Diversity Thrift’s pop-up sells off a movie’s set
Items from the film “Loving” on sale at Diversity Thrift. Photo by Brooke Marsh
Diversity Thrift hosted a Gifty Pop Up Market this past weekend, with some hot-ticket items including set pieces from the upcoming Jeff Nichol’s film “Loving.”
On Nov. 20-22, Diversity Thrift hosted their first “Thrifty Gifty” pop-up market in the store’s “Iridian Gallery.”
Diversity Thrift is one of the largest thrift stores in Richmond, with a 15,000 square feet sales floor. The store opened in 2000, with a model relying on community-donated household items be sold.
The proceeds are then passed back into the non-profit groups and charities directly serving people.
Since then, Diversity Thrift has raised more than $5 million, with more than 80 percent of their revenue going to charitable programming. The money also went into building the Gay Community Center of Richmond.
The film “Loving,” starring Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga, is set to release in 2016, and tells the real-life story of Richard and Mildred Loving, an interracial couple sentenced to prison in Virginia in 1958 for getting married.
“One of the actresses volunteered here for a little while and she told them to donate stuff here,” Woodson said.
There were two trucks loaded with items from the film — mostly pieces of furniture including chairs, desks, clocks and miscellaneous household items. Whatever wasn’t sold made its way back onto the stores shelves and sales floor.
“We always have really great vintage stuff and lots of good furniture,” said Kris Woodson, assistant manager at Diversity Thrift.
Woodson mentioned that this was the first Thrifty Gifty event the store had done, but that it would likely not be the last.
“We’re hoping to do it yearly. This is the first time we’ve done it though,” Woodson said. “We have a bunch of the nicer stuff that we’ve found in the thrift; lots of art, some prints, that kind of stuff.”
Members of the community and the city of Richmond are encouraged to come out to Diversity Thrift and browse some these pieces of history that will probably sell fast.
Article by: Adriel Velazquez, Contributing Writer
Photo Editor, Brooke Marsh
Brooke is a senior pursuing a BFA in photography & film and a minor in media studies. Prior to her role as Photo Editor, Brooke was a staff photographer for the CT. Brooke’s work has been featured at a number of exhibitions and she previously interned at Candela Gallery in Richmond. Brooke has experience photographing for news, sports and entertainment. // Twitter | Facebook | Portfolio
marshba@commonwealthtimes.org
