Meet this week's guest editor, Hamilton Glass! Originally from Philadelphia, Hamilton was inspired by the city's murals and street art, as well as the fine art at the Corcoran Gallery. He earned a Bachelor's degree in Architecture from Hampton University.
Hamilton worked in architecture for seven years at Thomas Hamilton and Associates and Baskerville before transitioning to public art in 2012. Since creating his first mural in Richmond in 2011, he has completed over 300 murals, including many found on the walls throughout Richmond Public Schools.
Hamilton has won numerous awards for his public art and community engagement. His designs, influenced by his architectural background, feature precise lines, scale, and balance, while bright colors and dynamic shapes convey energy and movement. Hamilton loves creating multi-layered projects that amplify diverse voices.
Outside of art, Hamilton is a seafood enthusiast and enjoys cycling on the Capitol Trail, a passion that began during the pandemic.
Take it away, Hamilton ...
804 Day in Shockoe Bottom
Don't miss the return of 804 Day in Shockoe Bottom on Friday, August 2nd, from 4:00 pm - 9:00 pm at the vibrant 17th Street Market! Curated by Shockoe Records, this annual event features a lineup of local performers across multiple stages, an array of vendors, food options, and dedicated non-profits. Celebrate the unique creativity that defines the 804 / Richmond / RVA community.
Vitals:
804 Day in Shockoe Bottom / Friday, August 2nd, 4:00 - 9:00 pm / Free / 17th Street Market, 100 N 17th Street
Heart & Soul Festival
On Sunday, August 4th, join me at the inaugural Heart and Soul Festival, hosted by Richmond Black Restaurant Experience and UnlockingRVA, at Hardywood West Creek. This event will feature many community partners, including Massanutten Four Season Resort, Richmond Kickers, Ivy Soccer Club, NASCAR/Richmond Raceway, VMFA, Studio Two Three, and The Well Collective.
During the Festival, don't miss the Black History Museum's traveling exhibit, “Virginia is for Music Lovers,” celebrating Virginia's Black Excellence in Music. This exhibit highlights the collaborative spirit between Virginia musicians and visual artists, showcasing the talents of DJs ALLNATUREL, DJ Adapt, DJ Ron P, Hip-Hop Henry, J. Fruncis, and Mike Street. You'll also admire the powerful art created by Unicia R. Buster, Nadd Harvin, Jowarnise, David Marion, Ron Stokes, and Chris Visions. Come experience the sense of community that makes Richmond so special.
Vitals:
Heart & Soul Festival / Sunday, August 4th, 12:00 - 7:00 pm / free GA, $50 VIP / Hardywood Park Craft Brewery - West Creek, 820 Sanctuary Trail Drive
Kyle Epps Residency at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden
In celebration of its Flourish 40th anniversary, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden (LGBG) has commissioned contemporary American multi-disciplinary artist Kyle Epps as its artist-in-residence from April to September 30, 2024. Epps' work will delve into the garden’s landscape and history through various media. During the residency, guests will have the unique opportunity to meet and engage with Epps, experiencing the Garden through the artist's perspective.
Over the past few years, my wife Taekia Glass, our passionate team, and I have worked diligently to continue the mission of Mending Walls, a project I started in 2020 after George Floyd's murder. Mending Walls uses collaborative, community-engaged art to promote social justice by fostering conversations that build empathy, understanding, and healing. Through these conversations, artists and community members from diverse backgrounds create murals throughout the city.
In four years, Mending Walls has produced over 20 pieces of public art, collaborated with artists in various mediums like poetry and dance, released a conversation coffee table book, and an Emmy-winning documentary now airing nationally on PBS. We also conduct walking tours, classroom visits, and speaking engagements in Richmond and across the country.
This year, Mending Walls achieved 501(c)(3) status, aiming to build a sustainable organization that not only creates public art but also fosters connection and empathy through creative conversations. Exciting projects and partnerships are on the horizon in Richmond and beyond. To stay updated or support us, visit mendingwallsrva.com to sign up for our newsletter and learn more about our future plans.
Meet this week's guest editor, Whitney Cardozo. Born in the Adirondack Mountains, Whitney is the chef and proprietress of Chez Foushee in Richmond. With a BA, MA, and MFA, she combined her academic achievements with her passion for cooking, attending Ballymaloe Cooking School and training under Jean Pierre Moulle of Chez Panisse.
At Chez Foushee, Whitney oversees all aspects of the restaurant, focusing on a unique dining experience with an all-female kitchen and LGBTQ+ friendly environment. Her diverse background includes catering, food styling, teaching, consulting, and design. She advocates for supportive work culture and equitable pay, values sustainability, and supports local musicians and nonprofits.
Whitney loves solo travel, having walked 200 miles of the Camino de Santiago. She enjoys Twizzlers and gluten-free Oreos, has two daughters (a doctor and an artist), a serial entrepreneur spouse, two geriatric dogs, and a bird.
Take it away, Whitney ...
Ghost Light After Party at Chez Foushee
First on the list is the Ghost Light After Party (GLAP), which is cohosted with Yes, And! Theater Company. One of my favorite evenings at Chez Foushee is the third Friday of each month when the restaurant because a live piano bar after dinner. At around 9 PM, Maggie Roop and Matt Shofner (founders of Yes, And! Theater Group) host the festivities, with JS Fauquet on the piano with the most extensive songbook playing everything from Broadway to Motown. What is heartwarming about this improvised musical collaboration is that it brings out the community in a positive way. It’s a safe space to be everything from a wallflower, cheerleader, or ballad belter.
