ART




more in art

Stay Gold! 20 Years of RVA Magazine and Gallery5

Twenty years ago, RVA Magazine and Gallery5 came to life together—two DIY efforts launched with no budget, no blueprint, and no permission. What they shared was a vision: that Richmond’s creative culture was worth showing up for, amplifying, and celebrating....

Powerful Moments Outshine the Structure in ‘Sanctuary City’

I flew in under the wire to catch 5th Wall Theatre’s final performance of Martyna Majok’s Sanctuary City at Richmond Triangle Players' impressive stage in Scott’s Addition. This play is a curious hybrid, a bifurcated cryptid if you will, as its first and second acts...

The Richmond 34 Sat Down. What Are We Standing Up For?

Sixty-five years ago, a group of brave young Black Richmonders walked into a department store, sat down at a lunch counter, and refused to leave. That’s what they did. That’s what got them arrested. They just sat in a segregated space where their presence alone was...

Detroit 67 Is Ablaze at the Firehouse

I’ve given up on trying to write reviews of plays I see at the Firehouse Theatre immediately after leaving the show. Maybe I’m slow, but there is always so much to process that “sleeping on it” is the only way I’m going to unpack the turmoil they’ve left me with as I...

Letter To The Editor | Art Thrives in a Free and Open Society

Merenda Cecelia, a Richmond-based artist and instructor, was recently dismissed from her teaching position at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) after reading a statement aloud in class. She describes the statement as a personal expression of artistic and...

Who Removed Richmond’s Iconic “Greetings from Richmond” Mural?

As reported by Axios Richmond yesterday, the sudden removal of the “Greetings from Richmond, Virginia” mural on Broad Street has sparked confusion and concern among residents and business owners, with no clear explanation from city officials or property owners. Photo...

MJ The Musical Brings The King of Pop to Life at Altria Theater

When MJ The Musical hit the Altria Theater on Tuesday night, Richmond showed up. A packed house, fans rocking single sequined gloves—yeah, the energy was Thrilling (pun intended). As an ‘80s kid, walking into that kind of atmosphere was electric. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJk6sgZPP4c The show revolves around Michael...

Read More

MJ-The-Musical-Altria_story-by-Eugene-Henry_RVA-Magazine-2025

A Richmond Hidden Gem | The Story of Gary’s Chalkboard

On Floyd Avenue, in a part of Richmond that still feels like it belongs to its people, there’s a chalkboard. No fanfare, no neon signs, no marketing ploys. Just a weathered board, a question, a quote, and sometimes, a little plastic Magic 8-Ball dangling at the side. It doesn’t try to draw attention, but it does anyway. People stop. They read....

Read More

Word on The Street by John Marenic_RVA Magazine 2025

The Richmond Photographer Bearing Witness in Ukraine

In a world where the chaos of war often dominates headlines and conversations, finding quiet moments within that turmoil offers a powerful lens into humanity’s resilience. This is the approach of Virginia-based photographer Noah Stone, whose ongoing series, The Grey Zone, captures the juxtaposition of life and war in Ukraine. What began as a...

Read More

Ukraine-War-Photo-by-Noah-Stone_RVA-Magazine-2025

RVA Magazine 20 Years | Stories from 2005

As we look back on 20 years of publishing RVA Magazine, we’re diving into our origins, beginning with our official launch in 2005. That year marked the debut of RVA Magazine, Issue 1, Volume 1, and our April 15th kickoff event at Gallery5. In the process of archiving, we realized that many articles from our early print issues—specifically from...

Read More

RVA-Magazine-20-Years-_Stories-from-2005_RVA-MAgazine-2025

Photos | Carytown Got Coned, and It Was Glorious

There’s a certain kind of magic that comes alive in Richmond when the locals decide to let their weird flag fly. And the Richmond Cone Parade? That’s as Richmond as it gets—a little absurd, a lot creative, and deeply communal. So, what exactly is this Cone Parade business? It’s a celebration of, well, cones. Participants are asked to craft their...

Read More

Richmond-Cone-Parade-2025_photo-by-Dave-Parrish_RVA-Magazine-2024

New Year’s Eve! Looking Back at Our Biggest Stories of 2024

So, it’s New Year’s Eve. The drinks are poured, the fireworks are loaded, and before the clock strikes midnight, let’s take a moment to sift through the rubble of the year that was. Richmond in 2024—messy, beautiful, endlessly fascinating. Thanks for sticking with us through it all and pushing our readership to all time highs. Be safe out there...

Read More

Look Back_photo by Derrick Brooks_RVA Magazine 2024

Being Monsieur Zohore: A Recipe

Monsieur Zohore, Sandy if you're nasty, is your friendly neighborhood internationally renowned artist. It's about time RVA got to know him. If you're lucky enough to have attended his painting class at VCU, or if you find yourself in the cooler corners of Richmond’s nightlife on the regular, then you already know. He’s the tall, dark-skinned,...

Read More