Dear Richmond Art Center friends,

Today the Richmond Art Center is humming in every studio and gallery.

Team of volunteers, our artist faculty, staff, and City of Richmond assistance are:

• Preparing our studios for upcoming renovation work
• Moving the entire Weaving Studio, 31 looms, in three hours—with NO injuries to people, NO damage to looms (which are complicated, intricate works of art themselves). All stored, color-coded, and organized to move back into our temporary "Winter Weaving Studio" — aka our West Gallery, after the Holiday Arts Festival.
• De-installing our Fall Exhibitions, from all four galleries.
• Folding, stuffing, and sealing our Annual Fund Drive mailing.
• Preparing our “Open during Renovation!” signage by painting on anti-graffiti product.
• Moving our West Gallery-Painting Studio wall (a five-person job) to open up our HAF "cafe."
• Laying our and installing our Holiday Arts Festival Silent Auction. Come and see it, it looks great!
• And importantly—throwing a volunteer/staff pizza lunch to thank everyone for their work and the spirit behind it.

While this is all happening in ONE DAY, these projects are all the results of months of highly coordinated planning. While RAC has been preparing for renovation work to begin in three studios, we have continued our amazing array of onsite art education classes in six studios, our diverse exhibitions in four gallery spaces, have expanded our community outreach programs, and are preparing for our festive year-end tradition, the Holiday Arts Festival

Some folks here today have said “it should be like this every day!” We’ve found that the renovation, with its need for increased planning and coordinating, has among other benefits, brought together many friends of the Art Center.

We plan to continue that in the months to come, as we work through the renovation and beyond. We’ve strengthened our relationships with our community, planning Winter Courses in Richmond Community Centers. We’ve worked closely with many City departments to coordinate the needs of the renovation work simultaneously with the needs of RAC’s community work.

I’ve never seen a greater collective effort of volunteers, staff, board, and the many City of Richmond participants, in coming together. Community-building is one of the many ways that art can transform lives, so today is deeply gratifying, as we sit among the dust bunnies and pizza.

As an example--possible best moment of the day: One of our hard-working staff (that could be any of them) was tired, and our youngest volunteer of the day (age 9) walked over to her with her arms held out to give her a big hug.

Thanks to everyone who has been a part of our past few months. For all our friends, old and new, I hope to see you at our Holiday Arts Festival on Sunday, December 2, to enjoy our art and craft vendors, meet friends in the café, and bid in our Silent Auction!

Sincerely, Jasmine Brown
Executive Director