RVA Street Art Festival is headed to the Valentine
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"Human Darts" by artist Mark Jenkins at the inaugural RVA Street Art Festival in 2012. Image: Courtesy of Jon Baliles / RVA Street Art Festival
The RVA Street Art Festival is going to be the subject of an upcoming exhibition at the Valentine museum.
Why it matters: True to the festival's mission, organizers want Richmonders to be a part of it.
Driving the news: Organizers are looking for locals' high-quality photos and videos of the murals, the works in progress and/or crowds during past festivals.
- Images can be submitted online and any used in the exhibition will be credited to the photographer, per organizers.
- "To do this right, WE NEED YOU, the community who supported us along the way," organizers wrote in their call-out.
- The exhibit will explore the festival's impact on Richmond and "the role street art has played in shaping the city's visual identity," per the Valentine.
Flashback: In 2012, Richmonder (and former 1st District City Councilman) Jon Baliles and artist Ed Trask launched the first RVA Street Art Festival.
- They invited local and national artists to paint large-scale murals on the long-vacant former Haxall Power Plant building on the downtown Canal Walk, hoping to celebrate the city's well-established street art while transforming neglected urban spaces.
- It was a hit.
- They did it again the next year at the old GRTC bus barns (where PBR is now), at the Southern States silo complex in Manchester in 2016, at the Diamond in 2017 and back again at the Canal Walk in 2022.
Yes, but: Most of the murals have been lost — to development, demolition or both. So the exhibition will be an opportunity for many locals to see the murals in person for the first time.
What they're saying: The Valentine is thrilled to partner on this new exhibition, acting museum director Meg Hughes said in a statement.
What's next: Submissions for the exhibition are open through Friday, Oct. 16. The exhibit will open next summer.