Meet this week's guest editor, Noah Scalin. As many Richmonders know, Noah is the creator of the award-winning project Skull-A-Day and the collaborative science fiction performance art project League of Space Pirates. Noah was the inaugural artist-in-residence at the VCU School of Business and his fine art has been exhibited internationally, including installations in Times Square, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Mütter Museum and multiple solo exhibitions in Krause Gallery in NYC. His work has been commissioned by Old Navy, Capital One, and Goodwill; and has been featured in dozens of publications including Fast Company, USA Today, The Telegraph, and the New York Times. Noah is a sought after public speaker on the topic of creativity and the author of six books — most recently Creative Sprint, which he co-wrote with his sister/business partner Mica. Together, Noah and Mica also founded an art and innovation consulting firm called Another Limited Rebellion.
Read on for Noah's top recommendations for ways to explore and celebrate this place we call home.
Chop Suey
Books
Browsing a bookstore is one of my favorite pastimes, but it’s something I haven’t been able to do since the start of this year, for obvious reasons. Luckily, Chop Suey Books has managed to recreate the experience on their Instagram page! Not only can I quickly discover new and used books in their stories, but I can keep up on the adventures of my favorite store cat Wonton. I love the fact that I can order any book I want (even one that’s not currently in the store) and it’ll be on my doorstep within the week (often hand delivered by owner Ward Tefft himself). Did I mention they also have a virtual book club, so you can connect with your fellow librophiles? And now more adventurous folks can even sign up for a solo browsing time inside the store during the month of October (though don’t wait, they’re selling out the time slots fast)!
Local entrepreneur extraordinaire Larkin Garbee wasted no time shifting her gears at the start of the pandemic to meet the needs of our healthcare community. She figured out a way to not only quickly make and distribute reusable face shields, but also how to support our essential healthcare workers even more by offering to give one shield away for every one purchased through the Good Work Society Store. I’m a particular fan of the Orchid Shield which has a beautiful design on it courtesy of my friend and fellow artist Hamilton Glass. Each of these shields has an additional benefit of also supporting the work of Girls For A Change, who receives a donation from each sale.
Speaking of Hamilton, now is a great time to get out and see the creative transformation that’s been happening in this city these past few months courtesy of his Mending Walls project. I was honored to be included in the roster of artists asked to collaborate on large scale visual conversations about race and social justice. Since it launched in June there have been ten new murals, addressing the most pressing issues of our current moment, added to our landscape and several more are currently in the works. Want a unique way to see some of the murals firsthand? Check out the upcoming Bike & Brunch Tours that feature the murals and conversations about our local Black culture and history.
Today marks the start of my company’s annual 30-day challenge: Creative Sprint®! It’s a free, fun way to get inspired and find new opportunities. And it’s not too late to join me and build your creative muscles alongside a supportive international community. Sign up now and look for us on Instagram.
Meet this week’s guest editor, Mike Ledesma, one of the hardest working local chefs in the business. Mike is the owner and executive chef at Perch, an award-winning Scott’s Addition restaurant that just celebrated its two-year anniversary this week. Long before Mike became known for blending Pacific-inspired flavors with the Virginia spirit at Perch he was making a name for himself around town at Richmond Restaurant Group, Max's on Broad, Kabana and Patina. And before that he logged in time at the iconic Greenbrier in West Virginia and a list of impressive restaurants in Hawaii. But Mike wasn’t always racking up “Best Chef” awards. He began his career as a financial advisor where he learned to hustle, pay attention to detail, and evaluate risks. He used these skills to make a career jump in 2002 when he enrolled in culinary school and channeled his energy into his passion for food, ingredients, and people. Mike believes that to feed people is to love them, and it shows. Take it away, Mike …
Owning a restaurant requires a lot of hours and a lot of hustle. But it’s a lot easier to hustle when there is a greater purpose. My goal is to cook really good food, then teach others to do the same. Along the way, it’s important to be passionate about many things – both in the kitchen and in the community. Here are three ways I like to show my love for this place we all love to call home.
Full
Kee
I’m always looking for those who cook with purpose. When I’m not tasting and testing everything at Perch, I like to explore and support other local restaurants that are equally passionate about every single plate. The rolling dim sum cart at Full Kee, a Richmond institution for decades at 6400 Horsepen Road, is always at the top of my list. I tend to lean toward the shu mai dumplings and the roasted whatever that is hanging in the display window! This is the real deal.
When it’s time to take a break from the kitchen, I grab a beer from my friends in the neighborhood at Bingo Beer Co., Väsen Brewing Company, and Ardent Craft Ales. At Bingo, now is the time to sip on their Oktoberfest amber lager and settle in with some favorite classic games. You can score all games at half price during Double Play Tuesday. Just around the corner at Väsen, you can find more than just adventurous beer – they’re now creating opportunities to get active outside too. On Wednesdays, Väsen Run Club kicks off at 6 pm, offering a 3-mile loop on different routes around RVA. And every second Sunday of the month you can join the Väsen crew for their Mountain Bike Club. And make sure to save time to swing by Ardent while exploring the neighborhood breweries in Scott’s Addition. Ardent’s outdoor beer garden is back in action, with tables spread at least 6 feet apart, with a full menu featuring their latest releases like Sweet Potato and Sage Saison farmhouse ale,salads and handhelds, cider, and wine. For a full list of local craft beer options in Scott’s Addition and beyond, check out Richmond Beer Trail.
