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Renowned Black Transgender Activist Honored With New Mural In Northside Bellevue Neighborhood

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A new mural was recently completed by artist Nico Cathcart featuring Aurora Higgs, a lauded Black transgender activist and speaker in Richmond’s LGBTQ+ community. Started in March, Women’s History Month, the colorful, vibrant piece focuses on the connections between humans and nature, as well as highlighting the beauty and strength in our differences. Every visual element of the piece holds a metaphoric purpose. Among these elements, a variety of flowers were chosen for their colors as well as what they have symbolized in flower lore of the past: unity, love, pride, strength, perseverance, to name a few. Hidden within the floral colors are the trans pride colors. A north star is painted in blue on the top right corner — a nod to True North Yoga, who started this project — and surrounding Aurora is a galaxy of stars, which double as fireflies as a nod to Buffalo Firefly, whose opening prompted the completion.

Cathcart explained her intentions for the mural, saying, “Part of being an ally in my line of work is allowing the models’ experiences to shine. I truly hope any viewer of the piece can take the time to look up and learn from Aurora, who can tell her story and experiences far better than I ever could. I am hoping the piece honors the work that Aurora is constantly doing on behalf of Richmond’s LGBTQIA+ community. She is truly a city treasure.”

Cathcart also drew connections between the mural and the wider struggle the trans community faces within the city. “I also hope the mural can start the process of normalizing positive representations of trans people to the city’s larger population,” she said. “As the mother of a trans kid, I want to see this city become a safe, beautiful place to live your truth in, whomever you are. I hope this mural is a step in that direction, and pushes people to realize how much we need to protect our trans population in light of recent heightened persecution.”

This is believed to be the first trans woman represented in a mural in Richmond. “As a Black trans femme in the South, my community is hyper vulnerable to institutional and cultural oppression, erasure, violence, and death. So to have a long-standing imprint on the city that I’ve given so much to feels invulnerable,” Higgs said. “I want other trans/NB people of color to see this and feel seen. I want other artists and communities to follow suit, and honor others who represent the future of the community. In the South we have so many problematic monuments that honor an oppressive past, so for me a quick and easy solution (one of many) is honoring those that represent a liberative future for all. I want trans femmes in Richmond, in particular, to see themselves in the mural and feel safe and empowered. I want others outside my community to see it and remember that we exist and deserve (a million times over) to be seen. To be acknowledged. To be valued.”

Cathcart has been blown away by the neighborhood’s response. “I was so excited to see the reactions of the community,” she said. “In the end, the piece was funded by the community itself, and the whole neighborhood embraced the process. Bellevue is a diverse area, and it melts my heart to hear people say that they felt seen when looking at the mural, or that they were proud to live in the neighborhood it was being painted in.”

This long-planned project was made possible by generous donations from Bellevue residents and the Bellevue Civic Association, and was commissioned by Aliza Sterling, co-owner of True North Yoga & Wellness, and Mary-Lynne Williams, owner of Buffalo Firefly.

The official unveiling of the mural will be during Bellevue’s Porchella on April 23rd, and will coincide with the opening of Buffalo Firefly, which will take place with an open house between 5 and 8pm at the mural’s location, 4025 MacArthur Ave. While enjoying the music at Porchella, residents can and should pop by to see this new Northside addition. 

Be Ruthless: Honor RBG’s Legacy and Get Out The Vote

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The death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is certainly a reason to mourn, but the best way we can honor her legacy is to ensure that as many of us as possible vote in this election.

Brilliant. Passionate. Notorious. 

Last month, we didn’t just lose a Supreme Court Justice, we lost a beloved icon. Someone larger than life who served as a role model, not only for women, but for everyone. 

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the second woman appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court, was a force to be reckoned with. Small but mighty, she challenged the status quo with her memorable dissents during a nearly 40-year tenure on the federal bench. 

Because of RBG, women gained the right to financial independence with the ability to apply for their own bank account, credit card, and home mortgage. She narrowed the pay gap between men and women and brought us closer to equal pay (sadly, we’re still not there yet). From supporting women in the military to ensuring women serve on juries, RBG paved the way for many of the rights women often don’t give a second thought to today. 

RBG also recognized that discrimination exists beyond gender and social norms. By expanding the concept of discrimination, she was instrumental in making same-sex marriage and other protections for the LBGTQ community possible. Ever mindful of marginalized and underrepresented groups, she served as an advocate for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, advocating for their rights to live among communities, not institutions. RBG even argued cases in which men had been discriminated against, with one prominent case becoming the premise of the biographical film On The Basis Of Sex.

RBG’s philosophy was profound in its simplicity: equality for all. 

Not just equality in theory, equality in legislation. There’s a difference. People and politicians can claim to support equality, but only when action is taken can true constitutionally-protected equality become law. Until then, “we the people” are not equal. That is a fact.

