Last Sunday was the first ever Richmond Arts Salon (RAS) at the Richmond Museum of History! It was a meaningful afternoon of local cultural networking and socializing. The Richmond Arts and Culture Commission (RACC), artists, community leaders, and organizations were present collaborating and communicating. People are working together supporting the arts for positive change.
The Richmond Museum of History graciously provided the space amongst thoughtful exhibitions and artifacts. From the website: “The mission of the Richmond Museum Association (RMA) is to promote and encourage the study and research of Richmond’s history (including the greater Richmond area) and to disseminate knowledge of that history; to collect, preserve and display historical materials and artifacts of significance to Richmond, and to mark, preserve, and maintain places of historical interest.”
During the Richmond Arts Salon, visitors had the opportunity to view two impressive exhibits. The first was a joint project with the Richmond Museum of History and RACC titled Community Conversations. Funded by the UC Berkeley/Richmond Community Partnership, the exhibit features the community of Central Richmond with poems, photos, artworks, and memorabilia.
According to the Community Conversations Project summary: “Gentrification in Richmond threatens to displace historic populations in the Iron Triangle neighborhood and erode important aspects of its culture. This project aims to celebrate the culture of the Iron Triangle, one of the most endangered and under-served areas in Richmond…”
In addition, the RACC Neighborhood Public Art Mini-Grant award winner titled Painting Richmond’s Wounds was on display. From the application: “As a city with a reputation for violence, the City of Richmond celebrates a reduction in violent crimes in the last five years. Change is credited to several tactics made by the community, law enforcement and grassroots movements. The Richmond Museum of History proposes a series of community dialogues paired with facilitated painting sessions as a way to support the anti violence movement. The conversations will be based upon how people are touched by violence and participants will be encouraged to create an art piece that conveys their individual story. When appropriate, a number of these pieces will be paired with a statistic or fact on Richmond crime rates…”
The Richmond Museum of History is housed in a historic Carnegie Library. It’s a hidden gem located in the heart of the city. New beginnings start in a place known to celebrate Richmond. The Richmond Arts and Culture Commission is fortunate to partner with the Richmond Museum of History in exhibits, the Richmond Art Salon, and many more future endeavors. This is the power of community…
Amazing video created by RACC commissioner Tony Tamayo!:
Please join the RACC every second Sunday of the month from 3-5pm for the Richmond Arts Salon! Our next networking event is November 11th from 3-5pm at Bridge Art Space, 23 Maine Avenue, Richmond. See you there!
Links:
https://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/104/Arts-Culture-Commission
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