The Wrap: Pulse construction winds down, the ICA opens, earth-concious art, and a mysterious stone

Photo: @rvatubers

The week in brief

Hola, faithful Wrap readers. After a bit of a hiatus on our typical Friday email, we’re back and ready to catch you up on everything that happened in the River City this week. There’s a lot to talk about, so let’s dive right in, shall we?

Today is National School Walkout Day, and there are several student-run, pro-gun control rallies taking place around town this afternoon–one at the Capitol, another on Brown’s Island. Our intrepid reporter and resident photographer Richard Hayes is on the scene at the latter and will have photos and more on Monday. Here’s what you need to know.

At long last, those bright orange construction barrels are finally coming down on Broad Street! That’s right–Lane Construction is currently in the process of systematically removing the barriers that have been blocking the new GRTC Pulse bus lanes. This, of course (knowing how Richmond drivers are) has caused a good amount of pandemonium as vehicles have been using the bus-only lanes (either out of confusion or on purpose, as they often do with our bike lanes). In my opinion, the fact that there’s no physical barrier between vehicular traffic and the buses means we’re going to need enforcement of the bus-only lanes being for, well, buses only. Testing of the new Pulse buses begins on Broad Street on Monday, according to GRTC. Stay alert and pay attention to the new traffic patterns!

The long-awaited VCU Institute for Contemporary Art opens this weekend, and damn is it beautiful. I had the chance to tour the building before it opens to the public tomorrow (photos from the media event here), and open in style it will! Expect a full day of art-centric activities and demonstrations to kick off the inaugural exhibit inside, “Declaration.” Within the building, you’ll find some powerful modern art that will make you think and some tough subject matter including the marginalization of women and people of color, the KKK, and police brutality. The museum is quickly making a statement far beyond its actual architecture. This weekend’s event is free, as is museum admission, but you’ll need to sign up for a timed ticket in advance. More on that here.

Henrico County did something pretty innovative recently. They held a “signing day” of sorts, but not for student-athletes. The event celebrated technical center students who were recently hired and planned to join the workforce. “Dirty Jobs” host Mike Rowe took notice of the Facebook post about the event and shared it, and now the concept has gone viral, with Rowe planning to come to the annual event next year. A pretty neat idea, right? Check it out here.

The Festival of the River, a new event taking place on Brown’s Island to celebrate our crown jewel, the James River, is coming up on June 9th, and the roster of performers was announced this week. This is going to be an awesome weekend of music and events–see who’s scheduled to appear here.

Speaking of the great outdoors, Richard Hayes was out at Forest Hill Park for the Virginia High School Mountain Bike Series earlier this week and captured the awesome action as only he can.

As we go into Earth Day, a friendly reminder to be kind to our planet! It’s the only one we’ve got. And the Richmond Department of Public Utilities is hosting a storm drain art project contest to remind us all that what goes down the drain ends eventually ends up in our waterways. Four finalists will be selected from the pool of entries and each artist will receive $400 for their time and work. This year, the drains to be painted are in Carytown. Here’s how you can submit your design for consideration.

Did you know Chief Powhatan’s headstone, once located near Rocketts Landing, can still be found in Richmond? Did you know there’s a fair amount of legend surrounding its history? We’ve got the fascinating history of this mysterious stone in our Must-See RVA feature this week.

Five things to know

1. Henrico County’s new Office of Equity and Diversity is hosting listening sessions to hear from community stakeholders. Here’s how you can make your voice heard.
2. Two people were injured outside of Cary Street Café after a propane tank exploded.
3. RVA Fashion Week’s 10th annual event kicks off on Monday at venues all over Richmond.
4. The founder of delicious local bakery delight Billy Bread is opening his own pizza shop in the West End soon.
5. St. Christopher’s School is about to embark on a $14 million addition in the form of a performing arts center.

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