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In a time of social distancing and mindfulness, it's still important to get fresh air and keep our minds engaged. So why not stay busy by tracking down and photographing as many of Richmond's street murals as possible?
Richmond is comprised of 11 main neighborhoods: Church Hill, Shockoe Bottom, Downtown, Monroe Ward, Oregon Hill, The Fan, Jackson Ward, the Museum District, Carytown, Northside, and Southside—every single neighborhood is touched by street art in some way.
The city's technicolor taste is a result of a few community initiatives including a local organization called the Richmond Mural Project, an annual Richmond Street Art Festival, and privately commissioned art by the local businesses themselves.
What is the Richmond Mural Project, and why do they care about street art?
Implemented by avid art collector Shane Pomajambo who is infatuated with large-scale mural arts, the Richmond Mural Project‘s mission statement is as follows:
The Richmond Mural Project is a yearly event with the goal of creating over 100 murals by the world-renowned talent in the first 5 years alone. The recurrence and solidification of the project throughout this time will establish Richmond as a landmark destination for internationally recognized murals and will create exposure for the city, establishing it as a premier art destination.
By concentrating a large number of murals throughout the city, the project will increase tourism and will bring the much-needed “Feet on the Street” which will help local businesses thrive.
What is the annual RVA Street Art Festival?
Straight from their website:
The RVA Street Art Festival is an organization that takes to a different area of Richmond, VA each year and employs students and local artists to paint the town red—and blue, and orange, and many other colors and figures of beautiful art.
The purpose of the 3-day festival is to unite the diverse local community in art, education, and charity, always sending their proceeds to meaning local charities such as ART180, Art On Wheels, and Studio Two Three.
The RVA Street Art Festival showcases amazing local and national artistic talent and revitalizes communities in need of some color and creativity.
The focus of the RVA Street Art Fest three-fold: supporting youth art education, discovering local talent, and bringing life to our beautiful city.
…and the RVA Street Art Festival seriously delivers on that!
The commissioned street muralists of Richmond, VA:
Finally, the unique mural artistry of Richmond, Virginia is in part by solo artists. Local businesses and organizations commission the painting of beautiful pieces such as the in the photo above, done by artist Colette Miller.
They are a part of her Global Angel Wings project, and she paints them worldwide to promote peace and hope.
This is her comment on this very article:
Similar artists from around the world flock to Richmond, Virginia for the opportunity to add their unique piece of perspective and creativity to this welcoming and inspiring city. And they contribute to what is, in my opinion, one of the most gorgeous destinations for street art in the United States.
The city's technicolor taste is a result of a few community initiatives including a local organization called the Richmond Mural Project, an annual Richmond Street Art Festival, and privately commissioned art by the local businesses themselves.
The Full Gallery
The street art in Richmond, VA is something to be proud of—something to show off to friends and family when they visit my little city.
They're the backdrops of the photos that my friends take after lunch in Carytown or a visit to the VMFA. These huge murals are on the sides of restaurants, shops, libraries, and businesses, and they say, “Yep, you're still in Richmond!“
Any art lover could wander these streets all day on their own, but why not go on a food tour of the arts district for the most culturally enriching (and delicious) day in Richmond?
Cities famous for their #streetart: New York City, Miami, Los Angeles… Richmond, VA? In this photo essay, learn about the Richmond Mural Project, #RVA Street Art Festival, and commissioned artists of this colorful river city. Click To TweetI hope you've enjoyed this gallery of only some of the 100+ spectacular murals of RVA.
These murals truly paint Richmond, Virginia as the spirited, fun place that it is and are a pivotal part of all Richmonder's love of the city. Next time you're driving on I-95, and you pass a sign that says Richmond, Virginia, think about this post and fall in love with this colorful city.
Share this post with your friends and family so that Richmond, Virginia, and its artists can get the recognition they deserve!
You can find the location of almost all the murals in this article by checking out my other article, “Richmond, Virginia Street Art Scavenger Hunt (Map!)” and seeing these masterpieces in person for yourself.
