theatre as your host and conductor guides you through a 60-minute journey into the stories behind the performance. After the concert, collect your exclusive composer trading card and head to the speakeasy at Vagabond‘s speakeasy across the street for a post-concert happy-hour with Richmond Symphony musicians.
 mar rs

“My Name Is Rachel Corrie” at TheatreLAB

On March 16, 2003, Rachel Corrie, a 23-year-old American, was crushed to death by an Israeli Army bulldozer in Gaza as she was trying to prevent the demolition of a Palestinian home. Opening this Friday, TheatreLAB presents The Cellar Series: My Name Is Rachel Corrie, a one-woman play composed from Rachel’s own journals, letters and emails — creating a portrait of a messy, articulate, Salvador Dali–loving chain-smoker (with a passion for the music of Pat Benatar), who left her home and school in Olympia, Washington, to work as an activist in the heart of Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

mar tl

“New Work” at studio/gallery 6

 Todd Hale is showing a bunch of new work, in a show called “New Work,” at his studio and gallery at 6 W Broad, called “studio/gallery 6.” You can see it tomorrow night, Thursday 3/2, then come back again to keep the symmetry of the repetitiveness of this post, and see it on Friday, 3/3.
mar s6

The Hillians at the Gallery @ 23

Two years ago, a group of neighbors began to meet in Shockoe Bottom to paint and create things. Slowly, week after week, as new people came and went, and new projects were started and finished, the Hillians emerged as a supportive and encouraging micro-community of artists.

Named after the many hills of Richmond (and since many members live in Church Hill) they are an eclectic group inspired by diverse things – nature, flowers, city life, Russian folklore, travel adventures, as well as each other.

When founding member Nadya Warthen-Gibson moved to Richmond and asked her neighborhood if anyone would be interested in meeting up to create, she planted a seed that has manifested into an exciting and life-giving network for creative people of all kinds, levels, ages and persuasions.

The Hillians welcome you to join them Tuesday evenings from 6-8:30pm at 324 N. 27th Street. You can see their group show this Friday at the Gallery at 23 (in the front hallway of the offices of Cornerstone Architects, next to Bistro 27.)

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mar g23

Artist Danny Trent at the RTD Gallery

Join the Richmond Times-Dispatch at the First Fridays Art Walk for an evening with artist Danny Trent. Trent is a modern painter who uses acrylics, mixed media and strong colors. His art is often shaped by a place, an event in history or a fictional influence.
 
Don’t miss out on an exclusive talk with the artist starting at 6:30 p.m. to learn about the process, techniques and inspiration behind his craft.
 
Light refreshments will be served.
 
Parking is free and will be available in the Richmond Times-Dispatch deck. The entrance is on 3rd Street between Grace and Franklin streets. RSVP here.
mar rtdg

“Rarities” continues at the Visual Art Studio

“Rarities,” an invitational group exhibition of artists represented by the Visual Art Studio continues for the First Friday art walk this week.
 
Rarities are collectors items, uncommon and unique. While some might think strange and unusual, the one-of-a-kind piece and the artists themselves are our city’s treasures, our Rarities, to be cherished. This is great opportunity to add to your collection or to start a collection while supporting some of Richmond’s most sought after artists.

Artists include Keith M. Ramsey, Greg Lewis, Susan Hribernik, Chris Semtner, Doug Sutherland, Dan Rhett, Melissa Messick, Nickolai Walko, Elaine Bankston, Susan Lamson and Anne Hart Chay.

“Rarities” will be on display through March 17, 2017.

"Unicycle" by Keith M Ramsey

“Unicycle” by Keith M Ramsey

“Aurora” by Susan Hribernik

Violet at Virginia Rep

Violet tells the story of a young woman’s quest for beauty amidst the image-obsessed landscape of the 1960s. Facially disfigured in a childhood accident, Violet dreams of a miraculous transformation through the power of faith. Convinced that a televangelist in Oklahoma can heal her, she hops a Greyhound bus and starts the journey of a lifetime. Produced with Cadence Theatre Company, Violet is on stage now through March 11th at the Theatre Gym at Virginia Repertory Theatre.

mar varep

“SPRING CLEANING” at Gallery5

“SPRING CLEANING,” a special 2-day-only print show and sale, opens for your perusal at Gallery5 this Friday night.

“Y’ALL ARE SO FAB,” a show of photos by Wes McQuillen, opens in the Richmond Independent Zine Library gallery!

And it wouldn’t be a Gallery5 show without killer music for your ears, so stick around to catch the bands.

mar g5

“Floating/faces” at 9WG

Floating/faces,” a new exhibition by artist Maggie O’Connor opens for the art walk at 9WG. Her mixed media work includes watercolor & ink, acrylic, beeswax, yarn and other materials.

mar 9wg

 

“We Are All Trayvon Martin” at 1708 Gallery

In “We Are All Trayvon Martin,” 1708 Gallery invites you to consider the role of the artist as witness to contemporary society. Rudy Shepherd’s paintings and drawings investigate current events: deceased pop culture icons, politicians, and both criminals and victims of crime. By presenting these portraits, including the artist’s self-portrait, with no visual distinctions, space is created for humanity to be recognized in people otherwise reduced to media headlines. This equalized rendering underscores the complexity of people and their stories; and the grey areas between innocence and guilt, or public and private.

Shepherd’s small-scale ceramic objects, called “Healing Devices,” are meant as a counterpoint to what can seem like the insurmountable social and political challenges of our day. They offer the potential to identify our shared humanity, in a tactile physical form, ultimately uniting us in our similarities, and perhaps cleansing the negative. In this way they pose a possible solution, while questioning the viewer’s belief in the power of art, and the power of belief.

mar 1708

“Obscura” at Elegba Folklore Society

Obscura” continues at Elegba Folklore Society.
 
From the Latin word for darkness, this exhibition of Nicole Wandera’s paintings lifts the veil off the superficial to reveal inner expressions of self. The portrayals, collectively, answer Wandera’s question, “Who are we and what part of ourselves do we allow others to see?” What the artist shows, through the subtle densities of pen, pencil and color pencil, is the interplay of internal energy fields, the environment of the “true self.”
feb efs

Summer Camp Preview at CodeVA

Join CodeVA for light hors d’oeuvres on Friday night as they showcase a selection of their Summer Camp classes. Visitors will move from station to station and complete a fun crafty or computer science exercise. This month’s event will be extra sweet as the Girls Scouts will be on hand and of course they’re bringing their famous cookies with them!
 
Camps being spotlighted are:
  • Crafty Computing
  • Robot Wrangling
  • Pixel Pictures
  • Animation
feb codeva

“Director’s Cut” at the Coalition

In a world where there are no scripts, big-budget cameras, props or costumes, a rag-tag team of improvisers must create a blockbuster movie live onstage. A suggestion from the audience powers this completely improvised show, as the performers weave together plotlines, characters, and dramatic twists so seamlessly you’d think it was scripted. To see this cinematic masterpiece for the only ever time in all of history, head to the Coalition Theater at 8pm on Friday for “Director’s Cut.”
ct_site_directorscut

“CHOP SHOP” at Candela

Candela Books + Gallery opens “CHOP SHOP” this Friday, an exhibition exploring the work of seven artists, who are transforming images through various processes of manipulation. Featured artists are: Nadine Boughton, Tom Chambers, Blythe King, Peter Brown Leighton, Lissa Rivera, Ayumi Tanaka, and Maggie Taylor.

Though each of the photographic works in this exhibition have been altered through digital manipulation, the tools of collage, illustration, deconstruction, redaction, surrealism are used in different measures by the exhibiting artists. By chiseling the foundation of their imagery, new perspectives are presented, as meaning shifts away from the real, slipping through different eras and otherworldly narratives.

Since it’s invention, the camera has been considered a truth telling instrument. But all along, there have been subversive applications, when depictions of the real have been pushed to suit the needs of the maker. So, information became less concrete and far more subjective and photography more mutable. Each of these artists, have uniquely embraced fabrication and the whole cloth creation of ideas, shaping reality by their own designs.

Peter Brown Leighton, "Man Lives Through Plutonium Blast," 2014. 10" x 7" Archival Pigment Print

Peter Brown Leighton, “Man Lives Through Plutonium Blast,” 2014. 10″ x 7″ Archival Pigment Print

 

Ayumi Tanaka "The path," from the series Wish You Were Here. 2014. 16" x 20" Silver Gelatin Print

Ayumi Tanaka “The path,” from the series Wish You Were Here. 2014. 16″ x 20″ Silver Gelatin Print

Maggie Taylor "What remains?," 2016. 22"x 22" Inkjet Print

Maggie Taylor “What remains?,” 2016. 22″x 22″ Inkjet Print

 

 

“Stir Your Imagination” at The Gallery at UNOS

The Steward School is home to over 400 artists in grades JK through 12th who are encouraged to stir their imaginations through art. The “Stir Your Imagination” exhibition, opening this week at the Gallery at UNOS features the works of 50 student artists – including “Nature’s Beauty” by senior Karen Lane – in a wide variety of mediums from acrylic paint, photography, graphite and colored pencils, clay, fused and slumped glass, oil pastels and mixed media.

The students and faculty of The Steward School have a close connection to United Network for Organ Sharing and embrace The Gallery at UNOS’ mission of increasing awareness of organ transplantation and donation. Two Steward families have had loved ones give the Gift of Life and be organ donors.

mar unos

“Maternity Leave: Para-Natural Pregnancies” at Sediment Arts

“Maternity Leave: Para-Natural Pregnancies” opens Friday at Sediment Arts. The exhibit is a collection of six suits that invoke notions of “anti-fertility” and preternatural birth. Exploring various birthing phenomena through mythmaking, the outfits work to disintegrate the stigmas, regulations, and narratives surrounding the relationship between having a uterus and giving birth.

Artists Devin Harclerode and Kristen Sanders use wearable suits as their medium, giving power to the performative identity.

“We deconstruct conventional outfit making materials to imagine a fashion that can shift our reality of what giving birth means. Our labor is interested in appropriating ‘women’s work,’ emphasizing its gendering and selling ready-to-wear accessories to subvert the unpaid status of domestic and reproductive labor.

“The collection examines how pregnancy and birth distorts and redefines what is human and thus what is “femininity”. The aim is to shift the stigmas in the positive by investigating phenomena such as scifi human-alien hybrid birth, fetus mutation, Hippocrates’ treatises on infertile woman, female hominid ancestors, ancient birth control, and witchcraft.
Ultimately, our suits embody characters that evoke the prehuman, the human, and the parahuman – considering metaphorical fertility as something fluid and something to weaponize.”

mar sediment

March First Friday at the library

The following exhibits will be on display at the Richmond Public Library for the month of March.

In the Gellman Room – “Our Arts Desire” – Virginia Union University Fine Arts students, expressing their dreams, aspirations, and freedom to create works of art, exhibit a variety of 2-D work, including photography, painting, and drawing

In the Dooley Foyer & Dooley Hall – original artwork by students from Richmond Public Schools Richmond Public Schools in celebration of Youth Art Month. Opening reception will feature musical performances by RPS students.

In the 2nd Floor Gallery – artwork in all media by the Thomas Dale High School Visual Arts Department in celebration of Youth Art Month

The First Friday opening-night reception for the artists will be held on Friday, March 3 from 6:30-9pm.

Save the Date – March’s First Friday

0317 STD image

The Valentine’s Community Conversation on Arts & Education

The Valentine is hosting the seventh iteration of its Community Conversations series. The purpose of the series is to engage audiences in a dialogue about the region’s past and how that past can positively shape our collective future.

The Valentine is partnering with The Capital Region Collaborative, Richmond magazine and TMI Consulting, Inc., to present public discussions about values and community indicators in Richmond. Each Community Conversation features a panel of local experts from organizations that can best represent the given topic and the issues surrounding that topic.

February’s topic is “Arts & Education,” and features panelists Lucinda McDermott Piro (from Richmond CenterStage), Scott Garka (from CultureWorks Richmond), and Gina Lyles (from ART 180). It will be held tomorrow, Tuesday, Feb 7th, at 6pm, at the Robinson Theater Community Arts Center. (Full details here.)

All Community Conversations are free and open to the public.

Sponsored by Altria and the Robins Foundation.

feb valentine

 

February’s First Friday – the roundup

Here’s the full list of places that I know have events happening tonight, in no particular order:

Verdalina
Mod&Soul
1708 Gallery
Ledbury (featuring Charm School and Neely & Chloe)
Steady Sounds & Blue Bones Vintage
Ada Gallery
ART 180
Candela Books + Gallery
Visual Art Studio
Quirk Gallery
Coalition Theater
Elegba Folklore Society
Gallery5
EDIT: an art gallery for good.
Richmond Public Library
Richmond Times-Dispatch
TheatreLAB
Virginia Repertory Theatre
Depot Gallery (At the Anderson)
HI Richmond Hostel
Sediment Arts
CodeVA
Endeavor RVA
Linden Row Inn
Rosewood Clothing Co.
MOB – Middle of Broad & Storefront for Community Design
University of Richmond Downtown
WRIR 97.3 fm Richmond Independent Radio‘s Party for the Rest of Us at The Renaissance

Stay tuned for the list of trolley stops!!

February at the library

The following exhibits will be on display at the Richmond Public Library for the month of February.
 
In the Gellman Room – “Strata” – mixed media paintings and glass works exploring the layers of the natural world and the patterns seen in the Earth and topography, which translate into repetitive layers of paint, paper, and glass, by Richmond artist Liz Hale
 
In the Dooley Foyer – “Adventure with Colors and Textures” – abstract expressionist paintings, inspired by emotion and movement, combine acrylic paint with mixed media collage by Richmond artist Bridget Houlihan
 
In the Dooley Hall – “77” – an impressionistic, imaginative series of acrylic paintings that border the realms of realism and fantasy, inspired by her dreams, by Richmond artist Anita E. Davis
 
In the 2nd Floor Gallery – “Joys of Light and Water” – a collection of paintings that plays off those insightful, playful, and joyous moments when light and water touch our spirit, flow, and illuminate our earth by Richmond artist JDE2.
 
The First Friday opening-night reception for the artists will be held on Friday, February 3 from 6:30-9pm.
 

“Obscura” opens at Elegba Folklore Society

Nicole Wandera’s paintings, a collection called “Obscura,” opens tonight at Elegba Folklore Society, in a reception from 5p – 9p. “Obscura” runs through April 30, 2017.
 
