Community
2nd Street Festival Releases Full Schedule
The 2nd Street Festival will return this fall, live and in person, Saturday – Sunday, October 1-2. Marking its 34th year, the festival celebrates the rich culture of the historic Jackson Ward neighborhood in Downtown Richmond.
The 2nd Street Festival will return this fall, live and in person, Saturday – Sunday, October 1-2. Marking its 34th year, the festival celebrates the rich culture of the historic Jackson Ward neighborhood in Downtown Richmond. This FREE event is produced by Venture Richmond Events.
Over the years, it has grown to be one of the Mid-Atlantic's largest street festivals. Thousands visit historic Jackson Ward to reminisce about the days when 2nd Street was the heart and soul of Richmond’s African American community and was known as “the Harlem of the South.” Today, Jackson Ward continues to be a thriving neighborhood and community.
The 2nd Street Festival is an annual celebration and homecoming over two days that features three stages of live musical entertainment along with popular food vendors, a marketplace and Artists Row to shop, and the Richmond Metropolitan Antique Car Club.
“I am excited to bring Grandmaster Flash back to Richmond. He last performed in 2015 and based on our initial announcement in July, RVA is eager to see him, too,” said Sharon Bassard, booking and festival manager at Venture Richmond. “The ceremonial kickoff mini parade and the re-opening of the Kidz Zone are some highlights this year! We do suggest that folks bring their own chairs to best enjoy the shows at each stage.”
2nd Street Festival 2022 Stage Schedule
(Subject to change)
WAVERLY R. CRAWLEY MAIN STAGE (sponsored by Virginia Union University)
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1
11:30 – 12:15pm Aubrey Smalls Quartet
12:45 – 1:30pm Ban Caribe
2:00 – 3:00pm Rodney The Soul Singer Stith
3:30 – 4:30pm J Baxter & the S.A.U.C.E.
4:55 – 5:10pm Standing on Their Shoulders- Festival Tributes
5:45 – 7:00pm GRANDMASTER FLASH
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2
1:00 – 1:30pm Cora Harvey Armstrong
2:00 – 2:30pm Virginia Union University Choir
3:00 – 4:00pm KATZ Band
4:45 – 6:00pm I Would Die 4 U; A Musical Tribute to PRINCE
JOE KENNEDY JR. JAZZ STAGE
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1
12:00 – 1:15pm COUNTERPOINT featuring Wayne “Big Patt” Patterson
1:45 – 2:45pm Marsha Meekins & Company
3:15 – 4:15pm Jason Jenkins Group
4:45 – 6:00pm The Marvin Taylor Experience
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2
1:00 – 2:10pm Drummer, Billy Williams, Jr.
2:45 – 4:00pm Carl Lester-El Quartet featuring Corey El
4:45 – 6:00pm Nathan Mitchell – Happy Birthday!
EGGLESTON HOTEL COMMUNITY STAGE
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1
11:35 – 11:55am Welcome – Historic Jackson Ward Association- Janis Allen, Lift Every Voice and Sing – Milani Hopkins, Renaissance Roll Call – Gary Flowers
12:15 – 12:45pm Sports Backer’s Fitness Warriors
1:10 – 1:55pm Drums No Guns
2:20 – 2:50pm The Line Dance Prince – Carlos Vieira
3:15 – 3:45pm POSE…Hair Meets Fashion on 2nd Street
4:10 – 5:00pm Johnny Lee Long Band
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2
1:15 – 2:00pm Dr. Michael J. Jones & The Village of Faith Praise Team
2:30 – 3:10pm Sweet Potatoes
3:35- 4:35pm Hip Hop Karaoke
4:45 –4:55pm Roscoe Burnem – Richmond’s Poet Laureate
5:10 – 5:40pm Dancing with Mama D
Ceremonial Kick-Off Parade
The festival opens with Jackson Ward’s historic organizations. No floats needed as we recreate and honor the benevolent, religious, financial, fraternal/sororal and civic organizations that played a vital role in the history of the Jackson Ward neighborhood. The short parade starts at 11:15am on Saturday at 2nd and Broad Street and moves three blocks northward to the Eggleston Community Stage on Leigh Street. Help to kick off the festival and show your community support! If your organization would like to be included in this parade, please contact Gary Flowers, our parade partner, at 773-230-3554 for more information.