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52 comments
Gabby Beckford we love your Mural Map work, the clean and easy to view style you use, the details of who done it. We get it you are/was an engineer because there is a living Mural Map of Atlanta, also excellent, also by an engineer (retired guy). We collect mural photos in RVA, CLT, BOS, DC, ATL, any place we visit. Thank you for taking the time to document these (frequently) short lived works of art. Good response to RVA RESIDENT.
Thanks for what you do.
Wow this is serious business. Never seen so much beautiful street art like this. Back where I come from in the capital city of Kuala Lumpur Malaysia, street art is still in the infancy stage. Used to be illegal a few years ago but not anymore. I hope our street artists can produce work such as these one day.
That’s interesting! I hope it does too then, it makes the city feel alive 🙂
I feel Richmond is practically my 2nd home since both of my parents are from there and I went to college in Petersburg so spent a lot of time there since childhood. I get back a few times a year to visit my dad who moved back a few years ago and will need to check out more of the art. I saw the Major Taylor mural in Jackson Ward on my last visit.
I LOVE street art. My tiny hometown in Texas has a music and art festival every year now too, and there are some great murals going up! And one looks familiar here, it must be the same artist! The owl, there’s one nearly identical in my town, Brenham TX now. I love recognizing murals and their artists in new cities. Once I saw a mural in Montreal by an artist I see all the time here in Buenos Aires!
I had no idea how big the street art scene was there! Great photos!
Ah this is awesome! My boyfriend’s sister lives just outside of here (and he used to live here awhile back) so I will definitely be sharing with her so she can go check it out. Now I kinda want to visit her just to go see all this!
Absolutely do, it’s a lovely town! 🙂
Absolutely do, it’s a lovely town 🙂
Beautiful art. I have just returned home from Iceland and the street art in Reykavik is amazing.
I’ve been to Reykjavik as well and I definitely agree!
I love this! I’ve just started discovering street art in my current home town and it’s quite a journey! So many artists, so many differing styles. It’s really a wonderful adventure to find them all!
Wow, those are such incredible murals! And they’re absolutely massive too!! I definitely need to pay a visit to Richmond the next time I go back east!
huge fan of street arts! Great capture!
HI!
I’ll go to Ricmond next week-end and I’d like to know if your have the adress for all or some of this georgerous graffiti?
Thanks!
Hello Garda! If you go to the bottom of the post, there’s a lead to the map of all of these murals!
Or search “Richmond” on my site! Hope that helps, enjoy RVA!
Wow. Amazeballs. Murals can really liven up even the busiest of cities. We also have murals in our central business district and its what keeps it more human. Without it, its just a bunch of boring old buildings with uninspired people. So I love the idea of painting the walls up to inspire people. Love this post. Hope i can see this walls of art in person 🙂
I am lost for words. These are pretty amazing. By the way, I have never been to Virginia. It is on our list of places for our road trip. So may visit Richmond and check out the art.
I enjoyed Richmond when we visited. My husband’s parents lived in Mechanicsville for a few years. It’s very lively and there were great coffee shops throughout.
Wow who knew Richmond was so cool! I have family in Northern Virginia so I need to make a stop in Richmond! Beautiful pics!
Great post! I LOVE STREET ART! It’s so nice to see all the street art of Richmond. Thank you for sharing!
I love street art, I seek it out every trip. Loved Miami, was surprised by Sao Miguel in the Azores, searched the Pyrenees for pieces and find great pieces here in New England regularly. These pieces and the festivals remind me of Montreal. I’m adding Richmond to my street art wish list and will save your map of the pieces to see!
So sweet yes you should definitely visit Richmond! let me know when you come and I may be there! 🙂
How I adore street art…especially Richmond’s! I’m glad these works of art are getting the attention they deserve.
Oh my God! This is so gorgeous. I had no idea that street art in Richmond was so gorgeous and well done. Do you find it everywhere or do you have to know where to look? I’m so curious. I would love to go hunting about just to find an awesome one.
Hey Penny! You can find the street art all over the city!
If you scroll to the bottom of the post, you’ll see the link to the Google Map I made with the address of all of the murals I mention in this article! x
Great Post! I love street art. I would love to see all these, I have put it on my list. Thanks!
