Past Exhibitions
2025
JANUARY
A Midnight Dreary: An exhibition inspired by the life and works of Edgar Allan Poe
In partnership with The Poe Museum
Artwork By: Abigail Larson, Chris Semtner, Morgan Colonna, Brit Austin, Brad Girard, Daniel Martinez Fernandez, Rosa Lee Fry, Jen Poteet, Shannon Bredemeier, Jeff Osgood, Ashley Egan, Shannon Rae, Cosima Storz, Jen Cook-Asaro, Ruth Smith & Amanda Robinson.
Live Dramatic Poe Readings By: Dean Knight
Music by: Velvet Ruin, Eli Owens, Every Eye
SEPTEMBER
”Hello My Name Is…” guest curated by Ian C. Hess of Supply
“Hello My Name Is...” was a celebration of the diverse world of stickers & sticker making. Stickers have evolved as an emergent Art form that has swept all over the world in all cultures & languages. Stickers can be found on the back of stop signs, dive bar bathrooms, museum panels, & Romanian buses. They have become a staple of the modern day city-scape. They declare proudly & at times secretly that the Artist was there & bring color to every mundane surface that seems all too abundant in our cities today. The game is repetition, distinctness, collectibility, & longevity. Together we say “Hello My Name Is...” in the loudest way we can! In total we have amassed 270+ Artists from all around the world came together to make this show a reality!
Featuring Live Performances By:
Solace Sovay / @solacesovay
Ducttape Jesus / @ducttape_jesus
Snack Truck
Dropheads / @dropheadsoffical
Ian C. Hess @ian.c.hess the man behind Little Giant Society @little.giant.society , SUPPLY @supply.rva , & the ongoing development of the Manchester Art Park is the curator behind this massive, multi-layered project that kicks off on September 5th at Gallery5 during First Friday. “Hello My Name Is” features hundreds of artists from all over the world (including some familiar names) focused on spotlighting sticker culture. The exhibition will serve as the anchor for additional activations throughout the course of the month.
On September 13th, the “Sticker Movie” will play at The Byrd Theatre diving into the history & culture of sticker making, slap taggers, & a diverse community of collectors. This showing serves as a testament to the global impact of the movement.
Finally, we will be creating Richmond’s 1st Sticker Bus! Thousands of stickers submitted by participating artists, volunteers, & donations will be used to cover an entire bus that will be a first-of-its-kind mobile piece in Richmond. Inspired by an exhibition carried out in Estonia in 2024, this piece provides a layer of community engagement that is reflective of the passion & energy that Ian brings to any project he takes on.
OCTOBER
The Carnival of 5 Fires Returns!
Grab your friends and family, and come on down to Gallery5 and the surrounding streets in Historic Jackson Ward on First Friday, October 3rd for our annual spooky season soirée!
For two decades G5 and friends have come together to collectively conjure a yearly Richmond tradition where we transform our corner of the Richmond Arts District into a carnivalesque community celebration of visual and performing arts of all mediums, fire performances, circus arts, DJs, burlesque, drag, musical acts, choreographed dance, parade puppets, stilt walkers, storytellers, tarot readers, local makers, and more to kick off our favorite month of the year!
Richmond Moon Market will be on two blocks of Brook Rd full of arts vendors, local makers, food trucks, street performances, and interactive experiences! (5-10pm)
Party Liberation Foundation (PLF) Pyro Circus will be back on the block with a slew of fire performances, flow arts, DJs, visual projections, flaming sculptures, and some surprises in store! (7-11pm)
with music by:
Akasha
Godiva
Gon
TRav
Inside on the G5 stage we will have:
Musical Acts:
Richmond Symphony’s River City String Quartet (6pm)
Dead Possum Girlfriend (7pm)
Bucko (8pm)
Blue Orpheus Orchestra (9pm)
Burlesque Stage Show (10pm-18+)
w/ performances by:
Darshe Dazzle
Kayy Lovely
Jo'Rie Tigerlily
Poppy La Fae
Ginnie Fae
Saffron Soleil
Storm Psycho 6
Hosted by Zorro Nova
Group Art Exhibition:
George Alexis
Rebecca Barnes
Tyler Conrad
Julie Egresitz
Lil Lamberta
Katie Kat aka Mother and Maker
Virginia Murphy
Lady Octavia
Nicole Pisaniello
Amanda Robinson
Brian Smith
Grace Statwick
Kiersten Thomas
Steven Warrick
Ma’iitsoh Yazhi
November 2025
River City Rails Returns!
