Tell A Story
Tell A Story is a special section for this issue of Grid. Seventeen graphic design students at VCU were given the seemingly simple task of telling a story of Richmond through ten photos and an accompanying artist’s statement. The challenge turned out to be anything but easy and the results were varied. In the end, one winning student’s story was chosen to grace the pages of Grid, and we’re happy to publish it.
Melena: Musical Journey Into Afro-Cuban Roots
When Afro-Cuban percussionist Melena took the stage at this year’s Richmond Folk Festival, she reached a personal and historical milestone. “It was a tremendous honor to have been the first female instrumentalist to be invited to perform with the Septeto Nacional de Ignacio Piñ eiro since 1927,” the musician says of her experience accompanying the renowned Afro-Cuban ensemble on congas.
Lowering the Wall Between the Paper and the Community
It’s hard to turn around in Richmond without bumping into a collaborative workspace or three. There’s Gangplank Henrico for the technology-minded, or 804RVA for individual entrepreneurs tired of staring at their bedroom walls. Hanover offers the Dominion Resources GreenTech Incubator, while the city offers Advantech with its below-market office space rental. A trio of local business standouts launched New Richmond Ventures, which advises startups and offers opportunities for space. And there’s always the basement of the Tuckahoe Library, or any number of coffee shops.
RVA Agents: Mission Possible
There’s a new crew of agents in town and more are joining every day. Their name? RVA Agents. Their mission? Help attract new businesses and jobs to the region.
Doing Well By Doing Good: Defining Community
It’s Friday afternoon in RVA. Inside the New Venture Richmond office a small crowd is gathering to discuss the upcoming TedxRVA in March. Taking their seats at a round table, I crack open a beer and begin.
Miles Finch Innovation: Inspiring Corporate Creativity
In today’s corporate jungle, it’s all about survival of the most innovative. Miles Finch Innovation, a Midlothian firm with meeting space in Manchester’s Corrugated Box Building, skillfully guides corporations toward a more innovative approach to business solutions.
Richmond BizSense: Your City, Your Business
The beginning of my journalism career coincided with a serious slump in the industry. In 2008, thousands of journalists lost their jobs. Scores–perhaps hundreds–of news outlets closed. I decided to start a media company.
Rhythm Of The Street
Richmond neighborhood Jackson Ward was once the center of a musical revival so impactful that it earned the nickname, the “Harlem of the South.” Entertainers came from miles around to set their stages on the streets of Richmond and inspire crowds of onlookers.
Take A Minute Exercise: Truth Be Told
I spent most of my childhood clearing paths through woods, swimming in pools, building tree forts, and jumping in creeks. I clocked in endless hours riding bikes, skateboards, and mini bikes through the invented worlds swirling in my imagination. I worked hard at placing myself in a world of crazed friendships that lasted about as long as my ever-changing, specious tales. I would spin these tales in any direction if I thought it would help me keep a friend.
Noah Scalin Publishes The Design Activist’s Handbook
The road has been long, but at last Richmond’s Noah Scalin, known for his award winning Skull-A-Day art project, has brought to life a decade’s old idea. His new book, The Design Activist’s Handbook, is Scalin’s way of sharing the ideas that have shaped his career.