What stunning street art :-)! I am road tripping the USA in April/May and don’t really have plans yet. Maybe I will add Richmond to the list. Thanks for sharing!
This article presents a very shallow representation of what this art signifies, due in part to the author’s transience and lack of local context. Richmond is a city that has viciously prosecuted street artists for decades, imposing harsh sentences for simple graffiti.
Then, when a corrupt mayor and city govt wanted to polish over the very real problems of the city to market it as a destination for young professionals and college transplants, an arts district was declared in order to obtain funding and provide tax incentives. When youth, particularly Black youth from surrounding neighborhoods, tried to attend monthly First Fridays events in the district, they were met with horses and riot police, stampeded with mace canisters drawn, after being harassed for “obstructing sidewalks” simply by being present. This racist display occurred for months until the combined efforts of event organizers and local police managed to cull the event of those they considered to be “outsiders”.
Then multiple mural projects are initiated to “beautify” the city, purely a marketing ploy as over 1/4 of the city lives in poverty (and an even greater percentage of children specifically).
This was also a strategic measure to prevent common street art in favor of authorized, legitimized art. This all despite the fact that so many mural artists are or were graffiti artists who would otherwise be considered criminal, regardless the artistic merit of their work.
These murals have always been executed in areas of commerce and tourism, never to beautify residential neighborhoods. They tend to demarcate the very clear geographic segregation of the city that has continued beyond the devastation of interstate highways that cut through powerful and prominent Black neighborhoods.
As in many American cities, these initiatives, despite the probable well-meaning of many participant artists, are quite clearly tools of gentrification.
Hello Terry! You raise very valid points in your comment, and I agree with them.
However, all I can say that your alternative of not mentioning or celebrating the street art in Richmond does not help your cause of bringing attention to these underlying issues of the city. It brings no attention at all to the city.
If my article makes one more person stop in RVA, then it does more than saying nothing at all.
Also, I love our new mayor, Levar Stoney 🙂 Thanks.
I love this post! It’s so cool seeing someone shed a light on the amazing art in my city!! So proud to call RVA my home.
I really appreciate it Stephanie! 🙂 I love Richmond, and hopefully this post makes more people give it the second glance it deserves!
RVA Magazine was involved in bringing this to town.
I live in and love RVA. . . .im always mesmerized by all the art around town! Great article!
Very cool article, hope to visit Richmond soon and will definitely hunt for murals!
I have a few Richmond favorites not included here. I’d like to see your complete photo-collection.
This post was written over a year ago, I will definitely do an updated version! 🙂
I did the interactive angel wings at the top, its part of my “global angel wings project” I started in 2012 – to remind humanity we are the angels of earth-I do them around the world.
I really think Richmond is a very special place and spend lots of time there. A very cool city.
Yes, I love your work! And I’m so glad you love Richmond as well!
Where can I find the wings?
Hey Aly! The wings are located in 400 Widley Street; Richmond,VA in LIFT restaurant!
Thanks for sharing! Never spent time in RVA, but now it’s on my list. Just an hour or two away…
I definitely recommend it! Its the perfect city for whatever you want to do: food, walking, outdoor adventure etc 🙂
I saw your instagram and was intrigued and decided to read this post! Wow, I never knew Richmond was filled with so many rich murals! I love the one of the man’s head exploding the most! Thanks for the awesome pics!
– Alex
Hey Alex, thanks for stopping by! I’m so glad you enjoyed it, RVA will always be one of my favorite cities, one of the reasons being these amazing works of art 🙂
Very interesting.
Wow, I love this. Fantastic street art.
So beautiful! And I love the initiative. All cities can do with a little extra colour. 🙂
I love these types of posts! I ve driven through Richmond countless numbers of times on my way to…anywhere but Richmond. I have never stopped. Now I want to see it.
So glad this has influenced you!! Cities like Richmond are hidden but are truly gems with logs of character! If you ever decide to visit RVA I can give you a guide to all of the great places to go 🙂
I love seeing stuff like this around! I think it adds such amazing character to a city!
Wow, this honestly makes me want to get into street artistry…amazing, this has got to be one of the best cities in the world for it?!