New exhibit spotlights the people behind Richmond's art scene

The big picture: The portraits of local artists are all shot by documentary photographer Alex Dimas at recognizable Richmond spots like Dots Back Inn and the Pipeline Trail.

• They're paired with written, first-person narratives about identity, grief and finding community in the city.
• The exhibit also invites visitors to share the challenges they face as Richmond creatives, and what they want to see more of.
• "It highlights a lot of creatives of RVA who have just done so much for the city, but none of us really sit down and hear each other's stories," Dimas told Axios.

Zoom in: Among the artists included:

• Aspen DeRosa, a photographer and musician who co-founded a sobriety support meeting for musicians in Richmond.
• Basta Paints, a muralist and cancer survivor who creates murals for young kids fighting cancer.

• Justice Dwight, a mixed media painter who creates pop art "because of queer representation," including a piece now owned by producer Issa Rae.

Plus: Starting at 7pm on Friday, Latino artists will take the stage with spoken word, music and Latin funk to tell their migration stories through live performance.

• The reason: "To share with the city of Richmond how we aren't forgotten," Dimas said. "That we're still here."

What's next: Dimas' exhibit will be at Gallery5 in Jackson Ward through May.