Saturday’s Headliner, Grandmaster Flash
The career of Grandmaster Flash began in the Bronx with neighborhood block parties that were the start of what would become a global phenomenon — the dawn of a musical genre. He was the first DJ to physically lay his hands on the vinyl and manipulate it in a backward, forward or counterclockwise motion. He laid the groundwork for everything a DJ can do with a record today. In 1978, he started his own group, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. They went Platinum with their single, “The Message,” and their single, “The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel,” introduced DJing to a larger listening audience than it had ever known before. The group’s fame continued to grow with “Superappin,” “Freedom,” “Larry’s Dance Theme,” and “You Know What Time It Is.” In 2007, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five became the first hip hop group ever inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2021, the Smithsonian Museum of American History in honor of Black History Month opened its exhibit RECOGNIZE! Hip Hop and Contemporary Portraiture that Grandmaster Flash along with other hip hop artists such as LL Cool J, Erykah Badu and Common are featured. And in 2022, Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five were awarded the Music Educator Award, presented by the Recording Academy and GRAMMY Museum.
Featured Jazz Stage Artists, The Marvin Taylor Experience and Nathan Mitchell
Richmond native and saxophonist, Marvin Taylor, has lived his life in pursuit of the joy and connection experience through the power of music. He has played with some of Jazz Music’s greatest including Dizzie Gillespie, Sonny Rollins, Gladys Knight, Alex Bugnon, Kirk Whalum, Bob James and many others. Taylor performs Saturday, October 1 from 4:45-6:00pm on the Jazz Stage. Closing the Jazz Stage on Sunday, is Nathan Mitchell. Back by popular demand, this Grammy nominated and three-time NAACP Image Award keyboardist has performed twice at the festival and is a fan favorite. He will be featured Sunday, October 2 at 4:45pm.
Sunday’s Closing Performance, I Would Die 4U: A Musical Tribute to PRINCE
As a returning crowd favorite, this musical tribute band brings the electric joy and eclectic funk of Prince’s music to the stage with the recreations of Prince’s greatest hits, funkiest jams, and most soulful ballads. Accompanied by his incredibly talented band, Anthony Cosby, Jr. takes you on an unforgettable musical journey. Anthony is a musical theater performer based in Richmond who has performed in over 30 musical productions including The Wiz, A Chorus Line, Sister Act, The Color Purple and many more. He also has appeared in several episodes of AMC’s Channel hit series “TURN,” the PBS series, “Mercy Street,” and Hulu’s latest production, “Dopesick.”
Official Festival Poster Artist, Jowarnise Caston
The 2022 official poster was commissioned to Jowarnise Caston, a figurative artist based in Richmond.
“Drawing inspiration from African textile design, contemporary fashions, and urban culture, Jowarnise developed a late interest in portraiture, mainly in the mediums of painting and drawing, after earning her Bachelor of Fine Art from Virginia State University. She blends classical painting with her years of graphic design experience. Most of her works combine a wide range of references from classical painting, pop culture, and her personal experience. Jowarnise, visual artist and designer, explores the human condition with them related to race, social class, and culture through her art. Best known for her naturalistic portraits of women in eloquent poses, she often focuses on the female African American experience.” Mending Walls RVA
The new poster will be unveiled on September 21, watch on Facebook Live! Posters will be available for sale at the Venture Richmond tent on 2nd Street at the festival.
Radio One “2nd Street MIX” Weekend
Back again for another year, 2nd Street Festival partner Radio One’s “2nd Street MIX” weekend will get you ready for the festival by bringing you mixes from the hottest DJs in the city! Tune into 99.3/105.7 KISS FM on Saturday, October 1 from 4:00pm-midnight and Sunday, October 2 from noon-7:00pm. Hear mixes from DJ King Tutt, DJ Drake, and DJ Lonnie B playing all your favorite 2nd Street Festival hits!
FREE Walking Tours, guided by Gary Flowers
Venture Richmond Events will provide FREE guided walking tours led by Gary Flowers who has a four-generation family connection to Historic Jackson Ward. "Educating the public to the place Historic Jackson Ward holds in commerce, education, and dismantling racial segregation in the United States of America is critically important to me,” Mr. Flowers said. Tour groups meet on the sidewalk at the Maggie Walker National Historic Site, 2nd & E. Leigh Street, and leave at 1:00pm on Saturday and at 1:00pm on Sunday. 60-minute tours.