From recent headlines to the presidential debate (travesty?) last week, no doubt you’re witnessing what happens to a democracy when facts no longer matter and the truth begins to erode. Injustice not only exists, it perpetuates. Under Trump and the current administration, equality for all doesn’t have a chance. 

We’re a month out from the most critical election in our nation’s history. If you’ve been waiting or wondering when to get involved, now is the time. Each of us has a role to play to save our democracy. To begin the end of systematic racism, gender bias, homophobia, and all forms of discrimination in this country. To move closer to RBG’s vision of a better America – one that’s not only equitable, but smarter, kinder, and more empathetic. 

Equality for all starts when we take action. Let’s honor RBG’s legacy and get out the vote in whatever way we can. 

Getting out the vote can be as simple or as multi-faceted as you want it to be, from increasing visibility through tactics like putting out a yard sign, posting on social media, or creating a Tik Tok video, to registering voters, phone banking, and writing letters (see below for more info).

One of the most impactful ways of getting out the vote simply comes down to having conversations. According to Tova Wang, Democracy Visiting Fellow at the Ash Center and a member of the Universal Voting Working Group, having one-on-one conversations with people who you’re close to is the most effective way to change someone’s mind about voting and registering to vote. She adds, “The other proven way to help people is to create a plan for how you’re going to register [and] how you’re going to vote. Do it with a friend; do it with family member, so it’s not just you, and then follow those steps.” (Source: The Harvard Gazette)

Politics has long been considered a “taboo” topic in American society, but we can no longer afford to be silent about what’s happening in this country. Normalize the topic of voting in everyday conversation. 

As the saying goes, democracy is not a spectator sport. For it to work, everyone must participate – that includes YOU. Whether you make it a solo mission or gather your friends for a virtual #GOTV effort, just do something — anything. From now until November 3, ask yourself, Have I done something today? Can I do more? And then do it and keep doing it. 

Below are ways you can take action, locally and nationally, right now. Check back as this list is continuously being updated. For a state-by-state guide to voting in the age of COVID-19, check out FiveThirtyEight’s How To Vote In The 2020 Election. 

FAITHFUL CITIZENS

Faithful Citizens is a year-round civic engagement program that emphasizes the fullest participation of people of faith in the electoral process. On Monday, October 5th, they’re kicking off 30 days of GOTV which includes peer-to-peer texting/emailing using the OutVote app and registering first time voters (primarily high schools, college campuses, and youth groups).
Learn More: Virginia Interfaith Center Civic Engagement or email: Dora Muhammad, Congregation Engagement Director.

NEXTGEN AMERICA

NextGen America (formerly NextGen Climate) is a diverse coalition of young people who seek to identify, engage, and mobilize people under the age of 35 who are less than likely to vote or who are not currently registered to vote. The NGVA Richmond team is doing weekly phonebanks to call voters (typically using Slack and ThruTalk), recruit volunteers, and mobilize the #youthvote. Sign up on the website to get started.
Learn More: NextGen America

PROM AT THE POLLS

Prom At The Polls is a national grassroots student-led event focused on giving students the unique prom that they deserve, while also encouraging them to vote. Proms all over the country were cancelled this year, so this initiative inspires groups of friends to dress up and take their party to the polls, make voting the next best thing. 
Learn More: Prom At The Polls

PROTECT THE VOTE

The Virginia Civic Engagement Table’s nonpartisan Election Protection work is built around ensuring all Virginians have equitable access to the ballot so people can cast their votes safely and without confusion or intimidation. Volunteer opportunities include being a part of the Sign Team (distributing yard signs at polling locations) and being a Poll Monitor (assisting voters at polling locations).
Learn more: Virginia Civic Engagement Table

RESISTERHOOD 

This documentary, directed by Cheryl Jacobs Clim, follows a diverse group of grassroots activists working tirelessly to defend democracy and stop the erosion of civil rights. The website also offers an informative Voter Toolkit as your ultimate guide to voting in the 2020 Presidential Election. Get yourself (and others) informed, inspired, and ready to take action with voter FAQs, relevant links, shareable social media content, and inspiring films/stories.
Learn More: Resisterhood

ROCK THE VOTE

Rock the Vote is the most trusted and effective nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to building the political power of young people. Their Relational Organizing initiative is based on the premise that when people reach out to their friends about voting, their friends engage in the political process like never before. Join their GOTV efforts using their Empower app to immediately add 10 friends and family names and phone numbers and get started.
Learn More: Rock The Vote

VOTE EQUALITY TOUR

VoteEqualityUS is a nonpartisan grassroots effort promoting equality for all Americans. On September 26, the Vote Equality RV, a.k.a. “The Notorious RVG” (Ruthless Vote Getter), set off on a statewide tour to get out the vote on college campuses and in local communities. In addition to the GOTV tour, VoteEqualityUS offers many ways to raise awareness on gender equality including essay contests, legal symposiums, and general advocacy.
Learn More: VoteEqualityUS

