Spotlight Gallery to Host “Pine Camp Potters”

The City’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community will host an exhibit at in the Spotlight Gallery at Pine Camp Arts and Community Center, 4901 Old Brook Road opening on Friday, January 11. The exhibit titled “Pine Camp Potters” will open with a reception from 6 to 8 p.m. “Pine Camp Potters” will be on display until Thursday, January 31.

The art exhibited was created by master potter instructors and their students during the fall youth and adult hand building and wheel pottery classes. Instructor Kathy Reid said, “I love both my adult and my youth classes - the adults for their inventiveness and creativity - the children for their sense of wonder.” 

The opening reception will also premiere a student 4-H film, “The Power of Kindness”, a short horror flick, and a murder mystery, “The Smell of Death: A Socking Story” created by the students from Theater Camp.

Spotlight Gallery hours are Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The reception is free and open to the public. For more information or to schedule tours, please call (804) 646-3677.

Recycled Art exhibit in Spotlight Gallery

The City’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities will host “Discarded:  Recycled Items as Art” at Pine Camp Arts and Community Center, 4901 Old Brook Road. The exhibit opened on Friday, April 21, with the artist reception occurring on Friday, May 5 from 6 to 8 p.m. The exhibit will be on display until May 26, 2017.

 

Songs in the Key of Life
Stephanie Kiah

Celebrating National Recycling Month, this group exhibition will include local area artists who harness reusable materials for their artworks. This exhibit’s goal is to show how with imagination and creativity, waste can become a beautiful work of art while also addressing important issues surrounding the environment. During the artist reception, representatives from local waste management agencies will be onsite to educate patrons about the benefits of recycling and answer questions.

 

Spotlight Gallery hours are from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. This exhibit is free and open to the public. For more information or to schedule tours please contact Shaunn Casselle, Curator at (804) 646-6722.

Art Exhibits Celebrate Women’s History Month

The City’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities will host two art exhibits in honor of Women’s History Month at Pine Camp Arts and Community Center, 4901 Old Brook Road.  The opening reception is Friday, March 10, from 6 to 8 p.m. The exhibit will be on display until April 7, 2017.

The art exhibit titled “Painted” will be in the Spotlight Gallery at Pine Camp. This exhibition will feature large editorial photographs of models with face and body art created by Painted Niko Swan. Painted Niko Swan. This exhibit is the brainchild of artist Yewande Lewis and stylist Nichole Mines, who have been able to merge the worlds of beauty, fashion, and lifestyle. Models with hand-applied face paint and stylized clothing will be featured in a small fashion show in the Pine Camp Theater beginning at 6:30 p.m. on opening night.

In addition to the exhibit in the Spotlight Gallery, artist Shantell Lewis will have her collage on canvas artwork featured on the Community Art Wall. Shantell’s use of silhouette figures made of various materials in the collages represents the imagery of everyday people. Her style has been compared to the works of her idols Romare Bearden, Ernie Barnes, Charles Searles, and Charle Bibbs.

Spotlight Gallery hours are from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. This exhibit is free and open to the public. For more information or to schedule tours please contact Shaunn Casselle, Curator at (804) 646-6722.

Spotlight Gallery to Host “Arte!” During Hispanic Heritage Month

The City’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities will host “Arte!” in celebration of Hispanic Heritage month at Pine Camp Arts and Community Center, 4901 Old Brook Road. The exhibit will open on Friday, September 16 with a public reception from 6 to 8 p.m. The exhibit will be on display until Friday, October 21.

Fabian Ramirez installing his new sculpture

“Arte!” which means “art”, will include pieces from contemporary artists Josue Fred, Helene Ruiz, and Juan Carlos Suazo. Pieces to be displayed will include abstract paintings, sculptures, masks, mixed media, and more.

Spotlight Gallery hours are from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. This exhibit is free and open to the public. For details on this exhibit or to schedule a tour please call Shaunn Casselle, curator at 646-6722

Spotlight Gallery to Host “Through the Eyes of a Foster Child”

The City’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities in collaboration with Commonwealth Catholic Charities (CCC) will host an exhibit at Pine Camp Arts and Community Center, 4901 Old Brook Road. The Spotlight Gallery exhibit titled “Through the Eyes of a Foster Child” will open on August 26 with a reception from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The Spotlight Gallery exhibit will be on display until September 9 when it will close with a poetry reading inspired by the exhibit.

