"Richmond as a Work of Art" takes residency at 2nd & Broad

Storefront is excited to welcome guest curators Emma Fuller and Michael Overby, New York based designers of the exhibit "Richmond as a Work of Art." The show makes its second appearance after opening at Richmond Public Library in summer 2015. Throughout the month of October, the 12 panel installation will hang in empty storefronts facing the street at the intersection of 2nd & Broad Streets.

Read more about the exhibit in this Style Weekly review by architecture critic Ed Slipek:

By any measure, Richmond is distinguished physically by two factors — the James River and a collection of highly-textured and distinctive neighborhoods. That’s the take-away from most books, articles or exhibitions produced here during the past few decades that examined our city’s long history and continuing development. While few would argue the significance of the river or leafy locales, “Richmond as a Work of Art,” an exhibit now at the Richmond Public Library downtown, offers a refreshingly different and highly enlightening lens through which to view infrastructural RVA. Read full article.

The exhibit opens this Friday, October 2, at Storefront for Community Design, from 5 – 9pm. Stay tuned for more events related to the exhibit throughout the month.

Slipek notes in his review, "Wittingly or not, Fuller and Overby include a number of major engineering and landscaping projects and landmarks that, while defining the city, are currently under fire. These include the Diamond, a minor league ballpark, and Kanawha Plaza, an urban park that straddles atop the Downtown Expressway in the financial district."

Storefront to host Public Art Master Plan Meeting

You are invited to attend an open meeting for designers interested in discussing the future of public art in Richmond. Your ideas about what Richmond is and what it can be are important! This event is being held in support of Richmond’s effort to create a comprehensive plan for public art in the city.

Earlier this year, the City of Richmond's Public Art Commission embarked on the process of developing a Public Art Master Plan with the purpose of creating a five-to-ten-year plan that will provide a clear vision for the future of public art in Richmond. The plan will include goals for Richmond's public art, define priorities and artistic approaches for the program, identify strategic partnerships and possible sources of alternative funding, and provide direction for ongoing program development and management. The plan will also address opportunities for ongoing public engagement, support increased opportunities for public art, and celebrate art as an essential element for a thriving community.

Wednesday, October 14
6:00pm - 8:00pm

Storefront for Community Design
205 E Broad St
Richmond, VA 23219

Pop-Up RVA: Get your Space for the Race!

Pop-up RVA launches in September 2015 in anticipation of the 450,000 spectators during the nine-day UCI Road World Championships. These pop-ups will reactivate 5,000 square feet of vacant retail along the 100 and 200 blocks of East Broad Street throughout the month of September. Community partners include Storefront for Community Design, Downtown Neighborhood Association, Douglas Development Corporation, and the City of Richmond. Improvement efforts are sponsored by HandsOn Greater Richmond and Monument Construction.

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Since the opening of Storefront's East Broad Street location in 2012, thousands of square feet of commercial space have remained empty — some of them as long as 20 years. In 2011, Storefront's Program Director Tyler King documented the history of some of the buildings included in the scope of Pop-up RVA, and around 40 others. He created a catalog of these buildings called NTHNG MSSNG, describing their current condition and former uses. 

Check out a preview of the book below.

NTHNG MSSNG by R. Tyler King | Make Your Own Book

Sugar Show

The remaining concrete slab of the Domino Sugar factory at 3101 Wharf Street has served as a user-defined public space for Richmonders to fish, stargaze, and picnic.

 

Meanwhile, the completion of the Capital Trail abutting this lo-fi riverfront plaza and the adjacent development of Stone Brewery prompts some users to consider the Sugar Pad's relationship to its surroundings. This Friday, Storefront will feature work by designers Adele Ball and Ben Evyan inspired by their romance with the Sugar Pad.

Ben Evyan