April Sopkin (she/her) is one of Visual Arts Center of Richmond’s Annual Residents. April writes fiction and personal essays, and even dabbled with some sculpture work for the Annual Resident exhibition, What We Share. Nearing the end of her residency, we caught up with April in her studio to learn more about her writing practice […]
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Since the beginning of June, VisArts has been abuzz with artists ages five to 14. ArtVenture Summer Camp is in full swing across the building, and each studio is radiating its own unique energy. The floors rumble in the drawing studio from little “frogs” practicing their best hops for Installation Art: Life in the Pond; […]
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On Saturday, April 26, more than 400 guests made their way down Main Street to attend Richmond’s longest-running art auction. At Collectors’ Night presented by Dominion Energy, VisArts was proud to spotlight a curated collection of 54 artworks, celebrate two exceptional community members for their longtime dedication to VisArts, and create a space for our […]
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Earlier this year, VisArts was overflowing with incredible visual art and written works by young Richmond-area students as part of the Scholastic Art + Writing Awards. These works all earned special recognitions for the Central Virginia region, including Gold Key, Silver Key, and Honorable Mention distinctions. Since the close of VisArts’ exhibition at the end […]
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Every year, the Visual Arts Center of Richmond recognizes two individuals for their outstanding impact on our community. Today, VisArts is proud to announce Joel Ray as the Distinguished Service Awardee and JC Gilmore-Bryan as the Shelly Shepherd Master Teacher for 2025. For their ongoing dedication to VisArts’ mission, Joel and JC will be celebrated […]
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We put out an open call for proposals, and you all really answered. After reviewing nearly 100 submissions, we are so proud to announce the four projects we have selected to bring to life in VisArts’ True F. Luck Gallery in 2025 – 2027. Thank you to everyone who took the time to apply for […]
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A new exhibition opens in our True F. Luck Gallery on Wednesday, November 13. Presented by the Visual Arts Center of Richmond and Crafting The Future, The Shape of Water features the works of nine BIPOC artists exploring the embodiment of the human form, connection to land, and the act of leaving impressions, both conceptual […]
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When first stepping into Veronica Jackson’s exhibition at VisArts, visitors are met with a striking series of portraits. Together, these silk-screened prints make up Jackson’s BLACKTIVISTS series, depicting thirteen relatively unknown and overlooked Black women activists. Most of these women were born during the time of enslavement in the United States, and some were enslaved […]
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The kids are back in school, temperatures are dropping, and pumpkins are lined up outside grocery stores. It can only mean one thing: Craft + Design is coming. Craft + Design, VisArts’ annual contemporary craft show, is coming back to Main Street Station for its 60th anniversary at the end of November. Each year, VisArts […]
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Nothing goes better with a handmade ceramic bowl than chili, and we’ll take any excuse to link up with the foodies of Richmond. Every year, we invite local restaurants to go head-to-head in a blind chili taste test here at VisArt. The chili is tested not only by our event attendees, but by a panel […]
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At VisArts, we have the privilege of offering a space for folks to gather and create together in Richmond, and through our residency programs, we have the chance to welcome out-of-town artists into this community. Over the past several months, we’ve been proud to host Veronica Jackson, an artist based in the Blue Ridge Mountains […]
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If you’ve dropped by VisArts on a weekday this summer, no doubt you’ve seen some of our youngest artists bopping from studio to studio, donning the ArtVenture t-shirts they screenprinted themselves. This electric summertime energy is a familiar phenomenon here at VisArts. In some iteration or another over the past 40+ years, our building […]
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The Visual Arts Center of Richmond is proud to announce that we received a $10,000 grant to help fund our Veterans at VisArts program. The grant award is from Creative Forces Community Engagement Grant project, a partnership between The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and Mid-America Arts Alliance. The collaborative effort works to improve […]
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If you have attended the Visual Arts Center’s Craft+Design event in the last few years, you have likely seen Stephanie McGrath there, behind the scenes, coordinating, training and guiding volunteers. McGrath is a marketing and organizing professional and an art enthusiast who has volunteered at many VisArts events over the past eight years. Her dedication […]
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Lauri Jenkins’ love of sewing as a teenager led the fiber artist to the Visual Arts Center in 2016. She began teaching children how to sew and today teaches adults as well. Her passion and dedication to her craft and to the Visual Arts Center of Richmond earned her the distinction of the 2024 Shelly Shepherd […]
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“Coalescence,” The National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts’ (NCECA) annual conference, is coming to Richmond March 20-23 at the Greater Richmond Convention Center. The Visual Arts Center of Richmond (VisArts) is a key host of the event, with NCECA board members Jeff Vick, Director of Facilities and Studios at VisArts and Angelique Scott, […]
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The Visual Arts Center of Richmond will cohost the 58th National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) annual conference in Richmond, Virginia March 20-23, at the Greater Richmond Convention Center. NCECA isa non-profit, membership organization that fosters global education and appreciation for the ceramic arts. As part of the conference, over 70 exhibitions will […]
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Richmond, VA (December 8, 2023) — The Visual Arts Center in Richmond, Virginia is launching a new Studio Fellowship program to support clay artists and studio technicians emerging in the field. The fellowships began in October and will continue for a full year through next October, 2024 This program begins in the year leading up to […]
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Richmond, VA. — A new art exhibition at the Visual Arts Center of Richmond (VisArts) will explore the many dimensions of the job that is often called the hardest one in the world – parenting. The opening reception for the group exhibit, “Self-Adjacent,” will be held 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 10 in the VisArts’ […]
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There is no white space on the walls of Angela Humes’ studio apartment in Philadelphia. Her drawings, paintings and photographs prevent dust from collecting on the walls from her work with ceramics. But a perpetual film of dust settles on her furniture and floors. “I love creating art in all forms,” she says. The 34 […]
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A new art exhibition at the Visual Arts Center of Richmond (VisArts) will explore the many dimensions of the job that is often called the hardest one in the world – parenting. The opening reception for the group exhibit, “Self-Adjacent,” will be held 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 10 in the VisArts’ True F. Luck […]
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The Visual Arts Center’s Craft + Design returns to Main Street Station in downtown Richmond, Va. November 17-19. This is the 59th year of the contemporary craft show that has grown in reputation over the years for showcasing the finest in museum-quality craft. Up to 10,000 people shop the three-day event where more than 150 artists from […]
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An exhibition of work by Washington, D.C.-based artist Rachel Schmidt titled Scavenger Deities will open at the Visual Arts Center of Richmond (VisArts) on Friday, September 8 with an artist talk and opening from 5:30-7:30 p.m. The exhibition is curated by Jayme McLellan and will be on view at VisArts’ True F. Luck Gallery […]
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The Visual Arts Center of Richmond will be closed for summer break August 21-27, 2023. The building will reopen at 9 a.m. on Monday, August 28th.
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For the past 15 years, Lauri Jenkins, a skilled fiber artist originally from Patterson, New Jersey, has been crafting custom women’s skirts and garments, along with an array of sewn products, including handbags and wallets. She acquired her passion for sewing during high school, where she fell in love with the technical aspect of piecing […]
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