Since 1982, Style Weekly has been known as central Virginia's alternative voice for news, culture, arts and creative thought. On Nov. 15, the iconic weekly publication will celebrate its 40th anniversary with a special print edition of the newspaper that will look back on what's changed for both the publication and the city of Richmond itself over the past four decades.
"Putting together this issue, we could really see how much Style Weekly has transformed over the years," said Style Weekly editor-in-chief Brent Baldwin. "That continues to this day as Style has become a growing, online publication under VPM."
The special issue will take a deep dive into Style's changing role as it has covered the city and will also feature conversations with some well-known community figures and change agents about how far Richmond has come and how far it still has to go.
"It was fascinating to look back at how Style not only became a local institution, but how it continued to use its unique, sometimes snarky, always curious lens to chart and examine the ways that Richmond has evolved over 40 years," said Baldwin. "At our best, I like to think we played an important role in helping people think more critically about issues or projects that affect all of us -- mainly by asking the right questions."
The collection of images featured in this issue will reflect on staff photographer Scott Elmquist's 23-year career at Style Weekly. Elmquist captured historical milestones, such as the monuments coming down, protests and political campaigns, as well as snapshots of everyday Virginians, including a river baptism, a young boxer's workout in an abandoned building and an equestrian decked out in sequins at the Virginia State Fair. Style Weekly has always placed high value on photography as a key element in its presentation.
Returning in this issue is one of Style's most popular early features called "You're Very Richmond If," which includes submissions from the audience. Readers can also look forward to contributions from popular Style writers from yesteryear.
After it ceased weekly print publication in 2021, Style Weekly was acquired by VPM Media Corporation, the parent company of VPM, Virginia's home for public media. Fans of Style Weekly can now find its arts and culture coverage online at StyleWeekly.com and enjoy its trademark photojournalism on Facebook and Instagram.
Copies of the 40th-anniversary issue will be available beginning on Nov. 15 at several locations throughout the Richmond area, including: Food Lion, Wawa, Ardent Craft Ales, ACAC Midlothian, the Henrico, Chesterfield and Richmond libraries, as well as the Weinstein Jewish Community Center. View a map of where you can find a print copy of Style's 40th-anniversary issue. Articles from the issue will also be available at StyleWeekly.com.