Para nuestra gente Latino que mudaron por buscar mejores oportunidades.
Join us May 1st for First Fridays at Gallery 5 from 7-10pm. Special performances by @hyphaen , @brookhouse.music , @solreliqs , @dimas07 and Latin beats by @rattan_dj guaranteed to keep you dancing all night. 🎶💃🏻
Seguimos aquí y seguiremos cantando historia.
Nos vemos en @gallery5arts !
THIS COMING FIRST FRIDAYS: Gallery5 is honored to present “Storytelling Portraits: Creatives of RVA as part of Richmond’s First Fridays Art Walk on Fri., May 1st from 5PM - 11PM.
This show features the ongoing series of documentary photographer @crtveambvrt that is rooted in the art of storytelling. It reflects a commitment to exploring visual narratives that resonate across cultures and experiences.
Storytelling Portraits seeks to invite viewers to pause, reflect, and consider the universality of each other’s stories. Each story is to create an act of connection, a brief intersection where vulnerability and presence meet. It is not about staging perspective, but rather revealing authenticity.
The opening reception will also include special performances by @hyphaen , @brookhouse.music , @solreliqs , @dimas07 and Latin beats by @rattan_dj guaranteed to keep you dancing all night. 🎶💃🏻
🗓️05/01/26 | 5PM - 11PM | Music starting at 7PM
🎟️This event is free and open to the public.
Learn more about First Fridays: gallery5arts.org/first-
fridays
Presented by: @crtveambvrt
Thank you to Gallery 5 for lending me the space to share about my ongoing series “Storytelling Portraits: Creatives of RVA.”
To my beloved friends whose photographs were featured in the show, thank you for sharing your story with me! It has impacted many who came across them.
It was also a pleasure to perform and share the stage with some more talented friends who sang about the latino diaspora and their own personal journeys.
Grateful to my RVA community always.
Thank you for showing up and dancing the night away in celebration. 💃🏻🎶🪩
Hasta la próxima,
Alex
📸: @bevelcut_shawti
#aspenshotthat
(You will be missed🥲❣️)
“My Storytelling Portraits series began as my first-ever solo project back in 2019, a pre-pandemic time where I traveled to Central America to hear about life in El Salvador, one person at a time, over a span of six months.
After I graduated, I decided not to enter the workfield right away, but instead ran towards this passion project that was self-funded. Within those six months, I interviewed over thirteen people who resided in El Salvador, while also spending time in Costa Rica, Honduras and Guatemala.
During that time, the city of San Salvador, and neighboring municipalities were controlled by gangs such as MS-13 and Barrio-18, and deemed unsafe for tourists to visit. El Salvador went through a great Civil War that lasted for 12 years, and a great massacre that left a society marked by trauma, inequality, weak institutions and violence as a norm of political life. I wanted a chance at
changing the narrative and providing an outlook on people’s lives that were affected.
When I moved to Richmond, I knew I wanted to continue this series in a way that would highlight and elevate the voices of creatives in the area that have experienced hardships, and limited opportunities for their art practice. I just wanted to be a platform for them to speak on the
challenges of what it’s like to be creative in this city..”
Read the rest at Gallery 5 for @rvafirstfridays from 5-11pm.
- @crtveambvrt (she/her),
Photographer and Musician |
Founder of Storytelling Portraits
-STORYTELLING PORTRAITS-
📍Photo taken at Shields Lake
**Are you betting on yourself?**
It’s scarier than you think — but staying stuck is even worse.
🌟
Drop a 🔥 if you’re ready to take that leap.
I know that gut-wrenching feeling of wanting to follow your passion but holding back out of fear.
But here’s the truth:
You’re the only one who knows what you’re truly capable of. Stepping out of your comfort zone is where growth begins.
When you finally bet on yourself, you open doors you never knew existed.
Are you ready to blossom into the best version of you? 🌱
_____
#SelfGrowth #BetOnYourself #PersonalDevelopment #GrowthMindset #artistsupportartists
This song made me think of these ocean waves in El Salvador. 🌊🌴🥥🇸🇻
Hoping you find some rest in the chaos, and that you can perhaps come hear me perform this song live for my first @sofardc show this weekend 🤗.
Playing alongside some amazingly talented Latino artists on Saturday night, seriously we’ve got a GREAT lineup 🥵🎶
Ticket link in bio 🎟️
OH. And if you made it this far, I get two free tickets to the show! DM me for a special code, that you can use to claim them asap. 😎
#spanglish #dmvmusician #iceout #comunidadycanciones #sofarsounds
It’s absurd that Instagram limits me to only 20 photos/ videos for a post, but these are a few things I got to do during my time away in El Salvador 🇸🇻 with family and friends.
Every time I leave it hurts a little, but it just makes the desire to return so much easier. I can’t wait to be back, and maybe bring you with me next time ;)
#elsalvadortravel
Had the chance to meet and have lunch with the lovely couple that started the hidden Swiss inspired chalets in El Salvador, and even had a little private tour! 💛
Could you see yourself living up here? 🏕️☁️
#comasagua #travel #crtveambvrt #dmvphotographer #elsalvador
A tiny desk submission dedicated to all of those affected by 🧊. For those who have lost a loved one, and have been recently separated from their families with hope that one day they will be in their arms again.
Let’s continue to fight the good fight.✊🏽 #iceout
See the full version on my Youtube (link in bio) or find it on the @npr website! #tinydesk2026 @nprmusic
I’ve been very mindful lately on how I spend my time and energy.
My days have been filled with peace, rest, surrounding myself with good company and self-care. Taking it slow, because it is what my body needs moving forward.
This was truly an amazing weekend being surrounded by nature, good food, instruments and great company. Highly recommend a music retreat where the only purpose is to create. And we did just that ☺️
Ty @becarefulmusic for organizing & cooking (literally🧑🍳)
And all the friends along the way that made the weekend extra special:
@kjay_smilez@thatsmattwv@divine.lio@mr__gr4y@yupizzan@becarefulmusic
10/10 recommend a music retreat with these peeps.
