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.
Storefront Launches New Low-cost Program Menu
With a goal to increase access to programming, we are excited to launch a new menu for our low-cost design and planning assistance programs! Storefront's program menu provides the opportunity for you to apply based on your needs and the size of your project or idea. Each low-cost program offers three size sessions or actions (small, medium, or large) that provide consultation and connects you to volunteers and design resources.
About Low-cost Design and Assistance
Storefront’s low-cost design and planning assistance program includes our Design Session Studio and Community Engagement Studio. Since 2011, Storefront has completed over 325 design sessions and 25 community engagement initiatives. This program has provided hundreds of Richmonders design and planning assistance at a low-cost that is subsidized by our generous supporters.
The need for low-cost design and planning assistance through our Design Session Studio and Community Engagement Studio has been evident and as community requests evolve, we will continue to adapt to the changing times to assist with varying community-initiated projects. Our program and project focus areas include Environmental and Food Justice, Health and Wellness, Community Organizing, Placemaking/Placekeeping, Economic Development, and Design/Planning Tools.
Recapping the 2021 Golden Hammer Awards
Storefront for Community Design and Historic Richmond hosted the 2021 Golden Hammer Awards on October 28 at Hardywood Brewery. As Richmond-area non-profits with interests in historic preservation and neighborhood revitalization, we were delighted to co-present the awards for the fifth year and recognize professionals working in neighborhood revitalization, blight reduction, and historic preservation in the Richmond region.
The Golden Hammer Awards were started in 2000 with a goal of honoring excellence in neighborhood revitalization projects throughout Greater Richmond. For over 20 years, we have celebrated our nominees and award winners in person but in 2020, with the COVID-19 pandemic, we hosted a virtual announcement of the awards on our websites and through social media. It was great to be back in person this year to celebrate with so many friends, family, and colleagues!
This year, the collective work of our nominees reflected innovative solutions to address contemporary issues, marking progress towards a more vibrant and equitable Richmond. Thank you to all of our nominees, award attendees, and to our sponsors: Williams Mullen, Dunbar, SingleStone, Baskervill, and Thompson Consulting Engineers. We can't wait to see what you do next year!
Six Points Innovation Center Makeover and In-Kind Requests
This summer marked the 4th anniversary of Six Points Innovation Center (6PIC), a collaborative work space for non-profit organizations, youth, and community members. Storefront for Community Design opened 6PIC in June 2017, in collaboration with four other partner non-profit organizations, to provide a place to express creativity, help youth learn a multitude of skills, and, most of all, connect with community members.
To celebrate, 6PIC partners decided to begin rebuilding from the inside out. The partners worked on two projects that would provide a makeover to the space before resuming operations, space rentals, and programming in the fall of 2021. The first project was a collaboration with Storefront’s Design Session Studio to create a vision for the interior space. The second project included a collaboration with Mending Walls and HandsOn Greater Richmond to refresh and repaint the space.
We Need Your Help!
As we look to the fall semester, we are still in need of in-kind furniture donations. Check out the 6PIC Interior Space Design Session below for an itemized list of furniture and contact us if you have potential donations!
Storefront Summer Volunteer Opportunities
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:
Studio Program Working Groups
10th Anniversary Event Design & Planning
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!
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 Welcomes New Executive Director and Youth Innovation Director
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.
An Equitable Richmond
Dear Storefront Family and Friends,
The senseless murder of George Floyd in Minnesota, along with the shootings of Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery and so many lives before them still leave me speechless. To the Black and Brown communities, families, and youth that we serve: know that we see you, we love you, and we’re here for you.
Systemic racism and injustice are diseases that still plague our country and have directly impacted communities of color, more specifically African Americans. This disease is not just limited to corporate America. It manifests itself in the built environment all around us; the places where we live and work. From redlining to urban renewal, there are countless examples of policies that have created hierarchies within the larger context of the city. Not all neighborhoods are considered equal, and not all individuals have access to the same opportunities for economic prosperity. This is no different in our city…and that’s why Storefront was created.
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
Golden Hammer Awards 2019 are now OPEN!
2019 GOLDEN HAMMER AWARDS WELCOMES NOMINATIONS
Richmond, VA – June 4, 2019 – Historic Richmond + Storefront for Community Design will co-host the Golden Hammer Awards on Thursday, October 24, 2019 at the historic Monumental Church. Nomination information for the 2019 Golden Hammer Awards can be found at historicrichmond.com/2019-golden-hammer-awards. Applications must be submitted before 12:00 p.m. (Midnight) on September 8, 2019. The 2019 Golden Hammer Awards are sponsored by Quinn Evans and Atlantic Union Bank.
Historic Richmond Executive Director Cyane Crump said, “We are thrilled to celebrate the projects bringing new life to our historic built environment and the impact they have on our neighborhoods and community. The Golden Hammer Awards aligns with the mission and values of both Historic Richmond and Storefront for Community Design. We are excited to continue this partnership for the third year!”
Projects completed after January 1, 2018 located in the greater Richmond area (City of Richmond, counties of Chesterfield, Hanover, and Henrico) will be considered for the categories of: Best Restoration, Best Adaptive Reuse, Best New Construction, Best Placemaking, and Best Residential.
“With over 30 submissions last year, and the high quality of work, craftsmanship, and the scale of the nominations, we were delighted to award 10 Golden Hammers!” said Ryan Rinn, Executive Director of Storefront for Community Design. “Teamwork and partnerships have always been critical to preservation and placemaking in Richmond and we look forward to another year of high quality submissions.”
Contact:
Katherine McDonald, (804) 643-7407
kmcdonald@historicrichmond.com
Ryan Rinn, (804) 322-9556
ryan@storefrontrichmond.org
About the Golden Hammer Awards. The Golden Hammer Awards were started in 2000 with a goal of honoring excellence in neighborhood revitalization projects thought Greater Richmond. In 2018, 10 projects were awarded the coveted Golden Hammer Award designed by Richmond artist Jason Adkins. Winners included the Richmond Ballet, 1717 Innovation Center, Jefferson Green Condominiums, Monroe Park, the Institute for Contemporary Art, 125 N. 25th Street, 2013 & 2015 Venable Street, Holly Lawn, Main Street Station Train Shed, and Ellwood Thompson’s the Round Building.
About Storefront for Community Design. Storefront for Community Design is Richmond, Virginia’s nonprofit design resource center. Storefront improves the quality of life in the city by facilitating access to planning and design resources. Storefront matches professional designers who volunteer their time with members of the community to uncover Richmond’s urban potential. Visit storefrontrichmond.org, join us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram @StorefrontRVA.
About Historic Richmond. Historic Richmond is a non-profit organization dedicated to shaping the future of Richmond by preserving our distinctive historic character, sparking revitalization and championing our past and future architectural legacy. We are champions of the past and passionate fans of its future. Visit HistoricRichmond.com, join us on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram @historicRVA.
Awards Ceremony
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Monumental Church
1224 E. Broad Street
Reception & Awards 6:00-8:00 p.m.