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FREE FARES AND MORE FUNDING GRTC undergoes drastic changes during the pandemic
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GRTC spokeswoman Carrie Rose Pace
mated $28 million to $32 million generated from new sales and gas taxes will be allocated annually to GRTC. That funding will be used to maintain existing service and expand coverage in the region, including in Chesterfield County. Though Chesterfield first provided limited local express service in 2001, those lines have been largely discontinued. In March 2020, a pilot line was established in in Chesterfield on U.S. Route 1. On Sept. 13, 2021, that line merged with another, now running from Brightpoint Community College’s Chester campus to Richmond’s Highland Park neighborhood. Though it still must be approved by the CVTA, line extensions into Chesterfield are in the works along Midlothian Turnpike and Belmont, Hopkins and Iron Bridge roads to begin next year. But despite plans to expand, GRTC is worried it may run into staffing issues similar to what it experienced last fall and winter and may have to cut service. GRTC has reduced service on commuter
lines that have seen low ridership since the pandemic started, and it conducted a “minor realignment” to make other routes more efficient. In addition to concerns about COVID19, staffing has been affected by retirements and high demand for workers with commercial driver’s licenses. The prospect of not having enough drivers led Mayor Levar Stoney to send a letter to the GRTC board in September, expressing alarm that up to 20% of GRTC service could be cut: “The city does not agree with moving forward with the service cuts in December, and we respectfully request that you seek an alternative to the service reductions.” GRTC has attempted to combat staffing issues with sign-on bonuses for new drivers and mechanics. “We are forecasting that [cuts are] a reasonable expectation again,” Rose Pace says, though a 20% cut is a worst-case scenario. “Throughout the pandemic, GRTC has been adjusting services as needed.” —Rich Griset
COURTESY GRTC
he Greater Richmond Transit Co. (GRTC) has undergone massive change since the pandemic hit in March 2020. To reduce contact between drivers and riders at fare boxes, rides are now free. Last year, the General Assembly created the Central Virginia Transportation Authority (CVTA), establishing a dedicated funding stream for GRTC. And Chesterfield, long resistant to adopting mass transit, launched its first local bus service line in decades and has plans to expand routes. Nelson Reveley, director of operations for the nonprofit advocacy group RVA Rapid Transit, says GRTC’s ridership number have remained steady in the pandemic. “That really highlights, and is a testament to, how crucial public transit is, and how much of an essential service it is,” he says. Subsidized by federal funding, GRTC will offer free fares through at least next June. Faith Walker, RVA Rapid Transit’s director of community outreach, says 54% of GRTC’s ridership makes less than $25,000 a year, and 24% makes less than $10,000 a year. Bus fares are a significant expense for these groups. “It’s not making sense for us to tax the most vulnerable Richmonders,” she says. In 2019, GRTC netted about $5.6 million in fares. Carrie Rose Pace, GRTC spokeswoman, says it is working to keep fares free once federal funding ends. With the creation of the CVTA, an esti-
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THE BIG QUIT Employees reassess their careers and work-life balance in the wake of the pandemic By Kim Catley
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industry you’re talking about, as well as the employee’s career stage. “There’s this notion about work-life balance, which in reality isn’t very balanced and was exacerbated by the pandemic. Compensation [for lower-paid, frontline workers] is not adequate, and those who are working are overstretched and understaffed. And some people are reevaluating and reprioritizing their life goals and deciding to exit the labor market altogether.” One of those people is Theocles Herrin. He studied economics and music at William & Mary, spending his free time playing music. After graduation, he worked as a data analyst at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, but Herrin still performed a few times a week. In three or four years, he hoped to become a full-time musician. The pandemic expedited his plans. He missed working in an office, but being
