Meet this week's guest editor, Nancy Brown. She's here to provide a handful of tips for the perfect fall day in Richmond -- involving books, coffee, and open spaces. Nancy is the co-founder and chief marketing officer of Bookclubz, a web and app for book club management. Nancy believes in the power of narrative. Both in the non-profit and startup space, her career has focused on content across mediums and continents. Whether it is crafting a brand, growing an audience or building partnerships, storytelling and finding shared value is behind everything she does. Take it away, Nancy ...
Read Outside
at VMFA
Pack your favorite book and head to the VMFA. This is one of my favorite green spaces in Richmond to relax and unwind after work or on the weekends. The beautiful campus, including the E. Claiborne and Lora Robins Sculpture Garden, was made for creativity, contemplation, and community. The coffee is A+ and the Rumors of War statue by Kehinde Wiley is stunning and inspiring. After taking in the natural surroundings, step inside where the VMFA is currently offering the Treasures of Ancient Egypt: Sunken Cities exhibit on view through January 18, 2021 (free to all healthcare workers and first responders). For a deeper dive into Sunken Cities, VMFA is currently hosting a free series of virtual talks (the next one is this Sunday) by noted Egyptologists, curators, professors, archaeologists, and conservators.
One of my favorite parks in Richmond is Chimborazo, a 30-acre park with 180 degree views of the city, in Church Hill. You have an incredible view of Downtown Richmond and the historic houses that line the park and neighborhood are so charming. It's also home to a miniature Statue of Liberty, the popular Church Hill Dog Park, and a community garden! Chimborazo Park is one of my go-to spots for hosting a socially distanced book club!
Bookstores and coffee shops - the most important fuel for the avid reader! Local stores and shops are working hard to support the community amid Covid and I definitely recommend returning the support by purchasing books locally from Chop Suey Books and Fountain Bookstore (offering curbside pickup, private browsing, and virtual events). And for your caffeine fix, order a cup of coffee online from Lamplighter for pickup and let them know Richmond loves its local coffee shops. Save time to swing by Whisk in Shockoe Bottom (they just celebrated their fifth anniversary this week) for Parisian-style pastries and locally roasted coffee. You can also stay in your PJs and take a virtual class offered by Whisk to learn to make your own fall macarons and croissants (watch their Facebook page for upcoming classes and event registration here).
Nancy and the Bookclubz team believe in the power of book clubs to enhance the reading experience, support lifelong learning, and build community. Their website and app support online book clubs, virtual book clubs, in person book clubs, clubs that gather to learn, to stay in touch, to read more, to relax and have fun, to improve work culture, for self-improvement, for social change, and more.
