Hey friends… we are really excited about this one. 💛
We’re officially launching Mending Walls Walking Tours!
If you’ve ever walked by one of our murals and wondered about the story behind it, this is for you.
Come walk downtown Richmond with us as we share the conversations, artists, partnerships, and moments that helped shape the work you see on our murals.
Our first tour is hosted by Hamilton Glass on May 22nd starting at 9am!
This isn’t your average walking tour. It’s a chance to experience Mending Walls in a much more personal way.
-Approx. 2 hours
-Downtown Richmond
-Stories you probably haven’t heard
-Limited spots
Wear comfy shoes, bring a friend, and come curious.
Registration is OPEN!
Link in our bio and in our story!
🏃♂️ The countdown is ON for the Ukrop’s Monument 10K !Don’t miss your chance to lock in your spot before prices jump on April 1st! ⏰
Sign up now through the link in @sportsbackers bio.
While you’re there… 👀
Snag some fresh RVA stickers and runner goodies to rep your race-day.
#Ukrops10k #rva #richmondva
🗣️ "I wanted to find a way to honor people out in the Greater Richmond Region who were doing great things" —@hamglass
✨ You have until Sun, Mar 29, to view RVA Community Makers at VMFA.
🎥 Check out this special clip of this year's honorees and lead artist Hamilton Glass talking about the project.
🌟 Hamilton Glass (@hamglass )
🌟 Ron Stokes (@viewsbystokes )
🌟 Ashley Williams Hillman (@iamashleyhillman )
🌟 Damian Geter (@dgeter )
⬆️ Learn more about RVA Community makers 2026 at the link in our bio.
Northside Mural Sparks Debate Over Symbolism, Race, and Community in Richmond
A mural in Richmond’s Northside has sparked a complex debate about public art, race, and neighborhood change, with artists, community leaders, and residents weighing in on how public art intersects with neighborhood history.
The mural, painted by artist Lauren YS, depicts a woman holding a slice of watermelon with seeds spelling out “Free Palestine.” Since appearing on a building near the intersection of North Avenue and Brookland Park Boulevard, the image has sparked a broader discussion.
Last week, a group of local leaders held a press conference at the site to express concern about the imagery and the process behind the mural’s installation.
Civil rights advocate Gary Flowers said the issue is not simply about the artist’s intent but about the effect of the image in a historically Black neighborhood.
Flowers, who lives nearby and was born four blocks from the mural site, said he was “shocked beyond measure” when he first saw it.
Read more, link in bio.
Featured: @garylflowers@hamglass@duronchavis@teresasharpeart
✏️📸: @majormajor____
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#richmond #rva #rvamag
The “ Watermelon “mural by @squid.licker in the northside of Richmond in my opinion is beautiful piece created by a passion driven artist to speak their mind on Palestine.
At the same time the mural in that specific location creates the division of two different generations. The younger generation connects with the profound and clear imagery of liberating the Palestine people by way of the Watermelon, its seeds ( “Free Palestine”), Olives and Kufiya garments draped in the background . IMO the thought provoking imagery and intention is almost undeniable.
On the other hand, what also is undeniable is the context in which this mural is placed. The northside of Richmond is a historical black neighborhood in which today residence feel like they are being plagued with gentrification. It makes sense to me for the older generation in this neighborhood feel threatened when they see this mural pop up with no contexts. In that same image they see a racist trope of a brown skin woman holding a watermelon which was often used to capture African Americans as lazy and uncivilized.
The truth is neither generation is wrong. There are some unhealed wounds that from the older generation that the younger generation will never feel . That being said the younger generations intentions and expression should not be ignored or dismissed because of its resemblance to an old trope .
IMO the thing that was missing here was context. Engaging the community means just that! Successful public art alway takes context into consideration. The mural was completed with a the lack of community engagement, which cannot be made up, but the acceptance of its intention should heard and not erased.
The true irony here is both generations are fighting for black and brown people! Don’t let this mural be a divider. This piece has the opportunity to be a bridge and educational tool to understanding the pain of both generations
#rvamurals #richmondva #rva
Meet Hamilton Glass at the VMFA Shop for a special signing of his powerful book Mending Walls: A Healing Public Art Project.
📅 Fri, Feb 27 | ⏰ 3–7 pm
Connect with the artist behind the nationally recognized Mending Walls initiative an inspiring public art movement centered on dialogue, healing, and community. Bring your copy or pick one up in the Shop and have it signed.
Don’t miss meeting Hamilton Glass and be sure to experience the final days of the Giants exhibition while you’re here.
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#HamiltonGlass #MendingWalls #VMFAShop #BookSigning #VMFA
🏃 🏃♂️ 🏃♀️…..
The Ukrop’s Monument Ave 10k is fast approaching and I’m happy to be partnering with @sportsbackers again this year to promote one of my favorite community events.
Register before March 1st to beat the price hike and save big! You also can purchase my 2026 RVA stickers when registering along with other great race merch.
Register at sportsbackers.org
#rva #richmondva #ukrops10k
🔈🔈🔈Blew a woofer or two making this one ….
Quick fun one for Dilla this week to be included in this years Dilla’s Deli by @allcity.artclub
Come Celebrate the 20th anniversary of the legacy James “J Dilla” Yancey on February 21, 5PM - 9PM at @lecachedulcet . With beats from @triplehrva_ & eats from @wumami_rva
#jdilla #dilladonuts #rva #richmondva #rvaarts
RVA Community Makers 2026 is now on display at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. @vmfamuseum
I’m deeply honored to celebrate this year’s honorees @iamashleyhillman , @dgeter , and @viewsbystokes , through a public art installation that will live in the VMFA atrium for 30 days before traveling to the Black History Museum @bhmva and Cultural Center of Virginia for its next chapter.
This year, RVA Community Makers also invited the community to share words, drawings, and tributes to those who inspire them weaving even more voices into the work and honoring the ancestors on whose shoulders we stand.
The 2026 theme, “Standing on the Shoulders of Giants,” is inspired by Giants: Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys, on view at VMFA through March 1.
Stop by, experience it, and celebrate these giants with us.
#rvacommunitymakers #richmondva #rvaart
Big thank you to everyone who showed up at the @bhmva and the VMFA and lent their voices to this year’s RVA Community Makers 💛 We received over 100 responses that helped shape this year’s art piece.
I can’t wait to unveil it on February 12 at 6pm in the @vmfamuseum Atrium.
Hope to see you all there! 🎨✨
#rvacommunitymakers #richmondva #rva #rvaart