stuck at home also allowed him to save money. In December 2020, Herrin moved back home to Charlottesville to strike out as a singer-songwriter. Teaching music classes at Front Porch, a music education and community space in Charlottesville, provides a steady baseline income. Plus, he has the freedom to play regular gigs at The Homestead resort in Hot Springs, perform at a private event in Richmond, or step onstage at a brewery with his band, Theocles and the Scruffs. It remains to be seen if the surge — now dubbed the “Great Resignation” — is overblown, but there’s no denying that it’s a job seeker’s market. To hire and retain employees, businesses have had to listen and adapt. Grant Millsaps, CEO of the local consulting firm Frontier, has been helping clients do just that. Most of the companies he works with are Fortune 500 and
CARSON MCNAMARA
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his summer, I quit my job. It’s a shift that’s always lived in the back of my mind. Someday, I thought, I’ll go out on my own as a writer, but the timing never seemed right. Until a pandemic struck. In March 2020, like so many workers around the country, I was sent home from the office with no date of return. Yes, there were kinks that had to be smoothed out, and having my preschooler at home for a few months was challenging, to say the least. But I was also lucky to work in higher education communications, with an employer that gave me the flexibility to adjust as I needed. I created balance in the fluidity of my day, able to pause for an hour to go to the grocery store or turn my nonexistent commute into extra time to build a freelance business. After nearly 18 months of this newfound work environment, there was no going back. Freelance writing became my full-time focus, allowing me to maintain the flexibility I had come to love. I’m not alone. Between April and August 2021, 19.8 million of the nation’s workers quit their jobs, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, with studies predicting waves of resignations that could continue through at least the end of the year. The reasons are varied, with some departing by choice and others by force. “There are a lot of things going on,” says Violet Ho, a management professor at the University of Richmond’s Robins School of Business. “It depends on what
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JOEY WHARTON
The Hand Workshop Craft Fair evolved into the Visual Art Center of Richmond’s Craft + Design, held in recent years at Main Street Station. It will be a virtual event this year due to the pandemic.
box” and a plant booth. Richard C. Spraggins taught a furniture refinishing class for “young men in the Church Hill area,” while Fran Kegley, crafts director at the city’s Pine Camp center, ran a “primitive kick potters wheel.” Doris Sutton demonstrated the making of silver jewelry. She taught at John Marshall and Thomas Jefferson high schools from 1946 to 1976. Alex Dunton, by day a business executive, occupied the wood carver’s bench for the weekend. “I would suspect he was there to show off his expertise,” Earl recalls. “In his spare time, often at shows, he demonstrated carved bowls — with a chisel, not on a lathe.” Betty Conway Thompson, the Hand Workshop’s second and then-new executive director, oversaw the event. Her awareness of the contemporary crafts movement in larger cities and her desire
to exhibit the work of regional and national artists, along with her knowledge of how their efforts could influence students, proved a dynamic that affected the course of the institution. She also provided stability in 1965 by setting up a 10-year fund
You have to remember that this was one of the few venues for craftspeople and artists in Richmond. There weren’t many galleries, and the high-falutin’ ones wouldn’t take crafts.” —Clifford Earl, artist
to supply the Hand Workshop with an annual dividend. A tug of wills developed between Bocock’s desire for a self-sustaining loop of children’s art classes feeding into a craft store and director Thompson’s wider view.
But for this weekend in 1964, the art was the thing. Alongside the traditional crafts, musicians performed, some playing instruments they’d made. The roster included James Moore III, a classical guitarist, lutist and folk singer who became active in efforts to preserve the James River & Kanawha Canal through Richmond. Doug Zeno played a handmade mountain dulcimer, accompanied, the Times-Dispatch noted, by “Mrs. Zeno,” who “will play and sing native American ballads.” Present, too, were the guitar and banjo duo of Bing Colognori and Mel Hughes. Classical guitarist and singer Loraine Fels also entertained. While Craft + Design has become a nationally known showcase for handmade fine crafts, Earl compares the character of those early craft shows to the present 43rd Street Festival of the Arts and its combination of arts, crafts, music and food. “It’s a low-key chance for beginning people,” he says. “A kid still in high school gets to show. [Organizer] Robin [Cage] looks for these people just beginning. What goes around comes around.” R
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LIVING
Safety is a priority in lessons offered at Vintage Boxing Gym.
