artoberVA is an annual celebration of arts and culture in Richmond and the Tri-Cities area!

So, what is artoberVA?

artoberVA promotes events, pop-ups, exhibits, science, history, collaborations, and any arts or culture experience happening in the Richmond & Tri-Cities area every October.

Presented by CultureWorks, artoberVA increases participation in arts and culture events in our region and expands the exposure of organizations, venues, and artists shaping our vibrant and creative scene.

If you're an organization, business, or artist offering an arts or culture experience in October we want you to share it on the CultureWorks Arts & Culture Calendar!

If you're a local resident or just visiting, please engage with our communities' best and brightest talent!

Read About ArtoberVA 2018

Support artoberVA and CultureWorks with a t-shirt!

Bonfire and CultureWorks are collaborating to offer limited edition t-shirts from Richmond artists Emily Herr, WingChow, and Mickael Broth, for sale online and at select events during artoberVA. Each of the shirts is based on a piece of art that represents the artists' interpretation of Richmond. All of the proceeds will be donated to CultureWorks and other nonprofits that are close to the hearts of the artists. Click on each shirt to learn more about the artist and their design and place your order.

Explore all that artoberVA has to offer!

016 Artober Grave Walker Images [PC-Tom Topinka] 10-18-18-edit.jpg

GET INVOLVED

If you're an arts or culture organization, or an artist in Richmond or the Tri-Cities area – we want you to be involved with artoberVA this October!

PARTICIPATE

041 Ezibu African Dance Images [PC-Tom Topinka] 10-07-18.jpg

EXPERIENCE IT

There are hundreds of artoberVA events to engage your senses during the month of October. Check out the calendar and plan your experience!

CALENDAR

PROMOTE + COLLABORATE

Let everyone know you are part of the artoberVA movement and find other exciting ways to collaborate with venues, artists, & organizations.

TOOLKIT

photo by Tom Topinka

Arts and culture live here!

Stay connected
to artoberVA!

FACEBOOK

INSTAGRAM

TWITTER

A beautiful evening of reflection and healing during @lewisginter’s Toro Nagashi Commemorative Festival.✨
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📸: @kgh1002 #toronagashi #lewisginterbotanicalgarden #cultureworks #artoberva #community #partner #reflection

"artoberVA is wonderful for organizations looking to learn more about similar-minded institutions and locations in Richmond. It generates more cultural and creative energy for Richmond than any other partnership effort. It makes me proud of the city and very excited about where the RVA arts community is heading! With our soon-to-open Veterans’ Art Gallery, The Virginia War Memorial looks forward to being a key player in artoberVA for years to come." -Clay Mountcastle, Director of the Virginia War Memorial

History is an important aspect of arts and culture too! We're thrilled to have the @vawarmemorial as a champion for #artoberVA and look forward to the opening of the Veterans' Art Gallery in a few months!

#history #art #richmondva #memorial #virginiawarmemorial

We are honored to have the one and only @tttopinka as our official @artoberva photographer again this year! You’ll see him out and about in the community next month capturing all of the best moments.✨
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#tomtopinka #photographer #artoberVA #cultureworksrva #cancanbrasserie

Checking out Petersburg’s Friday for the Arts! Artists Julian Greene and Nikkea Sharee filled the space with color and texture tonight.✨
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#fridayfortheartspetersburg #artoberva #cultureworksrva #artsandculture #community

We loved being at the @rvafolkfest reveal party at @glavekocen last night! @noahscalin’s work is incredible. You can catch his mural on the side of @thebroadberry or on this year’s Folk Fest poster. We can’t wait to see him in action next month during @artoberva.✨
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#rvafolkfest #artoberva #noahscalin #venturerichmond #cultureworks #thebroadberry #artsandculture #community

