Plus, Brown's Island could be getting $30 million
 
April 18, 2024 6AM-Top banner logo-small.png

SUBSCRIBE | REFER
6AM City In-house

Today’s Forecast

83º | 15% chance of precipitation
Sunrise 6:29 a.m. | Sunset 7:48 p.m.

 
New VMFA exhibition opens Saturday
RICtoday_VMFA_SamuraiExhibit_Exterior
“Samurai Armor from the Collection of Ann & Gabriel Barbier-Mueller” will remain open April 20-Aug. 4. | Photo by RICtoday
A new exhibition brings over 700 years of Japanese history to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. “Samurai Armor from the Collection of Ann and Gabriel Barbier-Mueller” opens this Saturday, April 20.

Coming to the River City from the Ann & Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Museum in Dallas, the exhibition showcases over 140 objects, including 17 full suits of armor and 50 helmets.

Each artifact was made between the 14th and 19th centuries, allowing the viewer experience the artistic, technological, and cultural changes throughout that time period.

At a media preview event, the VMFA’s Curator of East Asian Art Li Jian spoke to the remarkable turnaround in getting “Samurai Armor” to Richmond. The museum only had around eight months to plan and execute the exhibition in the River City.

RICtoday_VMFA_SamuraiArmor_ExhibitionOpening

Curator Li Jian introduces the exhibition at a media preview event.

|

Photo by RICtoday

The founding curator of the exhibit at the Barbier-Mueller Museum, Jessica Beasley, shared her thoughts on the Richmond exhibition. She highlighted the remarkable functionality of the armor, even in its most delicate details. Beasley coordinated the installation of the exhibition with VMFA staff.

“I really think it hasn’t ever looked better than it does here,” she said.

Walking through “Samurai Armor,” the artistry and detail in each work is evident. Glass panels allow for an all-angles examination of several objects. Accompanying diagrams and a timeline of the historical periods provide additional context.

Want to see the samurai for yourself? Find the exhibition in the museum’s lower level galleries. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for those ages 65 and up, and $10 for youth and students. VMFA members can reserve tickets for free.
 
Asked
 
What is your favorite part of visiting the VMFA?
A. Exploring the regular galleries
B. Seeing special exhibits
C. Hanging out in the sculpture garden
D. Eating at the cafe, restaurant, and tea room
 
Events
 
Thursday, April 18
  • Bumpin Uglies | Thursday, April 18 | 7-10 p.m. | Ember Music Hall, 309 E. Broad St., Richmond | $20-$35 | Get ready for a night of reggae-rock with the Maryland band.
Friday, April 19
  • Cut Worms | Friday, April 19 | 7 p.m. | Richmond Music Hall, 623 E. Main St., Richmond | $18 | The alt-indie singer-songwriter will play a show with Ben Butterworth.
  • WEAR RVA: Rocking the Runway for a Cause | Friday, April 19 | 7-10 p.m. | Science Museum of Virginia Dewey Gottwald Center, 2301 W. Leigh St., Richmond | $35-$140 | This full-production fashion show highlights the latest trends from local boutiques and designers.
Saturday, April 20
  • The Broadberry 10th Anniversary Block Party | Saturday, April 20 | 10 a.m. | The Broadberry, 2729 W. Broad St., Richmond | $20-$40 | Celebrate a decade of live shows with The Infamous Stringdusters, No BS! Brass, Prabir Trio, and The Mitras.
  • Spring Plant Sale & Market | Saturday, April 20 | 10 a.m.-2 p.m. | Wild Fern Montessori School, 7511 Brook Rd., Richmond | Free entry | Pre-order plants or swing by to shop from a selection of seeds, plants, and other garden goodies.
  • VCU Women’s Soccer vs. Virginia Tech | Saturday, April 20 | 1-3 p.m. | Sports Backers Stadium, 100 Avenue of Champions, Richmond | $7-$10 | Cheer on the Rams against the Hokies at home.
Sunday, April 21
  • Shakespeare’s Garden Tour | Sunday, April 21 | 10:30-11:15 a.m. | Agecroft Hall, 4305 Sulgrave Rd., Richmond | $10 | Learn about Tudor-style gardens from a Shakespearean perspective — don’t forget your walking shoes for the tour.
  • “The Sound of Music” | Sunday, April 21 | 2 p.m. | The Byrd Theatre, 2908 W. Cary St., Richmond | $9 | How do you solve a problem like Maria? Find out at this matinee screening of the classic musical.
Tuesday, April 23
  • Chemistry in a Cone: The Science of Ice Cream | Tuesday, April 23 | 8-8:45 a.m. | Science Museum of Virginia, 2500 W. Broad St., Richmond | Free | Rise and shine, ice cream aficionados: Visit the Science Museum of Virginia on Tuesday, April 23, at 8 a.m. for Sunrise Science to get the inside scoop into the intricate chemistry behind ice cream.*
Click here to have your event featured.
 
