Just weeks after bringing together Latino muralists from across Virginia for a collaborative project in Richmond, artist George Arturo is once again turning to public art. Following the fatal shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo by an ICE agent during an immigration...
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 first glance, it feels almost chaotic. A skateboard hangs in front of a wall...
It was the USA's 250th birthday this past weekend, and it felt like it was 250 degrees outside. During a heat wave, a pool is the place to be, and the annual Fourth of July party at Daddy's Grotto was the cool down for the hottest queers in town. Daddy's Grotto is literally just the name of Brad Kutner and his husband Marcus's backyard, where...
How two decades of community organizing grew into a vision for land ownership, education, and self-determination. The first time I met Duron Chavis, he wasn't talking about farmland. He was talking about culture. It was the early 2000s, and Happily Natural Day was still in its infancy. Founded in 2003 at Richmond's Black History Museum &...
Editor's Note: We're sharing this essay from community content partner Jon Baliles of RVA 5x5. If you enjoy his work and want more in-depth coverage of Richmond politics and history, consider subscribing to RVA 5x5 on Substack. The views expressed are those of the author. As the 250th Independence Day weekend winds down, we take a peek back at...
There is a spotlight still mounted in the rafters of 528 N. 2nd Street. It has been there since 1914. It has outlasted segregation, fire, the highway that cut Jackson Ward in two, and decades of silence. On the nights when the Hippodrome Theater fills up, that light falls on the stage the same way it fell on Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, and a...
After years of legislative battles, vetoes, compromise negotiations, and numerous articles, Virginia finally has a roadmap for legal recreational marijuana sales. The state budget signed into law earlier this week establishes a regulated cannabis marketplace beginning July 1, 2027. Until then, many of Virginia's marijuana laws remain exactly as...
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 is available HERE. On an industrial property outside Williamsburg, forty-two...
The best Fourth of July celebration in Richmond probably isn't the one with the biggest fireworks. It's the one where someone forgot the hot dog buns, the cooler is running low on ice, kids are chasing each other through sprinklers, and somebody insists they know a better place to watch the show. Still, if you're looking to celebrate alongside a...
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 Virginia Museum of History & Culture last week during a test run for...
