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 […]
101 Pit Bulls: Changing the Perception
Kelley Blanchard is on a mission to restore the image of America’s most bullied breed, the pit bull. Determined to fight fear and bias, Blanchard launched The Richmond Pit Bull Project to bring attention to rescuing, rehabilitating, and loving the American pit bull terrier and dogs with bulldog lineage. As part of her initiative, Blanchard […]
At the Center of Change
Last year, 62.8 million Americans volunteered 7.9 billion hours. Based on the Independent Sector’s valuation of a volunteer hour ($23.56 in 2015), all that time is worth more than $186 billion. That sounds like a lot until you realize that the number of people who volunteered last year is only slightly more than 25 percent […]
Gears in the Garden: Bike Gardens In Bloom At The Center of the Universe
A green bike with a yellow seat and an American flag sits in front of Cross Bros. Grocery with a country cured ham hanging from the handle bars. Nearby, two bikes – one baby blue and the other hot pink – sit atop the Ashland Theater marquee covered in lights. Decorated bikes sit in front […]
Exhibits, Helmets, and Community
With its knack for connecting the past with the future, The Valentine has launched “In Gear: Richmond Cycles,” a rich collection of photographs, bikes, and historical objects that span several centuries of cycling. Curated by David Voelkel, the exhibit celebrates all things cycling – from 19th century high wheel bikes to the local stories of […]
How We Roll: Richmond’s Inner-City Youth Cycling Program
By Craig Dodson What does cycling have to do with low-income kids from public housing? Nothing and everything. When I started Richmond Cycling Corps (RCC) in 2010, it was merely a project: a “let’s see what would happen if …” kind of thing. Well, in our first year, a group of four kids from Fairfield […]
I Am Tourism
Seven million visitors, $2 billion pumped into the local economy, 22,000 jobs, and a savings of nearly $600 in taxes per household. That’s the impact of tourism in the Richmond region. We all benefit. And we all have opportunity to help grow these numbers. “Hotel occupancy in the Richmond region is shattering records,” says Jack […]
Beauty Matters
It was 5:30 a.m. and 88 oversized, cast stone planters had just been delivered to a stretch of Jackson Ward between 3rd and 5th Streets. Lucy Meade, executive director of Venture Richmond, and Sharon Baum of Kirby’s Landscaping walked the site with a long punch list in preparation for the day ahead. This was the […]
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 […]
Revitalizing Richmond’s Oldest Park
Having served as an agricultural fairground, a Confederate encampment, and a rallying point for all manner of happenings, the site that’s home to Monroe Park has played host to its community for over a century and a half. Now poised to undergo its first large-scale revitalization in several decades, the elegant square at the heart […]