MAGAZINES & BOOKS




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Before Anyone Was Watching

I went to Virginia MOCA expecting to hear Andy Howell talk about skateboarding. Instead, I left thinking about community and how people find each other. Howell's installation opens Seamless, the museum's new exhibition exploring the overlap between art and design. At...

The Strange Afterlife of Virginia’s President Heads

Editor's Note: Reminder, the sculptures are located on private property and are not open for general visitation. Access is available only through scheduled guided tours, with Labor Day weekend currently expected to be the final tour on the calendar. Tour information...

Review | ‘As You Like It’ is Just How I Like It

If you’ve been reading these reviews for a while, you’ll notice I love me some context. Especially surrounding William Shakespeare’s plays. One of my favorite things about the existence of Richmond Shakespeare is that they’ve forced me to go back to the English Lit...

IllumiNATION Tells America’s Story on a Monumental Scale

Editor’s Note: RVA Magazine is partnering with the Virginia Museum of History & Culture on coverage related to America’s 250th anniversary, including Richmond SailFest and IllumiNation. It's hard to impress people with just a building. Yet standing in front of the...

Blöthar: “GWAR Didn’t Change. The World Freakin Changed.”

Richmond metal band GWAR says the Secret Service contacted the group following a recent performance at the Vans Warped Tour in Washington, D.C., that featured the mock execution of a Donald Trump effigy. Video of the performance, which showed band members...

Review | ‘Come From Away’ is the Best We’ve Ever Been

Do you remember the rollerblading guy with the American flag kit on September 12th? We will never forget the 11th for the horrors, but do you remember the 12th? The 13th? If you do, I don’t even have to say which year. If you don’t, let me tell you a little bit about...

Before Richmond Was an Arts City, There Was Best Products

Imagine pulling into a suburban shopping center to buy a toaster and finding a department store that appeared to be falling apart with corners breaking away, walls peeling open like a giant cardboard box, or facades seemingly collapsing under their own weight. For...

Mikemetic puts Graffiti in the Spotlight with Vapors Magazine

This story was originally published in RVA 41 which can be in various locations around town, or you can read it right here. This is a slightly modified version formatted for digital distribution. CHRISTIAN DETRES: Alright, I'm recording. Okaaaay… here with Mikemetic. Is that your real name? MIKEMETIC: No. Well, my birth name is Michael Williams....

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Mikemetic and Vapors Magazine 2023

Nightmare Weekend Scared Up a Good Time for Horror Fans of All Ages

Whether you are a fan of the spoopy or the scary, Hocus Pocus or Candyman, it was hard to argue that the general consensus is that the first ever Nightmare Weekend Convention in Richmond was an absolute success.  From the same team that brings us GalaxyCon every March to the Greater Richmond Convention Center, Nightmare Weekend brought together...

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Nightmare Weekend Richmond 2023 by Ash Griffith

Breaking Free: The Inspiring Journey of a Gay Federal Agent

Cory Allen has spent his life navigating the complex intersections of identity, law enforcement, and federal service. From his early years living in Western Pennsylvania, to his turbulent experiences with domestic violence in Hanover, Henrico, he has forged a unique and challenging path. Now a supervisory federal agent based in California, he's...

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Cory Allen, author Breaking Free

‘The Most Documented Person in Internet History’ Lives in Richmond?

Over the weekend, we received a call from a friend in the local collectible card game scene about a sighting of Christine Weston Chandler, more popularly known in the virtual world as Chris-Chan at another Richmond card shop. This event sparked an intense online debate and elicited numerous confirmations from customers. We responded with, 'Who is...

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We Got Into It With Photographer Jonathan Mehring

It was fun chatting with Jonathan Mehring, an award-winning photographer and director who has built a stellar reputation in the world of skateboarding. With a unique blend of adventure travel, specialising in action sports, and lifestyle photography, Mehring has explored over 30 countries, capturing skateboarders in awe-inspiring settings such as...

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Listen Up! The 2023 Richmond Podcaster List

Not everyone knows this but Richmond, Virginia is home to a thriving podcast community and this article seeks to celebrate some of the most notable and interesting podcasters in the area. This is by no means an exhaustive list of all the podcasts produced in Richmond, and the list will continue to evolve as new podcasts emerge. If you are a...

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Richmond podcasts

Commemorating Edgar Allen Poe’s Legacy: A Night of Thrills and Chills with Nnedi Okorafor and R.L. Stein at the Poe Museum

The art of storytelling has long been intertwined with the eerie and macabre, and few writers have mastered this genre better than Edgar Allan Poe. As the Poe Museum in Richmond, VA celebrated its 100-year anniversary in late January, it brought in two esteemed writers to honor the legacy of Poe and share their own experiences with darkness and...

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Poe Museum RL Stine Nnedi Okrafor