RVA Magazine Archives

RVA Merch! We need your help.

RVA Staff | March 26, 2020

Topics: coronavirus, covid 19, covid19, donate, local business, local media, magazine, merch, rva mag merch, rva mag shirts, RVA Magazine, rva magazine shirt, RVAmag, shirt, staff donation, staff help, support rva magazine, support rvamag

Check out our limited-edition merch with 100% of sales going directly to support our staff. As our partners in small business are hurt by Covid-19, RVA Magazine hurts as well — and we look to our community for help.

Welcome, friends: artists, musicians, writers, and local businesses that we have worked alongside for so many years now. Under these hard circumstances and uncertain times for our community, your RVA Magazine team is here. We will continue to uplift local businesses, provide resources for Virginians to survive, and stay on the beat for the good of our neighbors as we always have. And as we’ve said in conversations with many of you these past few weeks, it is our highest priority to help the folks in our community come out on top. It’s our job, and we’re proud to do it.

But we need to ask for your help. RVA Magazine survives 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 pride ourselves on working with restaurants, nonprofits, and small business across the River City — but as so many of our partners have been forced to shut their doors during this crisis, RVA Magazine looks to our readers to prevent us from doing the same.

DONATE TO OUR PAYPAL & PURCHASE SHIRTS WITH THE DONATE BUTTON
Also, donations can also be sent directly to Inkwell Ventures at [email protected]

That’s why we’re introducing RVA Mag merch to support our staff. Through our PayPal, we’ve got two limited-edition RVA Mag shirts for sale. 100% of proceeds go directly to supporting our staff, as they stay on the beat despite cutbacks to help our local businesses, artists, musicians, and more find resources to get through this.

Merch is listed below with titles for each option.

To purchase:

Send a $20 donation to our Paypal.
Add a note including the design you’d like (“RVA Magazine Logo Shirt” or “Richard Perkins RVA Mag Shirt”).
Include your t-shirt size in the note.

**Click here to send your PayPal donation for purchase.**

Regular donations (without purchase of merch) are also welcomed in any amount, so feel free to donate directly if you prefer. We appreciate any and all support you are able to offer during this time.

Thank you to our readers, our partners, and our friends for the love over all these years. We cannot thank you enough, and we are working as hard as we can to stay afloat during these times to keep bringing you the best of culture in Virginia… and to keep local media alive in the River City.

Let’s get through this together!

FUNDRAISER: Local Artists & RVA Magazine Partner With FeedMore

RVA Staff | March 24, 2020

Topics: Austin Miles, community, coronavirus, covid 19, covid_19, covid19, Feedmore, Hamilton Glass, local business, Matt Lively, Nico Cathcart, nils westergard, nonprofit, RVA Magazine, rva together, RVAmag, support

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 FeedMore.

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 FeedMore 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, FeedMore, 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. We’re kicking off the initiative with designs by Nico Cathcart (Instagram @nicocathcart), Nils Westergard (@nilsrva), Matt Lively (@mattlively), Hamilton Glass (@hamglass), Austin Miles (@auz_can), and an RVA Magazine (@rvamag) “RVA” logo shirt that supports our writers as they work tirelessly to spread community help despite cutbacks.

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 FeedMore.

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.

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.

RVA Magazine’s Best Stories of 2019

RVA Staff | January 1, 2020

Topics: 2019 in review, happy new year, holidays, RVA Magazine

This is not only the end of a year but a decade, and here at RVA Mag, we feel it would be eminently appropriate to kick off 2020 by looking back at all your favorite reads of the past year. From the important political stories of the year to the big cultural events around town and the biggest music and art news of 2019, it’s all here, adding up to the story of what it was like to live in Virginia in 2019.

So before we turn the page on a new decade, take a look back at the most popular stories on our site over the past year, and catch up on any you may have missed the first time around. Here’s to you, Richmond — let’s start this new decade off on a high note!

RVA #37 Is On The Streets Now!

RVA Staff | August 15, 2019

Topics: art, avail, Culture, entertainment, gayrva, graffiti, lee county, metal, music, nat geo, nat geo photographer, National Geographic, new magazine, News, photography, politics, print issue, print magazine, punk, richmond art, rva 37, RVA Magazine, rva37, skateboarding, Southwest virginia, street art, trevor frost, Unmaker, washington skate

Summer is alive in the River City, and the latest issue of RVA Magazine is here with it to tell the stories of arts, music, politics, and culture across Virginia.

