Artsline: Virtual Edition || May 30, 2022
“Green was the silence, wet was the light,
the month of June trembled like a butterfly....”
~Pablo Neruda
So many performances and events from the past two years make an appearance again this summer. Festivals – theatrical, cultural, musical – are seeing a return to the RVA region like never before. With such beautiful weather and the start of vacation season, take some time to slow down and appreciate the many ways you can enjoy Richmond art and culture. Check out what this week has to offer below!
To list your events on Artsline, go to vpm.org/artsline.
1. TASTE OF INDIA FESTIVAL
Culture, Dance, Music
Sunday, June 5
Cultural Center of India, 6641 Ironbridge Parkway, Chester, 23831
Join The Cultural Center of India as they host their signature event, Taste of India!! This year they celebrate Indian culture along with the vibrant colors it brings to our lives and the beautiful couture they wear to show it off! There will be delicious food as well as shopping galore for all to enjoy. No registration required for this free event.
2. SUMMERTIME SOUNDS
Music
Sunday, June 5, 4pm
Blue Bee Cider, 1320 Summit Avenue, Richmond, 23230
$15 Adults | $10 children/students
Join Classical Revolution RVA and RVA Strings at Blue Bee Cider for an afternoon of music and cider. Open all ages! Donations welcome. RSVP online for this free event.
3. THE DUNN PLAT: AN ADAPTATION OF JOSEPH SMITH’S PLAN FOR THE CITY OF ZION IN 19TH-CENTURY VIRGINIA
History
Saturday, June 4, 10:30am
Library of Virginia, 800 East Broad Street, Richmond, 23219
Join the Library of Virginia for a presentation on a compelling artifact of Virginia’s urban planning history. In 2015, the LVA acquired a plat of an unnamed location that staff members originally described as a “mystery town.” Research revealed that the late-19th-century manuscript plan drafted by Petersburg civil engineer T. R. Dunn follows the precepts of Joseph Smith’s Plan for the City of Zion. Smith, who founded the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), issued the Zion plan in 1833 as a set of instructions for how the faithful were to lay out future LDS communities. This talk explores the extensive analysis that confirmed the plat’s adherence to Smith’s Zion plan, including land-use characteristics and the development pattern envisioned for the prospective settlement. Registration required for this free event.
4. EXTRA IN THE ORDINARY
Visual Art
Friday, June 3, 6pm Reception
Shockoe Art Space, 12 North 19th Street, Richmond, 23223
Shockoe Art Space brings Pennsylvania native Jennifer Small to exhibit her analysis of time and space in painted form by manipulating and transforming common things into abstract compositions. All welcome to this First Friday gallery event.
5. THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR
Theatre
Thursday, June 2 – Sunday, June 26, 7:30pm
Agecroft Hall & Gardens, 4305 Sulgrave Road, Richmond, 23221
$25 adults | $20 Seniors | $15 Students
Quill Theatre starts the Richmond Shakespeare Festival at Agecroft Hall with The Merry Wives of Windsor. Synopsis: The pursuit of money is bound to backfire when the targets are smarter than their gold-digging schemer. Falstaff’s dubious plan to woo Windsor’s wealthy housewives is met with hilarious retaliation when the ladies devise a plot to teach him a lesson he won’t soon forget. The comedic comeuppance is an absolute treat in Shakespeare’s delightful comedy on love, money, deception, and the wiles of women. Purchase tickets online.
6, SUNFLOWERS FOR UKRAINE ALL MEDIA ART SHOW
Visual Art
Friday, June 3, 5pm
The Depot, 107 South Railroad Avenue, Ashland, 23005
$10
Immagine', LLC is excited to sponsor the Sunflowers for Ukraine All Media Art Show. The evening features a silent auction, prizes, cash bar, soft drinks, hors d'oeuvres, a kid's table, and a great variety of sunflower stationery, art prints, and original art for sale. Proceeds go to Doctors Without Borders for Ukrainian Refugees. Register online for this free event.
7. CELEBRATING RICHMOND CHORAL SOCIETY AT 75
Music
Sunday, June 5, 4pm
Leslie Cheek Theater at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, 200 N Arthur Ashe Boulevard, Richmond, 23220
$15 Adults | $10 children & students
Join the Richmond Choral Society as they celebrate their 75th anniversary! The concert includes the world premiere of One Song by renowned composer Gwyneth Walker, with text by poet Robert Lax; and highlights from concerts through the years and fan favorites. A reception and exhibition follow the concert. Purchase tickets online.
8. FIRST FRIDAYS EXHIBIT AT THE RICHMOND PUBLIC LIBRARY
Visual Arts
Friday, June 3, 6:30pm Reception
Main Branch, Richmond Public Library, 101 East Franklin Street, Richmond, 23219
The Richmond Public Library’s Main Branch offers several new exhibits for First Fridays RVA: Where We Live displays art that expresses the essence of the landmark place by members of the Metropolitan Richmond Artists Association; Abstract Surrealism shows stream-of-mind acrylics by Richmond artist Fred Weatherford; A Collection brings art with satirical social comment by Gary the Johnson; and the 2020 Virginia Vistas Photo Contest winners are on display from Scenic Virginia. No registration required.
9. GAMELAN RAGA KUSUMA
Music
Thursday, June 2, 7:30pm
Firehouse Theatre, 1609 West Broad Street, Richmond, 23220
$8 Advance | $10 at Door
Gamelan Raga Kusuma will play a concert of traditional and contemporary music for Javanese and Balinese gamelan (Indonesian gong orchestra). Works by Astita, Lucier, Lotring, Reich, Windha and others. Guest appearance by Rumput. Audience will be invited to try the instruments after the show. Presented by Firehouse Theatre. Purchase tickets online.
10. LC CINEMA
Film, Visual Art
Friday, June 3 – Sunday, June 5, times vary
The Branch Museum of Architecture & Design, 2501 Monument Avenue, Richmond, 23220
$14/viewing
LC Cinema is a pop-up arthouse cinema featuring films that stir connection, concessions sourced abroad, and vintage books and magazines for purchase. The inaugural series at The Branch Museum will feature three films over 3 days - Frank Simon's The Queen (1968), Paul Schrader's The Comfort of Strangers (1990), and Ousmane Sembène's Black Girl (1966). Purchase tickets online.
11. INFORMAL
Dance
Saturday, June 4, 2pm & 7pm
Gottwald Playhouse @ Dominion Energy Center, 600 East Grace Street, Richmond, 23219
$15-$21
A showing of dance in its purest form. No lights. No Costumes. Join Karar Dance as they return to their first live, in-person company performance in two and half years with a premiere of three new works. Engage with the dancers and company through dialogue, Q&A, and immersive tasks. INFORMAL is a unique opportunity to both see and experience modern dance. Purchase tickets online.
12. NORTHSIDE ART SHOW
Visual Art
Saturday, June 4
Lewis Ginter Recreation Center, 3421 Hawthorne Avenue, Richmond, 23222
Thirty local artists on display and music offered at Northside's historic Lewis Ginter Recreation Center. 10% of proceeds benefit Feed More. No registration required for this free event.
If you are an arts or cultural organization with lectures, exhibitions, performances, or even book readings, submit your events to Artsline here.
If you are an artist or an arts or cultural organization in need of resources and tools, check out the list of local and national resources from Richmond CultureWorks.
The Library of Virginia and Quill Theatre are sponsors of VPM.
