Another week, another packed calendar in the River City. In the days ahead, commemorate Religious Freedom Day with a lecture from The Valentine, dedicate a few hours to the James River Short Film Showcase, “come home” for a benefit performance at The Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen and take in an epic work from Richmond Symphony’s composer in residence. Enjoy!
Unalienable Rights
After losing its longtime director and Richmond storyteller Bill Martin (pictured above) last month, The Valentine museum is scaling back its public programming for January. Via email, acting Director Meg Hughes says the downtown institution is still grappling with the sudden, tragic loss of Martin, who was fatally injured after being struck by a car just two blocks from the museum on Dec. 27. But one event, a favorite of Martin’s, will go on: The Valentine’s “Life, Liberty & Happiness” lecture on Friday, Jan. 16, Religious Freedom Day, at the Library of Virginia. This year’s guest speaker is Jonathan Turley, a professor at George Washington University Law School, columnist and author of “Rage and the Republic: The Unfinished Story of the American Revolution.” Admission is free.
—Scott Bass, News Editor
Reel Short
The 32nd annual James River Short Film Showcase compresses the joys of a film festival — variety! artistry! abundance! — into less than three hours. Viewers will screen nine films, the longest running 17 minutes, then vote on a People’s Choice Award winner; additional prizes will be awarded by the showcase’s jurors and this year’s judge, local journalist and critic Don Harrison. The competition welcomes “experimental, animated, short narrative and documentary films,” and the 2026 lineup includes six entries from Virginia alongside two additional American works and one international effort. The event starts at 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 16 in the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts’ Leslie Cheek Theatre. Tickets are $8.
—Mindy Kinsey, Editorial Director
Welcome Back
Current and former Richmonders alike are joining forces for an evening of song, dance, poetry and visual art. The multimedia presentation “Coming Back Home … Out of the Cold” takes the stage at The Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen on Saturday, Jan. 17. Expect to see puppetry, projections, live painting and more. Plus, there’s an impressive lineup of musicians including Steve Bassett, Chris Fuller (pictured above with creative director Erin Thomas), Samantha Wilborn, Desirée Roots, Tim Timberlake and many others. The event also benefits the Cultural Arts Center program Opening Minds Through Art, music advocacy group JAMinc and the Belmont Food Pantry. The 3 p.m. show has sold out, but tickets are still available for the 7 p.m. presentation ($40).
—Nicole Cohen, Arts & Entertainment Editor
Forever Remembered
Music is so often a form of memorial, and that holds steadfastly true with Richmond Symphony composer in residence Damien Geter’s “An African American Requiem,” Jan. 17-18 at the Carpenter Theatre. Geter (pictured above) began composing the work in 2016, and it premiered in 2022 — an epic, 20-movement journey remembering and honoring victims of racial violence and modeled after Verdi’s iconic “Requiem.” Incorporated into the sweeping sounds of the Richmond Symphony and Richmond Symphony Chorus are lines of poetry, quotes from civil rights declarations, Latin Requiem texts (prayers for the dead) and the last words of the late Eric Garner: “I can’t breathe.” Don’t miss this one; you might not hear — or feel — anything else like it. Tickets start at $40.
—Kelsey Robinson, Associate Editor
Other Suggestions
- The Henrico Pops Chorus performs “Winter Harmony” at the Henrico Theatre on Jan. 13.
- The Virginia Council hosts a buffet and book discussion of “Patrick Henry’s Red Hill” with Henry descendant Patrick Henry Jolly and scholar Mark Couvillon at The Grapevine Jan. 14.
- Richmond Shakespeare presents contemporary comedy “King James” at Virginia Repertory Theatre’s Theatre Gym Jan. 15-Feb. 1.
- “Undeniable: The Designs of Christian Siriano and Ashley Longshore” opens at The Branch Museum of Design on Jan. 17, continuing through March 22.
- Virginia Repertory Theatre’s production of comedic thriller “Deathtrap” is onstage at Hanover Tavern through Jan. 18.
- Local singer-songwriter Christina Louise performs at Révéler, celebrating the release of her new single, “Half-Smoked Cigarettes,” on Jan. 19.
River City Roundup is Richmond magazine’s weekly compilation of the best things to see, do and experience in the region, compiled by our editors. Get each week’s installment directly in your inbox every Monday by subscribing to our e-newsletter.
