Richmond’s Queer Artistic Radiance

by | Dec 12, 2019 | QUEER RVA

Iridian Gallery’s last show of 2019 presents a variety of local LGBTQ artists and allies in a community-focused juried exhibition entitled Radiance.

Iridian Gallery at Diversity Richmond will cap off their 2019 with a group art show you do not want to miss. Radiance, a group show featuring dozens of local artists, opens tomorrow night, December 13, with a reception that will feature drinks by Belle Isle Moonshine and a raffle to win artwork by Iridian Gallery Vice Chair Michael-Birch Pierce.

Billed as a “community-centric art show and sale,” Radiance features work by both up-and-coming and established Richmond artists, all of whom are members or allies of the LGBTQ community, and all of whom promote queer-positive messages. The show was curated by jurors Amber Esseiva, assistant curator at Richmond’s Institute For Contemporary Art, and Stan McCulloch, co-owner of Mongrel, and will be a benefit for Diversity Richmond.

All art on display will be for sale for prices of $500 or less, so you’ll have plenty of opportunities to purchase great holiday gifts for the art lovers in your life. Sales will support both artists and Diversity Richmond.

Artists with work on display include Aída Bogado, Alex Foster, Alice Anne Ellis, Blythe King, Chris Morris, Dakota Summer Becker, Damian Elio Massie, Dan Mouer, Elliot Scaparo, Emmanuelle Garcia, Eric May, Janet Scagnelli, Jeanne Schlesinger, Jennifer Woehrle, Johannah Willsey, Jonathan Lee, Jorge Ariel Escobar, Kim Sandara, Lev Keatts, Natasha Kovacs, Lindsay Parnell, Mary Vivo, Michael A. Pierce, Michael-Birch Pierce, Miriam Cooper, Nava Levenson, Rob Ryder, Sara Ferguson, and Sarah Midkiff. That’s a total of 29 artists, so there’ll be a lot to see!

Head to Iridian Gallery at Diversity Richmond, located at 1407 Sherwood Ave, on Friday, December 13 beginning at 6 PM for the Radiance opening reception featuring Belle Isle Moonshine and a raffle for artwork by Michael-Birch Pierce. And if you can’t make it Friday night, don’t worry — the exhibit will remain on display until January 5, 2020. Whether you’re in need of some holiday gift ideas or just want to see the best of what the Richmond LGBTQ arts have to offer, this is one show you need to see. For more information, click here.

GayRVA Staff

GayRVA Staff

Covering Richmond’s queer community—its culture, nightlife, activism, and the policies that shape it.



more in gayrva

Fourth of July 2026 in Richmond: Fireworks, Festivals, and More

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...

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...

Review | ‘I Love You Because’ Is Pure Joy 🏳️‍🌈

It could be said that Shakespeare invented the rom-com. It could also be said that Jane Austen improved it a couple of centuries later. Between the two of them, meet-cutes, notices of love or rejection arriving at exactly the wrong time, and breathless affirmations of...

This New Club is All About Getting Tipsy for History

Did you know that at one point Pepsi was the 6th largest navel power in the world, or that there is supposedly a box of dicks in the Vatican Museum? These were just some of the surprising history stories I heard at the first meeting of the RVA Tipsy History Club,...

New Menu | Richmond Grew Up. So Did Harry’s

Editor's Note: RVA Magazine is partnering with Harry's at The Hof on coverage related to their 10th anniversary celebration and new menu. We stopped by to see what was new, eat some good food, enjoy a few cocktails and report back. Richmond, we blew up our own spot....