Visual Arts Center of Richmond

VisArts' artist-in-residence, Gabrielle Hickmon led a demo on pit firing with current Studio Access Residents, former Annual Residents and some staff! Check out some of the process here.

We are accepting donations of any and all handmade bowls to help reach our goal of 1,000 bowls for this year's Chili Throwdown. Every bowl donated makes a significant impact and helps us get closer to our goal.

For every 10 bowls you donate, you will receive one ticket to the event (up to a maximum of 3 tickets!). This is our way of saying thank you for your generous contribution.

Artists who donate will be featured under our participating artist column on our website. 📸✨

Please drop off your bowls with the front desk at VisArts by September 25th to ensure we have enough time to prepare for the event!

It's the last day to submit your application for the Exhibitions Open Call! Apply at visarts.org/exhibitions-open-call/ before 7:59pm tonight.

Second Fridays is back this Friday August 9!

🔶Work with clay to create pots or sculptures with Claudia Meyer.
🔶Work with artist Jen Cook-Asaro to learn the satisfying art of linocut printmaking.
🔶Join artist Margot Thigpen to explore the old technique of silver point illustration.
🔶Join fiber artist Julia Pfaff to participate in this special and one-of-a-kind process

Classes starting at 6 and 7:45pm. Visit visarts.org/classes to save your spot!

And that's a wrap on Artventure Week #8! Only two more weeks to go. We can't wait to see what campers make next.

Meet VisArts' 2024-2025 Annual Artist in Residence:

🔶Luis Vasquez La Roche
🔶Evie Metz
🔶April Sopkin
🔶Doah Lee

Starting September 1, these four talented artists will embark on an 11-month residency, bringing their unique creative perspectives to VisArts and the local art community. We're excited to see what they will create in the studios in the next couple of months. Make sure to say hello when you see them in and around VisArts!

One of the things VisArts offers through our Studio Access Residency program is our studio demos. In these recent demos, clay studio tech Abby showed our residents how to make slabs with clay, using the wheel and gave a tour on where to access tools and kilns.

Visit visarts.org/artist-residencies to learn more about our Studio Access Residency program and to learn more about our current studio Access Residents!

VisArts Annual Chili Throwdown is back on October 4! In preparation for this, join our clay tech Abby, and our featured artist for the first "Throw-a-Thon"event on August 11! Come throw bowls for the event for a chance to earn a free ticket to the Chili Throwdown for every 10 bowls you make (max 3 tickets). 🎉

Can't make the first one? No worries! We'll have a second "Throw-a-thon" on August 18, 12-4pm.

Important Notes:

✨ This is not a teaching class or workshop. You must have some proficiency at the wheel to participate.

✨We also welcome handbuilders to our throw-a-thon! You still must be proficient in clay but we will have plenty of table space available for handbuilding bowls during this event. COME ONE, COME ALL! 🎨

You can also come and glaze on September 15th from 12-5pm

Attend three events (throwing, trimming, glazing) and you’ll be highlighted under the participating artist column on our website!

Learn more about VisArts Chili Throwdown at visarts.org/events/chili-throwdown

We hope to see you then!

Meet VisArts Chili Throwdown Featured Artist, Conor Dimond!

Conor Dimond is a ceramic artist based in Richmond, Virginia. His journey into ceramics, began with a simple terra cotta colored painting he created in the studio of bronze sculptor John Soderberg during a regular babysit visit. Conor spent many evenings with the artist who encouraged him to explore his mind and the world around him without limitations.

Years of travel interrupted any form of stability for Conor to focus on a particular discipline until he enrolled at Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. Inspired by his childhood painting he enrolled in ceramics where he had the privilege to learn the basics of wheel throwing from his professor Bethany Benson. He became a studio technician working with then adjunct professor Rob Boryk who helped ignite his passion for high fire ceramics.

Conor’s work draws upon the aesthetics of the desert’s warm hues, high mountain meadows, and the earth tones of riverbeds. His work often features glazes rich in history such as Shino, Celadon, and Tenmoku as a means of paying homage to potters before and after him. By harnessing earths picturesque imagery and integrating tradition; Conor strives to provide his viewers with a sense of familiarity. To achieve this, he sticks to functional pottery. He invites you to interact with each and every crevasse, and texture of his work, hoping that you feel a moment of presence and a welcomed seat at his table.

And that's a wrap on Artventure Week #7! Only a few more weeks left of Artventure, but we can't wait to see what campers make next.

