October is just a few days away and you know what that means – it’s time for artoberVA! Celebrate arts and culture all month long with hundreds of events, programs, and experiences in the Richmond and Tri-Cities region. 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.

artoberVA reaches deeper into our community through four focus areas –

1. Collaborations – We are always excited to connect artists and organizations who want to collaborate in new and exciting ways. Cross-pollination between different disciplines in art, culture, and local business strengthens our community by exposing audiences to new experiences.

2. Family Friendly Events – Families that experience arts and culture together are stronger together! Engaging children in the arts is the first step in creating future audiences.

3. Pop-ups – Free, accessible, spontaneous, temporary experiences in high-traffic areas are not only fun, they draw new audiences from the general public and increase your visibility.

4. Art in New Locations – Sometimes arts and culture experiences don’t reach everyone. Our goal is to ensure that artoberVA is felt across the many communities of the Richmond and Tri-Cities region!

During artoberVA 2018, there were over 1,500 experiences by over 170 artists and organizations. We’re thrilled to see that momentum continuing to build this year. There are already hundreds of events on the Arts and Culture Calendar to choose from, whether you want to take a dance class with friends, explore a museum with the family, or enjoy a date night at a concert. artoberVA is a great opportunity to do something you know you’ll love and try something new too!

We are excited to partner with Better Housing Coalition again to bring arts and culture experiences directly to three communities they serve in Richmond and Petersburg. These experiences will celebrate the roots of African-American traditions through music, dance and storytelling, featuring artists Christine Wyatt, Amena Durant, and Kenneka Cook as well as Drums No Guns.

With the help of Capital One, you can experience unique pop-ups at two of the Capital One Café locations in Richmond. Take a break while shopping in Short Pump to learn sticker art from Noah Scalin and shake your booty with the Studio 4 Dance Company in Carytown!

Celebrity Picks are back again this year! Check out the schedule below of local influencers and be on the lookout to see which events they pick.

• Week of 9/29: Liz Thomson – Author, Blogger (I Heart Vegetables), Personal Trainer, and Health Coach

• Week of 10/6: Chauncey Jenkins A.K.A. Chance Fischer – General Manager at Lemaire Restaurant, Elby-Winner for Most Valuable Staffer in Richmond’s dining community 2019, Musician/Rapper

• Week of 10/13: Christina Dick – Founder of Tiramisu for Breakfast Agency and Adjunct Professor of Advertising at VCU

• Week of 10/20: Reggie Pace – Professional Musician (NO BS! Brass, Bon Iver, and more), Writer, Recording Artist, Producer

• Week of 10/27: Tiffany Jana – Best-selling Author, TEDx and Inc.com Top 100 speaker, Founder of TMI Consulting, Inc.

That’s a lot of information to take in, isn’t it? So how can you participate? There are three easy ways:

1. If you have an arts and culture event happening in October, submit it to our Arts & Culture Calendar! This makes you an official part of artoberVA.

2. Not hosting any events? Well someone has to go to the events! Find something happening near you using our calendar, grab a friend, and go! Don’t forget to take pictures.

3. Post those pictures or videos on social media and show everyone what a great time you’re having. Use #artoberVA when posting so that we can give you a like!

artoberVA 2019 is already shaping up to be the best one yet, and we can’t wait to experience it with you. All that’s left to do is “Dig in!”