From the Latin word for darkness, this exhibition lifts the veil off the superficial to reveal inner expressions of self. The portrayals, collectively, answer Wandera’s question, “Who are we and what part of ourselves do we allow others to see?” What the artist shows, through the subtle densities of pen, pencil and color pencil, is the interplay of internal energy fields, the environment of the “true self.”
feb efs

Richmond Famous & the 20th anniversary of “The Persistance of Memory” at the Coalition

Tonight at the Coalition Theater, it’s a two-fer to celebrate Richmond legend Harry Kollatz Jr.!
 
At 8pm, it’s a new edition of Richmond Famous ($10)
 
The Coalition’s all-improvised show series, Richmond Famous, features live and totally unscripted comedy, created on the spot and inspired by the true stories of some of RVA’s most interesting people.
 
Harry Kollatz Jr., a native Richmonder born in a hospital now gone condo and raised on an Edsel farm in Chesterfield County, is the elderly journalist-in-residence at Richmond magazine, an historian prone to occasional spasms of theater, and a general bon vivant, raconteur and flaneur, and some other French words we can’t really use in a family environment. He is perhaps best know for his ‘Lee’s Chicken Sign Weather Report,” Richmond’s Most Trusted Name In Weather ®. Mr. Kollatz appears in “Richmond Famous” through an arrangement with his wife, the artist Amie Oliver.
 
And at 10pm, stick around for “The Persistence of Memory: 20th Anniversary Performance” ($10)
 
1966: A committee seeks Salvador Dalí to design a statute honoring Southern women for Monument Avenue.
 
1996: Harry Kollatz Jr. writes “The Persistence of Memory,” based on the events ’66. A full production is made by the Firehouse Theatre Project in April 1997.
 
2017: The Coalition Theater and the 5th Wall Theater collaborate on a one-night staged reading of “The Persistence of Memory,” with several cast members who performed in the show 20 years before.
ct_site_famouskollatz-2

“The Future is Calling | The Present is Fleeting | The Past is Calling” at the Anderson

The Depot Gallery presents the opening reception of “The Future is Calling | The Present is Fleeting | The Past is Calling” on Friday, February 3 from 5-8 pm at the Anderson gallery!
 
Evolution, regression, progress, change — these are all part of the human experience. It is in our nature to draw attention to forward progress and positive evolution, with hopes and desires for what the future may bring. Reflection on the past informs the present moment, yet the present is never fixed and is always escaping our grasp. The ephemerality of life, anxieties surrounding change and stagnation, and frank observations of the world are all on display in this exhibition. Bringing together work by thirty-six artists, “the future is calling | the present is fleeting | the past is calling” takes visitors through personal histories, shares anxieties, and communicates hopefulness for the future which is always just a moment away.
feb depot

“In*Ter*Ven*Tions” at HI Richmond Hostel

Interventions are moments of pause, moments of reflection. They are moments of agency, of initiative, and of action. “In*Ter*Ven*Tions” opens Friday at HI Richmond Hostel!

Featuring the work of:

Aki Vander Laan
Kasha Killingsworth
Lizz Bruce
Mignon Hemsley
Mikayla Baumgartner
Perrin Turner

feb hi

Summer Camp showcase at CodeVA

Join CodeVA for light hors d’oeuvres as they showcase their Summer Camp classes. Visitors will be able to move from station to station to sample a selection of the classes offered in the Eureka Summer Camps this year.
 
Camps being spotlighted are:
Crafty Computing
Robot Wrangling
Pixel Pictures
Animation
feb codeva

1/2 price rush tickets to “Airline Highway” at VaRep

This Friday on the art walk, Virginia Repertory Theatre will be selling half-price RUSH tickets to “Airline Highway” at 8pm! It could be the perfect way to end an art-filled evening after touring the galleries.
 
Lisa D’Amour, a fifth-generation New Orleans native, creates an intimate perspective on The Big Easy and its outcasts. In the parking lot of the Hummingbird Motel, friends gather to pay their last respects to Miss Ruby, an iconic burlesque queen. Echoing the spontaneity and rich texture of jazz, this gritty comedy celebrates unpolished New Orleans and the colorful, fractured characters that define the city’s spirit.
feb varep

“Post-Domination” at ada

Opening Friday at Ada Gallery from 7-9pm, “Post-Domination,” by Jakob Boeskov.
feb ada

“Taking Refuge!” at Endeavor RVA

Endeavor RVA hosts “Taking Refuge!” for this week’s art walk. Younan Ghebrial has become a good friend of Endeavor, and he also happens to be in America as a refugee from Egypt. Younan is business owner, print maker, painter, and reinvented the process of making papyrus. Younan is Endeavor’s first outside-of-Richmond, let alone outside-of-country artist to collaborate with the studio. He will be onsite all night alongside the IRC (International Rescue Committee), who helped him find a job, gain an entry level understanding of our culture, as well as learn the basics of English.

Endeavor hopes to encourage an understanding of immigrants coming into this country and just how much it takes to do so. Endeavor wants to bolster understanding through different languages and cultures in a way that proves just how much people from around the world can enhance our own culture. Furthermore, you have a chance to embrace another’s story completely different from your own. The show is about empathy and support for a process and a man who has walked that path. In the coming political climate, there’s no better time to do so.

Younan will be share his talents on the walls of the Endeavor studio with screen prints and paintings all the way from Egypt on his hand-made papyrus depicting the ancient mythology of Egyptian hieroglyphs, deities, and long lost rituals. All of the work will be for sale, with profits to aid Younan, The IRC, and Endeavor. Come out and enjoy the night, and you just may have a shift of perspective and understanding – if you’re willing

feb endeav

“Life” at EDIT: gallery

Life,” a show opening this week for First Fridays at EDIT: an art gallery for good, features work by Karen Swenholt, a figurative sculptor who lives and works in Northern Virginia.
 
Influences from the West Coast’s Bay Area Figurative Movement combined with the emotional power of abstract expressionism from her East Coast studies and origins to form the foundation of Swenholt’s work today. The rough painterly surfaces of her sculptures contrast with their grace, conveying emotion and movement.
 
Jerry Eisley, director of Washington Arts Group says, “Her works are alive, powerful and vibrant with a contemporary edge; always telling a story. Whether allegorical or personal, her figures move, speaking to the viewer of some spiritual dimension of life.”
feb edit

Call to action at Rosewood

Join Rosewood Clothing Co. at the shop for First Friday to write your Senators/Representatives and get your voice heard! The folks at Rosewood will be providing printed postcards, where/who to mail them to + a diy table so you can get creative! Mark your calendars 2/3, 6-9pm!!
feb rosewood

Golden Hammer design prototypes at Storefront

This Friday, February 3rd (6:30p to 8:30p) come down to 2nd and Broad to check out student designers’ prototypes for the Golden Hammer Awards. For the past two weeks, MOB – Middle of Broad students have been tasked with redesigning the award given out at the Golden Hammer Awards, hosted this year by Historic Richmond and Storefront for Community Design.

feb sfcd

CABIN FEVER at 1708

This Saturday, 1708 Gallery hosts their annual art auction, with this year’s special guest, Sonya Clark, chair of the VCU School of the Arts Craft and Material Studies Department.

CABIN FEVER will include Live and Silent Art Auctions with new art by the region’s best emerging and established artists. The Live Auction artwork will be on view at 1708 Gallery for First Fridays, as well as on Saturday during the official event. The Silent Auction artwork will be displayed next door at Black Iris / West Broad, and will also be on view Friday (or by appointment at other times).

The annual art auction provides significant support for 1708’s exhibitions and programs. Purchase admission or sponsorship to CABIN FEVER using the secure PayPal button at www.1708gallery.org or call 804.643.1708.

feb 1708

“Richmond Justice” at UR Downtown

“Richmond Justice” opens this Friday at University of Richmond Downtown. This exhibition features a year-long project produced by Hannah Ayers and Lance Warren of the Field Studio. Each week in 2016, Richmond Justice revealed a new portrait and story about a Richmonder whose life was shaped in some way by the justice system.

Come and meet the remarkable individuals behind the stories you read in 2016 and fellow Richmond Justice readers during this special RVA First Fridays event. See the portraits, enjoy refreshments, and talk with distinguished guests. There will be a special gallery talk at 6 p.m.

ur feb

By The Grace Of God continues at Candela Gallery

Candela Gallery presents By The Grace Of God, the gallery’s second solo show from Richmond, Virginia based photographer, Susan Worsham.

Over the past nine-years, Susan Worsham has let curiosity and a sense of nostalgia guide her, traveling quiet roads, to warmly lit places, engaging with people she meets along the way. Her portraits illustrate collaborative reflections of fleeting moments shared between strangers. Images of backyards, shrouded by overgrowth, lush with vivid color are rich with a deeper truth. Dated facades, blanketed by dust, are each a chronicle of time’s passage. Worsham’s work often serves as metaphor for her own life experiences.

Through brief encounters, Worsham rediscovers the rusting edges of her own southern childhood. The photographs delicately impart a sense of intimacy, and enigmatic symbolism. The experience of this exhibition will be inimitable, poetic and deeply personal, drawing inspiration in equal parts from the artist’s memories of family, from the southern landscape, and from the commingled confusion of sadness and beauty.

jan candela

jan candela 2jan candela 3

“Now See Us, Hear Us” at Sediment Arts

Continuing the current discourse, Sediment Arts hosts “Now See Us, Hear Us,” featuring works and messages that respond to the social political climate at this moment. After the election, after the inauguration, after the marches, we are still in dialogue. Using the gallery as a platform and place of meditation, let us reflect on these past weeks, let us continue the exchange. Let us mark this time of action and the sound of our voices. Let us allow the energies we are collectively building continue to move us.

The call for submissions is still open: submit videos by Thursday the 2nd, 2D by Friday the 3rd. Show runs Friday from 5-10pm. Details here.

feb sed 3

Still from video submission by Lindsay Garcia: "Mice | Ice".

Still from video submission by Lindsay Garcia: “Mice | Ice”.

 

Still from video submission by Thamine Nayeem: "I Choose Openness."

Still from video submission by Thamine Nayeem: “I Choose Openness.”

“Dearest Margaret” at Quirk Gallery

Mary Scurlock’s “Dearest Margaret” continues for this week’s art walk at Quirk Gallery. Scurlock’s mixed media pieces incorporate handwriting samples taken from letters to her mother, Margaret, written weekly by her father while he was stationed overseas. “It had been years since I laid eyes on this private exchange between my parents but I went to great lengths to find them again after my mother’s passing [in early 2016]. Both my father and mother were present again for me in the story recorded on these fragile and decaying pages; it was with a resolve that I set out to preserve them and honor their memory….As the handwritten word fades from our collective memories, these works become not only about the grieving process, but an invitation to the viewer to consider the letter itself as an artifact of a shared history. A once vital part of a human need for connection, the handwritten letter that served as a personal witness to a life is beginning to disappear from the physical landscape a life leaves behind.”
feb quirk

Free trolley rides this week

Free rides on the RVA Trolley this week to move you around the Art Walk! Stops for-sure outside University of Richmond Downtown, Virginia Repertory Theatre, and Bistro 27. The final list of stops will be posted on Friday afternoon.
green trolley

Small Art with Big Heart auction preview

Preview the Small Art with Big Heart auction pieces for the upcoming Richmond Animal League fundraiser, Sugar and Spice. Art will be displayed for all to see and you can even bid on your favorite pieces online before the Small Art with Big Heart official silent auction event on Feburary 25th. Final bidding will take place the night of Sugar and Spice. This Small Art with Big Heart preview event is FREE, and is hosted at the Virginia Interactive offices at 119 W Broad St.

feb ral

“Watershed” continues at the Linden Row Inn

Watershed,” a satellite exhibit from 1708 Gallery, continues at the Linden Row Inn this First Friday. “Watershed” features works by Andras Bality, Pierre Bowring, Genesis Chapman, David Freed, Andrea Keys Connell, Alex Nyerges, and Sayaka Suzuki.
 
Each artist presenting work in “Watershed” creates art that evokes the power, beauty and fragility of The James River and the watershed basin that feeds it. Richmond’s origins are a combination of geography, memory and the will of humanity, all waterborne. Recent landmarks in the political, environmental and cultural climate inspire us to embrace what sustains us. These seven artists create art that functions as a bridge for questioning and understanding political and environmental change.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

feb lri

“Grand Concourse” at TheatreLAB

“Grand Concourse” opens this week at TheatreLAB, as part of the The Acts of Faith Inspired Theatre Festival.

Having dedicated her life to religious service, Shelley runs a Bronx soup kitchen with unsentimental efficiency, but lately her heart’s not quite in it. Her brisk nature masks an unsettling fear that her efforts are meaningless. When Emma – an idealistic but confused college dropout – arrives to volunteer, her reckless mix of generosity and self-involvement pushes Shelley to the breaking point. With keen humor and startling compassion, Heidi Schreck’s play navigates the mystery of faith, the limits of forgiveness, and the pursuit of something resembling joy.

Tickets and more available here.

feb tl

Jonas Fricke & more at Gallery 5

Gallery5 opens a new show from visionary Vermont artist Jonas Fricke, this Friday for the art walk. As part of the First Fridays party, Fricke will be performing under the moniker If Not I Than Who Then at 9pm, with other performances by Young Scum and Hill Walkers. In the Richmond Independent Zine Library, check out the Richmond Resists show.

feb g5

Open Studio Series at ART 180

Young artists from ART 180‘s fall 2016 community programs will be celebrated throughout February as they share their artwork with the public. Selections from this year’s Open Studio Series that took place in January at Gallery5 will be displayed in ART 180’s Atlas Gallery throughout the month.

Led by local professional artists, the creative projects featured in the show are:

Song Writing by Charterhouse School
Papier Mache Taxidermy by St. Joseph’s Villa (Richmond, VA)
Spirit Masks by Fairfield Middle School/ Communities In Schools of Richmond (CIS)
Super Hero Capes by Redd Elizabeth D Elementary/CIS
Illuminate Sculpture by St. Andrew’s School
Cycle Animation Project by Richmond Juvenile Detention Center
Board Games Navigating Change by Lucille M. Brown Middle School/ NextUp RVA
Fantasy Creatures by Northstar Academy
Personal Identity Mandalas by Bon Air Juvenile Correctional Center
Lyrics & Movement by The Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club
Collaborative Cookbooks by Binford Middle School/CIS
Sculpture & Storytelling by L. Douglas Wilder Middle School/CIS

ART 180 will host an opening reception for the exhibition on Friday, February 3, from 6-9 p.m. during RVA First Fridays.­ The reception is family friendly, open to the public, and features an all-ages activity.

feb a180

Andrea Donnelly trunk show at Verdalina

Verdalina hosts Andrea Donnelly this Friday, for a trunk show with her gorgeous woven scarves. Pop in between 4 and 9 and meet the artist.

feb verdalina

Neely & Chloe trunk show at Ledbury

Ledbury on Broad will be hosting a two-day trunk show with NYC-based women’s accessory line, Neely & Chloe, on Friday, February 3 and Saturday, February 4.

