News
Storefront for Community Design
Storefront Launches Roadmap for 3-year Plan

In May 2022, Storefront for Community Design announced a bold, new vision and a three-year strategic plan. We will firmly focus on transforming our low-cost design and planning assistance programs and expanding our design education programs to inspire community-driven design in the built environment.

This is a living, breathing plan that we will continue revisiting over the months and years ahead. Since kickstarting our plan in July, we've been building an intentional roadmap that prioritizes actions and creates measurable goals. We are excited to share it and begin collaborating with you as we continue to realize our vision.

Storefront Launches Roadmap for 3-year Plan
Community Design Archive, News, Impact Stories
Storefront for Community Design
Storefront Celebrates 10th Anniversary

Each year, Valentine’s Day reminds us to purposefully demonstrate love, care, and support for our families, friends, and communities. This year’s holiday also marks Storefront for Community Design’s 10th anniversary and we want to shout a huge THANK YOU for your support in making our first ten years a success.

Since the beginning, we set out to make design accessible to all “for the love of our city.” Through partnerships and community collaborations, we continue to discover new ways of seeking Richmond's physical and social transformation through design and community voice. After an incredible ten years, we remain humble, yet excited for the possibilities that lie ahead for our organization, partners, and neighbors.

Our Board of Directors, staff, and partners are excited to celebrate this milestone anniversary throughout the year, so stay tuned for ways to get involved. To kickstart our celebration, here’s a few ways you can show your support today.

  • Donate to Storefront to support our next ten years

  • Volunteer as a Session Designer

  • Share our story with your network

Whether you’ve been with Storefront from the beginning or just a short time, we wanted to celebrate our anniversary with a look back over the last ten years. Enjoy the memories and accomplishments of our community and we look forward to making many more with you in the coming years. Now, it’s time to celebrate!

Storefront Celebrates 10th Anniversary
News
Storefront for Community Design
Storefront Welcomes New Executive Director and ...

Storefront for Community Design is excited to announce the selection of Shawn Balon as its new Executive Director.

Shawn brings a wealth of experience in design, non-profit, and educational environments with expanded knowledge of organizational management and strategic planning. He has the strategic vision necessary to elevate Storefront for Community Design and its programs in the years to come and will bring a creative, innovative, and collaborative approach when working with staff, board members, donors, partners, volunteers, and the community-at-large.

“I appreciate the board’s confidence in me, and I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to lead such a great organization. It will take innovative and purposeful solutions to create a path for Storefront for Community Design to continue addressing the challenges in our communities, and I look forward to advancing my efforts to focus on the importance of participatory design to honor differences, challenge injustices, and create vibrant neighborhoods,” said Balon.

News, Programs & Projects
Storefront for Community Design
Richmond Magazine: Designs Within Reach

We recently got to share a few projects at mOb studio + Storefront for Community Design with Richmond Magazine and how it all got started. Read the full interview by Taylor Peterson published on Feb 7, 2020.

“Design provides a vision rather than a … volatile position.” —Camden Whitehead, co-founder, Mob Studio

Richmond Magazine: Designs Within Reach

Volunteer Opportunities

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Five Ways to Get Involved in 2023

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Are you looking for ways to get involved at Storefront for Community Design in 2023? Check out the following opportunities and consider supporting us in 2023.

VOLUNTEER FOR UPCOMING COMMUNITY VISIONING EVENTS

We are seeking residents and professionals who are passionate about community voice, equitable design, and collaborative partnerships to volunteer at upcoming community events for the Jackson Ward Community Plan. The next community event will be held on February 11.

BECOME A DESIGN MENTOR 

We are looking for two qualified design professionals to join our City Builders Design 12-week program in spring 2023. Design mentors will receive a stipend for participation along with the reward of developing the next generation of designers. Learn more and apply by January 13.