SPAR FOR THE COURSE Vintage Boxing Gym teaches basics of the sport By D. Hunter Reardon
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ver the past three years, Vintage Boxing Gym has emerged as a locally owned location for those interested in learning the sweet science. Founded in 2017, the gymnasium has undergone a location change and an expansion, and it now serves the community from a two-room location on Arthur Ashe Boulevard. For $140, anyone — regardless of age, gender, or skill level — can sign up for a four-week slate of eight classes,
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plus a pair of gloves. For many, this experience is just the beginning. “A lot of old-school gyms just throw people into the mix, and they get hurt,” says Eric Ash, a former boxing captain at Virginia Military Institute, now the owner and head coach of Vintage Boxing. “We try to take that out of the equation. We want to make sure people feel safe while they’re learning the technique. “Those eight classes are designed to give people a real taste of what it’s like to train without getting their head
Vintage Boxing Gym offers a four-week regimen of eight beginner classes for $140, plus boxing gloves. 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, 8 a.m. to noon Saturday. 804500-7769. 1202 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd. vintage-boxing.com
Title Boxing Gym in Carytown offers a basic membership for $80/month, plus initiation fees. 6 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday. 2525 W. Cary St. titleboxingclub. com/richmond-va
Combat Sports Center RVA has a free intro course followed by variable pricing for lessons in a variety of combat sports, including boxing, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Thaistyle boxing and Dutch kickboxing. 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. 8032 W. Broad St. cscrva.com
COURTESY VINTAGE BOXING GYM
TRY THIS
knocked in.” Each hourlong class includes cardio, ab exercises and a lesson on technique. Over the course of four weeks, participants learn basic jabs, crosses, rolls and pivots. Sometimes, the opening jump-rope session seems endless — other times, the coach will order everyone to the speed ladder instead. “We have a curriculum that we go by, but it’s not something that’s printed out for clients,” Ash explains. “I like the aspect of clients coming in and getting their minds blown.” After four weeks, many of them sign up for a membership, which costs $195 a month or $165 a month with a yearlong commitment (still payable monthto-month, and voidable with 60 days’ notice). The memberships include full access to the gym, which also boasts yoga classes and a weight room, as well as discounts for sauna and compression therapy. The primary benefit of joining the gym is access to boxing classes. After the training course, participants are at Level 1, which is a similar level of intensity. After 20 Level 1 classes, participants move to Level 2, featuring more intense classes with more difficult techniques, shadow boxing and hard punches. After 20 classes at Level 2, participants are eligible for Level 3. ““It’s competition-level training,” Ash says. “We have a really wide mix of people — we have 60-year-olds in there going hard.” R
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Cotina Brake
Outreach coordinator supervisor for the Virginia Department of Health, Richmond and Henrico districts
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When asked how it feels to be part of a historic public health effort, Cotina Brake says to check back with her in a few years. “We’re living it out in real time,” she says. “I’ll be completely honest, sometimes it’s sad, sometimes it’s stressful, sometimes it’s exciting. … Sometimes it’s a struggle when you’re faced with, ‘I don’t want [the vaccine].’ … As for the historic part, I personally don’t think we’re there yet. Five years from now, I can hopefully say, ‘I’m so glad it’s over.’ ” The most challenging situations came in the early
days of the pandemic, when Brake was working as a case investigator. Sometimes she would receive news the person she was calling to check on had died or was in the ICU. “Or someone would say, ‘I feel fine, I can’t afford not to go to work,’ … and you knew they were positive,” she says. “Working in public health, and just being human, you want to help everybody you come into contact with. … Knowing that you did the best you could, even though it didn’t feel like you changed anything — that was the most challenging.”
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Janet Pryor
Virginia Medical Reserve Corps volunteer
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In September 2020, Janet Pryor retired from a career as an operating room nurse. She quickly found that she was bored, and a friend who was a volunteer with the Virginia Medical Reserve Corps encouraged her to join. Pryor did, and she has since done everything from booking vaccine appointments to monitoring those who have just been vaccinated. “But mainly I love giving the vaccine,” she says. Being part of the vaccination effort has been
rewarding and has allowed her to feel like she is helping people, which is what Pryor liked the most about being an RN. She loves talking with the people she is vaccinating and says men are usually the most fearful of the jab — “I distract them,” she says. “Because of my age, I have seen a lot of different things,” Pryor says. “This is something I can participate actively in. I can say, ‘Yes, I gave COVID vaccines.’ It still fulfills that inner need to help people.”