Pop into their flagship showroom on Friday, February 3 from 5-7pm for a cocktail party with the founders of Neely & Chloe and enjoy some bubbly poured by The Barrel Thief and treats from neighbors Charm School!

Saturday, February 4, the party continues again from 12-5pm.

Neely & Chloe will offer free embossment with each purchase. Their line of luxe leather bags and accessories make perfect Valentine’s Day gifts. (HINT HINT.)

feb ledbury

WRIR’s “Party For The Rest Of Us”

Independent media is more important than ever and WRIR 97.3 fm Richmond Independent Radio is thrilled to celebrate its 12th birthday with the Richmond community!

The annual “Party For The Rest Of Us” directly supports WRIR programming, plus on this special night you’ll see live performances that showcase Richmond’s vibrant arts and music culture, including:

People’s Blues of Richmond
Beex
Yeni Nostalji
Doll baby
Richmond Avant Improvisational Collective (https://www.facebook.com/Richmond.Avant.Improv.Collective)
HEADLESSMANTIS
Satellite Syndicate
Harry Partch Appreciation Society
RVA Comedy Standup showcase
WRIR DJs

Plus free food and birthday cake!

7pm Doors and Entertainment
$15 donation

feb wrir

“Rarities” at the Visual Art Studio

“Rarities,” an invitational group exhibition of artists represented by the Visual Art Studio opens on First Friday February 3 with a reception and live music from Sonika from 7-10PM.
 
Rarities are collectors items, uncommon and unique. While some might think strange and unusual, the one-of-a-kind piece and the artists themselves are our city’s treasures, our Rarities, to be cherished. This is great opportunity to add to your collection or to start a collection while supporting some of Richmond’s most sought after artists.
 
Confirmed artists include Keith M. Ramsey, Greg Lewis, Susan Hribernik, Chris Semtner, Doug Sutherland, Dan Rhett, Melissa Messick, Nickolai Walko, Elaine Bankston, Susan Lamson and Anne Hart Chay.
 
Join the gallery for cake during the opening as they celebrate 20 years at their “new” location! “Rarities” will be on display through March 17, 2017.

"Unicycle" by Keith M Ramsey

“Unicycle” by Keith M Ramsey

 

"Aurora" by Susan Hribernik

“Aurora” by Susan Hribernik

Eliza B Askin at the RTD Gallery

Join the Richmond Times-Dispatch at the First Fridays Art Walk for an evening with artist Eliza B. Askin. Illustrating Richmond for over 37 years, Askin’s unique artwork focuses on pen-and-ink line drawings of local neighborhoods and landmarks. During the exhibit, you can view and purchase her prints and original artwork.

Plus, don’t miss out on an exclusive talk with the artist starting at 6:30 p.m. to learn more about the process, techniques and inspiration behind her craft.

Light refreshments will be served.

Parking is free and will be available in the Richmond Times-Dispatch deck. The entrance is on 3rd Street between Grace and Franklin streets.

feb rtd

Save the date – February 3rd

next artwalk 2-3-17

Next #rvafirstfridays is February 3rd. Get it in your calendars now!

(Pro-tip: just make it a recurring calendar event, and then you’ll always be there. The art walk is on the first Friday of every month. Funny how that works! ?)

Credits: ? by @nacandela, at @gallery5arts

January’s First Friday – the roundup

Here are all the locations I know about for tonight’s First Fridays Art Walk (which, YES, is still happening!) Bundle up, buttercup!

Quirk Gallery
Ada Gallery
9WG Studios
The Gallery at UNOS (United Network for Organ Sharing)
Richmond Public Library
Candela Books + Gallery
Visual Art Studio
ART 180
Gallery5
Rosewood Clothing Co.
Linden Row Inn
Coalition Theater
Rider Boot Shop
The Mix Gallery

jan snow

*tonight’s lack of snow, TBH. If tomorrow’s forecast was actually for today, you couldn’t pry us out of our cozy blanket caves even if you promised us the city’s last loaf of bread.

“Under the Flowers” at Ada Gallery

Opening Friday, January 6th, Ricardo Vicente Jose Ruiz & Leyla Mozayen present “Under the Flowers” at Ada Gallery.

jan ada

American Documentary at the Coalition Theater

America! A land rich in hidden history and untold stories. In “American Documentary,” an improvised documentary series from the Coalition Theater, they take you on a journey to discover the interesting people, places, and events that you’d never hear of otherwise.

With an opening act from Zoggin, improv comedy based on the work of Werner Herzog.

ct_documentary_site-1

“Watershed” at Linden Row Inn

1708 Gallery is pleased to present Watershed, a satellite exhibition at Linden Row Inn on view through March 5, 2017. Watershed features works by Andras Bality, Pierre Bowring, Genesis Chapman, David Freed, Andrea Keys Connell, Alex Nyerges, and Sayaka Suzuki.

Each artist presenting work in Watershed creates art that evokes the power, beauty and fragility of The James River and the watershed basin that feeds it. Richmond’s origins are a combination of geography, memory and the will of humanity, all waterborne. Recent landmarks in the political, environmental and cultural climate inspire us to embrace what sustains us. These seven artists create art that functions as a bridge for questioning and understanding political and environmental change.

A reception for Watershed will be held on Friday, January 6th from 6 – 8 p.m.

jan linden2

Alex Nyerges, James River Fog, 11.17.13, #9823, Archival Print on Museo Silver Rag, 17″ x 22″.

 

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Andras Bality, JRP 15 Parents Day at Passages Adventure Camp, oil on canvas, 2015.

“Toma! Toma! Toma!” at Gallery5

Join Gallery5 for their monthly First Fridays gallery opening and celebration. “Toma! Toma! Toma!” a show of large-scale paintings by local artist Nick Candela, opens in the main gallery, and “Richmond Resists,” a show of resistance movement art and artifacts, opens in the Library.
 
The First Friday party will feature music from Pete Curry, Red Feather, and FuzzQueen.
jan g5

“Images of Perfection and Doubt” at ART 180

Images of Perfection and Doubt,” an exhibition of mixed media collages and poetry, opens January 6 and spotlights ART 180’s most recent projects in creative expression.

Sydney Collier and Tomiko Tamashiro guided young artists in exploring different facets of identity through watercolors and yoga practices based on a weekly theme. These works were then used to create individual collages representing how the world views them. Roscoe Burnems and Paula Gillison led a group of students in a self-reflective poetry program resulting in both personal “I AM” poems and a collaborative piece that will be performed twice on First Friday, at 7 p.m. and again at 8 p.m. Finally, Latasha Dunston and Ian Horwitz led a group of teens in the process of discovering themselves and their relationship to the city by creating multi-media maps of their neighborhoods.

ART 180 will host an opening reception for the exhibition on Friday, January 6, from 6-9 p.m. during RVA First Fridays. The reception is family friendly, open to the public, and features an all-ages activity.

jan a180

“Dearest Margaret” and “Scrapbook” at Quirk

The exhibits of the new year at Quirk Gallery feature two Richmond artists, Mary Scurlock and Pam Sutherland, both showing at the gallery for the very first time. This show hasn’t even opened yet and it’s already hitting me in the feels…
jan quirk
 
Mary Scurlock’s mixed media pieces incorporate handwriting samples taken from letters to her mother, Margaret, written weekly by her father while he was stationed overseas. “It had been years since I laid eyes on this private exchange between my parents but I went to great lengths to find them again after my mother’s passing [in early 2016]. Both my father and mother were present again for me in the story recorded on these fragile and decaying pages; it was with a resolve that I set out to preserve them and honor their memory….As the handwritten word fades from our collective memories, these works become not only about the grieving process, but an invitation to the viewer to consider the letter itself as an artifact of a shared history. A once vital part of a human need for connection, the handwritten letter that served as a personal witness to a life is beginning to disappear from the physical landscape a life leaves behind.”
 
Mary Scurlock’s work will be featured in Quirk’s Main Gallery January 6 through February 19. The Mezzanine at Quirk Hotel will feature new work by Pam Sutherland January 6 through March 12. This exhibit is comprised of a series of collages on paper, each “prompted by a single scrapbook page. The scrapbook itself was scavenged from a random drawer of a deceased friend and colleague, Kevin Kelly, months after he passed away.” Sutherland’s new pieces, like Scurlock’s, evoke a sense of sentimentality and seek to honor loved ones lost.
 
A reception with the artists will be held at Quirk Gallery on Friday, January 13 from 5:00 to 8:00 pm. You’re invited to attend and toast these talented Richmond artists and the beginning of an exciting exhibition year at Quirk.

“River Journeys” closes at the Visual Art Studio

River Journeys” by Susan Lamson closes this month at the Visual Art Studio. See it again this First Friday January 6th.

“River Journeys” is a unique perspective of the juxtaposition between the architecture of our beautiful River City and the natural beauty that surrounds it. This new series features hand detailed fine art giclees in triptych, multiple and single panels by one of Richmond’s most popular artists known for her PhotoImpressions.

nov vas

dec vas

“By The Grace Of God” at Candela Gallery

Candela Gallery is pleased to announce By The Grace Of God, the gallery’s second solo show from Richmond, Virginia based photographer, Susan Worsham.

Over the past nine-years, Susan Worsham has let curiosity and a sense of nostalgia guide her, traveling quiet roads, to warmly lit places, engaging with people she meets along the way. Her portraits illustrate collaborative reflections of fleeting moments shared between strangers. Images of backyards, shrouded by overgrowth, lush with vivid color are rich with a deeper truth. Dated facades, blanketed by dust, are each a chronicle of time’s passage. Worsham’s work often serves as metaphor for her own life experiences.

jan candela

Through brief encounters, Worsham rediscovers the rusting edges of her own southern childhood. The photographs delicately impart a sense of intimacy, and enigmatic symbolism. The experience of this exhibition will be inimitable, poetic and deeply personal, drawing inspiration in equal parts from the artist’s memories of family, from the southern landscape, and from the commingled confusion of sadness and beauty.

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A preview reception & artist talk will take place Thursday, January 5th, from 5-8pm.

The exhibition will open to the public Friday, January 6th, from 5-9pm.

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“Bringing the AT to RVA” at RPL’s Main Branch

The following exhibits will be on display from Friday, January 6, through Tuesday, January 31 at the Richmond Public Library’s Main Branch:

In the Gellman Room – “Bringing the AT to RVA” – a hiker’s solo journey along the Appalachian Trail as told through vivid wilderness photographs by Richmond artist Cheryl Hadrych

View of Lake Fontana from Shuckstack

View of Lake Fontana from Shuckstack

In the Dooley Foyer – “A Glimpse of Happiness” – surprising and refreshing new works, involving a mixture of everything from paint and fabric to feathers and flowers, by Richmond artist Titus Marques

In the Dooley Hall – “From This Earth” – black and white gelatin silverprints of nature by Richmond artist Rebecca Taylor

In the 2nd Floor Gallery – “Paintings of Trains and Nature” – paintings in acrylic by Petersburg actor and free-lance artist Christopher C. Alexander, IV

“Cityscapes in Noir” continues at 9WG

Keith Ramsey‘s solo show of moody silhouettes, “Cityscapes in Noir,” continues at 9WG this week.

The “CITYSCAPES IN NOIR” series demonstrates personal, emotional conflict and social disconnection through deliberate placement of shadow and light to draw attention to isolated subjects in the paintings. These works painted with oil and acrylic on canvas and paper are inspired by American painters Edward Hopper and Charles Sheeler.
 

jan 9wg

Then, for a completely different vibe from the same artist, pop upstairs to check out work from his Pipe Dreams series.

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December’s Trolley Stops

Since every month is a little different with regard to which galleries participate, our trolley stops are slightly different tonight.

As always, the trolley is free to ride from 5-9pm. Just hop on/hop off.

Stops at:

  • 3rd and Broad (in front of Code VA, TheatreLAB, and Bijou Film Center.)
  • Jefferson and Broad (in front of Virginia Rep)
  • Franklin St near the Anderson Gallery
  • Franklin & 2nd (at the Richmond Public Library)
  • and by request, Franklin & 4th (near the Richmond Times-Dispatch)

Tell your friends! <3

sep trolley

December’s First Friday – the roundup

And here it is! The monthly wrap! This is everywhere that I know of that has something going on tonight, in no particular order:

1708 Gallery
9WG Studios
Abbatoir Studios (above Sediment)
Ada Gallery
ART 180
Bijou Film Center
Candela Books + Gallery
The RVA Tonight Christmas Spectacular (by the Coalition Theater, at the The Byrd Theatre & Foundation)
EDIT: an art gallery for good.
Elegba Folklore Society
Gallery5
Richmond Public Library
Richmond Times-Dispatch
Quirk Gallery
TheatreLAB
Visual Art Studio
Virginia Repertory Theatre
Depot Gallery (hosting an exhibit at the VCU Anderson Gallery)
HI Richmond Hostel (with I AM MY LIFE)
Mama J’s (in the event space at 1st and Clay)
Sediment Arts
Richmond Symphony (at the Carpenter Theatre at Dominion Arts Center)

We’ll also have our FREE RVA Trolley making the circuit all night. Info on stops coming soon!

See you out there in a few short hours!

“My Friend’s Cat is Cute” at Sediment Arts

Join the release of Nicole Killian’s limited edition publication produced specifically for her exhibition at Sediment Arts, My Friend’s Cat is Cute. Tonight, from 6-9.
dec sed

Handel’s Messiah from the Richmond Symphony

Join the Richmond Symphony, Richmond Symphony Chorus and an exceptional cast of soloists for the holiday classic Handel’s Messiah. The concert will be led by Richmond Symphony Chorus Director, Erin R. Freeman and held at the Carpenter Theatre, Dominion Arts Center.
 
Tickets start at $20 online at richmondsymphony.com or by calling 1.800.514.ETIX.
dec richsymph

The Depot Gallery’s “Mullet” at the Anderson

The closing reception of the Depot Gallery‘s “Mullet” exhibit is this Friday, December 2 from 5 – 8 pm at the VCU Anderson Gallery!

