This article is part of the official Virginia Pride Festival Guide, released ahead of the celebration on Saturday, September 27.
Presented with the support of Out RVA, Allianz, Hit Play, Virginia Lottery, CarMax, Bank of America, CoStar Group, Genworth, CapTech, and Bar West, with media support from Richmond Times-Dispatch, Richmond Magazine, Queer RVA, and RVA Magazine. Special thanks to Steve Davis of River Fox Realty for his support.
The complete Pride Guide is available for download HERE, and you can also visit our dedicated festival page for all event details, schedules, and updates as your one-stop hub for everything Pride Fest HERE.
Richmond’s art scene has no shortage of voices, but few speak as boldly, or as vulnerably, as Justice Dwight. A queer Black artist whose work spans painting, sewing, screen printing, and mixed media, Dwight is intent on reframing how we see Black and queer beauty. His most recent project, Queer Prom, does just that, creating space for healing, joy, and reimagining moments that many queer people never got to fully experience.
The Queer Prom series began as a dialogue with his inner teenager. “A lot of people talk about healing their inner child,” Dwight explains. “But for me, my inner child was fine. It was my inner teenager that I locked away. That version of myself really wanted a queer prom.” The project took shape through editorial photography and screen-printed quilts, blending bold color, texture, and comfort into a vision of celebration. “It was about giving that version of myself, and others, a chance to rewrite that story,” he says
Though today his work is steeped in themes of queerness, identity, and community, Dwight admits it wasn’t always that way. As a teenager, he created just to create focusing on color, pattern, and line rather than narrative. “I wasn’t really comfortable with who I was yet,” he recalls. That changed in his early twenties, as he began to fully claim his identity and see how his art could affirm it.
For Dwight, portraying Black people in a positive and complex light is central. “The human experience is very complex,” he says. “But aesthetically, I like to present us in a very beautiful light, because that’s who we are.” His style, instantly recognizable, reflects confidence in both his vision and his voice.
The last five years have accelerated that growth. The pandemic gave Dwight unexpected time for reflection, and residencies with local organizations like VisArts pushed him further. He describes that period as one of turning inward so he could create outward. “I’ve become more confident in how I want to portray the stories I want to tell,” he says.
Still, the road hasn’t been without challenges. In 2021, Dwight discovered that a piece of his artwork had been stolen and reproduced through AI by a major retailer. The experience left him discouraged, even pushing him away from creating for a year. But ultimately, it also reshaped how he approached technology. He began experimenting with AI in his process prompting images that he carefully edited, reworked, and transferred onto fabric. “I thought maybe this was my way of healing the hurt from being stolen from through AI,” he says. What began as play turned into a meditation on queer joy and authenticity, eventually evolving into the Queer Prom series.
Dwight’s commitment to community extends beyond the gallery. He names fellow artists Franchell Mack Brown and Melissa Athey as inspirations, and stresses that Richmond’s art scene, though more diverse than in years past, still needs deeper institutional support.
“A lot of opportunities here are created by artists for other artists,” he says. “I’d love to see more from the city itself, more funding, more trust. Too often, artists carry the load and then entities take credit after the fact.”
Even with those frustrations, Dwight believes Richmond is a supportive place for queer people. “The community here is really strong,” he says. “I’ve had negative moments, but overall I feel supported.” For him, Virginia Pride is an extension of that support. “Has anybody looked around lately? Things are getting bleak,” he says. “We need to support the people and entities trying to push the culture forward in a good way. Young queer folks growing up need to see that Pride exists.”
Looking ahead, Dwight is excited about his upcoming year-long residency, where he plans to experiment with new mediums like glass and 3D modeling. He also wants to lean into the unknown, embracing the trial and error of processes like sewing and screen printing. “The unknowns are becoming my favorite,” he says with a laugh.
What does he hope audiences take away from his work? “I hope people walk away feeling seen and loved,” he says. “Even if they don’t see themselves specifically, maybe they see someone they know and are reminded of their empathy for that person. At the end of the day, I just want my work to spread more care, more love, and more community.”
Support RVA Magazine. Support Independent Media in Richmond.
At a time when media ownership is increasingly concentrated among corporations and the wealthy, RVA Magazine has remained one of Richmond’s few independent voices. Since 2005, the magazine has provided grassroots coverage of the city’s artists, musicians, and communities, documenting the culture that defines Richmond beyond the headlines.
But we can’t do this without you. A small donation, even as little as $2, one-time or recurring, helps us continue to produce honest, local coverage free from outside interference. Every dollar makes a difference. Your support keeps us going and keeps RVA’s creative spirit alive. Thank you for standing with independent media. DONATE HERE.
We’ve got merch HERE
Subscribe to the Substack HERE
And Reddit HERE