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Hamna Saleem Richmond outreach coordinator for ICNA Relief
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Hamna Saleem helped with COVID-19 vaccination clinics organized by the Virginia Department of Health at the Islamic Center of Henrico during Ramadan, where she was met with questions and uncertainty about the vaccine. Some were concerned that the vaccine contained pork products, which are prohibited by Islam. “We assured them that it was safe for medical purposes to take the vaccine if it is for the good of the community,” she says. (Gelatin from pork and cow products is often used as a stabilizer in vaccines; it
is not included in COVID-19 vaccines produced by Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson.) “A lot of people were concerned: Are we allowed to take a vaccination during fasting? … It made it a special and unique case to push people to get vaccinated.” She has assisted with clinics that have vaccinated more than 550 people in the Islamic community. “It has been an uplifting experience to know that I am in a space where people feel comfortable coming to me,” she says. “They see a familiar person coming in, and it gives them a sense of comfort.” R
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Making Memories Brass Act
HOLIDAY EVENTS 18 events to pencil into your seasonal calendar
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A Joyful Noise
We called it a caroling party, providing song sheets and jingle bells, but my husband isn’t a singer and my children bristled at leaving a warm house to walk to our older neighbors’ front doors to sing. However, there were always brave souls who craved the warmth that singing outside together brings. The party was my way of baking dozens of Christmas cookies and not eating them all myself. Many of the recipes were my mother’s, scrawled and stained. Her brown sugar-pecan cookies with brown sugar glaze were always spectacular. The gathering was a throwback, except one year when my son’s high school band played, and the caroling party got cool. In the waning years of the party, my elderly mother, who had some cognitive impairment and had just moved in with us, enjoyed the hubbub just fine. After a while, I walked her to her room and helped her get settled. The party hummed along, then 20 minutes later she ascended the stairs in her pale, velvety bathrobe, a Ghost of Christmas Past, refusing to miss the frivolity. Now, my mother is present only in memories, photos and recipes. —Maureen Egan, freelance writer
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NOV. 6-JAN. 1
Salvation Army Angel Tree Adopt an angel from a Salvation Army tree and shop for the requested gifts. All gifts must be in by Dec. 1. salvationarmypotomac.org/ richmondva/christmas-giving-2
Light up the Tracks The Downtown Ashland Association transforms its historic district into a vintage Christmas village, with a mile-long light display and numerous special events. ashlandvirginia. com/lightup
BOTTOM LEFT: COURTESY TOWN OF ASHLAND; OPPOSITE PAGE, BOTTOM: COURTESY CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF RICHMOND
The Simple Things
“I had a standard, traditional Christmas growing up. There aren’t really any huge standout moments, beyond just having a very regular Midwestern Christmas with my family. Growing up in Ohio, we would travel to my grandparents in Illinois for Christmases. It really was your standard, all-American, nonchalant, typical Christmas. As I got older and started studying Buddhism, I got even more grateful for how normal it was. It was actually pretty lovely. It’s really the small things, appreciating the simplicity of life. Just the common things that a lot of people might find to be a bit boring, but honestly, nowadays, I think we’ve learned to really be grateful for what we might’ve deemed boring before.” —Amy Black, owner of Amy Black Tattoos in Carytown
“In Richmond, usually around the holidays, No BS! Brass Band throws an annual canned food drive, and we also accept winter coats. That’s one of our biggest shows we do every December for about 10 years. It’s always great to see people that time of year, and be able to give back to the [Central] Virginia Food Bank and to Feed More. I love hot holiday drinks, like eggnog and hot toddies. Seeing friends wearing sweaters feels real old school and wholesome. Everyone’s trying to be positive and have good cheer on purpose. That always feels great. I love all the holiday stuff. I drive back to Hampton to perform in the play my mom usually directs at her church — Emmanuel Grace Baptist Church — as part of the small music ensemble. My dad and mom or cousins are all in the play. My dad’s a big Christmas play star. He would be the Scrooge. He would flourish as a villain of whatever the play is, like a sassy or sappy character.” —Reggie Pace, musician and a founder of No BS! Brass Band and “The Hustle Season Podcast”
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A Quiet Christmas