VOTE FORWARD

Vote Forward is a national letter writing initiative to encourage unregistered and low-propensity voters to vote. Handwritten letters have been proven to be one of the most effective ways to increase election turnout. Sign up on their website and once approved, you can start writing letters to voters in different states using their pre-made templates. It’s easy and straightforward. Plus, buying stamps supports the USPS. “The Big Send” mail date is Saturday, October 17.
Learn More: Vote Forward / “The Big Send”

VOTE SAVE AMERICA

Vote Save America is a one-stop-shop for information and tools to get out the vote, brought to you by Crooked Media (the guys from Pod Save America). Their “Adopt A State” initiative lets you choose one of the key battleground states (Arizona, Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin) to support so you can help voters make their decision and get them to the polls on Election Day – all from the comfort of your own home.
Learn More: Vote Save America

WOMEN’S MARCH

Women’s March will be holding a socially distant national march on Saturday, October 17 in Washington D.C., along with sister marches across the country, to send an unmistakable message about the fierce opposition to Trump and his agenda, including his attempt to fill Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s seat. In 2017, women made history when millions came together in the streets of Washington D.C. to make the resistance clear. Pledge to join the October 17 march in DC here.
Learn more: Women’s March

YWCA

YWCA has put together a comprehensive Get Out The Vote Guide of ways to get involved outlining opportunities to register, educate, and mobilize voters in your community, whatever your capacity level may be. They have made it an imperative to prioritize GOTV activities that will empower historically marginalized communities and ensure that women — especially women of color — are able to fully exercise their fundamental right to vote on November 3rd.
Learn more: YWCA GOTV Guide

SHARE ON SOCIAL

Spread the word on the importance of voting with these ready-to-share social media kits:

AAUW Action Fund
Campus Election Engagement Project
Cheat Sheet for the Voting Booth 
The National Council
Virginia Education Association 

BUY STUFF

Chi-Vote-Le Tee
Chipotle wants you to prove you love democracy as much as you love burritos with their signature “vote” shirt, complete with scannable QR code to Democracy Works.

got mail?
Inspired by the controversy over mail-in voting, Chris and Elizabeth Knudson of local music project LightBody Sound created the “got mail?” shop to advocate for voting rights with 25 percent of proceeds going to the Stacey Abrams-helmed voting rights and advocacy organization, “Fair Fight.”

Sk8boardingSaves
As a husband and father of two daughters, creative director and former pro skateboarder Bernie O’Dowd felt the need to take action. He created a series of RBG art prints, tee shirts, and other swag, with 100% of the profits going to Flip The Senate. 

KEEP AN EYE OUT

Kamala
A new mural collaboration featuring our future vice president created by muralist Nico Cathcart and fiber artist Michael-Birch Pierce in Brookland Park to inspire getting out the vote. Very Instagram-worthy. 

Stop The Shit Show
A guerrilla campaign created by the creative department at Yebo featuring a punk band-inspired sticker designed by Ken McIntyre and featuring a QR code that leads to the Virginia voter registration site with important dates leading up to the election. 

Got a GOTV initiative to share? Send an email to: [email protected]

For valuable information about how to stay safe while voting in person, please visit https://www.safety.com/public/coronavirus/how-to-stay-safe-if-youre-voting-in-person/

Top Photo: “RBG” Art Prints created by Bernie O’Dowd, now on sale at Sk8boardingSaves with 100% of the profits going to Flip The Senate. 

Interconnecting Climate Change: Nico Cathcart’s “Symbiotic Systems”

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Creating sculptures to stage each painting, local artist Nico Cathcart addresses climate change and connections throughout the environment in her latest exhibition at Glen Allen’s Cultural Arts Center. 

Nico Cathcart’s newest exhibition, “Symbiotic Systems,” is a memento mori in the age of climate change. Currently open through November 8 in the Cultural Arts Center of Glen Allen, the exhibition features paintings of human skulls enveloped by natural forces: shifting water, melting ice, and colonies of bees and monarch butterflies. 

Cathcart, who paints murals and street art as well as traditional paintings, says she tends to focus her work on environmental issues and women’s empowerment. 

“I do a lot of environmentally conscious work,” Cathcart said. “I’ve been playing with the idea of talking about environmental issues for years.” 

A lot of the paintings in Cathcart’s exhibition feature skulls as a nod to memento mori — “remember that you will die” — a concept in art history meant to highlight the inevitability of death. She intertwines natural images with the human skulls to remind viewers that they are inextricably connected to the environment. 

PHOTO: “Glacial” by Nico Cathcart

According to Cathcart, all her paintings start out as sculptures. She uses a model human skull to stage the images she wants to paint, a process that can take a long time. 

