‘The Ultimate Show’: Art exhibition showcases work of late VCU professor
Leah Landry, Contributing Writer The diversity in the artwork of the late VCUarts professor Myron Helfgott is apparent in the space of the 1708 Gallery. The gallery invites guests to view “Myron Helfgott: The Ultimate Show” until Dec. 4. The exhibition is curated by the gallery’s executive director Emily Smith and co-curated by Al Calderaro. […]
“Set it Off” exhibition engages visitors with a sonic experience
Safia Abdulahi, Contributing Writer New York based artist Jeremy Toussaint-Baptiste combined his passion for music and art in his sonic exhibition “Set it Off” which allows people to step in a dark space and explores topics such as uncertainty and the Black experience in America. The exhibition at both the 1708 Gallery and Institute of […]
First Fridays Art Walk continues to shape Richmond arts community during pandemic
Swaay Cook, Contributing Writer Music erupts from all around. Chatter can be heard from onlooking crowds. The galleries and museums are visited slowly at first, but as the night goes on the crowds begin to grow. The First Fridays Art Walk, hosted by the Downtown Neighborhood Association, has been a monthly event highlighting Richmond arts […]
Projection art reflects on summer of BLM protests, honors Marcus-David Peters
Iman Mekonen, Spectrum Editor An 11-foot-tall vinyl display with muted pastel colors displays a familiar scene of Marcus-David Peters Circle. The grassy area around the base of Robert E. Lee’s statue is filled with references to recent Black Lives Matter protests in Richmond: clouds of tear gas, a burning police car and a basketball hoop. […]
‘We can’t let them fall’: Relief fund for marginalized artists overwhelmed by applications
Aerin Fortes, Contributing Writer A relief fund of more than $48,000 for local artists in need of financial assistance during the novel coronavirus outbreak has received three times the amount of applications it can cover, while Richmond arts and culture organizations look for new ways to help the community. The COVID-19 Arts & Culture Relief […]
Listening sessions begin for potential documentary center in Richmond
Andrew Ringle Contributing Writer Community members, journalists, photographers and filmmakers gathered Saturday to discuss the potential of creating a documentary center at 1708 Gallery. The discussion was led by VCU alumna Kate Fowler, who graduated in 2013 with a degree in photography and filmmaking. She has since contributed to the Magnum Foundation in New York […]
Local athletes, veterans advocate healing potential for art in sports
Washington Redskins tight end Vernon Davis says art has been an inspirational factor in his athletic career. “When I was a kid, I’d pick up fabric paint and draw cartoon characters on my jeans and shirts,” Davis said. “I don’t know where it came from; it was just something that followed me through the rest […]
Diverting the school-to-prison pipeline with art
Community members gathered at Art 180 gallery for the opening of “Performing Statistics,” an installation of interactive art created by ten incarcerated youths, meant to foster meaningful dialogue about the U.S. prison system, school-to-prison pipeline, mass incarceration and youth incarceration in Virginia. VCU alum Mark Strandquist and members from Rise for Youth, a bipartisan campaign […]
Local artists create mysterious collaborations
Draw something which resembles either the head, torso or legs of a decaying body – a simple enough task, but these were roughly the only instructions given to collaborating artists featured in the Exquisite Corpse exhibit at 1708 Gallery this month.