Creative Sprint RVA: Richmond Schools, Businesses, and Entrepreneurs Get Creative
By Noah Scalin and Mica Scalin When you think of creativity, what comes to mind? Is it an artist painting a picture or an author writing a book? Is it yourself? As siblings from a family of artists, we never questioned that we were creative, but when we started teaching creativity to the business […]
This is Major
Communities are built through stories. When we tell stories that inspire and engage us, we inevitably build stronger communities. But it also takes dedicated people to share narratives that have the power to change. At the intersection of powerful stories and community engagement live two men: Mike Kemetic and Marshall “Major” Taylor. A Powerful Story […]
An Instrument Built to Last
By Davy Jones Many would consider metal to be Richmond’s main musical export, but an instrument with a slightly more dulcet tone is bringing our city’s creativity and ingenuity to households all over the globe—the ukulele. From the Richmond office of Hohner, the storied German instrument manufacturing company, Leon Lewis heads up Lanikai, which has […]
Art Happens Here
Change is constant at 2016 Staples Mill Road. It was once Colonial Grocery. Then it was a beauty school. And from there, a mixed-use building that peddled everything from mattresses to flooring. For the past 13 years, the property, however, has served one purpose: the home base for Crossroads Art Center, a growing clearinghouse for […]
How A Local Publisher Created RVA’s Biggest New Year’s Bash
Tony Harris knows how to throw a party. In 2007 Harris orchestrated a 10,000-plus gathering of Richmonders in Carytown to ring in the New Year. And in 2008 he ramped up those numbers to 23,000 people, resulting in a legendary New Year’s Eve party that gridlocked nine blocks of Carytown and still has RVA talking […]
Independent Bookstore Publishes Skull-A-Day
On day 241, Noah Scalin took a loaf of bread out of the oven, stared at it, and wondered would happen next. “That was one of those days when I had no idea if it would work,” says Scalin of his medium of choice on that particular day of his ambitious Skull-A-Day project. The year […]
Artists Coloring Book BenefitS Art 180
Chuck Scalin arrived in Richmond just in time for the merger of Richmond Polytechnic Institute and the Medical College of Virginia in 1969. He was a young faculty member in the Art Department at the newly formed VCU, and new to living in a relatively quiet Southern city. The seeds of Richmond’s now-vibrant art scene […]
Broadening Richmond’s Music Scene
In so many situations, the line between watchers and doers is prohibitive. The Olympics? Yeah, right. Chainsaw sculpting? I’m good, thanks. But when it comes to live music, the line is a little blurrier. People like Rand Burgess, owner of The Camel, understand that the health of a city’s music scene is dependent both on […]
Q&A With Jesse Vaughan
There are 2,615 miles that separate RVA from Hollywood, but the award-winning director Jesse Vaughan is comfortable in both cities. The Richmond-native, who once served as a director for WTVR-TV6 at the age of 19, moved to Los Angeles in 1992 to pursue his dream of making films. After nearly 20 years, Vaughan triumphantly […]
Entertainment Meets Philanthropy
The historic Hippodrome in Jackson Ward was filled to near capacity for the “RVA Has Talent (RVAHT)” Season 2 finals. The diverse crowd was there to see Richmond’s most talented performers compete for a chance to win $2,500 for themselves and $1,000 for their Richmond-based non-profit partner. Philanthropy is a key component of the mission […]