The best part of Richmond is the community, reaching out and making a difference. Sure, dining and drinking your way through RVA is always a fun way to get to know the community, but nothing tops giving back to it. That’s truly the only way to be a part of a place you love. While this has been one of the most challenging years for all of us, it's inspiring to see so many Richmonders stepping up, lending a hand, using their talents, and actively giving during the pandemic. For me, Perch is the perfect platform to use what we do well to support what our local nonprofits do well. I recommend finding a cause that’s important to you and taps into your passion. Check out groups like Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, ASK Childhood Cancer Foundation, Feed More, Building a Better RPS, and consider feeding frontline workers by adding a meal for first responders at checkout when ordering online at Perch. Give all of these groups a follow, roll up your sleeves, and proactively look for ways to use your hustle for good.
The first three Here members to tag us in a post supporting Perch or another favorite local restaurant this week scores a free Rep Richmond t-shirt sporting the RIC logo from Here Weekly. Snap a photo of your favorite local chef, a tasty dish, cocktail, or socially distanced seating.
It's festival season again in RVA. And as we all know, Richmond always throws a good party. Our best annual festivals are able to transform its participants by escaping the familiar while engaging all the senses. Despite the pandemic, the show will go on in 2020 in new and interesting ways. Sure, it won’t be the same, but that’s the thing – the power of art is more important than where or how we see it.
Afrikana Film Festival
In 2014, Enjoli Moon launched the Afrikana Independent Film Festival, a Richmond based film festival dedicated to showcasing the cinematic works of people of color from around the world. Dedicated to using film as a catalyst for conversation and authentic connection, she has created a space that celebrates and elevates Black stories, Black voices, and Black lives. Starting today, Enjoli will kick off this year's Afrikana Independent Film Festival in a virtual format with a variety of short films, roundtable discussions, engaging dialogue, a sneak peak at VPM’s new documentary, and an opportunity to meet emerging and established filmmakers throughout the African diaspora. Richmonders can purchase tickets, watch films from the on-demand catalog, and join special events online over the next four days at afrikanafilmfestival.org. This year’s festival will also offer free Afrikana Interludes streamed live from The Valentine’s garden featuring music by Mighty Joshua (Thursday), Radio B x Michael Millions x The Queen's Cipher (Friday), Afrobeta (Saturday), and Chet and Christine (Sunday).
The popular ¿Qué Pasa? Festival is back again, this time taking place online, but with all the same opportunities from previous years to celebrate the food, art, music, and dance of Virginia’s Latin American community. Designed as a fully-digital interactive experience honoring Hispanic Heritage Month, ¿Qué Pasa? Festival will recreate the feeling of a street festival and take place from September 15 – October 15. Festival goers can visit QuePasaFestival.com every day during this time to enjoy a vibrant virtual space for free performances, demonstrations, tours, and conversations. The month-long celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month will culminate with a Virtual Hispanic Gala honoring Hispanic Bridge Builder Award recipients making a difference and building bridges to better the community. ¿Qué Pasa? Festival is organized and hosted by the Virginia Hispanic Chamber, which has worked for twenty years to create economic development and cross-cultural commerce opportunities between the Hispanic community and the community-at-large throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. The chamber’s goal is to use this year’s festival to help Hispanic and Latino led businesses stay afloat during the pandemic.
You can’t say festival in this town without automatically thinking of one the largest around, the Richmond Folk Festival. Now in its 16th year, the Richmond Folk Festival will once again bring the community together during the weekend of October 9-11 for a virtual event hosted through a series of special television programs, radio broadcasts, and online streaming. But that doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy the Folk Festival site and adjoining grounds. From now until October 13, you can participate in the Folk Festival Scavenger Hunt that covers the grounds of the Folk Festival between Dominion Energy and the Manchester Bridges. Visit richmondfolkfestival.org/scavhuntintro to get started exploring the hills, steps and hidden surprises that you've likely never noticed during previous festivals. Along the way, the Richmond Folk Festival will share a few songs to enjoy and after a successful hunt you will be entered into a drawing for Folk Fest merch rewards.
These one-of-a-kind journals, sporting the Richmond flag, are the same ones being used in our creative writing and journaling project in the Here Weekly/Richmond Grid mailbox hidden in a secret spot in the James River Park System. The Dear Richmond journal was created for you to write a love letter to the city, a call to action, the words you need to hear, or as a place to document your journey. We loved them so much, we're making them available for journaling at home too!
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