The second River City Rails exhibition of local art on and with model trains is coming to Gallery5 on First Friday, November 7th, 5–11 PM!
Featuring over 50 local and national artists, this invitation-only exhibition transforms model railways into immersive works of art, celebrating train culture, creativity, and imagination across Richmond’s urban landscape.
This year also marks the long-awaited return of Young Widows to the Gallery5 stage for the first time in 13 years. “When I was the programming manager at Gallery5 16 years ago Young Widows was my favorite band to book. They are a crucial part of my history with Gallery5. I felt it was very important to have them play this event and bring everything full circle ” says curator Curtis Grimstead. Other live performances include Dumb Waiter, Sub/Shop, and Lacey Guthrie, making it a night full of music, art, and community.
Surrounding Gallery5, the Richmond Moon Market will feature over 30 food and craft vendors across three blocks.
Curated by Noah Scalin & Curtis Grimstead and presented by Gallery5, this is a one-of-a-kind celebration of art, community, and the joy of trains.
Mark your calendars — you won’t want to miss this!
River City Rails Artists:
Sean Mahan, Santos, Meme, Mike Gallo, Robert Mars, Jake Urbanski, Jamie Douglas, Pickle Church, The Unidividuals, Andrew Carnwath, George Archer, Og_drewone, Chihiro ITO, Tim Harper, Amelia Grimstead, Amy Black, Sean Donlon, Bobby Joe Small, Bizhan Khodebandeh, Erin Wood, Shaylen Broughton, Jeff Shelton-Davis, Mica Scalin, J. Parker, Amanda Robinson, Noah Scalin, Oura, Nico Cathcart, D Kane, Stachesquatch, Tyler Thomas, Emily Herr, Marshall Higgins
December 2025
The 13th annual RVA Krampusnacht
Strap on your horns, work up that yule mischief, and join us for RVA Krampusnacht’s Yuletide Monsters First Friday where you’ll experience: a group art exhibit, musical acts, special performances, burlesque, storytelling, tarot readings, toy drive, arts vendors, raffle prizes, food truck, libations, and more as we come together at Gallery5 to celebrate all things Krampus along with other yuletide monsters and wintery spirits of lore!
Music, stage performances, and shenanigans by:
Madame Onca (songs and storytelling)
Please Don’t Tell (dark cabaret trio of piano, vocals, cell, and violin)
The Vulgar Bulgars (traditional and modern klezmer music with rhythmic, danceable, funky tunes)
Gusher (contagiously raw dancey art punk)
Burlesque Hour Finale (10-11pm 18+)
Zorro Nova
JoRie' Tigerlily
Leila Lovely
Qing Blaze
Poppy la Fae
Storm Psycho 6
Venus Flytrap
Group Art Exhibit
Curated by Brit Austin with works by:
Abby Altizer Davis
Andromeda Calkins
Angie’s Aesthetic
Ashley Hay
Brit Austin
Chiara Scuro
Clownboy
Cosima Storz
Damien Walbridge
Erick Worthington
G Terado
George Alexis
Heidi Gowen
John Boudreau
Jordan Kincaid
Louis Alexis
Madame Onça
Merci’s Webb
Morgan Colonna
Nicole Pisaniello
Rob Wooten
Samuel Vaughn
Shana Stewart
Steven Warrick
Tyler Burke
Tyler Conrad
Food Vendor: Rest Pizza
Toy Drive: Toys For Tots
For more info on ALL the RVA Krampusnacht 2025 events go to
www.rvakrampus.com
Special shout out to Unkindness Art for being a featured supporter of Yuletide Monsters First Friday via Gallery5's Art For All Program and Fall Fundraiser. We also want to thank Celeste Farms, Compass, Flores Law, Garnett's, James River Law, Plan 9 Records, RVA Hospitality for supporting G5's Art For All!