Why is Richmond Embracing Street Art Now?
Matt Lively explains why he thinks Richmond is embracing the culture of street art and why it’s important. by Tracee Carter
Category: Project aRtVA
With a world-class art museum and a vibrant community of working artists, Richmond has become an artistic hotbed in the past few years. One of the city’s most distinctive features is the beautiful street art seen throughout downtown RVA. UREdenWalkers explore the dimensions of street murals in RVA and their impact on the city’s culture. By Tracee Carter, William Shelton and Beaumont Smith.
MORE THAN MURALS
Starting in 2012 the Richmond Mural Project’s mission was to have 10 artists paint 20 murals in two weeks. Art Whino, a DC based art gallery, was hired by the city to attract professional talent to the Project. Artists from around the globe were brought together to leave their marks on Cary Town and Shockoe Read more about MORE THAN MURALS[…]
Tattooed City
Questioning the impact of the Richmond Mural Project on Richmond, Virginia’s cultural identity. A piece of street art resembles a tattoo. An intricate web of color permanently etched onto a building until it starts to naturally fade away or until it is forcibly removed. Until then, the art sticks out on the smooth facade of the Read more about Tattooed City[…]
The RVA Street Art Festival
The RVA Street Art Festival The third RVA Street Art Festival took place in Old Manchester, Richmond from Friday, April 22 through Sunday, April 24. It’s not an annual event. It’s random. Unpredictable. Like art, which imitates life. So, the schedule and structure were appropriate. For the street art festival, Hamilton Glass collaborated with Matt Read more about The RVA Street Art Festival[…]
Mecca
There’s no Hajj for street artists but if there were Richmond would be Mecca and the warehouses on S. Davis Avenue would be the Sacred Mosque. In this motionless corner of old industrial Richmond no flat suffice was left unpainted. There is even art on the road, literal street art. The sheer size of the Read more about Mecca[…]
Night and Day
In the light of day they all make perfect sense: A three-eyed warrior straddling a lion. Captain America’s severed mechanical head. A zombie robot dog. The Richmond mural project is a splash of millennial creativity on the drab brick buildings of historic Shockoe Bottom. They are the colorful conformation of a rejuvenated neighborhood in a modern Read more about Night and Day[…]
The War of Art
The War of Art. by Tracee Carter “Street art is a vandalism deterrent and it brings excitement to the city.” -Hamilton Glass Grafitti. graf·fi·ti (grə-fē-tē) n. (used with a sing. or pl. verb) Drawings or inscriptions made on a wall or other surface, usually so as to be seen by the public. -American Heritage Dictionary Read more about The War of Art[…]
A Day in the Life of Hamilton Glass
A Day in the Life of Hamilton Glass. by Tracee Carter “God gives you gifts to survive by.” -Cynthia Vaughan There is no typical day for an artist. The life of Maurice Hamilton Glass is no exception. From being outside painting on a wall, or staying in the studio working on canvases, to going to Read more about A Day in the Life of Hamilton Glass[…]
2012: End of the World or End of an Era?
2012: End of the World or End of an Era? Remember 2012? The year the world was supposed to end. A time where Gangnam Style was still a top radio hit. Obama was re-elected as US President and Red Bull sponsored Felix Baumgartner in his 127,00 foot free fall from the sky. 2012 was nothing Read more about 2012: End of the World or End of an Era?[…]