Mullet: business in the front, party in the back. But what is in between? The liminal space separating the front and back. The melding between opposing forms with identical intentions. Physical and digital art, while existing in disparate forms, contain the same conceptual, contextual, and theoretical underpinnings of fine art. Physical work is the business of the art world, more widely exhibited in the gallery world and considered a profitable commodity. Digital work is the party, encouraging audiences to play and experiment. The heart of the mullet is the space between, mullet, as an exhibition, lives in the space for physical and digital art.dec depot

 

Artist Alley at Mama J’s

Mama J’s​ returns to the art walk tomorrow night with all the goods you could possibly need: food, drinks, art, and music. If none of those check your boxes… come out anyway and we’ll change your mind.

Stop by the event space on the corner of 1st and Clay on Friday 12/2 from 6-9p to experience a great 1st Friday vibe! Local artwork, live music, happy hour drinks, free apps and check out the intimate event space. FREE!! Music by DJ Nobe. Performance by Jessica.d.woodson@gmail.com Snydor. Visual art by Justice Dwight! Welcome Home! #FirstFridays @rvafirstfridays #ArtDistrict #Art #Music #MamaJsRVA #EventSpace #RVA #MamaJs #ArtWalk #EatRVA #DineRVA #VisitRichmond #DJNobe @dj_nobe #JessicaSnyder @jamseshjess #JusticeDwight @justicedwight Graphics by @thisiseddiej #EddieJohnson

dec mj

I AM MY LIFE at HI Richmond Hostel

HI Richmond Hostel welcomes I AM MY LIFE on First Friday!
 
“I AM MY LIFE is about teaching, promoting, and inspiring inclusive education through the power of personal narrative. I AM MY LIFE helps transform adversity into positive, creative material for personal growth and community engagement.”
 
You can contribute to and learn more about the Storybank at First Friday!
dec hihostel

An evening with staff photographers at the RTD Gallery

Join the Richmond Times-Dispatch on the First Fridays Art Walk for an evening with RTD staff photographers.
 
During the latest exhibit at the RTD Gallery, you can see and purchase some of their best work in our downtown gallery, which offers an opportunity to have a glimpse into the world beyond their lenses. Photos will be on sale, framed, unframed, and on canvas, and they’re a perfect gift for anyone on your holiday shopping list!
dec rtd

Sparkle Plenty 11 at Quirk Gallery

Sparkle Plenty, Quirk Gallery‘s annual celebration of the prettiest baubles and bling is back for its 11th year! Four amazing artists take over the gallery with jewelry stunning enough to hang on your walls when you’re not wearing it out.
 
dec quirk 2

“Yuletide Monsters 2016: A Krampus Art Show” at Gallery 5

It’s time for Gallery5‘s “Yuletide Monsters 2016: A Krampus Art Show,” the annual group show dedicated to everyone’s favorite yuletide monster, a co-production with RVA Krampusnacht. Come for the art, music, and shopping at Gallery 5 on Friday, and join the parade Saturday night in Carytown (details on the event page here.)

Bring toys to put in Krampus Kinder Nacht Box during the art walk, to benefit Scares That Care!, an organization dedicated to uniting horror fans to help sick kids and women fight breast cancer.

dec g5

“Welcome Refugees” at EDIT

Photographer Emily Patton, is showing photographs from her many travels within the country of Turkey this month at EDIT: an art gallery for good.

Welcome Refugees” is focused on the current refugee crisis happening in Turkey. Come out for First Friday to see portraits of Iraqi and Syrian people and hear their stories.

dec edit

“Foot Soldiers – Voting Rights. Civil Rights. Human Rights” at Elegba Folklore Society

In light of this months’s historic election and its tumultuous runup and aftermath, it’s worth examining the country’s uneven history in deciding who can vote. Come, take a look at the ongoing pursuit of rights in America by blacks, begging the persistent question, “Why?”
 
More than 100 images from a documentation of the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington are on display at Elegba Folklore Society in the exhibit “Foot Soldiers – Voting Rights. Civil Rights. Human Rights.” The photographer, Theodore Holmes, calls the series “a reminder to people to do something; to organize. This is my visual statement of inspiration and concern about an apparent ‘open season’ on young black people. Do something. That’s more than a vote. My photos are my activism.”
 
The exhibition runs through December 31.
nov efs

The Red Hot Lava Men at Bijou Film Center

Bijou Film Center hosts a First Fridays after party with the surf guitar stylings of The Red Hot Lava Men, with a pass-the-hat, pay-what-you-will show. Shane Brown will project Super 8 films while the Lava Men rip it up!

dec bfc

“Untitled Miami ’16” at ADA Gallery

This week Ada Gallery brings you “Untitled Miami ’16.”

Cutllage Kitschbild: Bloom, 15 h x 18 w x 18 d in, epoxy resin on found ceramics, conch shell, and found painting on wood, 2016 By Jared Clark

Cutllage Kitschbild: Bloom, 15 h x 18 w x 18 d in, epoxy resin on found ceramics, conch shell, and found painting on wood, 2016
By Jared Clark

 

L) Static Void: All You Need To Attract Click-Throughs, 50 h x 34 1/4w x 7 d in, 2016 R) Host: You Need To Upload Two Different Version, 50 h x 34 1/4w x 7 d in, 2016 by Derek Larson

L) Static Void: All You Need To Attract Click-Throughs, 50 h x 34 1/4w x 7 d in, 2016
R) Host: You Need To Upload Two Different Version, 50 h x 34 1/4w x 7 d in, 2016
by Derek Larson

 

“Attend” at North 1st Street Studio Gallery

Hummel Associates and R1 Furnishings announce the Grand Opening of North 1st Street Studio Gallery for RVA First Fridays.
 
This Friday, December 2nd, “Attend” by Holly Smith is the premiere gallery show.
 
“Be present, deal with. Two distinct definitions of the verb ‘attend.’ These works started with attention to a place, a path or a moment, and were held in memory with the seventeen syllables of a haiku. In response to the spare verse, a variety of media were painted, stitched and manipulated to recall the distilled impression.”
dec n1st

“CITYSCAPES IN NOIR” continues at 9WG Studios

Keith Ramsey‘s “CITYSCAPES IN NOIR” continues this week at 9WG Studios.

The “CITYSCAPES IN NOIR” series demonstrates personal, emotional conflict and social disconnection through deliberate placement of shadow and light to draw attention to isolated subjects in the paintings. These works painted with oil and acrylic on canvas and paper are inspired by American painters Edward Hopper and Charles Sheeler.

dec 9wg

“THE EPIC OF GILGAMISHA” at TheatreLAB

ON BOOK: TheatreLAB‘s interactive new play festival premieres with “THE EPIC OF GILGAMISHA” by Dante Piro. The workshop will be performed for Friday 12/2 and Saturday 12/3 at The Basement. Each performance will be followed by a talkback about the show and development process with the cast, director, and playwright.

About the show: In an age of increasingly contrived reboots, not even our most sacred stories are safe… Cue writing partners, Sherronda and Annaliese, commissioned to create a modern screenplay adaptation of the world’s first epic poem. Soon, something ancient is awakened and begins pulling strings in the form of folk tales and one poor sap named Darryl.

dec tl

“ARTe’licious” at Visual Art Studio

Bring a friend and fill our the drop boxes at the Visual Art Studio for an “ARTe’licious” good time. The benefit supports the gallery and “Santa Paws,” a local program founded by Richmond artist Susan Lamson to collect donations and items like leashes, blankets and food for area animal shelters during the holidays. Richmond Animal League is this year’s recipient.

Special thanks to Daddy red Catering and True Tonic, who will be providing appetizers and live music. Art by Susan Lamson and other gallery artists.

Advance Tickets: $6 each or 2 for $10
Door 5-7PM: $8 each, 2 for $12
Raffle Ticket: $5 or 3 for $10
(Approx $800 in art included in Raffle)
The raffle held Saturday Dec 10 at 2PM. Winners will be notified by phone or email.

Buy tickets at www.mkt.com/visualartstudio

dec vas

“Afternoon at Choo Choo Bridge” by Susan Lamson

“A Christmas Story” at Virginia Rep

Running now through January 1st, at Virginia Repertory Theatre, “A Christmas Story,” is the perfect holiday show for your family. The Christmas classic has been reinvented as a Tony-nominated musical, featuring an ensemble of talented young actors, catchy tunes, and energetic dance numbers. Sharply clever and sentimental, “A Christmas Story” is nostalgic, quirky, holiday fun.

dec varep

“Chasing Tales” closes at Candela

Visual storytelling is an art form unto itself. It can entertain us with fictional narrative, impart wisdom through documentation, or provide an escape just as literature does. This power of the narrative is immense. Running through the end of the month at Candela Books + Gallery, “Chasing Tales,” a group exhibition featuring photographic work by Daniel Coburn, collaborators Antone Dolezal and Lara Shipley, and Paul Thulin, all artists connecting the past and present fusing elements of reality with mysterious and imaginative intent.

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3rd Annual Atlas Holiday Market at ART 180

This Friday opens the 3rd Annual Atlas Holiday Market at ART 180! The Atlas gallery will be transformed into a holiday market that features fine art, crafts, and other handmade items by local artists ranging in price from $3-$300.

ART 180 will host an opening party for the Atlas Holiday Market on Friday, December 2, during First Fridays, from 6-9pm. The market continues through December 15, Monday-Friday 10am-5pm.

dec art180

“Uneasy Exteriors” at Abbatoir Studios

Abbatoir Studios rejoins the Art Walk this week, showcasing recent paintings by artist Brett Busang from Richmond, Memphis, and DC. “Uneasy Exteriors: Some of the Houses We Used to Live in” is on view at 210 E Grace St (above Sediment Arts).

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“REDWOOD” closes at 1708 Gallery

Molly Lowe’s exhibit continues at 1708 Gallery through this Saturday. The titular “REDWOOD” is Lowe’s first feature-length film, is presented at the gallery with related sculpture installations, and runs hourly.

The film is a time-travel family drama featuring a young woman receiving a memory transplant from her grandmother who is in a vegetative state in a Mnemogenic Center.

Prompted in part by an old photograph of Lowe’s grandmother, Lowe distorts memories passed down to her from her grandmother and family members as almost photographic tableaux, affected by empathy, imagination, and the unreliable lens of memory.

nov 1708 2

December First Fridays at the Library

The following exhibits will be on display at the Richmond Public Library from Friday, December 2, 2016, through Tuesday, January 3, 2017:

In the Gellman Room: color and black-and-white images of a variety of subjects by contributing members of the Focus Group Camera Club

In the Dooley Foyer: “Immigration/Migration: the Search for Belonging” – expressive, abstract acrylic on canvas by Richmond artist Shamooro

In the Dooley Hall: “Landscapes and Otherwise” – plein air paintings by Richmond artist Judith Anderson

dec rpl

Valley at Night, by Judith Anderson

In the 2nd Floor Gallery: “Journey to Realism” – realistic pencil drawings by Richmond artist Marlin Dean Elliott

The library’s permanent collections include works by David Freed, Helen & Alvin Hattorf, and Anne Newbold Perkins.

First Friday, a monthly opening-night reception for all the artists of the library’s galleries, will be held on Friday, December 2, 2016, from 6:30-9:00 pm.

First Fridays beer! For real!

Guess what I’m dooooiiiinnnng!!!! At Three Notch’d Brewing RVA Collab House #ipa #nottooearlytodrinkright #itdoesntcountifitswork #comingforyou #watchoutdecember

Follow the rest of my adventure today over on Instagram.

brewing

November’s First Friday – the roundup

Man, I hope you got your walking shoes ready to go tonight. HOLY MOLY is it a busy month. In no particular order, here’s every spot I know about with an event for tonight:

Depot Gallery (location change to the VCU Anderson Gallery)
1708 Gallery
Quirk Gallery
Steady Sounds & Blue Bones Vintage
Mama J’s
Elegba Folklore Society
Visual Art Studio
Candela Books + Gallery
LIFT Coffee Shop & Cafe’
Storefront for Community Design & MOB – Middle of Broad
Virginia Repertory Theatre
Sediment Arts
9WG Studios
Richmond Public Library
ART 180
Gallery5
Endeavor RVA
Black Iris Music (feat. Shockoe Atelier)
TheatreLAB
University of Richmond Downtown
Gallery @ 23 / at Cornerstone Architects
Richmond Times-Dispatch
Gallery @ UNOS (the United Network for Organ Sharing)
Ledbury
Linden Row Inn
CodeVA
Bijou Film Center
Ada Gallery
Gallery EDIT (at the Hillside Missions Organization and Internship Program)
Coalition Theater
Rosewood Clothing Co.

Janet Martin at the Bijou Film Center

After taking in the sights in the galleries and on the art walk, stop by The Bijou Film Center for a dose of live music from Janet Martin that will perfectly top off your visit to Richmond’s booming Arts District. Show starts at 8:30.
nov bfc

The Happy Hour of Code at CodeVA

The Happy Hour of Code event tonight at CodeVA features music, snacks, and drinks. Their EarSketch educator DJ Hoody will be on site DJ’ing great tunes to move your feet and will show you how to create your own musical masterpiece using the Python coding language.
nov codeva

“HEADCOUNT” at Endeavor RVA

This First Friday, Endeavor RVA open its door to present “HEADCOUNT:” 10 artists showing their chops in portraiture and its ever expanding meaning, alongside atmospheric melodies and jazzy beats.
nov endeav

Two improv shows at the Coalition Theater

The folks at the Coalition Theater have two amazing shows for you this First Friday – one at 8pm, and one at 10.
 
First up: “The Hands That Guide Us,” a live, improvised puppet soap opera (for mature audiences.) Romance! Intrigue! Amnesia! Puppets! Their fate is in your hands…the Hands That Guide Us!
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Then up: “MUSICAL! the Musical” which makes up a brand new, never-before seen musical on the spot! You don’t want to miss the beginning of this unavoidable international phenomenon. (No seriously, I read about it on the internet, so it must be true that this is going to be a smash hit. Like, “Hamilton,” but bigger.)
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“Reveal” at Gallery EDIT

Tomorrow night join Gallery EDIT for a night of first-hand artistic experiences. The gallery hosts an open studio as artists make, display, and sell their work during November’s First Friday Art Walk.
nov edit

“49 Shades of Grey” at Ada Gallery

“49 Shades of Grey,” opening this week at Ada Gallery, marks the premiere of a collection of works Jeremy Drummond produced between 2012 and 2015. Traveling across the USA to capture footage of incomplete, foreclosed, and abandoned subdivisions throughout 49 States, Drummond developed an archive of source material that uses the landscape to visualize the abstract nature of the 2008 economic collapse.