To make the underwater effect of the painting titled “Oceans Rise, Empires Fall,” Cathcart put the model skull in a fish tank with blue-dyed water. She used a wave-maker and high-speed photography to capture just the right moment for the piece. 

For the ice-themed paintings titled “Glacial” and “Ice Melt,” which focus on the melting of glaciers, Cathcart grew borax crystals on the model skull to resemble crystals of blue and purple ice. 

“I like going the extra mile with my work,” Cathcart said. “I approach all my projects like a scientist.” 

She is currently working on a way to create a smoke-themed skull painting to reflect this summer’s west coast wildfires — and is thinking about using smoke bombs and high-speed photography to capture this effect. 

Cathcart says that glacial melt, depicted in the paintings titled “Glacial” and “Ice Melt,” are what caused the intense hurricanes that hit Norfolk this summer — the inspiration behind “Oceans Rise, Empires Fall.” 

PHOTO: “Oceans Rise, Empires Fall” by Nico Cathcart

“It’s a whole interdependent system, which is the idea of ‘Symbiotic Systems,’” Cathcart said, “Everything that happens is interconnected.” 

“Symbiotic Systems” is a complement to Cathcart’s 2019 mural, titled “Plastic Tides,” which overlooks the Cultural Arts Center’s parking lot. 

Some of the paintings in “Symbiotic Systems” include birds, a trademark of Cathcart’s work. She uses birds as a motif in her art to address her ongoing hearing loss, which she says she began to notice when she could no longer hear the sounds of birds while hiking along the James River. 

“I like to feature birds because they symbolize resilience, and it’s a little nod to my own experience and my own struggles,” Cathcart said. 

Cathcart considers activism integral to her art. This has led her to make political statements in her work, but also to use art to help community organizations. 

Earlier this year, after COVID-19 hit Richmond, Cathcart began a T-shirt fundraiser with other local artists and partnered with RVA Magazine to raise money for Feedmore. 

“When the whole COVID thing started to happen, because I’m an activist, I turned to ‘What can I do to help?’” Cathcart said. 

Feedmore is a food pantry that provides hunger relief to Central Virginia. The organization has been giving meals to students who would normally get fed at school, but due to Richmond Public Schools shutting down, are virtually learning from food-insecure homes. 

PHOTO: “Ice Melt” by Nico Cathcart

Cathcart partnered with the company K2 Custom Tees and other local artists to sell printed T-shirts. Cathcart selected the artists who would design the shirts, but allowed them free rein over what their shirts would look like. 

“Mine is a woman with a mask on, facing up, and it says ‘Together Apart,’” Cathcart said. “I do a lot of curation work in the city, so I have contacts and friends who are also visual artists. I contacted them to make a shirt design, and said they could do whatever they want.” 

So far, the T-shirt fundraiser has raised $2,600 for Feedmore. 

Both the Feedmore fundraiser and “Symbiotic Systems” show Cathcart’s concern for the issues happening in the world around her.

“I believe art has the power to create change,” she said.

Cathcart’s artwork is also being shown in the joint exhibition “Unknown Outcome” at the Hermitage Museum in Norfolk through October 2. 

To learn more about Cathcart and her work, visit her website, Facebook, and Instagram. 

New Designs! Local Artist Support Shirts with RVA Together

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NEW DESIGNS OUT NOW! As loss of work affects Richmond’s local creative communities during coronavirus, artist Nico Cathcart and RVA Magazine come together to raise money for local artists and benefit Feed More. 

There are no words to adequately express the anxiety and uncertainty we are all feeling at the moment. Richmond is a city that thrives on its independence, creativity, and collective enterprise — and the local arts community, the creative heartbeat of our city, is taking a hard hit from this loss of work. Our artists are an essential part of what makes Richmond such a special place to live, and after years of them bringing life and culture into our home, it’s our turn to give back. 

That’s why RVA Magazine has joined hands with muralist Nico Cathcart and K2 Custom Tees to start RVA Together: a fundraising drive for local artists to sell their designs on t-shirts, benefiting each artist and donating to Feed More to help our city fight food insecurity in the wake of Covid-19.

SHOP NOW OPEN! Click here to buy merch to support our local artists. Supporters can choose their favorite print or artist to donate to, and every t-shirt sale benefits the artist, Feed More, and the staff of K2 Custom Tees, who have generously offered to host the initiative. 

As we move forward, RVA Together will feature 5 artists during every two-week period, sending out purchased shirts and introducing a new set of artists as each new time frame begins.

Every shirt will give $10 to the artist, $10 to K2 Custom Tees to supply the shirts and support their staff during printing, and a $5 donation to Feed More. 

Available at RVA Together’s Web Shop

With the spread of Covid-19, it feels like our community has been thrown into disarray, and with it, our sense of stability and purpose. This is uncharted territory for each of us, and it is only appropriate to wonder what our city, state, country, and even the world will look like at the end of this… because if one thing is certain, it’s that it will not look the same. Knowing this, it’s more important now than ever for us to come together as a city and support our artists, creative culture, and small businesses.