It’s August, it’s hot, and it’s only going to get hotter here in the River City with the arrival on the streets of RVA Magazine #37, our Summer 2019 issue! This one’s bursting all around, with plenty of art, music, news, politics, and more. From the far corners of the Commonwealth to right here in Rich! Mond! Vee! Ay!, RVA Magazine is on point with the coverage of Virginia’s street-level culture that you’ve known and loved for the past 14 years.

The biggest news of the summer here in Richmond was the reunion of Avail, the band who defined Richmond’s music scene in the 90s and helped put the river city on the musical map throughout the country and beyond. After 12 years away from the stage, they brought a hotly-anticipated two-night stand to the National and blew fans’ minds all over again. In the run-up to that memorable weekend of rock, we had an exclusive conversation about their reunion with vocalist Tim Barry, and you’ll find it all in this issue of RVA Magazine!

We’re also bringing you an in-depth profile of Trevor Frost, a photographer and Richmond native whose work with National Geographic and other world-renowned publications has taken him to every corner of the globe. You’ll learn what Frost has seen and discovered in his voyages, and why he keeps coming back to Richmond every time.

We don’t just focus on Richmond, though — our reporting takes us to the farthest reaches of the Commonwealth this issue, where we learn about Tennessee-adjacent Lee County’s attempts to create a policy based on comments from political leaders about arming teachers to prevent school shootings. Why does this rural county at the very tip of Virginia’s panhandle think such a policy is a good idea? And how do they intend to put it into practice? We’ll give you a deeper look.

We’ve got a lot more in store for you in this issue as well, from a GayRVA report on the recently-released documentary capturing and honoring the life of legendary Richmond cult figure Dirtwoman to an exclusive conversation with up and coming postpunk band Unmaker. We’ll also learn about the hip hop and skateboarding connection with Richmond’s own Washington Avenue Skateboards, and take a closer look at the history of the city’s underground graffiti scene — a major influence on the mural boom RVA is undergoing today.

All of that is in store for you when you grab your very own copy of RVA #37, available in all your favorite local businesses around town. Get yours now… they’re going fast!

Check out the digital version on Issuu here.

RVA’s Summer Field Guide Hits The Streets Today

RVA Staff | June 6, 2019

Topics: bars, beer, events, Family, festival, field trip, Fun, issue, magazine, music, nightlife, outdoor life, print magazine, RVA Magazine, rva summer field guide, scavenger hunt, Students, summer, summer events, summer guide, travel

With Memorial Day Weekend in the books, summer in Richmond is officially here!

To celebrate the liveliest season in the River City, RVA Magazine is proud to release the RVA Summer Field Guide: Our take on a solid season to get outdoors and enjoy the city’s best, out and on the streets today.

Beat the heat and humidity, and grab a first-edition copy of your new summer go-to guide. With a classic outdoor field guide feel, the RVA Summer Field Guide brings all the sunny-day feels and boozy ideas to make the most of your days.

The guide is packed with upcoming music events, summer festivals, guides to Richmond nightlife, summer beers to look for, the best watering holes in the state, plenty of planned trips for students and families alike, and many more. Oh, yeah — and we also have quite possibly the best scavenger hunt in existence.

While it’s impossible to include everything and everywhere that make summer fun so great in this state, what comes with the RVA Summer Field Guide is a quinnessential start to exploring the city we all call home. Pick up a free copy today at any of our amazing vendors and local hot spots in town, and be sure to grab one before they run out — we guarantee you’ll be glad you did!

You can check out a PDF of the guide online below. Check our Instagram and Twitter for a special release at Hardywood tonight, or check any of the spots listed below to get a copy of your own.

View the full RVA Summer Field Fuide here!

Grab yours before they run out! The RVA Summer Field Guide can be found now at these locations:

Hardywood
Mekong
The Answer Brewpub
Ellwood Thompson’s

Check this weekend for more issues at these locations:

Colonial Shooting Academy
The Boathouse
En Su Boca
Beauvine Burger
River City Roll
Fire & Hops Pizza Co.
Rva Paddle Sports
The Poe Museum
Taylor’s Barber Shop
Quirk Hotel
Graduate Hotel
Can Can Bar
Solita
Little Saint
Kabana
Plan 9
World of Mirth
Chop Suey
Havana 59
Capital Ale House
Station 2
Union Market
Legend Brewery
Strangeways Brewing
Triple Crossing Beer
Väsen
The Veil Brewing Co.
Ardent Craft Ales
Bingo Beer Co.
Three Notch’d RVA Collab House
Canon & Draw
Basic City Beer
Isley Brewing Company
Tang Biscuit
The Hoff
Circuit Arcade Bar
Black Heath Meadery
Final Gravity Brewing Co.
Garden Grove Brewery
Tabol
Stone Brewing Richmond
Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery (downtown)
Champion Brewing RVA
Stawberry Street Market
The Hop
Black Hand Coffee
Lamplighter Coffee
Gallery 5 (First Fridays)

*Along with other local hot spots, markets and restaurants.

RVA Magazine and GayRVA Are Seeking Interns For Summer 2019

RVA Staff | April 18, 2019

Topics: apply, gayrva, intern, internships, internships at GayRVA, internships at RVA Mag, jobs, RVA Magazine, work with us, write with rva magazine

Do you have the writing chops to seek out and deliver compelling stories on the latest in music, art, food, beer, politics, and current events in Richmond? Well, you’re in luck, because RVA Magazine and GayRVA are opening positions for editorial and graphic design interns for our upcoming summer season.

Launched in 2005 as a zine to promote the bubbling revival of Richmond’s underground, the RVA regional brand started with RVAMag. RVA Magazine and GayRVA are now Virginia’s largest independent media outlets, and the region’s voice for arts, entertainment, and cultural news. We are always seeking to diversify our newsroom: LGBTQ and minority students are very much encouraged to apply.

Opportunities

Both publications have several openings for writers and creatives who are passionate, hard-working, and excited to learn under the guidance of Virginia’s largest independent media outlets right here in Richmond.

We welcome your ideas, and will open doors to interview artists, musicians, politicians, and local influencers with opportunities to pitch your own ideas as well. Writers can attend and cover shows, write features on artists, and report on musicians, craft beer pros, restaurants, films, theater, fashion, politics, and more — right here in the River City and across Virginia.

Ideal candidates will:

Attend college and be in need of 1-3 credits through their scholastic program (credits not required, your preference)
Work on 1 article per week, and be able to meet deadlines in a professional editorial environment
Be able to work remotely and attend a weekly editorial meeting, with the freedom to attend events in the evening for possible feature pieces
Have a laptop, digital camera and/or smartphone
Be willing to work hard
Understand responsibilities involved when committing to a project
Be able to write hard news and features, with ability to bring interesting elements in stories into articles through interviews and drafting relevant questions
Have an open mind, with the willingness to cover issues and topics that might be altogether new to you

Juniors and Seniors studying Journalism will receive first priority consideration.

Attending a college program is not required, but those not in a program should be able to show a history of successful writing or commitment to a long-term project.

Editorial Internship Details:

1. Writing – Interns will draft 1-2 articles per week: News writing, event previews, interviews of artists or musicians, album reviews, features on new businesses and local stories, political updates.

2. Interviewing – You will be speaking to lots of different people. The voices of the city and state help define the publication, and you will be seeking out those voices.

3. Pitching and developing long-form stories – We want to help you get published, we want to see you succeed. We’ll help you get there in any way possible, and provide guidance to continue your professional career in any different facets of the media industry. We can help with career counseling and help you build your resume to move forward into a media environment.

Internship Duties:

Interns work remotely on 1 article per week, interviewing sources in person or via phone on feature pieces.
Get access to shows, parties, and events of your choice throughout Virginia.
Have your name published in Virginia’s largest independent media, with long- and short-form writing experience.
Have the independence to cover stories and issues that interest you. Pitch your ideas and don’t hold back your creativity: We want to hear your voice and uplift the voices of our community that aren’t usually heard.
Multimedia web-based project experience.
Editorial jobs are mostly performed remotely, with a once-weekly editorial meeting to update projects.

To apply, submit your email with the following materials:

Cover letter detailing why you want to work with RVA Magazine and what you can bring to the editorial team
Resume
2-3 article-style writing samples for editorial applicants (feature and hard news if applicable)
Website (if applicable)
Availability from June–August 2019

Please send an email to Caley Sturgill at [email protected] and write “Internship Submission” as the subject line. Deadline for submission is May 20 (flexible if needed — send an email letting us know beforehand if you plan to submit a late application).

Internships are unpaid and for-credit if requested, with potential opportunities for steady contributor positions following the internship.