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Summer 2022 Volunteer Opportunities

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Are you passionate about community voice, equitable design, and collaborative partnerships? We are seeking volunteers with varying interests and expertise to help us this summer, so don’t be bashful to get involved! Upcoming opportunities include:

  1. Design Education - City Builders Design: Help us build the new curriculum for our City Builders fall 2022 and spring 2023 semester.

  2. Community Visioning: Help us plan, design, and host small engagement events in Jackson Ward.

  3. Design Session: Provide one-on-one advice, conceptual sketches, and plans of actions throughout the year.

See below for more information. If you are interested in volunteering, be sure to sign up by Friday, May 27. If you have any questions, please email hello@storefrontrichmond.org. We look forward to hearing from you!

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Join Storefront’s Advisory Council: Nomination form now open

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Storefront for Community Design’s Advisory Council is a group of enthusiastic community members who are passionate about community voice, equitable design, and collaborative partnerships. This is a newly forming group that will supplement the Storefront team and board’s skills and help advocate for Storefront’s mission. The Advisory Council is also a great steppingstone for non-profit board service.

The nomination form is now open for the Advisory Council and will close on May 27, 2022 at 12:00pm. Review of applications and selection of members will take place in June. The first meeting will take place in July.

The Advisory Council’s purpose:

  • Provide technical expertise or advice in areas such as youth education, design education, architecture and planning, finance, fundraising, community building, event planning, advocacy, etc.

  • Help to spearhead and/or fundraise for a special project or event

  • Provide an independent sounding board for the Board of Directors

  • Serve as an advocate for the organization


The Advisory Council will include up to eight (8) community members and will meet quarterly (min. 4 times per year; 2 hr. meetings). Members of the Advisory Council are also encouraged to attend board meetings or join a committee if interested. Committees include communications, finance, development, and programs. If you have questions, contact us.

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Spring 2022 Volunteer Opportunities

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Storefront provides ongoing volunteer opportunities in our low-cost design and planning assistance programs and design education programs. We are seeking residents and professionals who are passionate about community voice, equitable design, and collaborative partnerships. Check out our upcoming volunteer opportunities below.

  1. Design Education - City Builders Design: Help us develop the design education curriculum and/or participate in our spring youth semester program.

  2. Community Engagement and Events: Become liaisons for engagement initiatives and/or help us plan our 10th Anniversary community celebration.

  3. Design Session: Provide one-on-one advice, conceptual sketches, and plans of actions throughout the year.

See below for more information. We are looking for volunteers with varying interests and expertise, so don’t be bashful to get involved! If you are interested in volunteering, be sure to complete the form specific to each opportunity by January 27, 2022. If you have any questions, please email hello@storefrontrichmond.org. We look forward to hearing from you!

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Five Ways to Get Involved in 2022

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This year has been a big one! We brought on new team members, rebooted programming, and began building our roadmap for the future. We are extremely grateful for what we have accomplished with our small team, Board of Directors, and community partners. Thank you for helping Storefront for Community Design connect community members to design tools and resources and engage the next generation of designers.

We've got big things in store for 2022! Until then, enjoy your holiday season and consider supporting Storefront in the new year through the following opportunities.

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Storefront Summer Volunteer Opportunities

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A huge THANKS to those who completed the Storefront for Community Design Get to Know You Survey this spring. We will be using your feedback to develop new volunteer opportunities and will launch a new volunteer form later this summer — be on the lookout! Until then, we have a few exciting volunteer opportunities taking place this summer. These include:

  1. Studio Program Working Groups

  2. 10th Anniversary Event Design & Planning

  3. Participatory Budgeting Initiative

See below for descriptions of each opportunity. We are looking for volunteers with varying interests and expertise, so don’t be bashful to get involved. If you are interested in volunteering, be sure to complete the form specific to each opportunity by Wednesday, June 30. If you have any questions, please email hello@storefrontrichmond.org. We look forward to hearing from you!

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Design Session, Spring 2019

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Here is a recap of some recent projects that we have been working on this spring:

Holly Street Park + Oregon Hill Park system

We have been working with a designer to imagine some alternative solutions for the Oregon Hill Parks, specifically Holly Street Park. However, we wanted to hear from the community first. We will be releasing a report from our presentation at the Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association (OHNA) last Tuesday evening.