Let’s preserve everything that makes Richmond “Richmond.” 

Please check out the RVA Together Initiative, and do what you can to help. RVA Magazine will continue to operate during Covid-19, as a community sounding board, as a distraction, and as a way to communicate pertinent information as it becomes available. However, like most small businesses, we are also struggling to keep our doors open during these complex times — and any little bit helps. 

Available at RVA Together’s Web Shop

Along with all of our favorite local artists, an RVA Magazine shirt will remain available to support our staff during this time. RVA Magazine works through partnerships with the small businesses we all know and love, and as the future is uncertain for so many of our local friends, it becomes so for us as well. We will continue to uplift our local artists, musicians, and small businesses through initiatives like Eat Local! and RVA Together, and donations to us through RVA Together “RVA” shirt purchases, as well as our Patreon/PayPal, help keep us afloat. 

We are always available to speak with you, and we encourage you to reach out to us with any questions, concerns, or announcements you think are relevant. We wish all of you the very best during the upcoming weeks. 

And finally, practice social distancing! The sooner you do, the sooner we can all continue with our lives and re-join the culture of our beautiful River City.

Available at RVA Together’s Web Shop
Available at RVA Together’s Web Shop
Available at RVA Together’s Web Shop

Essentially Invisible: The Impact of COVID-19 on RVA’s “Non-Essential” Businesses

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All sorts of businesses around Richmond are trying to survive in the midst of quarantine; coming up with survival strategies has been even tougher for those deemed non-essential.

With Governor Northam’s recent issue of a mandatory lockdown, it’s clear business won’t be getting back to usual anytime soon.

In the last couple of weeks, there’s been a big push (rightly so) to support local restaurants and breweries. Online delivery and curbside pickup are now the norm, and potentially the only way for these businesses to survive. It’s been amazing to witness the community come together and rally behind these establishments who’ve made our renowned culinary and craft beer scene possible. After all, eating and drinking is essential – not only to our survival, but to our enjoyment of life as well.

But what about the people working in business deemed “non-essential?” From entrepreneurs and artists to retail store owners and fitness instructors, these are the individuals who provide services that, during our current crisis, may not be “essential” for our survival. However, their income (or lack thereof) is directly tied to their survival.

This is the case for my husband and me as we run our own creative studio, EVERGIB. Within a few days, we felt the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic with the immediate loss of a brand launch project for a new restaurant. As independent creative professionals, we know all too well that when the economy takes a hit, we’re among the first to be affected. Now, no one is immune. As we self-isolate in our respective homes, we decided to reach out to friends and colleagues working across a variety of fields to learn what their life, and their livelihood, looks like during this challenging time.

The author, Rachel Scott Everett, and her husband, Brian Gibson, are Co-Founders & Creative Directors of EVERGIB, a nomadic creative studio. Photo by EVERGIB.

“Fear and uncertainty” are top of mind for Jason St. Peter, owner of Think, a fellow independent creative services agency in town. Like us, he’s experiencing a decrease in workflow, but trying to keep things in perspective, adding that “the drama happening with the rest of our country’s workforce and health is far more concerning.”

Matthew Freeman is founder of Dialectix Consulting, which offers facilitation and training around diversity, equity, and inclusion. “Almost every single project I had has been cancelled or postponed,” he states. The work is “both high-touch, in-person work and not a priority for organizations when their survival is at stake.”

Kate Thompson, of Kate Thompson Photography and Palindrome Creative, is feeling the crunch as well. A commercial photographer specializing in interior design and hospitality who recently completed work for Quirk Hotel Charlottesville, her focus has now turned to concerns about delayed income and loss of business, since photography is generally viewed as a “luxury” item. To stay hopeful, Thompson says, “I’m reminding myself that this, too, shall pass.” 

Katrina Boone, owner of Gianna Grace Photography and creator of Dancers of RVA, shares similar thoughts. “I never in a million years believed I would lose a whole month’s worth of work that has been scheduled for almost a year… I am now aware of just how fragile best-laid plans can be.”

Jess Burgess is Artistic and Executive Director at Dogtown Dance Theatre, a home for performing artists. Photo by Gianna Grace Photography.

Small business owner Jolinda Smithson of Shapes & Colors used to rely heavily on in-person meetings to generate new business. She’s adapting by connecting and expanding her network virtually. As host of CreativeMornings RVA, she’s particularly mindful of inclusivity within the community, reminding us that “businesses of color will be intensely impacted. It’s important to elevate those stories so folks get the support and resources they need to stay afloat.”

Kristen Ziegler, owner of Minima, a professional organizing and minimalist business, has also had to adapt. “Our business model is based on face-to-face organizing services in our clients’ homes and businesses,” states Ziegler. “Over half of our clients have asked to postpone their sessions. We’re losing at least half of our anticipated revenue as of now, and I only imagine things will get worse as the situation progresses.”

Ashley Hawkins is in a similar situation with her non-profit community arts studio, Studio Two Three. She’s dealing with a substantial loss of revenue due to program cancellations. Therefore, she’s ramped up her studio’s online shop, offering custom prints, shirts, tote bags, and other items for sale. “It’s a great way of supporting the studio and also getting something beautiful to remind us that we are all in this together.”

At Dogtown Dance Theatre, Jess Burgess, Artistic and Executive Director, is not only concerned for the future of her company, but the small staff she employs. Since 2010, Dogtown has been a staple for independent artists and community-based dancers. “In the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, we’ve been forced to close our doors, closing off access to the classes, performances, and workshops that keep our region culturally vibrant.”

Burgess remarked that on top of the loss of income, the loss of community has been particularly difficult. “Nonprofit organizations, rooted in the community, cannot afford this hit, both to earned and contributed revenue, and the long-term effects it could have on programs and services offered to the public.”

Laine Satterfield is Director of Education at Cadence Theatre Company, an independent theatre. Photo by EVERGIB.

That type of devastating ripple effect translates to the theatre world as well. Laine Satterfield is Director of Education at Cadence Theatre Company, a small, independent performing arts theater. They’ve had to postpone all performances and community events indefinitely, putting the entire close-knit cast and crew in limbo. Ironically, its spring production, Small Mouth Sounds, tells the stories of strangers seeking to find themselves through isolation.

Like countless others, Sonja Stoeckli, owner of Spiritual Flow Yoga, has had to rethink ways of doing business. She and her teachers are offering online classes through Zoom for a reduced fee. “I have to pay my teachers as otherwise, they have no income as well,” she says. “I try to charge a little bit for our classes. It’s hard, as many people are not able to pay anymore because they lost their jobs.” 

Audrey Bonafe, owner of Fighting Gravity Fitness, is faced with similar challenges, and trying to see the bright side of things. “There will always be something to learn and grow from. We will become stronger and wiser. We are all being forced to offer online classes now, and that was something we needed to do anyway.”

That notion of being forced into action seems to be a common theme for everyone. Social entrepreneur Kelli Lemon of Urban Hang Suite, among other ventures, is also trying to take a more positive spin. “We are all in this together. We truly have the opportunity to look at things differently.”

Sonja Stoeckli is owner of Spiritual Flow Yoga, offering vinyasa flow and restorative classes of all levels. Photo by EVERGIB.

They say constraint breeds creativity. And therein is where the solution for the survival of “non-essentials” may lie. It’s about finding creative ways to get through this together. Most likely, the success of our professional lives depends on the support of people. And in times of crisis, we need each other more than ever (that goes for our personal well-being too). It’s up to all of us to find ways to lift each other up, to help create more awareness of the different challenges we face, and to understand that despite our differences, we all share this same burden of uncertainty together.

Already there have been inspiring acts of kindness and selflessness from “non-essentials” leveraging their skills and expertise to help the community. Dustin Artz and Justin Bajan of local ad agency Familiar Creatures created Keep Calm and Nom Nom, a one-stop online shop for purchasing gift cards to support RVA restaurants.

Artist Nico Cathcart and other Richmond muralists designed custom tee shirts that are now for sale on RVA Together. Each purchase provides a donation to Feedmore. Similarly, artist Noah Scalin of Another Limited Rebellion has a limited edition tee shirt for sale, for which all profits will go to support the Sacred Heart Center. Both initiatives are in collaboration with local print shop K2 Custom Tees.

Nico Cathcart is a muralist and painter whose work addresses social issues and inspires activism. Photo by EVERGIB.

Photographer Cade Martin has developed The Creative Now, featuring interviews with creative professionals sharing their experiences about what they’re doing to stay creative. Tania del Carmen, another local photographer, created #OnHoldAtHome, a photography series that aims to shine a light on how, despite the different challenges we face during COVID-19, we’re all connected in a shared vulnerability.

While we’re all justifiably concerned about our individual livelihoods, these examples show the benefit of looking outside ourselves. If we’re feeling invisible, chances are that others are feeling the same way too. Perhaps the best way to help ourselves is by first helping others. There is power in being proactive and taking some kind – any kind – of action.

Reach out. Check in. Start conversations. Don’t just ask people to write a positive testimonial and/or review for your business – do the same for them in return. Refer people’s work and services to those who may have a need for it, particularly those fortunate enough to be maintaining a stable income. If someone refers you, thank them for taking the time to do so. Create a list of the people you know who should know one another, and make introductions for future reference. This is also a great time to become a mentor, or to search for one. Initiatives such as Coffee At A Distance connect experienced industry professionals with graduates, many of whom are entering the job market for the first time.

