A Mother, a Son, and a Gelato Shop
Barbara Given is a fighter. At 81, she has grit and determination beyond measure. Standing confidently behind the counter of Stoplight Gelato Café, a business she launched in Jackson Ward earlier this year, she’s clearly proud. Her business is buzzing. Customers are happy. And there are over 30 unique flavors of homemade gelato in front […]
SoundView Project Taps into Street Energy
On a lively stretch of E. Broad sits a brand experience shop that boasts a bold name and even bolder ideas. Release the Hounds, which offers advertising and graphic design led by John Mills, is known for its street-level window display that has featured everything from art to pop-up shops over the years. This fall […]
Blue Bee Transforms Historic City Stables
In May of 2013, Courtney Anderson Mailey opened Blue Bee Cider, Richmond’s first urban cidery. The cidery was situated in Old Manchester and quickly became known for its artisanal ciders made with heirloom-variety Virginia apples. This year, the established cidery moved to Scott’s Addition at West Clay Street and Summit Avenue, a popular corridor that […]
Changing Places, Changing Lives
By Duron Chavis Nature teaches us many lessons. From soil to microbes to trees and worms, what appears to be random is in reality a rhythmic harmony. Organizations that realize this can create a path toward a sustainable future. Groundwork RVA is one of those organizations. Led by Giles Harnsberger, Groundwork RVA is a […]
Building Just, Inclusive, and Nonviolent Communities
Peace: This word is as utilitarian as any word could ever be. There are so many meanings. It’s a greeting or farewell with roots extending deep into the early days of hip-hop culture, a silent contemplation in the early morning light by urban yogis saluting the sun, or an unexpected feeling, such as when one […]
Mapping RVA: Excluded Communities
Whether you live in the Upper Fan or in East Henrico, you likely have much more in common with your neighbors than a zip code. The racial and socioeconomic divides within Greater Richmond find bold visual expression in Excluded Communities, a spatial analysis and exhibit launched by Housing Opportunities Made Equal (HOME) to illustrate the […]
It’s All Relative
What makes a family? Who can define your family? The Valentine shares in the dialogue with this new exhibition, It’s All Relative: Richmond Families (1616–2016), which opened on October 13 in the Stettinius Community Galleries. It’s All Relative explores the changing definition and composition of families in the Richmond community from the 17th century to […]
Waking Up to Creativity
Doug Nunn believes that everyone is creative. But to live a creative life, it takes bravery, honesty, and a lot of hard work. Last year Nunn set out to find a way to foster an inclusive and creative community, which led to the launch of CreativeMornings RVA. Initially launched in 2008 in New York by […]
King’s Queens
By John Murden Loretta Watson understands the value of a good coach. A dedicated friend. And a trusted mentor. Every year for the past 20 years, she’s opened up her heart to a new group of young ladies, hooking them into the sisterhood of her cheerleading program. “I grew up in Creighton from birth […]
Passing on Wellness to Others
Seo Kelleher doesn’t believe in success stories. And she’s not interested in a predetermined end point. “I think life is a journey, and we constantly make turns and adjustments as we go,” explains Kelleher, a marketing pro turned fitness and life coach. Before launching CO2Fit, her growing fitness company in Richmond, Kelleher was focused on […]