Selections from this archive have been transformed into 4 interrelated projects in 35mm slide projection, digital photography, 16mm film, and found images: Grave Architecture, Today, 49 Shades of Grey, Death 24x a Second, and Aloha.

As a whole, these interrelated works not only speak to the contemporary American condition, but to the complex infrastructure of global economics in the twenty-first century and the often-obscured relationships between history, economics, culture, and landscape.

Ada is open from 7-9 for the art walk, and be sure to stop by during First Fridays to hear a solo performance by the coolest sixth grader NICO ELECTRA.

nov ada

“Art among the Ruins” at the Linden Row Inn

1708 Gallery presents “Art among the Ruins,” a satellite exhibition at Linden Row Inn through November 20, 2016. Art among the Ruins features works by Julie Elkins, Morgan Herrin, Jason Keith, Whitney Oldenburg, Nikki Painter, and Morgan Yacoe.
 
The concept of ruin is more than the remains of a building or city in a state of decay or disrepair. Evidence that a culture has fallen and been undone floats through our media—and more timelessly—our art. As the great Hippocrates said, “Life is short, art long, opportunity fleeting, experience treacherous, judgment difficult.”
 
Linden Row Inn is the ideal environment for Art Among the Ruins, in that it has its own decayed history; stories told most vividly via the photography and fiction of those eras: Edgar Allan Poe playing in the courtyards here as a young boy, and artists and writers living here when it was the grand dame of boarding houses.
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now linrow

First Fridays at Mama J’s

First Fridays is back this week at Mama J’s! Stop by the event space on the corner of 1st and Clay on Friday 11/4 from 6-9p to experience a great First Friday vibe! Local artwork, live music, happy hour drinks, free apps and check out the intimate event space. FREE!! Music by DJ Ron P. Performance by Taylor Chanté. Visual art by Jay Bordeaux. Graphics by Eddie Johnson. Welcome Home!

nov mj

The Bump in the Night at Steady Bones

The Bump in the Night dream team is DJing at Steady Sounds/Blue Bones Vintage tomorrow night for First Friday, and Crud City will be selling art, t-shirts & patches out front.
nov bluebones

“The Jade Collection” at The Mix Gallery

The Mix Gallery presents “The Jade Collection” by Jay Bordeaux, opening this Friday. (Jay’s got TWO shows on the art walk this week!)
 
This series is inspired by the Jade stone, and all art will be available for sale. Doors open at noon, and a silent auction and reception start at 8pm.
nov mix

Shockoe Atelier at Black Iris

Shockoe Atelier is back at Black Iris to present Capsule 2 of their Fall/Winter 2016 offerings. In the spirit of true artisans, Shockoe Atelier has shunned the industry’s standard two season cycle in order to speak a language that is authentic and individualizes the client’s experience. The capsule distribution scheme allows Shockoe Atelier to experiment and innovate with new silhouettes and fabrics, as well as different iterations of core pieces. The continued commitment small batch production engenders a responsiveness to inspiration and customer feedback that is unparalleled by the monolithic fashion industry. On Friday November 4th Black Iris hosts the Capsule 2 pop up from 5:30pm – 9pm with a Tiny Bar Session from Nickelus F.
nov blkiris

ART180’s 2nd Annual Juvenile Justice Parade

Join ART 180 for the 2nd Annual Juvenile Justice Parade on November 4th at 5pm to honor and celebrate the voices of youth affected by the school-to-prison pipeline.

Artists, community activists, faith leaders, families, formerly incarcerated individuals and a broad range of concerned citizens from across the political spectrum will gather at Richmond City Hall for the parade.

The parade will feature musicians, chants written by incarcerated youth, community members carrying the youth’s art, and an open opportunity for anyone to speak up for those youth who continue to be impacted by the school-to-prison pipeline. Bring your positive energy and voices to be a megaphone for our youth.

Participants are asked to bring their own signs or banners that answer the question, “How can we create a world where no youth are locked up?”

The parade will end at ART 180’s youth gallery, ATLAS, with the “I Am Powerful” exhibition featuring creative work by a group of teens who were or still are incarcerated in a local juvenile detention center.

nov a180

“John” at the Theatre Gym at VaRep

Running through November 12th, including this First Friday at the Theatre Gym at Virginia Repertory Theatre, “John” intertwines the natural and the supernatural in a haunting meditation on life and love, in one of TIME Magazine’s top ten plays of 2015.

Elias and Jenny, a young couple struggling to stay together, arrive at a bed and breakfast in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the week after Thanksgiving. Met by a cheerful innkeeper, and surrounded by thousands of watchful inanimate objects, the two search for connection in lives heavy with loneliness.

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nov varep1

mobjob at Storefront

MOB – Middle of Broad students are spending this week imagining and modeling bridge concepts that heal the geographic, socioeconomic, and racial injustice of Interstate 95 running through Jackson Ward.

Discussions, solutions, and models are continuing at Storefront for Community Design throughout this week, where 6 teams of students are working on a unique spanning proposal. The project culminates in an awarding of the mOb cup and a grand opening on November 4th, during the First Friday Art Walk in the Arts District.

nov sfcd

“Night of Dance” at UR Downtown

On November 4th, join University of Richmond Downtown for a “Night of Dance” with performances by the Bollywood Jhatkas and Ritmo Latino before enjoying your art walk through downtown Richmond. Performances will begin at 5:30 p.m.

nov ur

“Wastedland 2” at Gallery 5

Gallery5 is pleased to present Andrew H. Shirley’s touring exhibition and film “Wastedland 2” (31 min/ Color and B&W/ 2016).

The film will exist as a centerpiece to a group show transforming Gallery5 into a decaying post apocalyptic graffiti wonderland composed of interactive kinetic sculptures and site specific text pieces made from contemporary artists who also stared in the film.

This bold exhibition falls amid the fall art season at Gallery5, with a preview on Thursday, November 3rd, at 7pm, followed by a lively First Friday opening from 6pm to 12am on November 4th.

During the First Friday opening the film will be screened in its entirety, with showings at 6:30, 7:30, and 9:07 pm, as well as performances by UNSTOPPABLE DEATH MACHINES (NYC), Dumb Waiter and Toward Space. The exhibition will also be available on Thursdays and Saturdays from 11am-5pm or by appointment until November 26th.

nov g5

“My Friend’s Cat is Cute” at SEDIMENT

visualize in a text bubble or fa¢ebook chat:
The emotional state of a folder
HAHAHA
if a folder had feelings
If a lesbian folder had feelings
REALLY
If a folder was a lesbian and that folder had feelings

////////////

With a strong belief in the archive, the folder fluctuates and grows with the understanding that it will never have it all. We won’t read every book in the library — and that’s ok. You can relax. The archive never ends. It’s catnip for the kitten and mace for the walk home. It’s a casual queer, Britney kissing Madge: camouflage and punctuation.

Sediment Arts presents a solo exhibition of new works by Nicole Killian, with the opening reception of “My Friend’s Cat is Cute” on Friday, November 4th, 6pm to 9pm.

nov sed

 

“Mother Courage” at TheatreLAB

TheatreLAB‘s “Women at War” season has begun, opening with Bertol Brecht’s “Mother Courage and Her Children,” and HOLY MOLY, this show will knock your socks off. I saw it opening night, and it was funny, silly, sad, emotional, gutting, and never, ever boring. Boomie Pedersen’s performance as Mother Courage was riveting.
 
The play follows one woman’s survival during the wicked, tumultuous times of war. The plot follows the resilient Mother Courage who survives by running a commissary business that profits from all sides of war. As the war claims all of her children in turn, the play poignantly demonstrates that no one can profit from the war without also being subject to its terrible cost.
 
Get your tickets for First Fridays, or another show through November 12th.
nov tl

Makerfest on the patio at Lift

Lift Coffee is hosting local artists, crafters, and makers on their back patio for this week’s First Friday. They still have open spots! Join Liberatus Jewelry on the Art Walk, and sell your stuff! Contact Lift for more info. #rvafirstfridays #rvaarts #rvaartsdistrict #artwalk

#Repost @liberatusjewelry with @repostapp
・・・
In ONE WEEK catch Liberatus Jewelry at the @liftcoffee Mini Makerfest. Check out local makers on their back patio from 6:30 to 9:30pm for @rvafirstfridays. Start your holiday gift shopping and support local handmade businesses ?
.
#Liberatus #liberatusjewelry #ellipse #necklace #ellipsenecklace #etsy #entrepreneur #squarespace #website #likes #likesforlikes #tagsforlikes #tagsforfollow #jewelry #art #local #localart #shoplocal #artjewelry #smallbusiness #rvafashion #rva #liftcoffee #handmade #holiday

nov lift

“Chasing Tales” at Candela

Visual storytelling is an art form unto itself. It can entertain us with fictional narrative, impart wisdom through documentation, or provide an escape just as literature does. This power of the narrative is immense. Opening November 4thCandela Books + Gallery announces Chasing Tales, a group exhibition featuring photographic work by Daniel Coburn, collaborators Antone Dolezal and Lara Shipley, and Paul Thulin, all artists connecting the past and present fusing elements of reality with mysterious and imaginative intent.

Daniel W. Coburn, "Resurrection," from The Hereditary Estate, 2014. 24" x 30" Archival Pigment Print

Daniel W. Coburn, “Resurrection,” from The Hereditary Estate, 2014. 24″ x 30″ Archival Pigment Print

 

Antone Dolezal & Lara Shipley, "Waiting for the Light," from the Devil's Promenade. 30" x 37" Archival Pigment Print

Antone Dolezal & Lara Shipley, “Waiting for the Light,” from the Devil’s Promenade. 30″ x 37″ Archival Pigment Print

 

Paul Thulin, "Lady of Shallot," from Pine Tree Ballads. Archival Pigment Print

Paul Thulin, “Lady of Shallot,” from Pine Tree Ballads. Archival Pigment Print

“From My Family to Yours” at the UNOS gallery

From My Family to Yours” opens this week at the gallery at United Network for Organ Sharing, and features work by Diane Clement, abstract expressionist, and Deborah Lestenkof and Janice Reed, transplant recipients with Alaska Kidney Patients Association.
 
The free reception for the opening is Friday, November 4th, from 5-7:30 pm, and is open to the public. Reception refreshments by James River Cellars Winery and Zoe’s Kitchen.
nov unos 2
nov unos 1

“Field Notes from Afar” at the RTD Gallery

Field Notes from Afar — Observations of Nature and How We Engage with It” by Amie Oliver opens Friday, Nov. 4, at the Richmond Times-Dispatch Gallery.
 
For the past decade, Oliver has been drawing and painting with water-based media; creating abstract landscapes and dreamlike shapes onto paper. Don’t miss out on an exclusive talk with the artist starting at 6:30 p.m. to learn more about her creative process.
 
Learn more about the artist and check out some of the paintings that will be part of the exhibit here.
nov rtd

“Transportations” at Gallery@23

Kelly Flammia opens a new show featuring large-scale oil paintings from a new series called “Transportations.” Each of these pieces have their basis in one of her watercolor paintings. She finds an intriguing section within that watercolor, and translates it onto 4’x4′ canvas, effectively enlarging that portion and seeing where it goes on canvas. This organic process of abstraction is a journey on canvas, allowing for a transportation of you, the viewer, to an altered place.
 
“Transportations” opens this week on the artwalk, at the Gallery@23, in the offices of Cornerstone Architects.

nov g23 3

Libby Hill Park watercolor

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Heart 22 acrylic

nov g23

Calm/Storm oil

“Why?” at Elegba Folklore Society

In light of next week’s historic election and its tumultuous runup, it’s worth examining the country’s uneven history in deciding who can vote. Come, take a look at the ongoing pursuit of rights in America by blacks, begging the persistent question, “Why?”
 
More than 100 images from a documentation of the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington are on display at Elegba Folklore Society. The photographer, Theodore Holmes, calls the series “a reminder to people to do something; to organize. This is my visual statement of inspiration and concern about an apparent ‘open season’ on young black people. Do something. That’s more than a vote. My photos are my activism.”
 
The exhibition runs through December 31.
 
nov efs

“REDWOOD” at 1708

Oh, man. This looks AMAZING. 1708 Gallery is screening Molly Lowe’s first feature-length film “REDWOOD,” along with related sculpture installations. The title “REDWOOD” references an ancient tree species which self-replicates; when one specimen dies, it clones itself through surrounding saplings born of its root system. The film is a time-travel family drama featuring a young woman receiving a memory transplant from her grandmother who is in a vegetative state in a Mnemogenic Center.
 
Prompted in part by an old photograph of Lowe’s grandmother, Lowe distorts memories passed down to her from her grandmother and family members as almost photographic tableaux, affected by empathy, imagination, and the unreliable lens of memory. Hand-made masks that depict one woman aging from adolescence to obsolescence are worn by all characters throughout the film; the masks collapse Lowe’s identity with those of the other female family members, making character dynamics and plot lines intentionally ambiguous.
 
The movie will run on the hour for First Fridays, and in fact, every day from 5-8pm.
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nov 1708

“Mullet” from the Depot, at the Anderson

The Depot Gallery hops locations this month for their First Friday joint. They’ll be at the Anderson Gallery with “Mullet,” a group show celebrating the duality of art in the modern era.