As we depend even more on our virtual interaction, online and social platforms is where we can particularly make an impact. Tagging, liking, commenting, and promoting people’s work or services may seem insignificant, but can often make a big difference in keeping everyone visible.

OnHoldAtHome is a photography series created by Tania del Carmen documenting the lives of Richmonders during Covid-19. Photo by Tania del Carmen.

Right now, we might not have a lot of control, certainty or peace of mind. But we may have a lot of time. Let’s use it wisely.

Top Photo: Ashley Hawkins is Executive Director and Co-Founder of Studio Two Three, a non-profit community arts studio. Photo by EVERGIB. All photos were taken with the necessary precautions and from a distance of 6+ feet.

Nico Cathcart’s Resilience Highlights Virginia Beach’s Thriving ViBe Creative District

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Cathcart’s mural exhibition at BOJUart Gallery is a great example of the growing artistic scene in Virginia Beach’s ViBe Creative District.

It’s the first First Friday of 2019 in Virginia Beach’s ViBe Creative District, and Nico Cathcart is beginning her live mural; a 25-ft long stretch of wood, located in the main room of BOJUart Gallery. On it, outlines of birds: halcyon kingfishers, eastern bluebirds, a Gray Jay — an aide-memoire to her previous life in Canada. Cathcart will be painting the mural as a live exhibit spanning the next four weeks, but not just because she finds birds totally super cool.

Cathcart is in the process of becoming deaf. The hairs of her cochlea are slowly balding through a process of tone-based, degenerative hearing loss. She wears hearing aids which helps her hold conversations and listen to some of her old favorite songs, but her condition affects both volume and tone. An avid birdwatcher, Cathcart first took notice of her condition when birds in the woods bordering her home began to go silent.

“I first started noticing when I was missing words,” she said. “But really, the birds I noticed, because my trips to the woods started to go silent. I can’t hear cicadas, birds, crickets — normal stuff along the James. I realized this was gone, and I can’t get that back.” Currently at 30% hearing capacity, Cathcart fully understands that, one day soon, her hearing will stop, its remnants relegated to memory.

Photo by John Donegan

Her work has since been a myriad of bird paintings, most oil, pencil, and gouache-based. The majority of these are featured as part of Resilience, her latest exhibit, an immersive, interactive experience curated by BOJUart Gallery. The exhibit encircles the other three-quarters of the room in which she’s painting her mural. The works operate as mementos, whether to her departed loved ones or as chapters of her own mythology.

Cathcart’s exhibit at BOJUart is an example of the growing arts initiative in Virginia Beach, part of the Virginia Beach Arts District’s effort to reclaim a resort town ailing from its own irrelevance.

Though state lawmakers began offering tax incentives for Virginia art localities as early as 2009, it wasn’t until 2015 that an organization, The ViBe Creative District of Virginia Beach, was approved under an ordinance and officially tasked with roping in an ensemble. The ViBe is an official 501(c)(3), recognized by the IRS as a non-profit, with the ability to accept tax-deductible contributions and offer tax incentives to artists and entrepreneurs looking to rehabilitate buildings.

In 2018, the city announced the ViBe Creative District Matching Grant Program, which provides grants to small, locally owned and operated businesses located within the district for building improvements and equipment.

Kate Pittman,  Executive Director of the ViBe Creative District nonprofit, is the linchpin of this great machine. She acts as liaison between the city’s public efforts to build the arts district, the private-sector small businesses, and local artists. She knows the right people and speaks in bureaucratic tongues. She knows well in advance which permits to apply for, she attends every First Fridays, shakes the hands, and always wears a smile.

Mural by ARCY at Wareing’s Gym. Photograph by BirdMad Media

Pittman was hired in November 2016, after she’d spent 11 years working for Virginia MOCA overseeing museum operations. ViBe co-founders Andrew Fine, of The Runnymede Corporation, and Laura Wood Habr, of Croc’s 19th Street Bistro, worked on and off with the City of Virginia Beach’s Office of Cultural Affairs since 2013; researching, holding City stakeholder meetings, and engaging in grass roots efforts with local businesses to discuss the creation of an arts district.

“When I was hired in 2016, the nonprofit and supporting business association were fairly new,” Pittman said. “My role was to get everyone activated, which involved meetings with local government, grant funders, and private donors.”

Since the ViBe’s inception, Pittman and involved artists have overseen the successful expansion of a district unmatched in the Hampton Roads area; an artistic sprawl of artists and creative businesses, including restaurants, galleries, museums, and roasteries, as well as murals and sidewalk art.

“All this has resulted in the creation of 30 new businesses since City Council established the ViBe boundaries and incentives in 2015, and the addition of over 100 works of art in the neighborhood,” Pittman said. “My previous role at Virginia MOCA, and [my] established relationships with City staff, were an absolute benefit… but really, it took everyone involved, from a grass-roots effort all the way to the top of City leadership at City Manager and Council level, for this success to happen.”