Have you applied to the Fall + Winter Studio Access Residency yet?

VisArts Studio Access Residency is designed to support emerging and established visual artists and writers as they develop new ideas and to foster artistic exploration by providing free access to VisArts’ 17 communal studio spaces.

The aim of the Studio Access Residency supports artists by:

🔶Offering access to well-equipped studios, studio demos and skillshares
🔶Cultivating a diverse exchange of ideas among peers
🔶Providing the opportunity to work in a community of makers

Applications will close August 4 at 7:59pm. Visit visarts.org/artist-residencies/studio-access-residency/ to apply!

Registration for Fall Classes are now open to the general public! Have you taken a look at these classes yet? 👀:

✳Explore books as sculptural forms by making a couple of different accordion books, a flower fold book and experimenting with tunnel book forms with Eleanor Milkowski Dahlgren.

✳Learn the basics of Bojagi, Korean patchwork with Joshua Singleton.

✳Learn fundamentals of 3D printing and learn to design their own models using iPads in the program Nomad Sculpt with Curly Dacs.

It's time to apply for the Exhibitions Open Call!

Some things that artist can expect:
🔶 6-7 or 8-10 week exhibition at True F. Luck Gallery during the 2025-26 or 2026-27 exhibition seasons.
🔶$3000 artist honorarium for a solo exhibition OR $500 artist honorarium per artist for a group exhibition up to 10 artists.
🔶Housing accommodations and subsidy towards travel to and from Richmond for a scheduled installation week prior to the exhibition opening event. If opting for a residency opportunity, a travel subsidy can be provided to and from Richmond additionally.
🔶A VisArts-contracted curator, if the applicant is interested in working with one to support their exhibition but doesn’t have one already identified. VisArts will provide this curator and cover their contract fee.
🔶The opportunity to work in residence at VisArts, utilizing our residency house and communal studios for 2 to 4 weeks to create new work for the exhibition.

What are you waiting for? Apply through visarts.org/exhibitions-open-call/ to apply before the deadline on August 5th!

Gabrielle Ione Hickmon, an artist originally from Michigan, refers to her work as a place where clay, words, and herbs meet. Gabrielle is working in residence with us at VisArts to build upon her current practice and think about new ways of working with ceramics using natural materials in her harvesting, creating, and firing processes. Gabrielle’s work will appear in the group exhibition The Shape of Water, which opens November 13th 2024 and will feature craft artists from all over the country. This exhibition is curated by Jaynelle Hazard and Terrick Gutierrez and is organized in conjunction with Crafting The Future. Make sure to say hello to Gabrielle when you see her in and around VisArts!

And that's a wrap on Artventure Week 6! Check out all the fun art that was made this week by campers. We can't wait to see what next weeks campers will make!

Have you been to our [Work] Exhibition yet? VisArts’ annual exhibition of artwork by faculty, staff and members of the board of directors features examples of all media including ceramics, creative writing, digital media, drawing, fiber, film, glass, jewelry, metal, painting, photography, printmaking, and wood that are taught at VisArts.

Make sure to stop by the True F. Luck Gallery before August 15th!

Fall Registration classes are now open to the public!

Make sure to save your spot at visarts.org/classes

Applications for 2024-25 Fall + Winter Studio Access Residency is now open!

The aim of the Studio Access Residency supports artists by:

🔶Offering access to well-equipped studios, studio demos and skillshares
🔶Cultivating a diverse exchange of ideas among peers
🔶Providing the opportunity to work in a community of makers

Studio Access Residencies last for six months and provide free access to one or all of VisArts’ communal studios during our regular building hours.

VisArts has 17 professional art studios dedicated to clay, digital, drawing, painting, fiber, flameworking, glass, letterpress, metals, photography, printmaking and wood. We encourage residents to take advantage of all of our studios to work across different media, or they can choose to focus on one studio to hone their skills.
Don't miss your chance to apply at http://visarts.org/artist.../studio-access-residency/ before the deadline on August 5 at 7:59pm.

Registration for Fall Classes will open to the general public this Wednesday, at 9am!
Members can now register. See what cool art you can make this fall at visarts.org/classes

Second Fridays is back, tonight!

🔶Try your hand at raku pottery firing—an exciting approach to pottery surface design! Bring family, friends, or a date for a fun time! Participants will glaze their pieces and help load them into the kiln with Paul Klasset.
🔶Work with clay to create pots or sculptures! This class will go over the basic techniques of pinching clay to create a functional or sculptural vessel with Claudia Meyer.
🔶Work with fiber artist Julia Pfaff to personalize a tote bag using easy-peasy low tech fabric printing. Use stencils, stamps and texture plates to make unique designs. No previous printing experience necessary.