Kidz Zone
The Children’s Museum is back to produce the much-loved Kidz Zone! Some of the fun activities planned include making their iconic bag hats, creating a community art mural, assembling a cardboard house puzzle of the Maggie Walker house as well as a physical activity area with a variety of yard games. Balloons By Extreme will be on site for some balloon twisting fun too! The Kidz Zone is located in the parking lot between Clay and Leigh Street off of 2nd Street.
For all information about the 2nd Street Festival, please visit: https://venturerichmond.com/our-events/2nd-street-festival-2022/
Education
University of Richmond announces new provost
Joan Saab, an experienced administrator and distinguished art history and visual culture scholar, will join the UR community in July.
Joan Saab, who currently serves as Susan B. Anthony Professor of Art History and executive vice provost of academic affairs at the University of Rochester, will become executive vice president for academic affairs and provost of the University of Richmond, effective July 1.
Saab is an experienced administrator and distinguished art history and visual culture scholar with more than 20 years of academic and leadership appointments at Rochester, where she is also currently serving as interim dean of the faculty of Arts, Sciences, & Engineering.
“Dr. Saab’s passions and expertise as a scholar and administrator align with our own institutional priorities,” said University of Richmond President Kevin F. Hallock. “At her core, she believes in advancing educational opportunities for students of all backgrounds, which echoes our commitments to academic excellence, access and affordability, and belonging.”
“The provost plays an essential role in ensuring continued academic excellence and innovation, and we are very pleased to welcome Dr. Saab to the University community in this role,” said R. Lewis Boggs, Board of Trustees rector. “We look forward to her leadership as we continue to pursue ambitious aspirations for our institution and the students we serve.”
In her time at Rochester, Saab has also served as director of the graduate program in Visual and Cultural Studies and chair of the Department of Art and Art History. Her areas of teaching and research include 19th- and 20th-century American visual cultural studies, American cultural history, public culture and community studies, and sensory history.
“I have long been impressed by the University of Richmond and look forward to working with the exceptional faculty, students, and staff to further strengthen the school’s sense of intellectual community and advance the academic mission,” said Saab. “Richmond’s commitment to creating a holistic and inclusive learning environment where all students can thrive mirrors my own core values. I am extremely excited to join the web.”
The recipient of numerous teaching, research, and grant awards, Saab’s accomplishments include funding from the Mellon Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Getty Research Center at UCLA, as well as a University of Rochester Provost’s Research Grant. Her first book, For the Millions: American Art and Culture Between the Wars, was the inaugural volume in the “Arts and Intellectual Life in Modern America series,” published by the University of Pennsylvania Press.
Her most recent book, Objects of Vision: Making Sense of What We See, is part of the “Studies in Sensory History Series” at Pennsylvania State University Press. She is the author of the interactive, digital book project Searching for Siqueiros, written on the digital publishing platform Scalar, and the lead editor for the Wiley Blackwell Companion to Visual Culture. She is currently completing a manuscript tentatively entitled, Tales From the Crypt: Vincent Price and American Visual Culture. She is a sought-after scholar and presenter for invited talks, symposia, and conferences.
Saab earned her undergraduate degree in English and art history from Tufts University, her master’s in American Civilization with a concentration on material culture and museum studies from The George Washington University, and her Ph.D. in American Studies at New York University.
Saab will succeed executive vice president and provost Jeff Legro, who announced he would be stepping down at the end of this academic year having served in the role since 2017. Legro, an international relations scholar, will remain at UR as a full-time member of the faculty.
Education
Henrico HS principal honored with REB Leadership Award; Colonial Trail ES principal is runner-up
Karin Castillo-Rose, principal of Henrico High School, has been awarded the 2022-23 REB Award for Distinguished Educational Leadership.
Karin Castillo-Rose, principal of Henrico High School, has been awarded the 2022-23 REB Award for Distinguished Educational Leadership. The Community Foundation and the REB Foundation present the award to four principals annually — one each from the school divisions of Henrico, Chesterfield and Hanover counties and one from the city of Richmond. Castillo-Rose was surprised with the news Tuesday afternoon at a pep rally in the school’s gym, attended by her family and Henrico County Public Schools leaders.