“What I remember of holidays in Guatemala [where I was born and raised until I came here when I was 12] was holidays would be loud. There would be firecrackers and music and noise and people walking around. Something that I do remember that I really liked about Christmas Eve in Guatemala was on the evening of the 24th people would go in out in the streets and shout: “Llego La Navidad!” (Christmas has arrived!) and hug people. We would go around the neighborhood, and we just hug everybody. So that was a good memory. Here with my family, we don’t celebrate Christmas in our home because Christmas is supposedly the birth of Christ, but we don’t really know when his birth was, which is fine. We have symbols that help us connect with Christ, like, maybe the manger scene, maybe lights, to show the light of the world. But that’s me just creating my own kind of symbolism.” —Oscar Contreras, Spanish language radio host at the religious radio station Radio Poder 1380 AM
Yia-yia’s World
Post-Thanksgiving Togetherness
Every Friday after Thanksgiving is known in our family as FFF, Forced Family Fun day, a leftover name from when our kids were pre-teens and wanted nothing to do with family time. We start the day with doughnuts and coffee, then hit Walmart for Salvation Army Angel Tree shopping, where every family unit has their own child in need in the community to shop for. From there, we pick out our family Christmas trees and drop them off at each of our homes. It’s lunchtime at a favorite deli and then nap time for the little grands and games for us bigger kids (think competitive outdoor yard games or board games if it’s raining). The evening activity has varied from adults only (bowling, Circuit, Tang & Biscuit, the touring musical “Hamilton” in 2019 was a big hit!) to family-friendly walking tours in the Fan looking at lights and ending at The Jefferson Hotel to see the gingerbread house and lobby tree with drinks. It’s a family tradition that has survived adolescence, college, weddings and grandbabies. We look forward to 2021. —Beth Shamburger
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Dominion Energy GardenFest of Lights Thousands of lights transform Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, along with a model train display. $8-$14. lewisginter.org
Turkey Trot The 10K and kids’ run will be held at Bryan Park; a virtual 10K option is also available. runsignup.com/ Race/VA/Richmond/Wegmans TurkeyTrot10K
Legendary Santa Santa returns to the Children’s Museum for in-person and virtual visits. Kids can shop for gifts at the Fawn Shop. Ticket sales begin Nov. 1. childrensmuseumofrichmond.org
On Christmas Eve, it’s Yia-yia’s world, and the Vithoulkas family is forever grateful to be living in it. For more than 22 years, the three Vithoulkas brothers and their families, now with nine children ranging from ages 5 to 25, attend church services on Christmas Eve at Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church. Then they converge on the Vithoulkas’ parents’, better known as Yia-yia and Papou, home near J.R. Tucker High School for a marathon, three-generation celebration. First, a Greek-infused dinner featuring Yia-yia’s beloved pastichio, a layered Greek comfort food that’s “best in the region,” according to John Vithoulkas, Henrico County manager. Next there’s the obligatory photo session on the couch. As the family has grown, so has the couch, now in its third iteration. Only after photos does the present opening begin … and might not end until 2 in the morning. As Vithoulkas says, “It takes forever!” But his Greek-American family wouldn’t trade those lost hours of sleep and memories for anything. —John Vithoulkas, Henrico County manager, and family
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Savor the Season
Something sweet, something savory for the holiday table
Potato Latkes
Emily Schy’s family has a long-held tradition of holding a latke party every holiday season, usually on the Friday or Saturday night during Hanukkah, so everyone can throw down and enjoy themselves without school- night concerns. “Here’s the recipe I use for the most delightful, plain-Jane, crispy, delicious latkes,” she says. “It’s a melange of family input and recipes from The New York Times, Epicurious, with a little bit of Bon Appetit thrown in somewhere.” —Emily Schy, reader
DIRECTIONS Set oven to 250 degrees. Grate the potatoes and onions into one large bowl, using a box grater. Working in batches, bundle piles of the potato-onion mixture into a clean dishtowel and squeeze to release the moisture. The more liquid you remove, the better. The crispiness of the latkes depends on it. In another large bowl, whisk together the eggs, salt and matzo meal. (If you can’t find matzo meal, you can make your own by blitzing a few squares of matzo bread in a food processsor. Alternately, you can use flour). Add the potato-onion mixture and combine well. Heat about 1/4 inch of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Drop spoonfuls of latke mix into the hot oil using a serving spoon — about 1/4 cup per latke. Press each latke lightly with a spatula to flatten. Cook on each side, flipping once, until fragrant and golden brown. Transfer latkes to a heatproof plate and season with flaky salt. Place them in the oven to keep them warm and crispy. Serve with sour cream and homemade applesauce.
