I started smoking cigarettes when I was 14 years old. Most likely because other boys my age in the neighborhood were smoking. I thought it was the next logical step on the way to losing my virginity. I wasn’t peer pressured. I did this because I wanted to. John...
Among the dreary days of coronavirus, a new handmade weaving business is bringing some color back to Richmond with Knot & Stem. The dreary reality of living during the COVID-19 quarantine is an abundance of spare time. It’s easy to lose days or weeks doing nothing when there’s nothing to do. However, the artistically talented have seen...
Since the protest movement began last month, artist Dustin Klein's projections of police brutality victims and civil rights heroes have become a crucial component of the nightly gatherings at the Robert E. Lee Monument. Amidst the nation-wide protests against police brutality in the United States, Richmond’s Robert E. Lee statue on Monument...
Richmond’s Black Art: RVA Magazine is highlighting more local artistic voices responding to the BLM protest movement. Let’s take a closer look. It’s a long road to justice for the Black Lives Matter movement, and for many, art is a handy tool for expression. On Instagram, speckled between quotes and photos, we continue to find drawings and...
Richmond’s Black Art: RVA Magazine highlights local voices responding to the BLM protest movement. Let’s take a closer look. In this time of widespread protest, the spirit of resistance has gone far beyond the daily marches and gatherings in Richmond's streets. All it takes is a scroll through Instagram to see an influx of art made in response to...
With social distancing making gathering in one place for the annual Richmond Dance Festival an impossibility, the dances were instead hosted online, where a dozen performers responded to our current isolation with thought-provoking movement. This May, Dogtown Dance Theatre hosted their annual Richmond Dance Festival (RDF) in a video format, since...
Old Navy was donating $30 million worth of clothing to families affected by COVID-19, and they wanted to let the world know. Veteran Richmond artist Noah Scalin was glad to help. Last month, Old Navy announced something big. They’re throwing their hat in the ring against COVID-19 by delivering $30 million worth of clothes to families in need. And...
With COVID-19 having an extended impact on the way we live, Firehouse Theatre is making big changes to ensure they can keep bringing live theatre to Richmond. As Virginia slowly reopens amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses across the commonwealth are doing their best to maintain operation as the virus spreads. The complicated process of...
Harry Kollatz Jr.'s coming-of-age novel about a six-and-a-half-foot tall nine-fingered guitar playing "freak" is a gloriously sprawling portrait of Richmond pre-gentrification. Style Weekly doesn't do their annual "You Are Very Richmond If…" issue anymore, and in a way, that's probably a good thing, because the Richmond that departed series...
With social distancing making art shows a thing of the past for now, Richmond's artists and galleries are finding new ways to reach the outside world. “Our artists do have access to their private workspaces to make art but it's a lot quieter in the art center now,” said Glenda Kotchish, owner of Art Works Inc. “We now have one person in the...