“artoberVA brings the Greater Richmond Region together to celebrate creativity and community. It lets us all discover the thriving artistic and cultural community that makes us special. As a company committed to strengthening and inspiring communities, we are excited to see the connections the Richmond Region builds and the things we create.” - Josh Kelly, @bonfire.✨
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@bonfire is a community conscious company; their partnership is invaluable! They’ve commissioned three local artists, @herrsuite, @wing.chow, and @thenightowl to design limited edition t-shirts to be sold during @artoberva, with all proceeds benefitting @cultureworksrva and non-profits selected by the artists. We’re eagerly awaiting the reveal of the t-shirt designs! Stay tuned!✨
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#artoberva #bonfire #cultureworksrva #artsandculture #community

We love seeing the many ways that arts and culture organizations are positively impacting our region! @artforthejourney is an organization with a heart for healing through the arts. They serve our community beautifully, providing art therapy for Veterans, underserved youth, prison populations, students at @vcuhealth, and more. We’re pumped to hear about their plans for @artoberva this year! ✨
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Words from @artforthejourney: “We are excited to participate in ArtoberVA2019! Art for the Journey is continuously grateful to the CultureWorks staff and volunteers, and all of the community partners for helping to create an amazing arts filled city! Every day, Art for the Journey provides art programs for adults and children around the Richmond area that are designed to promote positive mental health and well-being. Our mission is to overcome barriers and transform lives through art. With the support of CultureWorks, Art for the Journey has the foundation and ability to carry out our mission and impact nearly two thousand people's lives through community engagement and art. And…. joining into the ArtoberVA2019 excitement and art filled month, Art for the Journey will host the fourth annual Art Exhibit Gala on October 24th, 2019 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. featuring amazing art from local artists and more! Visit artforthejourney.org for details. Join us!”✨
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#artoberva #cultureworksrva #artforthejourney #community #impact #artsandculture #arttherapy #healing

Many thanks to @ryanlauterio and @gcblackwell for featuring @artoberva on their podcast, @shockoeartspeak! The episode will be released on September 9th on iTunes, Spotify, and through @shockoeartspeak. Check it out!✨
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#shockoeartspeak #shockoeartspace #artoberva #cultureworksrva #artsandculture #community

We visited @thehighpointrichmond last week to preview their current exhibit, The Hardest Hue to Hold, featuring the photography of @kimberlywitham with a botanical installation from Rhea Calpano of @photosynthesisflorals. Our arts and culture community is elevated by the stunning art and space that The Highpoint provides. Here are words from The Highpoint about @artoberva...✨
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“Given the immeasurable value arts and culture bring to the nurturing of our community, any event that promotes these fundamental building blocks is deserving of support. This is why The Highpoint stands with Cultureworks and their artoberVA Celebration, as it helps artists and organizations shape Richmond's vibrant and creative scenes.”✨
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#artoberva #cultureworksrva #thehighpointrichmond #artsandculture #community

Leave it to a brilliant writer to capture the true essence of @artoberva in words. From Katharine Herndon, Executive Director of James River Writers: “I love artoberVA because it's exactly what James River Writers strives to accomplish with our annual October conference. We want to make it easy for word lovers to find each other, for our literary arts community to grow stronger, and for our participants to feel inspired and connected. That's what artoberVA does for the whole month and the entire region, with all the arts, and we're proud to be a part of it.”✨
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Visit our calendar at artoberva.org to check out what James River Writers has planned for artoberVA!✨
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#cultureworksrva #artoberva #jamesriverwriters #community #artsandculture #celebration

"Now in our fourth year, artoberVA is better than ever! Together with our partners we have planted powerful seeds, and we’ve watched artoberVA take root and grow exponentially each year. We’re thrilled with how the Richmond and Tri-Cities region has embraced this month-long celebration of arts and culture, and are excited to see artoberVA continue to connect the greater community to the power of creativity."

- Scott Garka, President, Richmond CultureWorks

Ready to dig in?

Check out our participate page for all of the nitty gritty details on how to get more involved. Then head over to the calendar to add events, RSVP to your favorite opportunities, and spread the word!

participate

calendar