Over 6,000 People Attended Craft + Design at New Main Street Station Venue

Over 6,000 attendees shopped the work of over 130 artists at the Visual Arts Center of Richmond’s 53rd annual Craft + Design show. It was a landmark year for the show, which moved to Main Street Station’s newly renovated train shed.

Some highlights from the weekend include:

• A special appearance by Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney at the McKinnon and Harris Patrons’ Preview Party
• 10 awards presented to artist exhibitors from across the country
• A presentation and book signing with interior designer Amanda Nisbet at the Rise + Shine breakfast
• Interactive art projects at the new Weinstein Properties Education Wing
• R•Home’s first designer showcase
• A terracotta warrior replica in the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts photo booth

Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney joined VisArts Executive Director Stefanie Fedor, and the chair of VisArts’ board, Patty Wilkerson, on stage to kick off the awards ceremony at the McKinnon and Harris Patrons’ Preview Party. VisArts presented 10 awards to exhibitors from across the country. Geneva, Ill.-based glass artist Robin Kittleson took home the Elisabeth Scott Bocock Best in Show Award, Presented by McGuireWoods LLP. Featured artist Tara Locklear took home the Martin-Star Cabinetry & Design New Artist Award.

This year, VisArts’ education team created a space to offer free, hands-on art experiences for Craft + Design attendees. Families, kids and adults made art throughout the weekend at the Weinstein Properties education wing. 

There were six stations, each themed to different media like clay, fiber, painting and drawing, jewelry and printmaking. The education wing also hosted three special workshops each day, allowing students to dive into more in-depth processes. 

Richmond Magazine brought Amanda Nisbet, of Amanda Nisbet Design, to the show on Saturday morning to talk about how to integrate one-of-a-kind pieces of craft into the home. Nisbet has spent the last 20 years establishing herself as one of New York’s most distinctive designers and she has designed residences across North America and Europe. She signed copies of her book, Dazzling Design, published by Stewart Tabori & Chang in 2012.

Some of Richmond’s most talented interior designers and merchandisers created spaces that blended work from the show’s artists with contemporary furnishings and antiques. R•Home’s first Designer Showcase, located in booths 608-611, contained vignettes created by Williams & Sherrill, La Diff, Project 1 and Richmond Metropolitan Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore. The spaces allowed Craft + Design shoppers to visualize the ways in which contemporary craft can be incorporated into the home.

The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Sponsored a photo booth where guests posed with a 500-pound terracotta warrior replica. The VMFA’s Terracotta Army exhibition opened on November 18 and runs through March 11.