Richmond, Virginia Street Art Guide
Last updated 1/31/2020
For about a year and a half now, Virginia’s capital city of Richmond has been my home base. There are honestly so many things about this city that are unique and worth a visit. Perhaps one of the most unique things about Richmond is the 150+ street murals bedecking the city’s neighborhoods. This large number of murals is especially amazing considering that the initiative to bring more street art to Richmond began less than ten years ago in 2012 with the advent of the Richmond Mural Project and the RVA Street Art Festival.
Though the public art initiatives of 2012 and onwards were the initial catalyst for Richmond’s myriad murals, the continuance of the street art tradition has been thanks in no small part to a handful of incredible local muralists. As I have explored the world of Richmond street art both online and in-person, I feel as though I have really gotten to know the local talent. I may or may not be irritating friends and family with my constant proclamations like “those colors look like something the Nightowl would paint” or “look, another Nils portrait!” or “I hadn’t seen that Ham Glass mural before.” …I am also absolutely enamored by the Girls Girls Girls! murals by HerrSuite. I could go on but just trust me when I say that there are some excellent muralists here in Richmond. In fact, why don’t I just show you?
Please scroll down to join me for a mini-tour of just a very select few examples of Richmond’s stunning street art.
Stop 1: Old Town Manchester
by Austin “A U Z” Miles on Hull Street.
by The Nightowl at the Southern States Silos - site of the 2016 RVA Street Art Festival.
by Esteban Del Valle at the Southern States Silos - site of the 2016 RVA Street Art Festival.
by 0uizi on the side of La Vera Pizza off Hull Street.
Stop 2: Shockoe Bottom
by Aryz off of N 17th Street.
by Pixel Pancho on N 18th Street.
by Caratoes on E Main Street.
Closeup of a mural by Bust on E Franklin Street.
Stop 3: Canal Walk
A large view of several murals along the Canal Walk gallery including ones by Ham Glass and Chris Milk Hulburt.
Emmett in front of a psychedelic mural by Marta Finkelstein
Closeup of the Canal Walk mural by local artist Chris Milk Hulburt.
Stop 4: Jackson Ward
Jackson Ward welcome mural by Ham Glass on 2nd and Marshall streets.
by Jacob Eveland on N 2nd Street.
by Anieken on E Marshall Street.
Another vivid Ham Glass mural on 2nd and Marshall.
Stop 5: VCU
by Etam Cru on W Grace Street.
by Nils Westergard on N Harrison Street
by James Bullough on N Lombardy Street
by Emily Herr behind Quirk Hotel on West Broad.
Stop 6: Carytown
by David Flores on South Sheppard St behind Mellow Mushroom.
by Nils Westergard on Blackbyrd Goods on W Cary Street
by Smithe on South Colonial Avenue and W Cary
by Sonni on Citizen Burger on West Cary Street
Stop 7: The Fan
by Nils Westergard on Birch Street
by Nils Westergard on Floyd Avenue
by Nils Westergard on S Allen and W Cary.
by Taylor White on South Addison Street.
Stop 8: Scott’s Addition
by the Nightowl on Mactavish Avenue.
by Joan Tarrago on W Clay Street.
by Nico Cathcart behind Courthouse Creek Cider.
by Nils Westergard on W Clay Street.
by Nils Westergard at The Veil Brewing Co.
by Nils Westergard on W Marshall Street.
by the Nightowl on Belleville Street.
Take Your Own Richmond Street Art Tour with the Most Comprehensive Richmond Street Art Map
After frequently discovering new murals in Richmond completely by accident, I recently set out to get a look at as much street art around the city as possible. When I began, I genuinely had no idea that there were nearly as many murals as there actually are. These past few weeks, I have found myself trudging through alleys, side streets, and parking lots to get photos of only a small handful of Richmond’s numerous murals. I’ve also spent nearly as much time noting mural locations in the city as I go about daily life and also by stalking the websites & Instagram accounts of local street artists. Ultimately, after the aforementioned weeks of research, I put together what I believe is the most comprehensive map of all the street art in the city of Richmond. I was on the lookout for other people’s maps as I went on my own hunt, but many of them are either outdated or only include the murals from a specific project. Check out my Richmond Mural Map (last updated January 31st, 2020) to use as your own street art guide to Richmond, VA.
Would you take a self-guided tour of Richmond’s Street Art? Do you know of any murals I may have missed on my map? Let me know in the comments!
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