Every spring, the Visual Arts Center of Richmond recognizes a longtime friend of the organization who has demonstrated a sustained and extraordinary commitment to our mission. A beloved member of our community since 1988, VisArts is honored to present this year’s Distinguished Service Award to Frankie Slaughter. Frankie is a mixed-media artist who works with […]
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After receiving an outpouring of nominations from our community, the Visual Arts Center of Richmond is proud to name Brad Pearson as our 25th annual Shelly Shepherd Master Teacher. Brad Pearson has helped VisArts students play with fire since 2008, teaching flameworking classes for adults of all ages and skill levels. A VCU graduate with […]
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Leah Raintree (she/her) is one of the Visual Arts Center of Richmond’s Spring/Summer 2025 Studio Access Residents. Leah Raintree is an artist based in Richmond, VA and Brooklyn, NY. Her practice focuses on the human connection to earth, with an interest in how we frame and experience time, matter, scale, and phenomena. Her work is […]
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Richmond, VA — January 22, 2026 — The Visual Arts Center of Richmond (VisArts), a nonprofit arts center serving the local community since 1963, today announced the purchase of 1914 W. Main St. in Richmond’s Fan District. The property is the former location of Fan Tastic Thrift and is just a half a block away from […]
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From the Friday night cheers at the McKinnon and Harris Patrons’ Preview Party, to the hands-on family workshops in the Carole and Marcus Weinstein Education Wing, to two full days of shopping museum-quality craft from more than 170 exhibitors—we had a blast at our 61st annual Craft + Design, and we hope you did, too. […]
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Courtney Lebow (she/her) is one of the Visual Arts Center of Richmond’s Spring/Summer 2025 Studio Access Residents. Teaching and utilizing her love for the visual arts as a vehicle for human connection is her ultimate professional goal and passion. Courtney has been working in art education for the last decade. She received her Masters in […]
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Jeffrey Deane Hall (he/him) is one of the Visual Arts Center of Richmond’s Spring/Summer 2025 Studio Access Residents. Born in Richmond, VA, Jeffrey (Jeff to his friends) is an artist and educator whose work blends precise trompe l’oeil technique with layered symbolism. Jeffrey earned his degree in Studio Art, along with minors in Physics and […]
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Are you an intermediate metalworker looking for some kiln time to independently cast your work? Well, we have just the opportunity for you: Earlier this fall, VisArts introduced Community Casting to our repertoire. On designated casting days each month, a VisArts instructor fires up the kiln and facilitates open studio time for pre-approved metalworkers to […]
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Since early September, VisArts’ True F. Luck Gallery has been filled with joyful and colorful works by Maine-based artist, Eleanor Anderson. Color Block features Anderson’s recent fused glass panels (created during her residency at VisArts) alongside her ongoing series of mixed-media textile tapestries. Now in its final week on view, this is your last chance […]
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Lexi Staton (she/her) is one of the Visual Arts Center of Richmond’s Spring/Summer 2025 Studio Access Residents. Lexi is a Virginia-born multimedia artist with interests in ceramics (both functional and sculptural), painting, and illustration. Creative activity has been a huge part of her life since childhood; however in the wake of the pandemic, she found […]
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Your favorite craft show is taking over Main Street Station the weekend of November 21! Mark your calendars for another fun weekend of shopping contemporary craft, enjoying local brews, experiencing live artist demonstrations, and so much more. Today, VisArts is proud to announce the more than 170 artists exhibiting at Craft + Design, and has […]
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Brace yourselves: There’s a 100% chance of chili on Friday, October 3. At VisArts’ community fundraiser this fall, hundreds of our friends and neighbors will come together to blindly taste-test chili from 25+ of Richmond’s favorite restaurants. As an event attendee, you get to browse hundreds of handmade bowls, pick one (or more!) to take […]
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The 11th Annual VisArts Chili Throwdown presented by TowneBank is coming up on October 3, as you may have seen. Perhaps you’re reading this after a hot day on the River or under the shade of your rainbow umbrella on the beach; our fall fundraiser might still feel out of reach in the somewhat distant future. […]
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Evie Metz (she/her) is one of Visual Arts Center of Richmond’s Annual Residents. Evie is an interdisciplinary artist working primarily in sculpture, animation, and photography. Nearing the end of her residency, we caught up with Evie in her studio to learn more about her practice and her experience here at VisArts. VisArts: Evie, tell […]
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Doah Lee (she/her) is one of Visual Arts Center of Richmond’s Annual Residents. Doah is a mixed-media visual artist originally from Korea. Her practice spans a range of media, including drawing, painting, printmaking, textiles, and installation. Nearing the end of her residency, we caught up with Doah in her studio to learn more about her […]
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Luis Vasquez La Roche (he/they) is one of the Visual Arts Center of Richmond’s 2024–2025 Annual Residents. Luis is an interdisciplinary artist whose work delves into performance, sculpture, video, drawing, and most recently, painting. Their work explores aspects of the transatlantic slave trade that continue to repeat themselves in varying ways in the present. Much […]
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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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