Group on walking tour in the ViBe District. Photograph by Andi + Zoe Photography

Pittman is involved in virtually every function of the district. She’s also the only official staff member, with the exception of her intern. She does a bi-monthly mural tour for interested patrons, 75 tours per year, even when that entails standing out in the cold, Coleman lantern in hand, waiting for strangers to show up. “I run two boards — a non profit board and a business association board,” she said. “We have approximately 75 local business members and engage with over 100 local artists. In addition, I work with around eight different City departments to execute projects, from Cultural Affairs to Public Utilities to the Public Schools.”

Pittman stressed that the key to the ViBe Creative District’s success was to cater to art in a broad sense, and strive for it be self sufficient. This commitment shows in the broad spectrum of organizations they work with; on weekends in the right season, the Old Beach Farmers Market sets up at the corner of 19th and Cypress St. In other parts of the year, the Virginia Beach Flea Market sets up adjacent to convention center on the west end of 19th street. And of course, there’s always a strong connection to the local community — most of the restaurants are farm to table, and anything not grown feet away from the kitchens is usually purchased from local farm stands.

Pittman says the district looks to continue its growth indefinitely. That said, continuing work on the city is visible, and far from complete. Streets along the fringe of the district are still littered with construction blocks, cracked roads, and caterpillar cranes. Stripped down malls, chipped-paint warehouses, and worn-down city streets still appear every other block or so. At 19 square blocks, the district still has the room for expansion.

And as Pittman tells us, that expansion is coming. “In 2019, we look forward to a 2nd annual ViBe Mural Festival, to add ’10 Murals in 10 Days’ throughout the district,” she said. “These large scale works have the greatest impact in our neighborhood. Smaller public art projects, such as sidewalk art, creative crosswalks, and a new utility box project, are also planned this year, with a potential to add 75-plus new works of art to the district.”

And that’s not even all — Pittman also mentioned a new brewery opening up on 18th Street in 2019, the arrival of the Virginia Beach Art Center and Artist’s Gallery on 17th Street, and numerous new commercial tenants coming to the district. “Private development will be big in 2019-2020,” she said.

Mural by Igor (original artwork by American painter Peter Helck) at Abacus of Hampton Roads. Photograph by George Culver.

Virginia Beach has always had the reputation of an up-and-coming resort town, but until recently, the city never seemed to see any real change come to fruition. It was a town of forgotten and misplaced projects. But large gains in tourism over recent years, with 2017 marking its sixth consecutive year of growth, have changed all that.

“Our organization is recognized, and was a catalyst for several others in the city, as a model to follow to engage private sector with city leadership,” Pittman said. “And perhaps most importantly, the positive media attention that the ViBe generates for the City of Virginia Beach is undeniable — we are a point of pride for our city, and represent the authentic Virginia Beach experience.”

However, some city officials are concerned over how much revenue a new arts district is able to bring to the city. With a new slate of leaders elected this past November, it remains to be seen whether the city’s new administration will have the same enthusiasm as previous ones. Former City Councilman Bobby Dyer took office as Virginia Beach’s new mayor after defeating Ben Davenport in the November election. In a November interview with the Virginian-Pilot, Dyer ensured he would “continue to honor [his] promise to build positive bridges with the City Council and my commitment to the public.” We reached out to Dyer’s office for comment, but no response has been sent over.

However, Pittman feels positive about the district’s ability to survive the transition. “We are very positive that our documented success to date will encourage City leadership to continue investing in the ViBe Creative District as the City’s one and only art district,” she said. “Programs that we helped advocate for and administer, such as the ViBe Small Business Matching Grant program, are piloted here to prove success and are transferable to other areas of our City.”

Nico Cathcart, Millie and William, oil on canvas, 48 x 30 inches

In a corner of BOJUart Gallery’s main room, a poster is taped to the wall, with a wooden stand beneath. On the stand are bowls of cut-out birds and markers, shared so that guests to write in forms of loss and pain they experience. For Nico Cathcart, this part of the project is a way to connect with members of the local community, by sharing their experiences on a murmuration wall. With this communal aspect of the project, Cathcart hopes to make some broader meaning of the grief that accompanies her loss.

Cathcart will be working on her mural at BOJUart Gallery, located at 1703 Mediterranean Ave in Virginia Beach’s ViBe Creative District, throughout the month of January, with the grand finale taking place on Thursday, January 24 and Friday, January 25 from 6-9 PM. Once it is completed, interested enthusiasts will have the opportunity to purchase the complete mural, or one of the five 4’x5’ panels of which it is comprised, for either indoor or outdoor display.

Check out the BOJUart Gallery for more information on Cathcart’s work and upcoming exhibits. For more information on the ViBe District, follow the link here.

Top Image: Nico Cathcart, Together, oil on canvas, 24x 48 inches