Meet Elaine Digges, this week's guest editor! Elaine is also our newest team member at Richmond Grid and Here Weekly! You’ve likely enjoyed her take on Richmond in the past, thanks to her informative and fun Instagram @miss_elaine_neous where she focuses on telling the stories of Richmond through the representation of all neighborhoods, small businesses, and local events. Her voice and dedication to the River City caught our attention and we knew immediately she would be a perfect fit. Take it away, Elaine!
Accoutre
Rob Bland, owner of Accoutre, has created a home base for the engagement and enjoyment of cooking and eating in RVA. After 16 years of professionally cooking, Rob decided to share his expertise with his hometown. Which means when you walk into his shop in Manchester -- don’t expect to just “shop.” Expect exceptional service, a detailed and thoughtful approach to engagement in the kitchen, and an impressive collection of tools and objects curated by chefs who are passionate about their craft. Rob will instantly take you on a culinary journey, whether you’re a novice or ready to level up your kitchen game. He’ll skillfully unpack your personal inventory with casual conversation of what you’re searching for and how best to meet your kitchen needs. From there, Rob likes to hand-select a product just for you that’s unlike anything else you’re likely to find in Richmond!
Redefining local, fast food is not an easy task. But our friends at Philly Vegan on Hull St. have found a way to make plant-based cuisine taste great and served up fast while positively impacting the community. This winning formula is a result of a family-owned business that has earned a loyal following in Richmond’s Southside and far beyond. They’ve even managed to impress and convert a growing number of the carnivores out there thanks to their fast, no-meat sandwiches and loaded fries with a heaping side of community. And when the fam is not showing off just how delicious vegan food can be, they're actively looking for ways to help others. Once a month, the owners offer a “Pay What You Can” day to allow anyone to chow down on their tasty creations or pay it forward.
Those seeking local goodies made with love can take home the best of RVA by purchasing items from Shelley’s Gift Shop -- like Sophie Printmaking totes, the famous Lammar Marie's Gourmet Popcorn (with flavors like Biscuits & Gravy), and delectable honey products from AR's Hot Southern Honey. All of this thanks to Shelley Evans, a local entrepreneur that hand-picks, packs, and delivers local gifts straight to your doorstep. And, it’s not unusual to receive a handwritten note with your local find! As the shopping season kicks into overdrive in the weeks ahead, consider forgoing the crowds and products made for the masses in favor of Shelley’s carefully curated selection of local, well-made products. In addition to shopping Shelley’s Gift Shop online, Shelley is opening a new brick-and-mortar storefront next week at 1727 W. Main St.
Handmade oyster knives are restocked at Grid Supply Co. just in time for the holidays. These beauties are made from oak bourbon barrel staves from Richmond based Reservoir Distillery! Each oyster shucker, with its distinct handle that has been soaked in bourbon, is finished off with a brass guard and mosaic pins.
Meet Erin Frye, this week's guest editor! Erin is a local musician, yoga and meditation teacher, and the Director of Programs and Outreach with CultureWorks. At CultureWorks, she helps the Richmond based nonprofit strengthen the impact of artists and arts and culture organizations throughout our region. When she's not working, you can find Erin bringing hope and healing to communities worldwide through accessible music and wellness experiences. Her travels as a volunteer musician have included orphanages, refugee camps, juvenile jails, and more from Africa to Europe, and across North America. She is also the founder of Gals for a Cause RVA, a former Big Sister through BBBS, and a former Teaching Artist/Performer in SPARC’s inclusive LIVE ART program.
Take it away, Erin ...
Freedom
Constellation Tour
Freedom Constellations is a powerful, interactive public art project that imagines a world without youth prisons; where all youth have the support and resources they need to grow, thrive, and stay free. This fall, Richmonders can join a series of FREE interactive tours and experiences led by Performing Statistics educators featuring Freedom Constellations. The project includes an interactive mural on 3rd & Broad, a recently launched GRTC bus wrap, and 160 ft tall portraits of Richmond youth leaders covering City Hall (the largest interactive installation on a municipal building in the country). As viewers hold their phones up to these powerful portraits, they become animated through augmented reality. Each tour will provide three immersive stations for visitors to experience this one-of-a-kind reality animation that was co-designed by Richmond youth. In addition, tour participants will have an opportunity to engage with historic artifacts at John Marshall House and travel to the top of City Hall observation deck with a guide from The Valentine. Take a tour, and have a mind- and heart-opening experience while imagining a better future for Richmond.
