June 26, 2023
"Oh, the summer night, has a smile of light, and she sits on a sapphire throne." ~ Brian Proctor
Gorgeous, glittering summer days and sultry, shimmering summer nights bring so many ways to enjoy local arts and culture in Richmond! From festivals and films to music and memoirs, this week we have events both inside and out. Check out what our local artists and performers have prepared for you!
To list your events on Artsline, go to vpm.org/artsline.
1. PRIDE FIESTA: AN AAPI & LGBTQIA MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL
Music, Arts, Culture
Friday, June 30, 6:30 PM
Reveler Experiences, 3108 West Cary Street, Richmond, 23221
$10
Kasama Collective presents an AAPI + LGBTQIA celebration extravaganza! In honor of Pride Month, they are hosting a music & arts festival showing RVA local artists, musicians, & performers. Enjoy live music + performances from RVA's top local AAPI + LGBTQIA + entertainers, including RVA AAPI Queens Leilani Dominique Envy, Jessica Peru, Veronica Venom, & Vigan S. Longganisa; as well as Rebecca Porter; Sophie Colette; Phantómódel; MusiqReiV; Ashley Banks; and FlipdSkript. RVA local AAPI + BIPOC vendors also at the festival with gorgeous art, jewelry, and more. Purchase tickets online.
2. INCANTO: AN OASIS OF LYRICAL POETRY
Landscape art
Through October 29
Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, 1800 Lakeside Avenue, Richmond, 23228
Admission: $17 adults | $14 seniors & military | $8 youth ages 3-12 | Free for children under 3
Escape into Incanto: five soaring sculptures in one epic landscape. This premiere exhibit at Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens and created by New York City-based sculptor Kate Raudenbush and poet Sha Michele from the legendary Burning Man community invites you on a journey of self-discovery and connection with others and the natural world. Dramatically lit from within, the Incanto sculptures offer multi-sensory experiences inviting further exploration at night. Purchase admission to the gardens online.
3. MYSTERY NIGHT WITH ELLE COSIMANO AND KATHARINE SCHELLMAN
Literary Art
Wednesday, June 28, 6 PM
Fountain Bookstore, 1312 East Cary Street, Richmond, 23219
It's no mystery that Fountain Bookstore loves a mystery! Katharine Schellman and Elle Cosimano will be in conversation at the store. About the Book: Vivian Kelly has a new job at the Nightingale, an underground speakeasy in Prohibition-era New York where the jazz is hot and the employees look out for each other in a world that doesn't care about them. Bea's uncle, a bouncer at the Nightingale, has died. His death is ruled a suicide, but Bea isn't convinced. Reservations required for this free event.
4. DON'T FORGET THE LADIES: THE WOMEN IN JOHN MARSHALL'S LIFE
History
Wednesday, June 28, 7 PM
Atlee Branch Library, 9212 Rutlandshire Drive, Mechanicsville 23116
Presented by Pamunkey Regional Library. For ages 18 & up. Chief Justice John Marshall led a successful life and career, but he did not get there on his own. In the wings existed a line of strong women who supported him, both through personal volition, and through force. Join us as we explore the lives and presence of Marshall’s wife, Polly, his sisters, mother, and numerous enslaved women like Hannah and Celia, who spent time in the John Marshall House between 1790 and 1835. No registration required for this free event.
5. JONATHAN THE JUGGLER
Magic, Theatre, Comedy
Thursday, June 29, 11 AM at Powhatan County Public Library, 2270 Mann Road, Powhatan, 23139 AND
Thursday, June 29, 1 PM at Flat Rock Elementary School, 2210 Batterson Road, Powhatan, 23139
The beloved Jonathan the Juggler will perform twice – first at 11:00 AM at the Powhatan County Library and later at 1:00 PM at Flat Rock Elementary School. This interactive performance will leave kids laughing as Jonathan the Juggler rides a unicycle, tells jokes, and performs magic tricks. No registration required for this free event.
6. DAVID ESLECK TRIO
Music
Sunday, July 2, 8 PM
Dogwood Dell, 600 South Arthur Ashe Boulevard, Richmond, 23220
Join David Esleck and his jazz piano trio for a great outdoor evening for music. The trio is joined by special guest vocalist Jordan Garrett, a favorite of the Richmond scene. Bring your dinner and enjoy the long running tradition of the David Esleck Trio at Dogwood Dell! No registration required for this free event.
7. THE WRITING SHOW | STRUCTURING YOUR MEMOIR
Literary Art
Tuesday, June 27, 6 PM
Visual Arts Center, 1812 West Main Street, Richmond, 23220
$17 adults | $5 students
While an autobiography encompasses an author’s entire life, a memoir is a smaller slice—maybe a series of connected moments or a period of particular significance. How do you choose your focus for a memoir, and how should that affect how you tell it? James River Writers brings three memoirists to discuss a variety of possibilities for structuring your personal story. Featuring Lisa Cooper Ellison, Sharon Harrigan, and Jon Pineda. Registration is required and closes at midnight on June 26, or when capacity is reached. No walk-ins at the door. Purchase tickets online.
8. ADMIRAL RADIO – A FOLK/ROOTS TAPESTRY
Music
Tuesday, June 27, 7:30 PM
In Your Ear Studios, 1813 East Broad Street, Richmond, 23223
$15
Shockoe Sessions LIVE is weekly concert showcasing Richmond’s goldmine of music talent! In-person and live-streamed, presented by Shockoe Records and In Your Ear Studios. Inspired by the prior life of their 1941 wooden Admiral Radio, South-Carolina based duo Coty Hoover and Becca Smith create a unique Americana blend rooted in traditional styles that also touches the heartstrings of the modern-day listener. This husband-and-wife singer-songwriter team weaves threads of country, folk and roots music together to create a nostalgic sonic tapestry evoking simpler times filled with homespun comfort. Purchase tickets online.
9. RODNEY "THE SOUL SINGER" STITH
Music
Thursday, June 29, 8 PM
The Tin Pan, 8982 Quioccasin Road, Richmond, 23229
$25
The Tin Pan presents Rodney "The Soul Singer" Stith – a local singer, songwriter and producer from Petersburg. His powerful urban-retro soul brings back the soulful sound of the old classic rhythm and blues. Purchase tickets online.
10. LC CINEMA: SUMMER FILM SERIES
Film
Friday & Saturday, June 30 & July 1, 7 PM
Sunday, July 2, Noon
The Branch Museum of Architecture & Design, 2501 Monument Avenue, Richmond, 23220
$14
Chlorine water splashes, crickets chirp, lawn mowers rumble… Summer is here, bringing us outdoors, where we might meet an odd bird, or two. Richmond's roving arthouse theater, LC Cinema, returns to The Branch Museum with a Summer Film Series, screening three films focused on strange Americana: Smooth Talk, Grey Gardens, and Junebug. As always, they will be slinging local concessions, this time alongside special guest Second Bottle, who will pair tasty, themed wines with the films. Limited seating, purchasing tickets ahead of showtimes is encouraged. Purchase tickets online.
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.
Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens and the Visual Arts Center of Richmond are sponsors of VPM.