Mullet: business in the front, party in the back. But what is in between? The liminal space separating the front and back. The melding between opposing forms with identical intentions. Physical and digital art, while existing in disparate forms, contain the same conceptual, contextual, and theoretical underpinnings of fine art. Physical work is the business of the art world, more widely exhibited in the gallery world and considered a profitable commodity. Digital work is the party, encouraging audiences to play and experiment. The heart of the mullet is the space between, mullet, as an exhibition, lives in the space for physical and digital art.

nov depot

“VOLUME” group show at Quirk

Raise your hand if you can HEAR THE SOUND of the springs while you stare at this photo. ? The “VOLUME” group show closes at Quirk soon, so be sure to hit it up on the art walk this week. #rvafirstfridays

#Repost @quirk_gallery with @repostapp
・・・
Springing in to a new week: we’re back at the gallery and we’re all about showing you our current exhibitions: our group show VOLUME in the Main Gallery and our Mezzanine show featuring new work from Carli Holcomb @carliahhh (pictured: “Boing” by Kathleen Kennedy @kdangerk; : @brockva )

nov quirk

November’s art walk at the library

This month at the Richmond Public Library:

In the Gellman Room—“Intimate Illusions”—life’s memories in hand-colored photographs by Richmond photographer Carlie Collier

In the Dooley Foyer –“Zentangled Mandalas and Other Patterned Pieces”—an exploration of curves, lines, the intimation of form and the exacting and exciting possibilities inherent in geometry, symmetry, revolutions and reflections by Richmond artist Susan Singer

In the Dooley Hall—“Botticelli Blues”—work with Botticelli’s images in the cyanotype process by Richmond photographer Carlie Collier

In the 2nd Floor Gallery— “Journey to Realism”—realistic pencil drawings by Richmond artist Marlin Dean Elliott

The library’s permanent collections include works by David Freed, Helen & Alvin Hattorf, and Anne Newbold Perkins.

First Friday, a monthly opening-night reception for all the artists of the library’s galleries, will be held on Friday, November 4, 2016, from 6:30-9:00 pm.

“CITYSCAPES IN NOIR” at 9WG Studios

This week, pop into the gallery at @9WG Studios, for Keith Ramsey‘s “CITYSCAPES IN NOIR” opening. I can’t wait for this one!

The “CITYSCAPES IN NOIR” series demonstrates personal, emotional conflict and social disconnection through deliberate placement of shadow and light to draw attention to isolated subjects in the paintings. These works painted with oil and acrylic on canvas and paper are inspired by American painters Edward Hopper and Charles Sheeler.

nov 9wg

“Uneasy Exteriors” at Abattoir Fine Arts

EDIT: Sorry guys, Abbatoir’s opening is for DECEMBER’s art walk, not this month. So hold onto that thought!

Abbatoir Studios rejoins the Art Walk *next month, showcasing recent paintings by artist Brett Busang from Richmond, Memphis, and DC. “Uneasy Exteriors: Some of the Houses We Used to Live in” is on view at 210 E Grace St (above Sediment Arts).

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nov abstu 1

“River Journeys” at the Visual Art Studio

River Journeys” by Susan Lamson opens at the Visual Art Studio this First Friday November 4, 2016 with an Artist’s Talk at 6:30PM, followed by the opening reception and live music from Sonika from 7-10PM.

“River Journeys” is a unique perspective of the juxtaposition between the architecture of our beautiful River City and the natural beauty that surrounds it. This new series features hand detailed fine art giclees in triptych, multiple and single panels by one of Richmond’s most popular artists known for her PhotoImpressions.

A portion of the proceeds benefit Santa Paws, a program started by Lamson that collects donations and items like leashes, blankets and dog food for area animal shelters during the holiday season.

nov vas

Poster Contest

FF poster contestWe’re now accepting submissions for a monthly poster contest. Every month we’ll post our favorites on Facebook, and whomever gets the most votes by the deadline will win.

Some guidelines:

    – Keep it kid-friendly, since these will be hanging in galleries and coffee shops all over town
    – Take credit! Make sure you tag yourself somewhere on the poster
    – Design it for an 8.5×11 poster
    – You must either include:
    ~ nice and legibly, that the poster is for the First Fridays Art Walk, that takes place from 5-9pm, in the Arts District, and our web address (rvafirstfridays.com)
    ~ or space for us to add that text later
    – By submitting, you’re authorizing us to alter your submission (in order to add the appropriate dates and other pertinent info)
    – Artists need to be at least 13, or have a legal guardian’s permission to submit
    – Winning artists will not be compensated beyond three posters for your own uses
    – Aside from use as a poster and on social media to advertise the art walk , we retain no additional rights to the artwork, and those will remain with the artist
    – The contest is subject to change or cancellation at our discretion

All entries should be submitted to rvafirstfridays {at} gmail {dot} com, with the subject line “Poster Contest.” Submission implies consent to the above guidelines. Please include your name, age, email address (which will remain private), and any social media usernames/links you may want to include (esp. for Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, all of which is optional.)

“Paying Attention” at Sediment

Paying Attention” is an exhibition presenting the various research strategies and preliminary processes artists utilize in order to give form to their experiences, interests, and current events. Invited artists were asked to share some aspect of their ideations that are integral to how they foster introspection and divergent thinking in their art making. Works presented in the exhibition include the traditional sketchbook, digital archives, material experiments, and writing exercises. “Paying Attention” offers a glimpse into how artists understand their work as a conversation within art and social history.

The closing reception, tonight at Sediment Arts, will feature sound libraries from three local musicians Brandon Hurtado, Sarmistha Talukdar, and Katie Wood.

oct sediment

“Bittersweet” at the Gallery@23

Tonight at the Gallery@23 (in the offices of Cornerstone Architects, at 23 W Broad), check out the Ynes Bouck exhibition “Bittersweet.”

oct crnrstn

Ledbury on the Art Walk

Ledbury joins the art walk tonight! Pop into their brand-spankin’ new location in the Arts District, at 315 W Broad St. See you there!

oct ledbury

October’s First Friday – the roundup

It’s time for the October roundup! Here’s the list of everywhere that I know of with plans for tonight, in no particular order:

Visual Art Studio
Virginia Repertory Theatre
Richmond Public Library
ART 180
Quirk Gallery
Gallery5 / Carnival of 5 Fires
Mama J’s
HI Richmond Hostel
Bijou Film Center
Depot Gallery
Lift Coffee
Ada Gallery
Endeavor RVA
1708 Gallery
Candela Books + Gallery
Gallery EDIT at Hillside Missions Organization and Internship Program
Art Law building at 6 E Broad
Cornerstone Architects
9WG Studios
Ledbury
Sediment Arts

And don’t forget, we’ll have free trolley rides all night from our friends at RVA Trolley! See you soon!

Four artist show at 6 E Broad

Four artists join together for a pop-up show this week on the art walk, in the Art-Law building at 6 E Broad.

Rebecca D’Angelo presents “Celebration: Inside the Beltway”
Sabrina Cabada “Muses” is a collection of figurative and decorative portraits
Beth Horsely is showing “Marineland”, a series of surreally manipulated images.
Helena Magnusson Ogburn is a self-taught abstract painter from Sweden.

sep 6eb

“Threshold” at EDIT

This Friday at EDIT, participate in “Threshold,” including an interactive piece that allows for personal reflection and meditation, created by the resident artists at Hillside Missions Organization.
oct edit

“STUMP” at Candela

As the General Election approaches, Candela Books + Gallery introduces “STUMP;” a group exhibition featuring photographic artists whose work is politically salient, couched in national issues, or generally steeped in concerns we are all facing.

With “STUMP,” the hope is to sponsor discussion around an array of issues at the forefront of national debates. The photographic works featured draw on our current culture and provide a lens through which to examine issues both locally and globally important.

oct candela

“Character Armor” continues at 1708 Gallery

Supposing an immobile object had a personality, it might be visible in the tensions and gestures inherent in the form itself, as in a human body with a stiff neck or stooped shoulders. Sculptor Douglas Rieger believes this to be true of objects, including the utilitarian ones we use everyday without much notice. His show “Character Armor” continues this week at 1708 Gallery.
sep 1708

“Wet Walls” at Endeavor

This First Fridays at Endeavor RVA, it’s their second mural show! Come through to see the results of the collaborative efforts on a brand new large scale mural. There will be limited edition merch for sale and hiphop and beats all night. Doors open at 6:30.

oct endeavor

“Afraid of Everything” at ada gallery

Ada Gallery is pleased to present “Afraid of Everything,” four films by Sasha Waters Freyer, on view October 7-October 29. Freyer is a moving image artist trained in the photography and documentary tradition, fusing original and found footage in 16mm and digital media. Freyer’s works ask the question of how to be an artist and a parent; to make and to nurture; to revolt and sustain; the certainty of death; the project of reconciling the irreconcilable. For more than a decade, her work has revolved around what happens — psychologically, spiritually, and emotionally — when one becomes a parent, guided around her own maternal ambivalence.
oct ada

Happy birthday, Lift!

Lift is turning 11! (That is crazysauce. Excuse me while I contemplate the passing of time while sipping a hot beverage and staring into the middle distance.) Okay, now that that’s done, be sure to pop in this Friday for their celebratory patio party. Grab a drink, a sandwich, or my favorite chocolate chip cookie in the whole city. Happy birthday, Lift Coffee!

oct lift

Last month for “Text Me” at the Depot Gallery

Continuing this Friday at the Depot Gallery, the artworks in “Text Me” demonstrate how 18 young artists shape identities and self-image through language-based artwork. The persona adopted or projected by each maker is constructed through the implicit dialogue between the artist, artwork, and viewer. This ongoing conversation is dynamic and malleable, open to interpretation by all participants and observers.

aug depot

United for UNOS 8th annual soirée

Our friends at United Network for Organ Sharing aren’t having an opening this week, but they ARE having their annual soirée this Saturday. Tickets are still available, and you know you’ve been looking for a reason to pull out your best duds and eat some of the best noshes in the city, from a ton of your favorite restaurants.
oct unos

“A Poem Is a Naked Person” at the Bijou Film Center

On Friday Oct. 7 (and Saturday Oct. 8): In its screening room at 304 E. Broad St. the Bijou Film Center will present a long-awaited film directed by the legendary Les Blank, plus a wee surprise.
 
Admission: $9. No advance tickets.
 
Show times: 6:30 p.m. and 9:15 p.m.
 
A Poem Is a Naked Person” (1974, 2015): 90 minutes. Color. Directed by Les Blank. Cast: Leon Russell, Willie Nelson and George Jones.
 
About the film: Les Blank shot and edited “A Poem Is A Naked Person” over a couple of years (1972-74). Although it was shown a few times by non-profits to private audiences, the highly-praised film wasn’t released theatrically. After the filmmaker’s death in 2013, his son Harrod Blank cut a deal with Leon Russell in order to re-master and finally release the 40-year-old film.
oct bfc

“Rear Projection” at HI Richmond Hostel

Rear Projection” is a collection of work on display at HI Richmond Hostel from emerging artists, working across a variety of disciplines, who have considerable ties to Richmond. These artists are, or were, heavily invested in Richmond’s future as a place working towards equity, equality, and tolerance.
 
Is is only natural to look to the past for direction to the future, and especially in such moments of turmoil as our current cultural climate. When we allow the past to inform our decisions for what is to come next, we learn from our shortcomings and build on our successes. Richmond, and the entire southern United States as a region, is struggling to do this in a fruitful way.
 
These artists are examining their lived experiences and identities as a way of learning from their own pasts to plan for a better future. These works reflect the need to consider identity dependent on geography, and the tendency to future-tense automythologize.
oct hirh

First Fridays at Mama J’s

First Fridays at Mama J’s is back this week! Stop by the event space on the corner of 1st and Clay on Friday 10/7 from 6-9p to experience a great First Friday vibe! Local artwork, live music, happy hour drinks, free apps and check out the intimate event space. FREE! Music by RVA’s heavy hitter DJ Lonnie B. Visual art by Eddie Johnson! Welcome Home!

oct mj

VOLUME at Quirk Gallery

Montreal-based artist, Sarah Nance presents ‘a veil to cover all stones’ which “is divorced from its usual sandstone partner and installed autonomously as a fluid grid, simultaneously porous and withholding. Color pools throughout its mass creating densities of material and time.”

See Sarah Nance’s piece, along with the work of nine other female artists, in the upcoming group show, VOLUME, at Quirk Gallery.

oct quirk

 

“I Am Powerful” at ART 180

“I Am Powerful” incorporates audio, visual, writing, photography, and conceptual art created by teens at Richmond’s detention center that highlights their experiences navigating the juvenile justice system and their visions for a more supportive community. For eight weeks over the summer, they worked with ART 180 Creative Director Mark Strandquist, Program Coordinator Gina Lyles, and a handful of guest artists to courageously tell their stories.
“I’m 14, 15, 16 years old,
I am not a criminal
I am powerful!”
The “I Am Powerful” exhibition will be the first time the work will be fully displayed before it travels across Virginia and the country to advocate for juvenile justice reform. Pieces were previously used in August to train the Richmond Police Department and provide a backdrop for a community conversation with RPD about decreasing teen arrests.
oct a180

October’s First Fridays at the library

The following exhibits will be on display at the Richmond Public Library from Friday, October 7, 2016, through Tuesday, November 1, 2016:
Gellman Room – “Marbled Paper “ – samples and the history of aqueous surface design, which produces patterns similar to smooth marble, used in book covers and endpapers in bookbinding and stationery throughout the centuries
Dooley Foyer – “Zentangled Mandalas and Other Patterned Pieces” – an exploration of curves, lines, the intimation of form and the exacting and exciting possibilities inherent in geometry, symmetry, revolutions and reflections by Richmond artist Susan Singer
oct rpl
Dooley Hall – “How to Take a Compliment” – collage portraits hand-cut from vintage mail-order catalogs, featuring reworked fashion models as superheroines and goddesses by Richmond artist Blythe King
2nd Floor Gallery – “Crossways” – prints of abstract architecture by Richmond artist Cosima Storz

“1776” at Virginia Rep

Playing this First Fridays (and much of the month besides,) “1776” is playing at the November Theatre at Virginia Repertory Theatre.
A congress that gets things done….Revolutionary!

Starring Scott Wichmann as John Adams.

Raucous, witty, and patriotic, this Tony Award-winning musical is a rousing celebration of American history. Led by the fiery and persuasive John Adams, the founding fathers incite the divided Continental Congress to vote for independence.

oct varep

“Pop Vulture” at the Visual Art Studio

“Pop Vulture” by Donnie Green opens this First Friday October 7 at anne’s Visual Art Studio, with an Artist’s Talk at 6:30PM followed by a reception from 7-10PM.

Since 1997, Donnie has created a body of work that is of jaw-dropping magnitude, combining influences of Celtic art, mystical symbolism, dream imagery, scenes from his own misunderstood life, chaos, rage, and more recently he’s delved into the triumph and tragedy of pop culture. His mysterious, boldly colorful and beautifully rendered oil paintings pull the viewer inside and drag them through an uncharted journey through the corridors of his intense, multidimensional human psyche.

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October’s First Friday

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September’s First Fridays – the roundup

WOAH there’s a lot happening tonight!