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NOV. 29-JAN. 9
DEC. 1-5
Let It Snow The Richmond Symphony holiday concert features Christmas favorites, a carol singalong and Santa. 8 p.m. Dominion Energy Center. richmondsymphony.com
Jefferson Hotel Decorations Though there will be no tree lighting ceremony or midday concerts this year, for many Richmonders a photo by the Jefferson’s tree is a family tradition. jeffersonhotel.com
Bethlehem Walk Interactive outdoor drama re-creates first-century Bethlehem. Reservations required. Salem Baptist Church, 465 Broad Street Road, Manakin-Sabot. bethlehemwalk.info
LEFT AND OPPOSITE PAGE, TOP: JUSTIN VAUGHAN;
INGREDIENTS • About 5 russet potatoes (2-3 lbs.) • 2 sweet onions • 1/4 cup matzo meal • 2 teaspoons of coarse, flaky salt • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten • 1/2 cup or more vegetable oil
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Buttermilk Bake Shop Zucchini Bread
OPPOSITE PAGE, BOTTOM: COURTESY THE JEFFERSON HOTEL; BOTTOM RIGHT: COURTESY DOMINION ENERGY CHRISTMAS PARADE
At the bakery, we like to do a plain version of the zucchini bread and one that has blueberries. You could add pecans, walnuts, chocolate chips, dried cranberries or dried cherries instead of the blueberries — whatever you like! It freezes well, so you could make it ahead of time for the holidays. It would also make a great holiday gift. —Laura Boehmer, Buttermilk Bake Shop, Petersburg INGREDIENTS For the batter:
For the streusel topping:
• 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon • 2 eggs (room temperature) • 1/2 cup canola oil • 1 cup, plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract • 1 cup of grated zucchini • 1 cup of frozen or fresh blueberries (optional)
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour • 1/4 cup brown sugar • 1/4 cup oats • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon • pinch of salt • 4 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter
DIRECTIONS Grease a standard-size loaf pan. Set oven to 325 degrees. Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon together. In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, oil, sugar and vanilla together. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix until just combined. Add the grated zucchini and blueberries, if using, and mix until combined. Pour into the loaf pan. Make the streusel topping by mixing the flour, brown sugar, oats, cinnamon and salt in a bowl. Mix in the butter with a fork or your fingertips until it’s crumbly. Sprinkle streusel mixture evenly over the zucchini batter. Bake for about 30 minutes and then rotate the pan. Bake for another 25 minutes and then test it with a toothpick. A toothpick inserted in the middle should come out clean when it is done. It could take longer to bake, depending on your oven. Cool in pan before cutting. Makes 1 loaf
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The Bizarre Bazaar Shop for gifts, decorations, food items, home goods and more at this traditional Richmond shopping extravaganza. Richmond Raceway Complex. $11 adults; $2.50 ages 2-12. thebizarrebazaar.com
Carytown Hanukkah Menorah lighting, Jewish music, free latkes from Perly’s and hot chocolate, hosted by Ten Thousand Villages. 3201 W. Cary St. 4:30 to 7 p.m. kehillahrva.org
Dominion Christmas Parade The parade returns for its 28th year. Departing from the Science Museum of Virginia at 10:15 a.m., traveling east on Broad to Seventh Street. richmondparade.org RICHMONDMAG.COM
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editor’s letter
I
t was August and 90 degrees out when Art Director Rachel Lee and I began immersing ourselves in all things holiday. We installed Christmas lights and garland on a rooftop, consulted the stars for gift-giving guidance, and educated ourselves on Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights. Wherever we went, we found one sentiment shared by all: that even though our celebrations may still be scaled back this year, the ability to be with friends and family really is, as my friend Priscilla George says, “a big deal.” George, an interior designer, has created a modern French country aesthetic in her Fan District home, displaying her enviable collections of Continental, particularly French, antiques, vintage furnishings and objets d’art in striking vignettes throughout the house. Paula Peters Chambers spoke with the avowed Francophile (Page 40) about her approach to interior design, her penchant for incorporating meaningful family mementos in her spaces and the holiday centerpiece in her dining room. One of the most beautiful things about the United States is our diversity of cultures. Jewelry designer Kamal Patel has channeled Hindu traditions and modern minimalism in her family’s light-filled West End home. She spoke with Patrice Williams about celebrating Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, at home, and how ancient Vastu Shastra principles influenced the architecture (Page 48). Kellie and Chris Giacchi go all out when decorating their 1970s contemporary home for the holidays. The moment you walk through their bright-orange front doors, the kitschy, colorful interiors signal fun ahead. Elizabeth Cogar spoke with the couple about their penchant for midcentury everything, from sleek furniture to art pottery, funky light fixtures and vintage Christmas decorations (Page 58). Early Virginians decorated with fresh greens and foliage found on their properties during the holiday season. More time at home and in our gardens has renewed interest in using natural materials. Susan Higgins spoke with Bucci Zeugner about her approach to decorating her home with fresh greens and family treasures (Page 32). With the holidays near, Meridith Ingram also talked with Cackie Tripp McCarthy about the Christmas centerpieces and wreaths she creates from vintage ornaments (Page 30), and Joan Tupponce visited miniaturist James Opher’s newly opened dollhouse and miniatures showplace in Mechanicsville (Page 74). Wishing you comfort and joy,
Susan Me, Kamal Patel and Rachel Lee on photoshoot day
CHECK OUT R•HOME ON CBS 6 DURING ‘VIRGINIA THIS MORNING’!