Castillo-Rose will receive a $10,000 cash grant and an additional $20,000 for school projects. She plans to use the bulk of her funding for projects that support students’ mental, social and emotional well-being. The grant will fund student grief support groups; classes in social and emotional learning; a labyrinth garden and a “Warrior Farm” flower and vegetable garden, both to promote mindfulness; yoga classes; and outdoor recreation and socialization spaces.
Kevin Schatz, principal of Colonial Trail Elementary School, was runner-up for the award. He will receive a $10,000 grant to build a cricket practice facility accessible to students of varying abilities, including students who use wheelchairs. The facility at Colonial Trail will serve as the centerpiece of a new cricket league for students with disabilities. Cricket is a popular sport in the community served by the school.
The REB award recognizes principals who go beyond the day-to-day demands of their jobs to create an exceptional educational environment. The award stresses management and communication skills, and the ability to inspire, encourage and advocate for the school. Nominees must have served as principal at their school for at least three years.
“I’m at a loss for words,” Castillo-Rose told the crowd Tuesday. “Thank you to the students, because it is your student voice that pushes me every day to think outside the box. [Thank you] for advocating for yourselves. Thank you to the staff and sponsors who listen to the students and push me to push further, and for making sure that it is all about the students, all the time, every day. Behold the green and gold!”
Castillo-Rose has been principal at the school since 2015, after serving as assistant principal from 2012-15. Before that she was an administrative intern and teacher at Varina High School and a teacher with New York City Public Schools. She served in the U.S. Army before embarking on a career in public education. Originally from New York City, she earned a bachelor’s degree from Boston University, a master’s from Mercy College in New York and an education specialist degree from the University of Virginia. She is currently a doctoral student at Virginia Tech.
Schatz became principal of Colonial Trail in 2018. Before that he served as associate principal at Shady Grove, Charles Johnson and Nuckols Farm elementary schools. He began his career as a teacher at Nuckols Farm when the school opened in 1997. Schatz is originally from Denver and holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado Boulder.c
“This is a testament to the school, the school community and everybody involved,” Schatz said. “Everybody’s focus is on belonging, but more importantly, trying to find opportunities for those students and those families who are furthest from opportunity. That’s what we do every single day, and I’m so proud.”
Government
City hosting public meeting on replacement of Byrd Park Reservoir roof
The Byrd Park Reservoir was built in 1876 and has been serving the City of Richmond residents and surrounding counties continuously since then. The Reservoir operates as two finished water tanks. Upgrades and maintenance have occurred over the years to ensure peak operating capacity.
The City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities invites residents, commuters, and visitors who utilize areas around Byrd Park to attend a public meeting to learn more about the new phase of the Byrd Park Reservoir Roof Replacement Project. The meeting is from 6 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 23, at the Byrd Park Roundhouse at 621 Westover Road.
The Byrd Park Reservoir was built in 1876 and has been serving the City of Richmond residents and surrounding counties continuously since then. The Reservoir operates as two finished water tanks. Upgrades and maintenance have occurred over the years to ensure peak operating capacity. DPU is in the process of additional upgrades to improve the distribution system reliability and increase the operational flexibility of facilities associated with the reservoir. The concrete roofs are reaching the end of their useful life and will be replaced by two new aluminum roofs.
Construction will be sequenced to maintain the use of the park and will take place within a fenced area, with boundaries shifting as the work progresses. Access to the rest of the park and its trails will be open to the public.
Attendees of the public meeting can expect to learn more about the scope and review project plans.
For more details about this project, visit the project page here.
University of Richmond announces new provost
Henrico HS principal honored with REB Leadership Award; Colonial Trail ES principal is runner-up
Photo of the Day: Sunset Road
City hosting public meeting on replacement of Byrd Park Reservoir roof
Photo of the Day: Kaleidoscope
Gardeners Wanted to Help in Forest Hill Park
Husband-and-wife duo bringing new restaurant concept to former Mill on MacArthur space
New full-service commercial kitchen, fast casual food hall opens Wednesday
Richmond Falcon Cam is Back
