Join us for Salon de Résistance on April 30 at Black Iris for an unfiltered conversation about the role of art and culture during times of political upheaval with three of Richmond's leading artists. This is a free event open to the public. Event...
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The Pressure to Mean Something: Inside the VCUarts’ MFA Exhibition
If you walk into the 2025 VCUarts MFA Thesis Exhibition expecting a finale or a big conclusion, prepare to encounter something else—something quieter and less resolved. A residue. A gesture mid-motion. An echo. When I walked into the opening reception on April 11, I was immediately haunted by my own MFA thesis exhibition from a year ago. I walked...
How to Spot an Authoritarian Takeover of America in Five Books or Less
We’re probably past the point of sugarcoating where we are in America. The fear of authoritarian creep isn’t a fear anymore. Checks and balances, once the pride of our democracy, are failing. Congress has either abdicated its responsibilities or stood by in polite horror as the walls come crashing down. People are being disappeared into an El...
Letter To The Editor | Neighborhood Organizing Builds Neighborhood Resiliency
ed. note: The following is a Letter to the Editor from a community organization that we believe is worth sharing with our readers. What happens when people come together on our own terms? On January 18, 2025, the first city-wide Richmond People's Assembly brought together over 500 people to connect, share a meal, and grow capacity for...
Drawn to the Strange | Richmond’s Animation Festival Gets Weirder (and Better)
For the third year running, the Richmond Animation Festival returns to The Byrd Theatre with its signature mix of experimental flair, international shorts, and creative community energy. What started as a modest gathering of animation lovers has quietly evolved into one of the city’s most anticipated niche cultural events. Set for Sunday night,...
‘It’s Devastating’ | Virginia $2.3 Billion Park Economy Faces Staffing Crisis
Temperatures are warming, flowers are blooming and Virginia’s peak park tourism seasons are ahead. Travelers could find their plans affected, with funding and job cuts hitting the National Park Service. Virginia boasts several trails, parks and historic landmarks that fall under park service management which could be impacted. State...
WRIR 97.3FM Marks Two Decades with a Richmond Mini-Fest
Richmond Independent Radio (WRIR-LP 97.3 FM) is hitting the big 2-0, and this is not just some tired “anniversary” event, it’s a vibe. Since 2005, WRIR has been the soundtrack of Richmond’s wild, ever-evolving cultural landscape. As the largest low-power FM station in the United States, WRIR has lived up to its promise of being the loudspeaker...
20 Years of RVA Magazine & Gallery5 | A Farewell to Stay Gold This Friday
The curtain comes down on Stay Gold: 20 Years of RVA Magazine & Gallery5 this Friday. Huge thanks to everyone who packed the place at the opening earlier this month. Big thank you to PLF, RVA Moon Market, Gallery5, Gull, Sweet Potatoes, No BS! Brass Band and The Head & The Heart's Rivers and Roads Foundation for partnering with us on this...
The Big Dipper Summit | Where Business and Culture Actually Collide
The Big Dipper Innovation Summit kicked off today, and if you’re not here yet, well, you’re already behind. This isn’t your run-of-the-mill business event—it’s where culture and business smash together in ways that actually mean something. Skeptical? We get it. But when these worlds collide, the opportunities are real. This is the spot to start...
How Zoning Reform Can Address Richmond’s Housing Inequality, by Councilmember Ellen Robertson and Thomas Okuda Fitzpatrick
“I never would have thought that I would be the minority in my neighborhood,” said Sandra Bowman, a Black resident of Richmond’s East End. She told an interviewer last year that the recent arrival of white neighbors has led to changes. That shift has also brought frustration. “If a brick comes up in their sidewalk,” she said of...