The art exhibited will represent works by children who are or have been part of the CCC Foster Care services. “The exhibited works will express the themes of family, love, friends, freedom and hope through a variety of mediums,” says Bebe Tran, coordinator of the project and CCC Foster Parent Specialist. “Our youth budding youth artists were able to choose from creative writing, painting, drawing, sculpture, 3-D art, or photography to produce their works of art.”

"Family" by Muzehe

Spotlight Gallery hours are Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The reception is free and open to the public. For more information please contact Shaunn Casselle at (804) 646-6722.

City to Highlight National Photography Month

The City’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities will celebrate National Photography Month with an exhibit at the Pine Camp Arts and Community Center, 4901 Old Brook Road. The Spotlight Gallery exhibit titled “Slices of Life: RVA” will open on May 13 with a reception from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The Spotlight Gallery exhibit will be on display until June 17.

The exhibit focuses on area photographers capturing life in Richmond, Virginia. Varying genres will be on display in this stunning exhibition and will include digital, film and pinhole photographs.

Spotlight Gallery hours are Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The reception is free and open to the public. For more information please contact Shaunn Casselle at (804) 646-6722.

 

Women in the Arts Exhibit set for March 18

The City’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities will host a performance art exhibit in honor of Women’s History Month featuring area artists and performers at the Pine Camp Arts and Community Center, 4901 Old Brook Road. The one night art exhibit titled “Women in the Arts” will open on March 18 with a reception from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The Spotlight Gallery exhibit will be a one-night-only extravaganza.  

This event will feature choreography, storytelling, video footage, renditions, and more inspired by celebrated women artists spanning several generations. Women contributors to the arts such as Lucille Ball, Carmen Miranda, Maya Angelou, and others will be highlighted during this show. This kick-off event will also celebrate the 60 years of showcasing Richmond’s talent at the Festival of Arts at Dogwood Dell.  Dogwood Dell will be celebrating their Diamond Anniversary this year.

The reception is free and open to the public. For more information please contact coordinators Shaunn Casselle or Barbara Brock at (804) 646-6722.

To Sir...With Love

The City’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities will host a group art exhibit featuring area African-American artists at the Pine Camp Arts and Community Center, 4901 Old Brook Road. The art exhibit titled “To Sir With Love: African-American Male as Subject” will open on Feb 5, 2016 with a Meet the Artists reception from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The Spotlight Gallery exhibit will be on display until March 4.  

This exhibition will feature images of African-American males in various media including photography, ceramics, paintings, textile art, and more.

"Promise" by David Marion

Spotlight Gallery hours are from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. This exhibit is free and open to the public. For more information or to schedule tours please contact Shaunn Casselle at (804) 646-6722.

Spotlight Gallery to Host Hispanic Heritage Art Exhibit

The City’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities will host “La Vida” in celebration of Hispanic Heritage month at Pine Camp Arts and Community Center, 4901 Old Brook Road. The exhibit will open on Friday, October 9 with a public reception from 6 to 8 p.m. The exhibit will be on display until Friday, November 20, 2015.

Co-sponsored by the Hispanic Women in Arts organization, the exhibit will celebrate and feature the talents of several artists of Hispanic descent. “La Vida”, which means “life”, encompasses the artistic expression and showcases the broad contribution of Hispanic culture to North America.

Spotlight Gallery hours are from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. This exhibit is free and open to the public. For more information or to schedule a tour please call Shaunn Casselle at 646-6722.

 

Spotlight Gallery to Host Art and Poetry Exhibition

The City’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities will host “Narratives: Telling Your Story,” a community visual and poetic exhibition at Pine Camp Arts and Community Center, 4901 Old Brook Road. The exhibit will open on Friday, May 15 with a public reception and a sampling of spoken word poets performing in the theater from 6 to 8 p.m. The exhibit will be on display until June 19, 2015.

"Celso" by Jackie Carrera

This mixed media show will feature artists from various backgrounds who choose to express their views with visual art or through spoken word. The spoken word component of “Narratives: Telling Your Story” will continue on Thursday, June 11 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Pine Camp. In addition to the exhibit in the Spotlight Gallery, artist Bukuru Nyandwi will have his art featured on the Community Art Wall. 

Spotlight Gallery hours are from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. This exhibit is free and open to the public. For more information or to schedule tours please contact Shaunn Casselle at (804) 646-6722.

