weekend review: easter

[Easter centerpiece]

[sister's eggs with vintage egg belonging to my grandmother]

[Had to work hard to get the eggs red not pink]

[Grapefruit bread- highly recommend]

[Finished weekend with friends and Apples to Apples]

art as activism

Much of my work lately has involved the Power Shift 2011 conference and it's efforts to end dirty money in politics and to make BP pay for the damages to the Gulf Coast. Today is Earth Day and so I want to share a video of an unsactioned installation piece a group of activist artists put on at the Tate Britain two days ago, on the one year memorial of the BP oil rig explosion. One year into disaster, oil is still be discovered in the Gulf, the natural habitat as well as the local economy is still struggling, and BP has yet to pay affected communities the recovery funds they deserve.



The artists involved with this action/installation are calling for the Tate to disassociate with BP. From GOOD.is, "Here's the irony, though: Liberate Tate was actually founded during a 2010 workshop on art and activism sponsored by the Tate. During the workshop, the group says, the Tate tried to prevent participants from doing anything that would embarrass the museum's sponsors. Suffice it to say, that kind of backfired."

GOOD then asked, "Is this the most effective way to help communities damaged by oil extraction?" This is a questions I ask myself frequently, in many contexts. Yet, to me, for a group of artists this IS one of the most effective ways for them to help. I hope many of them take their activism to broader venues as well, but they applied the resources they had to a specific target while calling for a real tangible and achievable change. I may have to use this example in my next Theory of Change strategy training.

Originally found on Good.is. Video.

catwalk for kids

“We’re firemen in stilettos,” according to handbag designer and Catwalk for Kids founder Mary Norton. “We’re putting out emergencies.” Mary started her charity events in her hometown of Charleston and chose Richmond for the first of many cities in its international expansion. Held in the RVA Fashion Week Finale tent, the event was a luncheon, fashion show, auction and concert benefiting the Children’s Hospital of Richmond Pediatric Cardiology Division.

Check out the full post on GayRVA.com.

craft night

[erin's pièce de résistance]

Last night was the Finale for Fashion Week, but I had a previous commitment to a group of lovely ladies that I couldn't bring myself to skip. The lovely RVAFashionista will have info up on GayRVA.com and you should check out the rest of the coverage we have there. But instead of black tie and high fashion, I spent the night with a tumbler of wine playing in the dirt.

I've been luckily to have a good group of friends throughout my life. There are several lovely ladies and men that I have kept (sadly, loosely) in touch with from high school, many dear friends from college and a great support group in DC. Moving to Richmond, it took me a while to establish good friends but after about a year and a half, I have met some wonderful people that I know will be important to me always. Last night just helped cement that.

The goal was a craft night where we would make terrariums, the ever so-hip trend and the only plant that many of us could keep alive. Can you add glitter to terraiums? Not sure, but we did.

[inappropriate crafting]

I had plans to play hostess and do a day of baking and cooking, but really all you need for a girls' night is a few (um, six) bottles of wine and a nearby pizza place. We ordered from Belmont Pizza and then walked over to pick up our pizza. They were quite amused at watching 6 twenty/thirty-something women tearing into slices inside their pick up area, particularly when we rebuffed their offer of plates. We rounded out the night with a hours long marathon of Dance Central.

[My terrarium's home, over the kitchen sink]

the vacancy project

Yesterday was an action packed day with Catwalk for Kids, shopping at Halcyon's rummage sale, and drinks with a good friend at The Belvidere at Broad, my friend and I ventured over to The Vacancy Project at the abandoned Central National Bank. "The project hopes to creatively address and affect issues of building vacancy in Richmond by observing the history of the Central National Bank and its current state of decay and disuse. Lighting design in the space is compo...sed with respect to the building's architectural features, history, and deterioration. The project's sound design is composed of natural audio recorded at the Bank in 2011, and of local popular music recorded in Richmond in 1929. "














The project reminded me of wandering around an empty former bank in Philadelphia as part of my senior project. I can't spend time in old buildings without thinking about how they could be used today- clearly an objective of the project. There were slightly creepy aspects of the installation with the darkness and music, but overall the project presented an opportunity of resurrection for an incredible old building in an area of town that has been neglected but is central to the city's revitalization. The question is how can we do that responsibly.

halcyon rummage sale

Looking for something to do this weekend? Besides Richmond Fashion Week, that is?* Check out Halcyon's rummage sale. New things being put out constantly.

[Mine.]

[Also mine.]

Plus, you can get your cards read! Ask inside or look for the van in the alley (yes, I'm serious.)

*Newest post up on GayRVA.com about the Runway at Center Stage event. More coverage on this blog soon. Until then, mosey on over.

fashion week uncorked recap

My first set of Richmond Fashion Week photos are up on GayRVA.com! I'm very excited to be sharing my photos on such a great website and the coverage of Fashion Week was even part of their weekly email. (I'm kind of a big deal.) I've posted just a few below but please check out lots more great looks on GayRVA!

The event was held The Wine Loft, a venue I had been to only once before since I rarely venture out to Short Pump (particularly for drinking occasions. Safety first!) Local jewelry designer Chelsea Nicolas of Stitch and Knot joined eco-friendly designer Kelley Farlow of Lo.K'elle Collective and Schwarzchild Jewelers came together in a jewelry-focused fashion display.

[Currently local designer Chelsea Nicolas]

I got the chance to sit down with Chelsea briefly before the show began. I actually asked to snap a photo of her outfit before I even knew she was a featured designer. Isn't she adorable? A native of Raleigh she went to school at Savannah College of Art and Design. She studied Fibers there, but has put combined her fibers expertise with a concentration in jewelry. Chelsea is a temporary resident of Richmond and lives in Shockoe Bottom, which she feels gets an undeserved bad rap, in a converted Civil War warehouse. You can shop Stitch and Knot here on Etsy.

[Model wearing Chelsea Nicolas]

[Model wearing Lo.K'elle Collective]

Like my own jewelry, Kelley Farlow makes each piece individually. Lo.Kelle Collective is an "eco-friendly company that offers elegantly hand-crafted jewelry and other accessories" with materials sources from thrift stores. The bracelet seen on this model was on of my favorites shown on Tuesday and you can shop online at lokelleco.com.

[Model wearing Schwarzchild Jewelers]

Schwarzchild Jewelers rounded out the night with three models. Their fine jewelry was often smaller, so the images don't show up as well but I loved the ring this model is wearing. Shop online or at several Richmond locations.

See more from all three designers and images of the party at The Wine Loft on GayRVA.com.

fashion week uncorked

Last night I went to the Richmond Fashion Week's Uncorked event, cosponsored with Downtown Short Pump, at The Wine Loft. While I was sad to miss the great events this weekend, I luckily was back in time for this jewelry themed event. A full write up and pictures will be up soon on gayrva.com. I'll be sure to tweet and post to let you know when it's ready.

[Do I look appropriately fashionable?]

I'm wearing: H&M dress; vintage belt, purse and bracelet; necklace from my own line; brown tights and boots. Picking outfits for each day has been half the fun, though I haven't finalized my look for tonight yet.

[Four of the models]

blue trees

"Blue Trees is an afforestation art action, an avenue of trees coloured blue, a total immersion, the trees becoming identified by colour.

The Blue Trees is an ephemeral work, reverting back to its original state over time. An afforestation art action set within an urban context – it is the response of cities such as Richmond, Canada to issues relating to deforestation that in the end will determine the sustainability of this resource, both locally and globally."

- Konstantin Dimopoulos



Images and quotes from artist's website.