A spread from the initially proposed concept plan.

A spread from the initially proposed concept plan.

RVA Steaks N More

A concept for a proposed breakfast spot in Highland Park called RVA Steaks N More

A concept for a proposed breakfast spot in Highland Park called RVA Steaks N More


RVA Steaks N More requested design assistance in setting up their take out steak shop in Highland Park on Meadowbridge Road. Their motivation is to provide delicious cooked to order meals at economical prices and one hundred percent customer service.

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Golden Hammer Awards this Thursday, November 1!

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Historic Richmond and Storefront for Community Design are excited to partner again to host the 2018 Golden Hammer Awards honoring architectural preservation and neighborhood revitalization in the greater Richmond area.

Join us THIS THURSDAY from 6pm to 8pm at Monumental Church (1224 E. Broad Street, Richmond, Virginia) as we recognize professionals working in neighborhood revitalization, blight reduction, and historic preservation in the Richmond region!


With over 30 nominations submitted, specialty cocktails by Belle Isle Moonshine you wont want to miss this event! Purchase your tickets today!

Free parking: Virginia Department of Transportation Parking Lot located at 1401 E. Broad Street

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Engage the Foundation seeking Interior Designer!

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Engage the Foundation is launching a the Young Business Builders program at a new space called Workshop this summer at 420 West Broad Street. The space will be a programmable creative space and boutique available to youth entrepreneurs. Workshop will house an income stream that will fund the Young Business Builders Program to innovate more socially responsible youth driven business.

While they already have some pledged assistance from contractors, they need an interior designer to help them outfit their space. The space will house a storefront, meeting space, screen-printing set up, and a photography studio in the back. Their soft opening is scheduled for July 3rd with a formal opening in August. 

 

Some construction is already underway in the front of the space

Some construction is already underway in the front of the space


Since its’ inception in 2011, Engage, The Foundation (Engage) has focused on connecting communities, schools and universities to resources designed to improve individual stability and family structure. Through the Young Business Builders Program, they equip youth and families with the tools needed to turn passions into profit through training certifications, education and mentorship. Community members, participating college students and recent graduates have become linked with a diverse network of professionals who work with them on achieving their career aspirations in a socially responsible manner.

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Monument Avenue: General Demotion/General Devotion

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Updated July 3, 2018:

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Storefront is proud to be recognized for the Monument Avenue: General Demotion/General Devotion Design Competition in the Monument Avenue Commission's Report to Mayor Stoney about the re-contextualization of the statues on Monument Avenue. You can find a copy of the report here. 

And, check out the story about Richmond, the Confederate Monuments on Monument Avenue, and the Commission's reccommendation on NPR's Weekend Edition from July 8th.

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Recent national events provide an opportunity to re-examine the role of Confederate statuary in the public realm. Monument Avenue: General Demotion/General Devotion is an international design ideas competition, aiming to contribute to this important dialogue by inviting architects, planners, designers, artists, and individuals to reimagine the entire 5.4 mile length of Monument Avenue in Richmond, Virginia, one of America’s grandest boulevards. Local Richmond organizations including The Storefront for Community Design + the mObstudiO at VCUarts will administer the international competition, a concurrent local high school competition, and community workshops and conversations. Monument Avenue provides a unique opportunity to enrich the conversation about race, memory, the urban landscape and public art. Competition registration is now open and remains open until September 15, 2018 with submissions due on December 1, 2018. The Valentine (https://thevalentine.org/), a history museum in Richmond, will host an exhibition of entries opening on February 14, 2019.

For more information, contact or visit:
monument@storefrontrichmond.org
www.monumentavenuegdgd.com

You can register for the competition at www.monumentavenuegdgd.com/national/submit

Please share this announcement widely with students, colleagues, firms, studios, community organizations, and anyone else who might be interested.

 

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Note: to sign up to volunteer, follow this link to complete the form.