Making a Place for Makers
By Max Heyworth It’s been said that people don’t come to Richmond for the restaurants. Notwithstanding the indignation of thousands of local foodies, this is true. The River City’s appeal to outside interests stems not from the fabulous and eclectic dining scene but from its fertile entrepreneurial landscape That’s right, one of RVA’s biggest […]
Making Community: A Beautiful Struggle
By Duron Chavis Defining community is easy. Building community is hard work. It can be a beautiful struggle. Greater Richmond is historical. Creative. And a river runs through it. As majestic as it is, however, there is still work to be done. And we’re doing it. On a recent Wednesday night, in the home […]
Make Something
By Noah Scalin One of the questions I get asked most frequently when I give talks about Skull-A-Day (www.SkullADay.com), the project in which I made a different piece of skull art every single day for a year is, “what happened when you ran out of ideas?” It’s an interesting question, since from an outside […]
Making a Community of Food Trucks
By Karen Atkinson “Look Mommy! It’s a food truck,” exclaimed a wide-eyed toddler at the South of the James Farmers Market last summer. I had to smile as I reflected on the fact that terms like “Farmers Markets” and “Art Walks” were the new buzz words when my, now seventeen year old, son was the […]
Live Bold
By Paul Spicer Instead of just writing about our favorite makers, we decided to become one. What better way to report on those making things in RVA than for Grid writers and publishers to roll up their sleeves and make something too. It’s time that we make good stuff – beer, coffee, ice cream, […]
Richmond Thread Lab
By Aine Murphy Norris A true Jane-of-all trades, Christie Thompson started Richmond Thread Lab two years ago as a hobby. After a successful season and run of men’s neckties, her one-woman business was born, providing handcrafted accessories unique and rich with detail and texture. Unlike a typical design house, Richmond Thread Lab takes advantage […]
Making It – From Doodling to Dough
By Chris Gatewood It is easier than ever to make and sell things. You can bang out a prototype of your widget with a 3D printer, by hand, or in a hackerspace that gives you access to its gear. You can connect with a manufacturer in the U.S. via Maker’s Row or offshore through the […]
Making Artisan Salame
By Jeff Kelley “National?” I reply to Oliviero “Olli” Colmignoli. I could’ve sworn he’d just said his two-year-old company’s artisanal salames are available nationwide in Whole Foods Markets. Yes, he confirms “National.” From this unsuspecting factory in a row of nondescript office suites in Mechanicsville, the two dozen employees of Colmignoli’s namesake Olli Salumeria […]
Making a Radio Station: Music for the Rest of Us
By Anika Imajo In a 1978 cinematic misadventure called FM, fictitious radio DJs stage a station lock-in to protest the advertising agenda of their establishment overlords. In the process, the groovy champions of public interest inspired legions of bellbottom-clad listeners to rally in support of their cause, and the result (after notable guest appearances […]
Making RVA Sound Good
By Anika Imajo Chris Bopst gets RVA. He always has. “You have to make your entertainment in this city,” advises the musician/writer/booking agent, whose hard-nosed attitude toward music has served him – and his community – well over the years. As the driving force behind the eclectic live performances at Balliceaux and as a […]