Spotlight Gallery to Host Hispanic Women in Arts Exhibit for Women’s History Month

The City’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities will host “Mujeres!” in celebration of Women’s History Month at Pine Camp Arts and Community Center located at 4901 Old Brook Road. The exhibit will open on Friday, March 20 with a public reception and gallery talk from 6 – 8 p.m. “Mujeres!” will be on display until May 1, 2015.

Co-sponsored by the Hispanic Women in the Arts organization, the exhibition will celebrate the talents and strength of several female artists of Hispanic descent living in the Richmond area. This show will include paintings, textiles, sculpture, and other works on display. There will also be a special performance from the Eight-Oh-Four Brass, a brass group comprised of music students from Virginia Commonwealth University during the opening reception.

"Oscuros" by Patricia Silva-Santisteban

Spotlight Gallery hours are from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. This exhibit is free and open to the public. For more information or to schedule tours please contact Shaunn Casselle at (804) 646-6722.

City to Host Black History Month Art Exhibition

The City’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities will host a group art exhibit featuring more than 20 prominent African-American artists at the Pine Camp Arts and Community Center, 4901 Old Brook Road. The art exhibit titled “Isn’t She Lovely” blends a variety of contemporary artists in one space. The show will open on Friday, February 13 with a public reception from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The Spotlight Gallery exhibit will be on display until March 13, 2015.



"Ribbons of Life" by Larry Poncho Brown

The multimedia exhibition will focus on themes of African-American female beauty that include pieces of photography, paintings, quilts, sculpture, masks, and more. Artists from Richmond, Baltimore, and the Washington, DC areas will be featured in this exhibit. This show will also feature the work of Nia Campbell, an upcoming high school artist, showing her piece “Rapunzel”.

Spotlight Gallery hours are from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. This exhibit is free and open to the public. For more information or to schedule tours please contact Shaunn Casselle at (804) 646-6722.

"Murals in Richmond" Artist Talk

The City’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities will host “Murals in Richmond” artist talk on Wednesday, January 21 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. and Saturday, January 24 from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. at the Pine Camp Arts and Community Center, 4901 Old Brook Road.

A panel discussion will be held on both days with four of the city’s famed muralists; Ed Trask, Hamilton Glass, Sir James Thornhill, and Matt Lively; where they will explain the inspiration behind their work, their passion for art, and their artistic vision for Richmond.

This event is free and open to the public. For more information, please call 646-3674.

City to Host “Driftwood Comes to Life” in the Spotlight Gallery

The City’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities will host an art exhibit and gallery talk featuring local artist Everett A. Mayo at the Pine Camp Arts and Community Center, 4901 Old Brook Road. The art exhibit titled “Driftwood Comes to Life” will open on Friday, November 21 with a public reception from 6 to 8 p.m. and a gallery talk beginning at 6:30 p.m. The exhibit will be on display until January 2, 2015.  

Mayo, a former heavyweight boxing champion, was injured in a construction accident and declared legally blind in one eye. Seeking a new hobby, he began producing sculptures using pieces of driftwood. “Today I feel the art took the place of boxing. The love and drive I had to be a champion boxer and the accident made me channel everything I had in me towards creating art out of driftwood. The art is here to stay” says Mayo. Mayo has taught many how to paint on driftwood including Alzheimer’s patients, youth in schools, and pediatric patients in several hospitals.            

The first showing of his work was in 1993. Since then, Mayo’s works has exhibited in several museums and galleries. Mayo was also nominated for and mentored youth in the Virginia Heroes Program which was started by the late tennis professional Arthur Ashe, Jr. Mayo has also appeared as a guest artist to showcase his unique art on the Parents’ Choice Award winning Nickelodeon show “Gullah Gullah Island”.          

Spotlight Gallery hours are from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. This exhibit is free and open to the public. For more information or to schedule tours please contact Shaunn Casselle at (804) 646-6722.

Cultural Arts Summer Program Guide Now Available!!!

The Department of Parks, Recreation, and Community Facilities Summer Cultural Arts program guide is now available! Offerings include a summer dance camp, evening dance classes for youth, and adult jewerly making classes.

The guide can be downloaded or viewed here.

City to Feature Two Exhibits for Women’s History Month

The City’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities is hosting two art exhibits in celebration of Women’s History Month. Fired and Inspired: The Art of Ceramics is an exhibit featuring both functional and sculptural pottery. Hand- built and wheel -thrown objects and works with a large variety of clay types, glazes, processes and firing techniques will be on display from artists Carren Clarke-McAdoo, Kathryn Reid, and Leslie Messersmith in the Spotlight Gallery at Pine Camp Arts and Community Center located at 4901 Old Brooks Road.