First up: our friends at RVA Trolley will be rollin’ out for us, with stops at University of Richmond Downtown, VCUartsDepot Gallery, and both sides of Broad & Adams.

Then, you get to fill in your art walk with stops all OVER the place:
Sediment Arts
Richmond Public Library
Elegba Folklore Society
Storefront for Community Design & MOB – Middle of Broad
HI Richmond Hostel
TheatreLAB
CodeVA
Bijou Film Center
ART 180
Gallery5
Endeavor RVA
Coalition Theater
Pop-up show at 6 E Broad
Gallery: EDIT at Hillside Missions Organization and Internship Program
Visual Art Studio
Candela Books + Gallery
Ada Gallery
Steady Sounds & Blue Bones Vintage
Richmond Rides
Verdalina
Mod&Soul
Black Iris
1708 Gallery
Quirk Gallery

The Bop Cats at Bijou Film Center

The Bijou Film Center will be open for First Friday, starting at 6 pm. Stop by to look at their new digs, and if you’re one of their 400 members, grab your T-shirts and mugs. Silent Charlie Chaplin short films (in Super 8) will be projected onto the walls.

At 9 p.m. the Bop Cats, one of Richmond’s most enduring rock ‘n’ roll acts, fronted by Lindy Fralin will perform live. Five dollar donations will be accepted.

Still from "Modern Times" (1936), the first feature to play the Bijou Film Center.

Still from “Modern Times” (1936), the first feature to play the Bijou Film Center.

TheatreLAB’s Season Kick-Off Happy Hour

IT’S ALMOST PARTY TIME! Join TheatreLAB for First Fridays from 6-9pm at The Basement for their Season Kick-Off Happy Hour! This is a great time to hang out with the TheatreLAB family and learn more about the WOMEN AT WAR Season! There’ll be special announcements and drink specials for folks 21 and up!

Kick off your Labor Day Weekend in style at The Basement! See you there!

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I AM MY LIFE at Gallery5

Tonight at Gallery5, I AM MY LIFE is hosting an interactive art piece that needs your … uh … interaction. Come show the LGBTQA community some love and support ahead of VA Pride later this month.

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Richmond Rides out on the art walk

Richmond Rides will be hanging out tonight at 417 W. Broad St. Come check out the bikes and shirts. They’ll have treat samples from some of the tours, and their e-assist Metrofiets bike out for you to try!
 
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HI Richmond Hostel open house

HI Richmond Hostel invites you to come visit their space during September First Friday. Learn about hostelling, HI Richmond’s regular programming, and what’s planned for the fall.

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“Text Me” continues at the Depot Gallery

Continuing this Friday at the Depot Gallery, the artworks in “Text Me” demonstrate how 18 young artists shape identities and self-image through language-based artwork. The persona adopted or projected by each maker is constructed through the implicit dialogue between the artist, artwork, and viewer. This ongoing conversation is dynamic and malleable, open to interpretation by all participants and observers.

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“Transportation Today and Tomorrow” at URDowntown

“Transportation Today and Tomorrow: Envisioning a Greater Richmond,” curated by Bonner Scholar and UR Downtown Student Coordinator Emily Onufer, ’17, tells the story of transportation in Richmond through the eyes of transit riders and city leaders and features portraits by Dean Whitbeck.

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“Paying Attention” at Sediment Arts

“Paying Attention,” opening Friday at Sediment Arts, is an exhibition presenting the various research strategies and preliminary processes artists utilize in order to give form to their experiences, interests, and current events. Invited artists were asked to share some aspect of their ideations that are integral to how they foster introspection and divergent thinking in their art making. Works presented in the exhibition include the traditional sketchbook, digital archives, material experiments, and writing exercises. “Paying Attention” offers a glimpse into how artists understand their work as a conversation within art and social history.

“A lot of what we call interpretation is really just paying close attention” -David Salle

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“Put This On!” at Endeavor

Put This On!,” September’s First Friday show at Endeavor is all about custom-designed shirts and wearables and, as always, supporting the local art community. A baker’s dozen of artists (both in-house and friends of the studio) will be displaying limited-edition shirts and merchandise – either printed through local businesses or handmade. Music by Ozark of Satellite Syndicate, Graymatter, and Sam Brazil.
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“Up All Night (Expect a Miracle)” at Ada Gallery

Matt Spahr, a sculptor from California (among other places), and Valerie Molnar, a painter from Cleveland, investigate the transfer of energy and the dynamic exchange within nature with color, form, and complex time-based installation. The collaboration began in 2012 as their work collided through their friendship and mutual love for plants.
 
Opening this week at Ada Gallery, “Up All Night (Expect a Miracle)” is a collision of art and potted plants.
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“The Flag Series” continues at Elegba Folklore Society

The Flag Series” by Sukenya Best continues at Elegba Folklore Society. Starting from international flags, Ms. Best then manipulated the images through a series of print techniques.
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“SHORT, FAST & FURIOUS” at the Coalition Theater

The Coalition Theater’s newest 8 week Friday night run, “SHORT, FAST & FURIOUS” brings together an all-star cast of improvisers for a night of hilarious, interactive improv games filled with audience participation. If you like whose Whose Line Is It Anyway? you’ll love this show.
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“Sky Thing” at Quirk Gallery

Kimia Ferdowsi Kline’s solo exhibition “Sky Thing” at Quirk Gallery takes its inspiration from the ancient Persian book, “Kalila and Dimna,” a collection of interrelated animal fables in verse and prose. The folk stories are among the most widely known in the world, influencing even the Grimm fairy tales in Europe. The interwoven fables were written for the benefit of three ignorant princes, in hopes of instructing them on how to win the utmost possible joy from life. Narrated by a pair of jackals, each chapter contains several stories layered within. The stories, in effect, operate like a succession of Russian nesting dolls, one narrative opening onto another, sometimes three or four deep. In this exhibition, Kline reimagines these fables, inserting details of her own personal life into the mix.

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Friends & Neighbors at Black Iris

This Friday, Black Iris‘s Tiny Bar series continues with Friends & Neighbors. Friends & Neighbors represents a new generation of bands from the Norwegian jazz-scene. The music can be described as energetic and melodic free jazz inspired by musicians like Ornette Coleman, Archie Shepp, Pharoah Sanders and John Carter. On their debut album “No Beat Policy” (Øra Fonogram 2011), Friends & Neighbors have created an authentic and acoustic atmosphere that refers back to the political roots of free jazz.
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“Honest and Loyal” at ART 180

“Honest and Loyal,” an exhibition of new work created by ART 180 teens, opens September 2 and spotlights ART 180’s most recent projects in creative expression.
 
Students at Bon Air Juvenile Correctional Center explored themes of morality through the hero and villain characters they created under the guidance of Lydia Baker and Miguel Carter-Fisher. Teens at ATLAS learned to trust each other to complete large-scale paintings passed from one teen to the next. The result is a series of works that evolved through several stages led by Dusty Brayshaw and Shazza Berhan.
 
ART 180 will host an opening reception for the exhibition on Friday, September 2, from 6-9 p.m. during First Fridays Art Walk. The reception is family friendly, open to the public, and features an all-ages activity.
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“Character Armor” at 1708 Gallery

Supposing an immobile object had a personality, it might be visible in the tensions and gestures inherent in the form itself, as in a human body with a stiff neck or stooped shoulders. Sculptor Douglas Rieger believes this to be true of objects, including the utilitarian ones we use everyday without much notice. His show “Character Armor” opens this week at 1708 Gallery. Artist talk at 6 pm.
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“Signal Flare” at Gallery 5

Gallery5 presents “Signal Flare,” the first solo exhibition of work from contemporary artist Mickael Broth at Gallery5. This exhibit launches the fall art season at Gallery5, with a preview on Thursday, September 1st, from 6-8pm, followed by a lively RVA First Fridays opening from 6pm-12am on Friday, September 2 that will include musical performances from: White Laces, Chelsea Shag, and California Death. The exhibition remains open until September 24.

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Pop Up show at 6 E Broad

Four artists join together for a pop-up show this week on the art walk. Rebecca D’Angelo (RVA), Sabrina Cabada (DC), Beth Horsely (RVA), and Helena Magnusson Ogburn (RVA) will be joined by Matt Sease, in the Art-Law building at 6 E Broad.

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September exhibits at the RPL

The following exhibits will be on display at the Richmond Public Library from Friday, September 2, 2016, through Tuesday, October 4, 2016:

Gellman Room – “ALL CAPS” – a photographic study of the intricate designs of ink cap mushrooms by Richmond artist Jere Kittle

Dooley Foyer – “In Search Of…” – Paintings of Love, Life, and the Discovery of One’s Self by Richmond artist David Marion

Dooley Hall – “Discover Your World ” – whimsical watercolor illustrations of nostalgia, self-discovery, and being one with nature by Richmond artist Raven Smith

2nd Floor Gallery – “Upon Awakening” – visceral imagery of movement and emotion by Richmond artist Katy Johnson

The library’s permanent collections include works by David Freed, Helen & Alvin Hattorf, and Anne Newbold Perkins.

"Coprinopsis Lagopus - hare's foot inkcap mushroom" by Jere Kittle

“Coprinopsis Lagopus – hare’s foot inkcap mushroom” by Jere Kittle

“Dead Silence” at Visual Art Studio

anne’s Visual Art Studio proudly announces two incredible openings, “Dead Silence” by Chris Semtner and “Choices II” by Elaine Bankston. The shows open for First Friday September 2, with an Artist’s Talk at 6:30PM followed by the opening reception with live music from Sonika from 7-10PM.

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September’s First Friday

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August First Fridays – the roundup

Hey y’all!

Here’s the list of every place I know of so far that will be open for tonight’s Art Walk, in no particular order:

Mama J’s
Richmond Public Library
ART 180
Gallery5
Stoplight Gelato Cafe
Richmond Times-Dispatch
1708 Gallery
Quirk Gallery
Visual Art Studio
Elegba Folklore Society
Verdalina
Rosewood Clothing Co.
Depot Gallery
TheatreLAB
Coalition Theater
Gallery Edit (at Hillside Missions Organization and Internship Program)
Master Bedrooms & More
Love This (at Broad & Monroe)
Virginia Repertory Theatre

Love This on the art walk

Love This is bringing their amazing Airstream trailer back to the Art Walk this week for all your shopping needs. They’ll be set up in the old Moore’s Auto Body stop at the corner of Monroe and Broad.

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Surroundings at Gallery EDIT

New this month at Gallery EDIT, art work by Jon Menkis.

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RVA Tonight at the Coalition Theater

You can still get tickets to see the Coalition Theater‘s latest episode of RVA Tonight with Beau Cribbs, Richmond’s first live late-night comedy show, happening this Friday at 10pm. They will be interviewing long-time friend of First Fridays, Marc Cheatham of The Cheats Movement, plus, you’ll be smarter about the mayoral race, with a new interview segment: RVA Tonight’s Mayoral Fixation.

And, like, you should definitely check this star-making show. Their very first guest ever is now candidate for VP. Coincidence?

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Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play at TheatreLAB

YOU GUYS. Congrats to the cast, crew, and staff at TheatreLAB. Their current production of Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play was nominated for two Richmond Theatre Critics Circle awards. Jessi Johnson received a nom for best supporting actress in a play, and the whole cast (Jessi, plus Evan Nasteff, Maggie Bavolack, Chandler Hubbard, Heather Falks, Audra Honaker, and Dan Cimo) has been nominated for their ensemble performance.

I saw it last weekend, and you have two more weeks to see it – or see it twice! (It’s that good.)

After the collapse of civilization, a group of survivors share a campfire and begin to piece together the plot of “The Simpsons” episode “Cape Feare” entirely from memory. 7 years later, this and other snippets of pop culture (sitcom plots, commercials, jingles, and pop songs) have become the live entertainment of a post-apocalyptic society, sincerely trying to hold onto its past. 75 years later, these are the myths and legends from which new forms of performance are created.

If all of that doesn’t convince you to go see it, I just can’t even with you right now. Five shows left. Go. Git. Get thee to thine Basement.

Tickets here.

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August First Fridays at the Richmond Public Library

The following exhibits will be on display at the Richmond Public Library from Friday, August 5, through Tuesday, August 30:

Gellman Room – “River” – oil on panel, inspired by kayaking, of natural landscapes of the James and Rivanna Rivers in Central Virginia by Palmyra artist Linda Staiger

Dooley Foyer & Dooley Hall – “Summer Flowers” – plein air paintings of flowers from Richmond neighborhoods, parks, and botanical gardens and “Byzantine Icons” – icons created in a style reminiscent of the old masters using ancient, traditional techniques by Tbilisi, Georgia, native Durmishani Guseinov

2nd Floor Gallery – “Upon Awakening” – visceral imagery of movement and emotion by Richmond artist Katy Johnson

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“Text Me” at the Depot Gallery

Opening this Friday at the Depot Gallery, the artworks in “Text Me” demonstrate how 18 young artists shape identities and self-image through language-based artwork. The persona adopted or projected by each maker is constructed through the implicit dialogue between the artist, artwork, and viewer. This ongoing conversation is dynamic and malleable, open to interpretation by all participants and observers.

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Drift Riot trunk show at Rosewood

This month on the art walk, Rosewood Clothing Co teams up with Drift Riot for a lovely little trunk show. Pop into one of the most fabulous little boutiques in Richmond and get something beautiful!

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“The Flag Series” at Elegba Folklore Society

Elegba Folklore Society presents a new exhibit for this week’s art walk, The Flag Series, by artist Sukenya Best. Starting from international flags, Ms. Best then manipulated the images through a series of print techniques.

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“Faces of RVA” at ART 180

Faces of RVA,” an exhibition of mixed media portraits, opens August 5 and spotlights ART 180’s most recent projects in creative expression.

Led by Noah Scalin and assisted by Shelia M. Gray, ART 180’s Teen Leadership Council considered a new perspective on their hometown by exploring portraits of its people. Teens worked with historical images of African Americans from the collection of The Valentine, and many of the source photos feature Richmonders about whom little or nothing is known. The young artists created stories about these unknown residents that provided context for who they may have been. They used a variety of materials—such as buttons, feathers, cereal or sequins—to recreate these portraits which honor individuals almost lost to history. A second series of portraits let the young artists focus on known individuals who are important to them.

ART 180 hosts an opening reception for the exhibition this Friday, August 5 from 6-9 p.m during the First Fridays Art Walk.