 
▼SPONSORED▼
Finance
 
The minimum investment for a financial advisor
Man wearing blue shirt and green jacket sits on bench, facing camera
Considering hiring a financial advisor? Here’s what you need to know beforehand. | Photo provided by SmartAsset
A financial advisor could help you best determine if you’re on track to meet your long-term financial goals. This expert could help you establish a plan that factors your assets and taxes into your overall retirement and estate-planning goals.

How much money should you have before hiring a financial advisor? Find out the level of liquid assets at which an advisor’s benefits potentially outweigh the costs.
 
News Notes
 
Development
  • The city is partnering with Venture Richmond to provide up to $30 million in improvements for Brown’s Island. Plans include adding bathrooms, play areas for children, more trees, and additional event infrastructure. The official designs are undetermined, but would be estimated to take around a year to implement. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
Open
  • A new restaurant is open in Fan space that was home to Lady N’awlins Cajun Café for 12 years. Smoke & Barrel serves Southern-inspired favorites and cocktails with seating for 65. (Richmond BizSense)
Outdoors
  • Construction of the James River Association’s upcoming River Education Center is nearly complete. JRA is hoping to meet its fundraising goal for the project with the help of a $400,000 challenge grant from the Schaberg Foundation that will match public donations.
Traffic
  • Watch out for lane and sidewalk closures near the intersection of Hull Street and Belt Boulevard. The Dept. of Public Works is starting a year-long project to upgrade traffic signal equipment and install new sidewalks, accessible curb ramps, pedestrian signals, and high visibility crosswalks.
Edu
  • The Richmond City School Board is looking to fill the vacant Fourth District seat for the rest of the year. Eligible individuals should submit a letter of interest, resume, and proof of residency to School Board Clerk Patrece Richardson by 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 30 to be considered.
Listen
  • This Saturday, April 20 is Record Store Day, an international event celebrating independent record stores. Plan 9 will open its doors at 9 a.m. with coffee and pastries from Claudia’s Bake Shop as early as 4:30 a.m. Deep Groove, Small Friend, and Crossroads are also official participants.
Shop
  • This Saturday and next, find great deals on the streets of Carytown. The annual Sidewalk Sale returns April 20 and 27 with dozens of participating small businesses.
Festival
  • Mark your calendar for Oct. 27. Mama J’s will celebrate 15 years of business with a block party on 1st Street featuring live music, kids activities, special guests, and tons of food. Don’t worry — we’ve already added it to our local festival guide.
Transit
  • Get an inside look at the new GRTC buses hitting the streets in the coming days. The transit company is phasing out the last of its diesel buses with new models, complete with more real-time screens and charging ports.
Active
 
 
Civic
 
🚲 Street improvements ahead
RICtoday_BikeLane_FranklinStreet
One of the proposals involves adding to the bike lanes on Franklin Street. | Photo by RICtoday
Improvements could be coming to several streets on Richmond’s High Injury Network. The Dept. of Public Works wants your feedback on five projects aimed at improving safety around the city.

The High Injury Network represents the 9% of city streets where 77% of severe injuries and traffic fatalities occur. Focusing investment on these areas has been a central part of the city’s Vision Zero goal.

The five projects would:
  • Add bike infrastructure on Franklin Street from Lombardy to Belvidere
  • Add 3.5 miles of bike lanes on Hopkins Road from Collier Hill Road to Richmond Highway
  • Install a combined 55 curb extensions on Main Street and Cary Street between Arthur Ashe Boulevard and Belvidere Street
  • Implement traffic calming measures on Forest Hill Avenue at the 41st and 43rd Street intersections
  • Add a Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon and ADA-compliant curb ramps on Hull Street at 29th Street
Take DPW’s survey by clicking the button below.
 
The Buy
 
Four neutral throw pillow covers, all for $24.99. We love: The price point + how you can choose which neutral tones best suit your living space — gold-neutral, cream-neutral, or navy-neutral.
 
Share RICtoday
 
ReferralGIF1-RIC.gif

Share the good news. Get rewarded.

Have someone who needs to stay in the know? Get amazing rewards for every new subscriber you bring by sharing your unique referral link (below).

{{profile.vars.rh_reflink_22}}
Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email

{{profile.vars.rh_totref_22}} friends are looped into all things local because of you.
Claim your rewards
 
 
The Wrap
 
Robin Schwartzkopf in a red button down shirt Today’s edition by:
Robin
From the editor
I enjoyed getting a sneak peak of “Samurai Armor” at the VMFA. If you have friends or family who remember curator Li Jian’s previous work fondly — namely “Forbidden City” in 2014 and “Terracotta Army” in 2017 — they won’t want to miss this.
Missed our previous newsletter?      ›
Send Us A Scoop, Question, or Feedback      ›
Advertise      ›
Shop      ›
 
Feedback on Today's Newsletter

Did you like today’s newsletter?

😍 Loved it 🙂 Solid effort 😞 Changes needed
 
 

* This content is paid advertising, or contains links to our Six & Main marketplace, or affiliate partners which we may receive a commission from. ^ This content is created by our content studio.

Change your preferences or unsubscribe here.

Copyright © 2023 6AM City Inc, All rights reserved.

P.O. Box 2505, Greenville, SC 29602

ADVERTISE | CAREERS | ETHICS | PRIVACY | SHOP