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Arts & Entertainment

Who Are You? Shaylen Amanda Broughton

Welcome to a new series from RVAHub called Who Are You? A collection of individuals from Richmond that make this city stand out. First up, liquid artist Shaylen Amanda Broughton

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Where are you originally from (and what brought you here to Richmond)? 

I grew up in Ashland, moved to Savannah GA in 2008 for college (SCAD), and returned to RVA in 2012 after graduating. I came back to be closer to family. I actually didn’t plan to stay here longer than 2-3 years but I found a place in the art community and I’m incredibly grateful for that.

What got you into art and specifically your style?

I’ve been painting for as long as I can remember. My grandmother Grace was a professional portrait artist and taught me formally how to paint with oils and watercolors at a really young age. I continued studying art throughout grade school but when it came to choosing a major, I went practical and got my degree in interior design. After graduating and working in the field of hospitality for about two years I knew it wasn’t right for me. I started painting again as a way to let go of the stress and anxiety that I felt about my job at the time. I think I ended up posting a picture of one piece on Instagram and ended up getting some commissions from it…which made me realize my real passion had always been in painting, and maybe making a career of it wasn’t so crazy after all. It took me a while to really call myself an abstract artist. I painted a lot of different things like landscapes, portraits, pretty much anything people would ask of me. It wasn’t until I got into painting as a form of meditation that I became truly obsessed. It was a way for me to truly connect with my intuition instead of painting something I was looking at I was painting from my feelings alone and that practice became just as necessary as breathing. I’ve always had a difficult time communicating my emotions, this was a way for me to do that….and people were responding/connecting with it…which brought me so much joy.

Who are your influences, art, and life?

I get this question a lot. I’m never really sure how to answer. I like to name all of the abstract expressionists, and any artists I can think of….but really my inspiration comes from within…I really don’t like to compare myself to anyone else because I’m not anyone else..I’m me and I’m only capable of expressing what I have inside of me to express. That being said…I respect and admire the hell out of anyone living a truly creative life no matter what type of medium or platform. I love to hear their stories…look at/ listen to/read their work…it makes my heart truly happy to see successful artists out there doing things and living.

Where can we see your art?

You can find me at Crossroads Art Center here in Richmond, Bojuart in Virginia Beach and Laguna Art Gallery, in Laguna Beach CA. I also do pop-ups occasionally and will always post that information on my Instagram – @sabartstudio.

What visions you have (creative projects) or where do you see yourself in 5 years?

I have too many ideas, and I always feel like I’m still figuring myself out and I’m not sure I’ll ever stop. I’m definitely a “go with the flow” person, and I change my mind a lot. Which is why the fluid style works well for me (it can’t be tamed!) I definitely have some big ideas for 2020…but we will see where the wind takes me!

Will you help support independent, local journalism?

We need your help. RVAHub is a small, independent publication, and we depend on our readers to help us provide a vital community service. If you enjoy our content, would you consider a donation as small as $5? We would be immensely grateful! Interested in advertising your business, organization, or event? Get the details here.

Is a riddle, wrapped in an enigma, wrapped in Padow's bacon.

Arts & Entertainment

Richmond Flying Squirrels to host summer movie series in the Diamond outfield

The Richmond Flying Squirrels will host Summer Movie Series presented by Woodfin at The Diamond with three chances to watch movies at The Diamond, the team announced recently.

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The Richmond Flying Squirrels will host Summer Movie Series presented by Woodfin at The Diamond with three chances to watch movies at The Diamond, the team announced recently.

Movies will be shown on the video board at The Diamond on Friday, June 30, Sunday, August 27 and Saturday, September 16. Admission is $10 per person (children ages three and younger are admitted free). Tickets are available now at SquirrelsBaseball.com/Movies.

The three-night movie series begins on Friday, June 30 with a showing of the classic Pixar film, “WALL-E.”The gates open at 6:30 p.m. and the movie will start at 7:30 p.m.

On Sunday, August 27, the Flying Squirrels will host a showing of “The Goonies” at 7 p.m. The gates will open at 6 p.m.

The movie series concludes on Saturday, September 16 with “Encanto.” The gates will open at 5:30 p.m. and the movie will begin at 6:30 p.m.

Seating will be located on the field or in the first-base lower bowl. Guests are encouraged to bring blankets or pillows, but chairs are prohibited.

Concessions will be available for the Summer Movie Series at the first-base lower stand on the stadium’s concourse. No outside food and drinks are allowed. Only credit or debit cards will be accepted at the concession stands.

Parking for the Summer Movie Series will be available for free in the Blue Lot at The Diamond, located off Arthur Ashe Boulevard across from the bus station. All guests should enter the stadium through the right-field gate located near the Cross Timbers Roofing Party Pavilion.

Attendees are asked to apply any sunscreen and bug spray before entering the field.

Tickets and more information are available online at SquirrelsBaseball.com/Movies, by phone at 804-359-3866 (FUNN) or in person at the Flying Squirrels ticket office.

Will you help support independent, local journalism?

We need your help. RVAHub is a small, independent publication, and we depend on our readers to help us provide a vital community service. If you enjoy our content, would you consider a donation as small as $5? We would be immensely grateful! Interested in advertising your business, organization, or event? Get the details here.