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“Double Rocket” at Gallery5

Awesome View presents “Double Rocket” this Friday at Gallery5, launching a future-focused creative collective. In addition to new solo works by Andrew Indelicato, Todd Raviotta, and Bryan Unger, Awesome View introduces their first-ever collaborative immersive mixed media environment.

To maximize your otherworldly post-digital experience, bring selfie sticks and ample storage space.

And since no First Fridays at G5 is complete without the best music, you’re covered there too, with sounds from Azores, Flashlight Tag, Hoax Hunters, & Prabir.

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Ceramic trunk show at Quirk Gallery

Ceramic artist and VCU grad, Molly Anne Bishop returns to Richmond with studio-mate and fellow Chicagoan, Joseph Kraft for a special two-day trunk show event at Quirk Gallery, beginning on August’s First Friday Art Walk.

Molly and Joe will bring some of their newest creations and set up shop in our Main Gallery. Come in, say hi, and stock up on a few of the most charming clay pieces you’ll ever see.

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“Pattern Language for a Social Fabric” at 1708

Stop by 1708 Gallery for a First Friday printmaking party and exhibition! All are welcome to participate in the printing process as part of the 5×5 Summer Studio Session: “Pattern Language for a Social Fabric,” an experiment in open-printing devised by Brooke Inman, Molly Fair, and Jesse Goldstein.

The project seeks to develop a creative practice that calls into question any possibility of isolating singular contributions within a collaborative whole, while still allowing artists to engage the work as primary creators.

Images have been collected from a wide network and preliminarily burned into screens. During First Fridays, the public (you!!) will join the artists in printing on large pieces of paper and fabric, learn the basics of screen printing, and view the partially finished works on the gallery walls. As the various images are repeated and layered upon one another, an intricate and impossible-to-predict social fabric will emerge, offering a poetic and abstract window into a collective psyche.

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First Fridays with RTD Staff

There’s a new stop on the art walk this month! Stop by the offices of the Richmond Times-Dispatch for a gallery show featuring work by the organization’s employees.

At 6:30, resident artist and RTD archivist Nicoleta Kappatos will lead a discussion on photos from the archives that inspired her paintings. Other artists’ media include oils, acrylics, watercolors, colored pencils, jewelry, and embroidery.

Parking is free (!) in the Richmond Times-Dispatch deck. The entrance is on 3rd Street between Grace and Franklin streets.

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“St. Michaels Sunrise” by Jeremy Glover

August’s First Friday

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July First Fridays – the roundup

Here’s a list of all the places that I know are having events for First Fridays this week. Happy art walkin’!

  • 1708 Gallery
  • Linden Row Inn
  • Gallery5
  • ART180
  • ada Gallery
  • Candela Books + Gallery
  • Quirk Gallery
  • Pasture
  • Virginia Rep
  • Black History Museum & Cultural Center
  • Endeavor RVA
  • Depot Gallery
  • Coalition Theater

“TBD” at the Linden Row Inn

1708 Gallery presents “TBD,” a satellite exhibition at the Linden Row Inn through July 31, 2016. “TBD” features works by Cynthia Henebry, Allen Rosenbaum, Kendra Wadsworth, and Erin Willett.
 
“TBD” is used as an abbreviation or initialism for numerous actions: to be dated, to be decided, to be declared, defined, deducted, delivered, derived, designed, destroyed, developed, discussed, documented, done…even Torpedo Boat Destroyer. Or of course, the perennial favorite: determined. Each artist’s action seems apropos for this interplay and contemplation of layers of content.
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“70 Minutes in Heaven” at the Coalition Theater

Coalition Theater’s original sketch comedy revue will take you on a hilarious exploration of the real and the real weird. Visit talking cars, tense marital discussions, and Mars. “70 Minutes in Heaven” is a sketch show developed by the cast through improvised performances, and the closing performance is this Friday at 8.
 
Stick around for “Redickheads & Coalition Boyzzz” at 10pm!
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“PSYCHIC PHONES” and “HOLOGRAM POLITICS” at Ada Gallery

“PSYCHIC PHONES” opens this week at Ada Gallery, featuring work by Derek Larson, Cindy Hinant and Jakob Boeskov. And if you act now, you get a free bonus show “HOLOGRAM POLITICS” featuring a survey of drawings by Jakob Boeskov.

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“Pepto Dismal” at the Depot Gallery

The Depot Gallery has shows up all summer, every Friday! This week, check out “Pepto Dismal,” from 6-8p. Keep an eye on their FB page for announcements about all of this summer’s shows.
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Freedom Fridays at the BHMVA

The BHMVA Freedom Fridays happens this First Friday, featuring the Tuesday Verses crew, and featuring singer Bri Luv from 7-9 pm. Be prepared for vendors, cocktails, music and fun – $7 general admission, $5 for members. BOLD VISION. BRIGHT FUTURE.

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Chino Amobi at Endeavor RVA

This Friday, Endeavor RVA hosts Chino Amobi, creative director and co-founder of NON, a collective of African artists. This multidisciplinary show will employ a mix of visual media and sound that manifest Amobi’s strong, distinctive point of view.

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“Dreamgirls” at Virginia Rep

Dreamgirls” is playing at Virginia Repertory Theatre, and this is one show I cannot wait to go see. Catch it now through August 7th, including this First Friday.
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“Now You See Us” at ART 180

Now You See Us,” an exhibition of photographic self-portraits and mixed media, opens July 1 and will spotlight ART 180’s most recent projects in creative expression.

Angelique Scott, Christina Hairston and members of Black Art Student Empowerment at VCU (BASE) led teens to create framed vision boards that show who they are and where they’re going. Through photography, Terry Brown and Jonathan Copeland helped teens express their identities, using self-portraits inspired by the artworks of Kehinde Wiley currently on display at the VMFA Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Teens considered big ideas relating to Wiley’s work, and the results raise intriguing questions about race, identity, and the politics of representation.

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UnBound5! at Candela Books + Gallery

UnBound5! opens this Friday on the art walk at Candela Books + Gallery. The show features 41 photographers and 61 pieces of artwork.

And while you’re putting Friday on your calendar, save the date for Candela’s annual fundraising gala on July 23rd, from 7-11pm. Tickets are available now on their website and at the gallery).

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Jay Turner Frey Seawell “Reporter I,” 2012. 2/6 24″ x 36″ Archival pigment print

 

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Gloria Baker Feinstein “Banana Leaf,” 2015. 1/25 18″ x 13″ Archival inkjet print

“clean slate” at 1708 Gallery

“clean slate” is a public sorting of personal possessions as artist Emily McBride enters a transitional phase between finishing graduate school at Virginia Commonwealth University and moving to a new location. McBride is utilizing 1708 Gallery, as part of the gallery’s 2nd 5×5 exhibit, to accomplish the task of sorting through all of her possessions. This act becomes a platform to engage the public in witnessing the sorting process and the dispersal of items not kept. Visitors are welcome to take from sorted piles such as the “Free Art” pile and “To Donate” pile, assuming the obligation of ownership over these items.

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Bow workshop at Quirk

Something different for the art walk: Quirk Gallery is hosting a bow-making workshop. Choose a tie clip or a hairclip, and mix and match fabric, then have a seat and sew a bow that is uniquely your own! Each bow costs $20 to make and the workshop is open to all ages! Deets here.
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Christmas in July at Pasture

This Friday night, July 1st, Pasture is celebrating Christmas in July! In addition to the regular menu, Beth is making frozen eggnog and frozen poinsettias, Jason is making sausage cheese balls and vegetarian sausage cheese balls and some other surprises. They’ll be all decked out for Christmas! Fa la la la la, la la la la.

 

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July’s First Friday

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June First Fridays

Here’s the list of places that I know will be open with First Fridays offerings. As always, we’re rain or shine, so don’t let the forecast keep you at home. I’ll add more if I hear of anything!

Chez Foushee
Richmond Public Library
Sediment Arts
Gallery5
ART 180
Quirk Gallery
Visual Art Studio
1708 Gallery
Steady Sounds & Blue Bones Vintage
Wow! Antiques and Design (19 W Main St)
Gallery Edit (at Hillside Missions Organization and Internship Program)
SCARPA Charlottesville at Verdalina
Mod&Soul
Mama J’s
Websmith Group
I AM MY LIFE at Lift Coffee
Candela Books + Gallery

Murals at Endeavor

Tonight at Endeavor RVA​, murals! Richmond <3’s murals! Surely you need more murals in your life! Murals!

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Indie PhotoBook Showcase at Candela

First Fridays is on tonight at Candela Books + Gallery, and tomorrow night Gordon will lead a panel discussion on producing photography books, with emphasis on budget, concept, meaningful design and artistic presentation.

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Story Bank at Lift Cafe

I AM MY LIFE, students from Richard Bland College of William & Mary, and LIFT Coffee Shop & Café teamed up over the past semester to establish a permanent exhibit on the back patio, including a Story Bank. Share your story.

There are no guidelines for how you submit your stories. Be creative in how you construct and present your story. High points, low points, in-between-points. Tell one day of your life or tell it all. The Story Bank is a place created for YOU. Reflect on what came from the experience(s), how it has or has not shaped your life, and how you apply that moment to all that you are and do today. Submit online, or in person in the box on the Lift patio.

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Inside Out at Quirk Gallery

Tomorrow night at Quirk Gallery​, be sure to catch Inside Out by Suzanna Fields:

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Community Room at Sediment Arts

Tomorrow night at Sediment Arts, live art takes over with a big group show. (Note: not all content will be suitable for all folks)
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First Fridays at Mama J’s

This has quickly become one of my favorite stops on the Art Walk. Will you be there too?

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First Fridays is back this week at Mama J’s!!! Stop by the event space on the corner of 1st and Clay on Friday 6/3 from 6-9p to experience a great First Friday vibe! Local artwork, live music, happy hour drinks, free apps and check out the intimate event space. Free admission (plus, did you catch the “free apps” part?) Music by Ron P! Visual art by Jay Bordeaux! Welcome Home!

First Fridays at Wow! Antiques and Design

Quality never goes out of style. Wow! Antiques and Design (at 19 W. Main, across from the Jefferson) is open for First Fridays this week, for a night filled with fine art and the best antiques in Downtown Richmond. You’ll find 2,000 square feet of fine art, fabulous furniture, period chandeliers, and home decor treasures of all shapes and sizes that are sure to delight. Design plans and delivery on all items has and always will be free! Come see what “WOW!” means for yourself.

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First Fridays at Websmith Group

Websmith Group welcomes another exhibit this First Friday, featuring Twon Smith and Christina Ball. The featured medium is mixed media paintings and 3D printed Sculptures. Both artists will be bringing a selection of portraiture, figurative, and character concepts.
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Scarpa at Verdalina

Verdalina and SCARPA are teaming up this Friday (and Saturday too!) for a pop-up event you don’t want to miss. The Airstream will be parked outside, and of course you’ll want to pop inside to Verdalina to see what they have that’s new and beautiful for you!
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True Tonic at Visual Art Studio

This week, True Tonic plays at Visual Art Studio for the First Fridays Art Walk, featuring gallery shows by Terry Lynn Smith, Elaine Bankston, and Susan Hribernik.

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New exhibits at the library

The following exhibits will be on display for a two-month exhibit from Friday, June 3 through Tuesday, August 2. The opening reception will be held during the First Fridays Art Walk on June 3 from 6:30—9:00 pm.

In the Gellman Room, “Rust” features poignant still-life images of abandoned architecture and automobiles of rural Virginia by Richmond artist Tim Tully.

In the Dooley Foyer, 2015 Virginia Vistas Photo Contest winners from Scenic Virginia are on display.

In the Dooley Hall, “Alchemical Creations” continues with mixed media paintings by Richmond artist Dana Frostick.

In the 2nd Floor Gallery, “Hillians Create” is an exhibit with new works by Kelly Flammia, Christopher Larry, Scott Tilghman, and Nadya Warthen-Gibson, representatives of The Hillians art group.

The library’s permanent collections include works by David Freed, Helen & Alvin Hattorf, and Anne Newbold Perkins.

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“Pause” at Gallery Edit

This week on the Art Walk, take a “Pause” at Gallery Edit, by Hillside Missions Organization and Internship Program.
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Garden Week continues at 1708

This spring, 1708 Gallery invites an exploration of our relationship with the natural world in Garden Week, featuring Alex Arzt, Carrie Dickason, Naomi Reis, and Jeff Schmuki. Each artist approaches the interaction of human and nature differently, as issues of environmental stewardship, preservation, and collaboration thread the works in this exhibition.

The exhibition takes its inspiration from the horticultural legacy honored by Virginia’s annual Historic Garden Week, which was held this year from April 23-30.

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Girls Rock! RVA at Gallery5

This month at Gallery5, art and music collide again, with the Girls Rock! RVA fundraiser, featuring art by Jennifer Kennedy (with drawings of band performances, completed within the limited time of a band’s set), and music by Lady God, Christi, Avers, and Lobo Marino. And I haven’t even mentioned the coloring book being released! The event is free, but donations will be happily accepted for both Girls Rock! RVA and for Gallery5.

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“little BIG” at ART 180

little BIG,” a selection of artwork from ART 180’s “The Really Big Show” (held on May 20,) will spotlight ART 180’s most recent projects in creative expression. Selected pieces represent ART 180’s spring programs at 12 sites throughout the Richmond area, with projects that explore positive self-expression, identity, teamwork and more. ART 180 will host an opening reception for the exhibition on Friday, June 3, from 6-9 p.m. The reception is family friendly and open to the public. The show will be on display at Atlas, ART 180’s art center for teens, through June 24.
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May’s First Fridays events

Here it is! The list of who I know with an event on the art walk tonight, in no particular order:

Verdalina
Blue Bones Vintage & Steady Sounds
Ada Gallery
Candela Books + Gallery
1708 Gallery
Visual Art Studio
LIFT Coffee Shop & Cafe’
Richmond Public Library
Quirk Gallery
Gallery Edit Hillside Missions Organization and Internship Program
Endeavor RVA
ART 180
Gallery5
Sediment Arts
Mama J’s (in the event space on the corner of 1st and Clay)
Black History Museum & Cultural Center (GRAND OPENING WEEKEND!)
Black Iris
TheatreLAB
Storefront for Community Design & MOB – Middle of Broad
Virginia Repertory Theatre
Coalition Theater
Circle Thrift & Art Space
The Gallery at UNOS (United Network for Organ Sharing)
The Gallery at 23 (at Cornerstone Architects)

Depot Gallery

25 stops. 4 hours. No problem, right?