Illustration by Shane Rebenshied
Best Annual Charity Event
First place: READ Art Show & Sale, Richmond, TNCS.org, 804-266-2494
This year marked the 10th annual READ Art Show & Sale hosted by the New Community School, which serves students with dyslexia and related learning disorders. The March event raised more than $100,000 through art sales and sponsorships to support students at both the middle and upper schools.
Second place: Richmond SPCA Fur Ball, Richmond, RichmondSPCA.org, 804-521-1300
Third place: Children’s Hospital Foundation Ball, Richmond, CHFBall.org, 804-228-5814
Best Art Event
First place: READ Art Show & Sale, Richmond, TNCS.org, 804-266-2494
More than 350 people attended the opening reception of the READ Art Show, which showcased a total of 478 works by 100 local and regional artists. The featured artist was LeeAnne Wright, a Richmond-based painter who earned her master’s degree in fine arts at VCU and owns the professional studio Yellow Door Art RVA.
Second place: Arts in the Park, Richmond, RichmondArtsInThePark.com
Third place: RVA First Fridays, Richmond, RVAFirstFridays.com
Best Art Gallery
First place: Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, VMFA.museum, 804-340-1405
Open through July 8 at VMFA is exhibition The Horse in Ancient Greek Art, which explores the role of the horse from legend to warfare, sport and transportation, and its representation in pottery, sculpture and coins. Upcoming exhibitions include Napoleon: Power and Splendor in June and Congo Masks: Masterpieces from Central Africa in November.
Second place: Glave Kocen Gallery, Richmond, GlaveKocenGallery.com, 804-358-1990
Third place: Quirk Gallery, Richmond, QuirkGallery.com, 804-340-6036
Best Charity
First place: Richmond SPCA, Richmond, RichmondSPCA.org, 804-521-1300
In March, the Richmond SPCA, founded in 1891, celebrated a milestone of 50,000 animal lives saved through adoption, rehabilitation, education and low-cost veterinary care. This represents more than 90 percent of animals entering the shelter since it became a no-kill operation in 2002, when it moved to its current location.
Second place: Passion Arts Foundation, Richmond, PassionAcademy.net, 804-412-8100
Third place: FeedMore, Richmond, FeedMore.org, 804-521-2500
Best Family Entertainment
First place: Maymont, Richmond, Maymont.org, 804-358-7166
This fall, the Gilded Age mansion at Maymont will celebrate its 125th anniversary. A new service at the estate is a private golf cart ride with a personal tour guide that allows guests to explore the 100-acre grounds—from the formal Italian garden featuring a fountain court to the Japanese garden that embraces natural landscape.
Second place: Science Museum of Virginia, Richmond, SMV.org, 804-864-1400
Third place: Amazement Square, Lynchburg, AmazementSquare.org, 434-845-1888
Best Food Festival
First place: Greek Festival, Richmond, GreekFestival.com, 804-358-5996
The drive-through at Richmond’s annual Greek Food Festival makes grabbing a bite of authentic favorites such as pastichio (baked meat and pasta) or moussaka (baked meat and eggplant) easy. On-site festivities include Greek dancing, a marketplace and tours of the sanctuary at Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral, which hosts the event. This year’s festival will be held May 31-June 3.
Second place: Broad Appétit, Richmond, BroadAppetit.com
Third place: Lebanese Food Festival, Glen Allen, StAnthonyMaroniteChurch.org, 804-270-7234
Best Movie Theater
First place: CinéBistro, Richmond, CineBistro.com, 804-864-0460
This theater combines elegant dining and craft cocktails with the classic movie-going experience. In addition to special events such as an Oscars viewing party, the theater also hosts Wine Down Wednesdays and a family series that admits guests under 21 for select pictures.
Second place: The Byrd Theatre, Richmond, ByrdTheatre.com, 804-353-9911
Third place: Bow Tie Cinemas Movieland at Boulevard Square, Richmond, BowTieCinemas.com, 804-354-6008
Best Museum
First place: Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, VMFA.museum, 804-340-1405
In October, the VMFA is launching an expanded and modernized version of its former Artmobile with VMFA on the Road. The mobile museum will bring art to communities statewide through rotating exhibits, interactive learning experiences and virtual reality tours.
Second place: Science Museum of Virginia, Richmond, SMV.org, 804-864-1400
Third place: Children's Museum of Richmond, Richmond, C-MOR.org, 804-474-7000
Best Music Venue
First place: The National, Richmond, TheNationalVa.com, 804-612-1900
The 1920s Italian Renaissance-style theater features seven full bars and one of the first V-DOSC acoustic sound systems installed in the country. It also houses a VIP lounge in the historic nursery—once sealed and then rediscovered by the Historic Richmond Foundation—which features hand-painted murals still visible on the walls. Upcoming performers include Dirty Heads, American Aquarium and The Neighbourhood.
Second place: Jefferson Theater, Charlottesville, JeffersonTheater.com, 434-245-4980
Third place: The Tin Pan, Richmond, TinPanRVA.com, 804-447-8189
Best Performing Arts Company
First place: Richmond Ballet, Richmond, RichmondBallet.com, 804-344-0906
Following the close of the season in May, Richmond Ballet goes on tour with Ballet West’s National Choreographic Festival in Salt Lake City, Utah. The company will be one of four from across America to join Ballet West in new works celebrating women choreographers and women artistic directors.
Second place: Virginia Repertory, Richmond, VirginiaRep.org, 804-282-2620
Third place: Passion Academy, Richmond, PassionAcademy.net, 804-412-8101
Best Special Event Venue
First place: Walden Hall, Reva, WaldenHall.com, 540-764-8000
One might not expect to attend a formal event on the patio of a saltwater pool, but it is one of a variety of indoor and outdoor event spaces available to reserve on the grounds of the bucolic bed and breakfast, Walden Hall (inspired by Henry David Throreau’s Walden). Another popular choice is the Banquet Barn—rustic, but dressed up with chandeliers and accommodating up to 200 guests.
Second place: Craddock Terry Hotel & Event Center, Lynchburg, CraddockTerryHotel.com, 434-455-1500
Third place: The Market at Grelen, Inc., Somerset, TheMarketAtGrelen.com, 540-672-7268