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Arts & Entertainment

Richmond Triangle Players announces 2023-2024 season shows

Five plays, including a new production of one of RTP’s biggest holiday hits, will take the stage at Richmond Triangle Players for its 2023-24 season, as the company celebrates its 31st year.

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Five plays, including a new production of one of RTP’s biggest holiday hits, will take the stage at Richmond Triangle Players for its 2023-24 season, as the company celebrates its 31st year.

“Last year’s 30th Anniversary Season included some of the largest and most ambitious productions we have ever attempted,” said RTP artistic director Lucian Restivo. “This new season, we will take an in-depth look into the LGBTQ+ experience with some intimate and edgier works, alongside a fantastical musical and the return of one of our favorite holiday hits.”

As always, the focus of every RTP is rooted in staying true to its mission, presenting unique — sometimes provocative, sometimes challenging, and sometimes simply hilarious –- works of theater.

For over three decades, Richmond Triangle Players has transformed the community’s conversations about diversity and inclusion through the production of LGBTQ+-themed works A nonprofit, professional theatre company founded in 1993, RTP takes pride in being the leading performing arts company in the region that produces high-quality transformational programming rooted in queer experiences and supports the development of queer artistry.

RTP is the only professional theatre company in the Richmond area – and the longest continually operating one in the entire Mid-Atlantic region — which expressly and regularly serves the LGBTQ+ community. While other local theatres occasionally produce plays with LGBTQ+ content, only Triangle Players has made an ongoing commitment to queer artists, issues, audiences, and community support.

The 2023-24 Season will Include:

A defiantly embracing call to action
One in two by Donja R. Love
September 20 – October 14, 2023

The raucous holiday treat returns in a brand-new production
Scrooge in Rouge, book and lyrics by Ricky Graham, additional material by Jeffery Roberson, other interesting bits by Yvette Hargis, original music composed by Jefferson Turner
November 15 – December 23, 2023

A new look at a ground-breaking comedy
Torch Song by Harvey Fierstein
February 14 – March 9, 2024

Forgotten women who are not easy to forget
Airswimming by Charlotte Jones
April 10 – May 4, 2024

The musical that will roll right into your heart!
Xanadu book by Douglas Carter Beane and music and lyrics by Jeff Lynne and John Farrar, based on the 1980 film of the same name
June 5 – July 13, 2024

Plus, on our Spotlight Cabaret Series (a separate subscription), we will feature:
Georgia Rogers Farmer: Re-Butter My Biscuit! October 19 – 21, 2023
Darienne Lake: Altered Boy, January 19 – 20, 2024.
Dan and Jim: A (Sorta) Love Song, March 15 – 16, 2024.
Nicholas Rodriguez: Sincerely, SondheimMay 10 – 11, 2024.

Will you help support independent, local journalism?

We need your help. RVAHub is a small, independent publication, and we depend on our readers to help us provide a vital community service. If you enjoy our content, would you consider a donation as small as $5? We would be immensely grateful! Interested in advertising your business, organization, or event? Get the details here.

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Arts & Entertainment

Author Sadeqa Johnson discusses The House of Eve on June 8 as part of the Library of Virginia’s 2023 Carole Weinstein Author Series 

Johnson is an international best-selling and award-winning author of five novels. Her novel Yellow Wife, which won the Library’s 2022 People’s Choice Award for Fiction, follows an enslaved woman forced to barter love and freedom while living in the most infamous slave jail in Virginia. 

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The Library of Virginia’s 2023 Carole Weinstein Author Series continues with a talk by best-selling author Sadeqa Johnson on The House of Eve, the historical fiction follow-up to her award-winning novel Yellow Wife. The free talk will be held at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 8 at the Library of Virginia, 800 East Broad Street, Richmond. A book signing will follow the talk.

The House of Eve continues Johnson’s tradition of confronting timeless questions that have no easy answers. In this moving work of historical fiction set in 1950s Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., the stories of two women collide in unexpected ways as they both make decisions that shape the trajectories of their lives. The book explores what it means to be a woman and a mother, and how much one is willing to sacrifice to achieve her greatest goal. The House of Eve was an instant New York Times best seller and was selected by Reese’s Book Club as the February 2023 pick.

Johnson is an international best-selling and award-winning author of five novels. Her novel Yellow Wife, which won the Library’s 2022 People’s Choice Award for Fiction, follows an enslaved woman forced to barter love and freedom while living in the most infamous slave jail in Virginia. Johnson is a Kimbilo Fellow, a former board member of the James River Writers and a member of the Tall Poppy Writers. She also teaches fiction writing for the MFA program at Drexel University.

The Carole Weinstein Author Series supports the literary arts by bringing both new and well-known authors to the Library of Virginia. Free and open to the public, the series focuses on Virginia authors and Virginia subjects across all genres and is made possible through support from the Carole Weinstein Endowment for Virginia Authors. This year marks the Library’s 200th anniversary, a special occasion for spotlighting the Library’s role in bringing attention to talented Virginia writers and fascinating Virginia subjects.

To see the series schedule and register for events, visit www.lva.virginia.gov/public/weinstein. For more information, contact Elizabeth Kaczynski at [email protected] or 804.692.3536.

Will you help support independent, local journalism?

We need your help. RVAHub is a small, independent publication, and we depend on our readers to help us provide a vital community service. If you enjoy our content, would you consider a donation as small as $5? We would be immensely grateful! Interested in advertising your business, organization, or event? Get the details here.

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