My amateur garden is an ambitious work in progress, and I source as much as possible for the restaurant tables at Chez. Richmond is home to some incredible gardens; the ones that inspire me are Maymont's Italian Garden, Lewis Ginter's 50 acres of gardens, and the Virginia House's garden designed by Charles Gillette. Their accessibility to beauty through the seasons is incredible and gives me hope, especially the Virginia House's gardens, which took twenty years to complete.
If you have eaten at Chez Foushee, you know each plate is purposely different. I call them 'Granny Plates' and have been collecting them for years. Each plate has its own unique story to tell. One of my top picks is a stunning set of cream and rose dinner plates that a kind customer gave to me because he wanted them to be used. Sadly, the French Company discontinued this particular pattern after 124 years. For much of my dinnerware finds, I love to support small businesses, and the antique and vintage stores in the Richmond metro area have so many hidden treasures. Some of my favorites are RVA Antiques, West End Antiques, and Sheppard Street Antiques.
The initiative I've been working on is an extension of something we had to put in place during the pandemic: an online store, Chez at Home. When we couldn't eat in restaurant dining rooms, we took the restaurant to your home with a three-course dinner box complete with a small vase of flowers for your table. Now we will bring you the plate to put on your table. Thankfully, we can eat inside; the dinner boxes have taken the sideline. Still, alongside some remaining favorite online products, such as the Lemon Butter Cake and Gift Cards, there will be a new offering of vintage tableware in a collection called FOUND.
Food and tabletop objects have a tremendous heart-tugging quotient, and now we will offer a small curated collection of tableware sold through Chez at Home. These are handpicked, one-off pieces I love, like a mini online Parisian Brocante released once a month on our store's website. As a restaurant, we tell our story through the food on the plate, and now we are telling our story through the plate.
We are excited to announce that the first collection is estimated to be available by early fall!
Meet this week's guest editor, Jeff Bybee, here to encourage you to jump into July with a handful of recommendations. First, a little bit about Jeff.
After working various marketing and production roles forever in NYC; he needed a change. Friends persuaded him to come back to RVA for a weekend trip, and long story short, he returned to the place that had been his home away from home for a third and final time. He began to find his way around town again and started producing at Hue+Cry; more on that below. Skip seven years and now as the Executive Producer, he still gets to work in animation, collaborating with some of the industry's finest talents. Richmond's creative community, brimming with artists, musicians, and filmmakers, has flourished over time and Jeff feels right at home.
Jeff and his husband, Chris, live in the Oxford/Bon Air area with their adorably sassy Brussels Griffon pup, Rocky. Jeff has a huge love for all things art, music, and film, and is a classically trained musician who recently performed with the Richmond Philharmonic. He also has a lifelong enthusiasm for all things horror—the gorier, the better—and has ventured into special effects makeup, with his work featured in commercials, short films, and video game trailers.
Take it away, Jeff ...
RVA Square Dance at Studio Two Three
Creative juggernaut Studio Two Three is at it again; this time square dancing is on the menu. Yeehaw!!
I love spending time in their newly renovated flagship studio in Manchester and what better way to not only come and support this wonderful organization but also learn the ABCs of square dancing? If you already know how to hoe down; come and strut your stuff! All ages welcome and open to the public!
From their humble beginnings operating as a mobile silk screen truck, the staff at Studio Two-Three truly know how to host an event by engaging and bringing communities together through art, education and fun!
Vitals:
RVA Square Dance at Studio Two Three / Saturday, July 13 from 1:00 - 4:00 pm / open to the public, suggested contribution of $5 - $10 / Studio Two Three, 109 W 15th Street
Photo courtesy of Studio Two Three
Haunted Ashland History Ghost Tour
In addition to loving all things animation, I'm also a huge fan of all things horror and spooky. Although it's not Halloween season just yet, there are several creepy things that happen throughout the year here in the area. One not to be missed is the Haunted Ashland History Ghost Tour!
Located in downtown Ashland, once night falls, you'll hear stories of this historic town that celebrate it's fascinating, yet twisted history. Brought to you by the local masters of macabre; the Red Vein Army, this July is a special one as the attraction celebrates five years! Use code: BOODAY24 all month long to save 20% on tickets.
I love art, and this month there are two exhibitions happening concurrently at the Iridian Gallery; Julian Cobb's Limitations of Isolation, and Arista Alanis' Eureka!
Julian Cobb, a visual artist, works primarily with mold making, metal, and wood. Her dark pieces draw inspiration from Chinese mythology, comic books, and films. In contrast, Arista Alanis offers bright, colorful abstract works inspired by her Mexican heritage and life experiences.
As part of Diversity Richmond, Iridian is the South's only LGBTQ+ gallery and one of the few in the country. It regularly features poignant and forward-thinking exhibits. Don't miss their "Bling It Out" auction this fall—it's always a hit.
Vitals:
Art Exibitions at Iridian Gallery / Monday - Sunday, 10:00 - 6:00 pm / free and open to the public / 1407 Sherwood Avenue
Photo courtesy of diveristyrichmond.org
More about Hue+Cry.
Originally born out of the Martin Agency, Hue+Cry thrives as an independent animation and design studio with an acute focus on Animation (2D, 3D and motion graphics) as well as brand design and strategy.
We've worked with some of the best agencies on the planet including Ogilvy, Publicis, McCann and BBDO with such well-known brands as Yahoo, Oreo and Zillow.
Our team is constantly looking to diversify our client offerings; particularly with re-branding in order to refresh their current look and identity.
Additionally, this year is a huge milestone for Hue+Cry, as we're celebrating our ten-year anniversary and we'll be posting more about later this year. I can say that while the advertising landscape is constantly changing; it’s an exciting time to do what we do.
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