🔶Join artist Jud Judson and spend a night in our letterpress studio. Letterpress is a form of relief printmaking that uses a printing press and typesetting individual letters to create words and designs for printed media. We will be using Legos to create our own designs and print them on paper.

🔶Create your own design, stamp it into metal and make your own pendant, textured charm, key tag or talisman. This hands-on experience will introduce you to our metals studio, traditional metalworking tools, and texture stamping techniques with Jeannine Metzfield.

Classes starting at 6 and 7:30pm. And are only $15!
Online registration is closed, but save your spot by calling us over the phone.

VisArts is searching for exhibiting artists for 2025-2027! You can apply for either solo or group artist exhibitions through our new open call proposal application found on our website. Applications are now open and will close on Monday August 5th at 11:59pm.

The goal of our exhibition programming at VisArts is to focus on contemporary artists who are utilizing and innovating the media we teach within our programs.

Learn more at visarts.org/exhibitions-open-call/ -now

Inkwash is a classic in the comics toolkit– a forgiving and beautiful way to add tone and depth to your comics, that is also really fun to do. Come learn some tricks of the trade with comics artist Solomon Brager, author of the graphic memoir "Heavyweight". They will also be in Richmond the day before on their book tour with Laura Chow Reeve at Afterglow coffee. Register for this class at visarts.org/classes to save your spot!

Applications for 2024-25 Fall + Winter Studio Access Residency is now open!

The aim of the Studio Access Residency supports artists by:

Offering access to well-equipped studios, studio demos and skillshares
Cultivating a diverse exchange of ideas among peers
Providing the opportunity to work in a community of makers
Studio Access Residencies last for six months and provide free access to one or all of VisArts’ communal studios during our regular building hours.

VisArts has 17 professional art studios dedicated to clay, digital, drawing, painting, fiber, flameworking, glass, letterpress, metals, photography, printmaking and wood. We encourage residents to take advantage of all of our studios to work across different media, or they can choose to focus on one studio to hone their skills.

Don't miss your chance to apply at visarts.org/artist-residencies/studio-access-residency/ before the deadline on August 5 at 7:59pm.

Fall registration class are now open to VisArts members!

Visit visarts.org/classes to register

Just your friendly reminder that Fall Registration classes are opening to members this Wednesday, July 8 at 9am.

Visit visarts.org/classes to see what fun classes you can register for this fall!

Second Fridays is back!

🔶 Try your hand at raku pottery firing—an exciting approach to pottery surface design! Bring family, friends, or a date for a fun time! Participants will glaze their pieces and help load them into the kiln. Grab a beer or snack from Goatocado across the street and return to VisArts' cozy back patio while you wait for your pieces to finish firing with Paul Klasset!

🔶Try your hand at flameworking. Work with glass artist Maddie League to create a unique leaf pendant. Students will experience glass in its molten state and create a wearable treasure to take home

🔶Work with clay to create pots or sculptures! This class will go over the basic techniques of pinching clay to create a functional or sculptural vessel. Because pinching clay is simple to grasp, all ages can participate and design objects of varying complexity. We will use airdry clay so participants can take their work home that evening.

🔶Work with artist Jud Judson and create one-of-a-kind cards using a simple yet exciting photographic process called photograms. Learn this fun way to create designs on light-sensitive paper in the darkroom.

Classes starting at 6 and 7:30pm. And are only $15! Visit visarts.org/classes to save your spot!

VisArts is proud to announce that we received a $10,000 grant to help fund our Veterans at VisArts program!

The grant award is from Creative Forces Community Engagement Grant project, a partnership between The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and Mid-America Arts Alliance. The collaborative effort works to improve the health, well-being and quality of life for active members of our military and veterans exposed to trauma, their families and caregivers.

The Veteran program at Visarts launched in 2015, and is an arts and wellbeing program for military members and veterans who have reintegrated into civilian life as well as military veterans undergoing rehabilitation or medical care.

We are closed for 4th of July! We'll be back open tomorrow. See you then.

Please help us in welcoming new Exhibitions and Residencies Coordinator, Arden! Arden is a VisArts' Studio Access Resident Recipient and we so look forward to having him join our staff. Make sure to say hello when you see him next in and around VisArts!🎉