The second exhibit is Vivid Colors in Acrylics: Paintings by Faithe Norrell. Norrell is a self-taught artist known for her use of vibrant colors. Her most recent works to be featured include cityscapes, floral still lifes and abstracts. These paintings will also be on display at Pine Camp Arts and Community Center on the Community Art Wall.

The exhibits opened on Friday, March 7, 2014 and will run through Friday, April 18, 2014 with hours from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays.  A reception and gallery talk is to be held on Friday, March 21, 2014 from 6 – 8p.m.  

These exhibits are free and open to the public. For more information on the exhibits or to schedule tours, please contact Art Outreach Coordinator, Shaunn Casselle at (804) 646-6722.

Fired and Inspired: The Art of Ceramics

Vivid Colors in Acrylics

Program to Feature Richmond in the 1900s

The department will give the public the opportunity to meet the great granddaughter of Harris Stilson and see Richmond as never before through the photos he took as a street car driver in the early 1900s.
     This Afternoon of History and Remembrance will take place on Friday, November 15, from 2 to 3 p.m. at the department’s Pine Camp Arts and Community Center, located at 4901 Old Brook Road on Richmond’s Northside. Kitty Snow, Stilson’s great granddaughter and author of the recently published book, “From a Richmond Streetcar: Life through the lens of Harris Stilson,” will tell the story of Mr. Stilson and show a collection of his photos. Following the presentation, Ms. Snow will open the session for questions and answers.  
     If you are interested in seeing Richmond as it was in the early 1900s, this is an event you won’t want to miss. It’s free to attend and no registration is required.
     The department will hold a second event featuring Ms. Snow on February 14 from 2 to 3 p.m. at Pine Camp. While her first program at Pine Camp will have a wide focus on the City of Richmond, during her second presentation, she will focus primarily on Jackson Ward in the early 1900s.

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Department Celebrates Young Artists

The Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities will celebrate Youth Art Month in March with an exhibit at its Pine Camp Cultural Arts and Community Center featuring the artwork of nine Richmond children.      

      The exhibit, titled “Little Mermaids,” opens on March 15 with a public reception for the artists from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., and will be on display through April 19. The exhibit is a collaboration of the department and the Visual Arts Center of Richmond. The artwork features paintings of life-sized mermaids created by the young artists while enrolled in the Visual Arts Center’s Art After School program. 

      “We are very pleased to collaborate with the Visual Arts Center to showcase the creativity of our city’s youth and give the public a chance to see these delightful pieces,” stated Norman C. Merrifield, director of the City's Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities. “I think this exhibit illustrates the wealth of creativity in Richmond and the possibilities it holds for the future,” he said.

     Pine Camp is located at 4901 Old Brook Road. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 am to 2 p.m.

      The department offers a variety of art as well as dance classes for both youth and adults at its Pine Camp Arts and Community Center. A complete list of classes is available on the department’s website at http://www.richmondgov.com/Parks/documents/ProgramGuide.pdf, or for more information the public can call (804) 646-3674. 

     The Visual Arts Center of Richmond provides multiple levels of engagement to encourage and support creative thinking and bring the joy of making art to the Richmond community.

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Department Stages Production for Acts of Faith Festival

The department has partnered with the Friends of Dogwood Dell and the African-American Repertory Theatre Company to present “Ecce” as part of Richmond’s Acts of Faith Festival. The Acts of Faith Festival, a collaboration of the faith community and professional theatre companies, is the largest faith inspired theatre event in the country.

      The premise of “Ecce,” by Washington-area playwright AP Carroll, is that the Roman occupation of Israel, the appearance of Jesus Christ, and the rise of Christianity takes place in the present day. “Ecce” is not biblical however; rather it is an age-old tale told in a modern voice that is political, personal and paradoxical.

      The production will be staged at the Pine Camp Arts and Community Center, located at 4901 Old Brook Road, February 28 – March 3 and March 7 – March 10. Thursday, Friday and Saturday performances are at 8 p.m., and Sunday performances are at 4 p.m.

     Tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for students, seniors and groups of 10 or more. For reservations or more information, call (804) 646-1031. Please note that Ecce contains strong language and is not suitable for children.

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