Tune in for our home and garden tips on the following Wednesdays: Nov. 10, Nov. 24, Dec. 8, Dec. 22.
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SUSAN W. MORGAN
Find us at R•Home magazine on Facebook and @rhomemag on Instagram.
ONLINE, ALL THE TIME
Find beautiful photos of local homes, expert design tips and advice, and much more at rhomemag.com.
EDITOR’S NOTE
In the “Art Aficionado” piece in our previous issue, we should have said that Williamsburg paint analyst Susan Buck consulted on period-appropriate colors for the exterior of the house featured.
From top: Jay Paul; Justin Chesney
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what's new
Iconic Americana
"A Gift to the Nation: The Joseph and June Hennage Collection" at the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum By Valerie D. Parker
Mahogany bureau table, Rhode Island, circa 1760-80
“THE [JOSEPH AND JUNE] HENNAGE silver bequest is game-changing, effectively doubling the number of American-made holloware pieces owned by Colonial Williamsburg,” says Janine E. Skerry, Colonial Williamsburg’s senior curator of metals, of the most monumental American decorative arts gift received by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation in its 90-year history. The Hennage Collection features more than 400 objects, including 18th-century examples of American furniture and miniature furniture, American silver, and Chinese porcelain from critical Colonial centers such as Boston, Philadelphia, New York, Baltimore, Charleston and the Connecticut River Valley. In celebration of the bequest, approximately 50 objects from the collection are on view at the DeWitt Wallace Decora-
Lend a Hand Richmond Habitat for Humanity’s Women Build initiative needs you: The organization is looking for 300 women to help build two homes in the city next year. In 2021, Women Build completed two homes — one with special modifications for a visually impaired woman — with the help of 300 volunteers, its largest
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volunteer project completed to date. “We are projected to have twice as many builds going on in 2022 and are still missing most of our corporate volunteers,” says Whitney Guthrie, director of community engagement. “This has meant we have relied on our regular volunteers [weekday crew], smaller businesses and faith organizations to help fill the gap.” Volunteers, with or without
se h in e r of C e P a ir la in w a t 5 e 80 p o rc , c irc a 1 s le bot t
tive Arts Museum in a new exhibition, “A Gift to the Nation: The Joseph and June Hennage Collection,” now through 2023. The Hennages, who began began collecting in the 1950s and bought only the pieces they loved and agreed on, became passionate supporters of Colonial Williamsburg in the 1960s, giving generously during their lifetimes. Collected over 60 years, the items featured in “A Gift to the Nation” include a 1770 mahogany high chest from the Philadelphia home of Benjamin Franklin; a 1775 rococo silver-and-wood coffeepot (a favorite of Joseph’s) from the Taggart family of Pottstown, Pennsylvania, with links to the Revolutionary period; and a 1785 Chinese porcelain garniture set that was among the first pieces of porcelain in their collection. colonialwilliamsburg.org
prior construction experience, are needed for all types of tasks. “All our sites have the supervision, tools and materials needed to complete the project,” Guthrie says. "All we need are volunteers that can commit to the 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. shift and show up ready to learn and work.” Eager to help? Visit richmondhabitat.org for more information. —VDP
Top: Photo courtesy of the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg
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Locations throughout Richmond and across the Commonwealth. EssexBank.com or call (800) 443-5524
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