Graffiti Street Art Festival and Light of Human Kindness Project
Given that our house is filled with creative types, I knew we hard to check out Richmond's inagural Street Art Festival in September and it did not disappoint!
Per its blog, "The RVA Street Art Festival is defined by three things: suporting arts education for children, discovering and showcasing local artists along with big national artists, and revitalizing challenged areas that are in need of some color and creativity. This Fall's festival was held in September to revitalize the 5 acres of walls and buildings of the former GRTC bus site and festured public art, mural making sessions, sculpture, and exhibits and ideas about the history and future of transportation in Richmond."
Our kids were mesmorized by an artist using a construction steamroller (!) to do large scale fabric stamping and by the opportunity to help the mural artists paint parts of their creations.
Of special importance to us was the "Light of Human Kindness" project wall as I submitted my own "random act of kindness" entry that was illuminated/assigned to bulb # 103. (Look it up online!)
About the Wall:
"The Light of Human Kindness is an interactive mural in Richmond, VA that will explore the relationship of light and darkness and what can happen when art, technology and kindness come together to illuminate the power of human connection. The project begins with our simple human stories. Once the stories are collected and written on the wall at a community event, Richmond artist Hamilton Glass will paint the mural over the very stories that hold our shared humanity and goodness. The 1,000 (LED light bulbs) installed directly on an 80 foot wall at 2401 W. Cary Street will then light up one-by-one in real time as people from Richmond and around the world complete acts of kindness inspired by the mural art or their own experience of needing light during a dark time.
UPDATE: Many of you may know that this Art site was closed down this Fall due to an overnight attack on a security guard there. The good news is that the Street Art site will be reopening hopefully in summer 2014. When it does, hope you will check it out!
UPDATE: Want to see the birth of street murals this summer in 2014?
The Richmond Mural Project is a yearly event with the goal of creating over 100 murals by world renown 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. Artists from all over the world will be painting the city between June 16 and June 27, 2014. Click here to learn more so you can go and watch the creation:
Richmond Street Art Festival Site to Reopen in 2014:
More info on the 2013Street Art Festival:
