Lucy Dacus, Mayor Levar Stoney and Mecca Williams (Photo by Kim Frost)
56 / Creative Connection Collegiate School and the VMFA pair up to expand arts and culture outreach. By Alexa Nash
62 / Breaking Barriers St. Gertrude High School begins a sliding-scale tuition program to increase affordability and foster more diversity. By Alexa Nash
122 / Recovery Act After three fraught years of trying to revive a scallop population eradicated from the Chesapeake Bay and atone for their family’s role in an environmental calamity, Ryan and Travis Croxton’s prized catch is about to debut. By Anna Moriah Myers
130 / Service Man Having survived HIV in his 20s and conquered his own restlessness in his 30s, Rodney Lofton has embarked on his next big challenge as he approaches 50: bringing Diversity Richmond into the 21st century. By Nicole Cohen
138 / Best & Worst Find out who readers voted for as the region’s “Captain Marvel” equivalent, the most stylish Richmonder, the most embarrassing moment of the year, the worst local government story, and more in our 31st annual survey.
UPFRONT
20 / From the Editor
THE LOCAL
32 / Media Catch the local podcast wave.
34 / Infrastructure Anticipating the reopening of Monroe Park
36 / My Take The promise of public education in a diverse society By Adria Scharf and Thad Williamson
40 / Biography “Arthur Ashe: A Life” takes an in-depth look at a complicated man.
44 / Flashback The return of the VMFA’s Artmobile By Harry Kollatz Jr.
272 / Flip to the Back Corey Hancock teaches life lessons through chess.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
91 / Datebook Black Violin plays the Dominion Energy Center, Incubus mashes the National, Big Freedia bounces at the Broadberry, dragon boats take over the James River and The Roots are back.
95 / Q&A Jazz songstress Dee Dee Bridgewater chats about growing up in New Orleans, moving to France and sharing space with alligators.
96 / Spotlight Retailer William Thalhimer’s efforts to save the lives of Jews escaping Nazi Germany are the subject of an exhibition at the United States Holocaust Museum in Washington.
98 / Profile Curator Valerie Cassel Oliver opens up about her first exhibition at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and the journey that brought her here.
LIVING
104 / Style Personalize your workspace.
106 / Shop Talk Going to the mat in style
108 / Family Raising the curtain on theater experiences for children By Samantha Willis
112 / Travel History and art in Philadelphia
116 / Health Chemotherapy is not always a must in breast cancer treatment.
120 / Picture This A taste of Richmond at Broad Appétit and the Brewer’s Ball
DINING
257 / Review Swan Dive
260 / Ingredient Northern Snakehead
262 / BOH Joe Folley, the accidental repairman
264 / 5 Faves Brake for these roadtrip grub hubs.
266 / FOH Little Nickel’s Madison Pere
268 / Insider Cocktail menu design with impact By Eileen Mellon