Rosette is a Richmond-based string quartet comprised of Ellen Cockerham Riccio (violin), Treesa Gold (violin), Kimberly Ryan (viola), and Steph Barrett (cello). All members are professional musicians who balance teaching private lessons with performing in the Richmond Symphony, Classical Revolution RVA, and other ensembles. This October, Rosette launched their newest concert series called So Hot Right Now in eight different venues. The last of the eight popular performances happens to be TONIGHT, Thursday, October 28th, at Candela Books & Gallery. So Hot Right Now highlights the music of Caroline Shaw, a New York-based musician and the youngest winner of the Pulitzer Prize in Music. Personally, I can’t wait to experience this – hope to see you there!
Food resiliency advocate and urban farms activist, Duron Chavis, recently announced the grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony for his newest urban gardening project, Sankofa Community Orchard, at 12:00pm on Friday, October 29th. Attendees will be able to tour the beautiful orchard and learn more about this two-acre green space that is dedicated to food justice and climate resiliency. The garden, located in Richmond’s Southside, consists of over 80 fruit trees and features an outdoor kitchen, a curated space for special events, and numerous mural walls courtesy of local Richmond artists. Sankofa Community Orchard is a member of The Jackson Ward Collective, a hub for Black business owners that provides connections to services, programs, technical assistance and financial support to help Black business owners learn, grow and own. My hope is for the community to wrap its arms around the Sankofa Community Orchard, and support Duron’s continued initiatives around urban agriculture and local food systems. His work is creating meaningful, lasting change in our community.
Catch our guest editor, Erin Frye, along with other inspiring leaders from across the country at Rebelle Con, a multi-day experience for women influencing the business world of the future. November 3-4, 2021.
Meet this week's guest editor, Laura Swanson Bowser. She's here to provide a few local tips this week to encourage you to wander, to wonder, and to celebrate all things RVA. Laura is the Founder of Vaud Consulting—an HR and DEI management consulting firm working to advance more culturally inclusive and equitable workforces. Prior to launching Vaud Consulting, Laura was the CEO of an award-winning diversity, equity and inclusion firm. During her tenure as CEO, the company was recognized as a Best for the World diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) solutions provider by B Lab. Laura is also Chair of the Virginia’s Alzheimer’s and Related Disorders Commission, Vice Chair of Data Friendly Spaces, board member at Read to Them, previous founding member of the Burke-Paine Society, and a published author.
Take it away, Laura ...
Jolene
Did you know you can shop a local minority owned business and support artists all over the world? Meet Jolene - the latest online store turned brick and mortar pop-up shop in RVA which opened in May of 2021 at 211 W. Broad St. Jolene is a home goods shop dedicated to unique and artfully made, materials-focused objects curated and procured by my new friend Nolan Beck-Rivera. Nolan, who offers interior design as The Materialist, recently moved to RVA from Cleveland. I encourage all Richmonders to pop over and say hi. After all, the holidays are just around the corner! Why attempt to source amazing gifts when a talented designer can do it for you?
While the majority of RVA was shut down during the pandemic, and restaurants, schools, and shops struggled to remain open, Adarra took off. Recently named one of America’s best new restaurants, as well as Style Weekly’s Restaurant of the year, this cozy, less than two-years old, restaurant in Richmond’s Jackson Ward neighborhood is now one of the hottest places in town. Each small course offers a stunning spin on the vibrant small plates of Spain’s Basque country. And, while I could wax poetic about every meal I have enjoyed, I will spare you and leave you with one fact. This restaurant made me not only like beets—a food I previously only tolerated—but crave them! As such, I can only deduce that the beets, which are grown in Chef Randall Doetzer parents’ garden, are either witchcraft or Adarra is just that good.
Given that Richmond is recognized as one of the most artistic mid-sized cities in America, it is safe to say that COVID has greatly impacted our community over these past 18 months. Our city, however, has risen to the challenge—finding innovative ways to give virtual art shows, outdoor driveway performances, and large-scale community projects. If you are like me though and still yearn for in-person connection, I have some good news to share. Starting September 17th, Richmond legends Matt Lively and Ed Trask will be launching a fully in-person exhibition at VisArts. The exhibition “Stretching the Blip of the Moment” combines paintings and sculptures in a style much like the work Lively and Trask have partnered on in the past, however, this time with a few amazing surprises. While I am not at liberty to say more, I did recently pop over to Matt’s 150-year-old barn-turned-studio (pictured) to take a sneak peek. You won’t want to miss this.
Hidden deep in the James River Park, tucked quietly under a moss-covered granite cliff, is the Grid Mailbox. Inside you’ll find the Dear Richmond journal, a collaborative writing experiment. For those who stumble upon it, the community journal serves as a special place to write a call to action, hopes for a better future, or simply the words you need to hear. Check out the most recent entries at our partner publication, Richmond Grid.
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