The moment feels like an inflection point for Richmond. A significant moment of reflection and choice, an opportunity to recognize the current trajectory and change course. Roughly 10 years ago, the Richmond Mural Festival was in full swing. ETAM Cru’s “Moonshine” had just been named one of the best murals in the world. The presence of so many internationally-recognized artists drew a ton of eyes to what was happening here in the world of art, setting off a domino effect of local artists picking up where the Mural Festival left off. VMFA had just hosted a Hollywood costume exhibit in 2013. Getting to see the Iron Man and Batman costumes in real life? Wild. Speaking of movies, just a few years later in 2017, Showtime would be here filming an entire season of their hit show Homeland. The Walking Dead: World Beyond would be filming in Hopewell. Somewhere in there, Apple would be filming a movie with Kevin Bacon & Ewan McGregor in & around Richmond. The Kevin Durant-produced Swagger would be filming extensively in Richmond in 2019. Even as recently as 2024, there was production on Broad St, shooting for a Pharrell Williams biopic. In music, 2020 saw a rendition of Little Richard’s Rip It Up featuring hometown heroes Butcher Brown selected as the Monday Night Football theme song. We saw the rise of Fly Anakin and Mutant Academy as national recording artists, Skillz’ Grammy nods for his spoken word album The Seven Number Ones, and Lucy Dacus bringing home 3 Grammys for The Record as a member of boygenius. Suffice to say, Richmond has been and continues to be “a moment”. For whatever reason (and we have many depending on who you ask), we just haven’t been able to break through the glass ceiling of becoming a city of national recognition synonymous with art & culture.

Two recent events excite me though with that in mind, but also make me apprehensive given Richmond leadership’s penchant for dropping the ball on all things cultural: Lauren YS choosing here as the location for an incredible mural bringing awareness to the plight of Palestine and the VMFA hosting GIANTS: Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys. First, Lauren YS. If you know anything about murals and street art, you’ve surely heard the name. A powerhouse in the world of murals, their work demands attention and the selection of Richmond as home for one of the best murals of the year *anywhere* speaks volumes, not only as a city appreciative and celebratory of such works but where we land in the current political climate. Then, GIANTS. I’m not sure I can accurately describe the significance of this exhibit just as an exhibit, let alone the VMFA being chosen as a stop on its tour around the country. In a city of only 3 Black galleries and little of anything catering to an urban contemporary art scene hungry for venues and outlets, the presence of GIANTS pushes the boundaries of what can be seen on canvas and in photography while building a foundation for today’s Black creatives.

But will we rise to the moment? I can remember feeling like Richmond was having this exact moment 10 years ago and then .. nothing. It felt like the administration at that moment cared more about courting casinos and whatever other gajillion dollar development might’ve been brewing. The potential was lost then but we’ve been presented another chance to rally behind the momentum of a decade of creative effort and finally crash through that glass ceiling, not just at a city government level but also on a community-minded level of collaboration & mutual benefit. The steps to become a city where artists can live, launch, and sustain fruitful careers start now. I sincerely hope everyone recognizes the moment and acts accordingly. 'Cuz I don’t know when or if a moment like this will come back around.