Bling it Out 3! Art Auction

Bling It Out 3

Online bidding Dec. 10th thru 17th

You're invited to Iridian Gallery's biannual fundraiser auction Bling it Out 3!
36 artists have been given access to select items from Diversity Thrift to transform into brilliant new pieces of art. This work will debut at Iridian on December 10th from 6-9pm and will be immediately available to bid on our Instagram account.

All bidding will take place from Thurs., Dec. 10th at 6pm until Thurs., Dec. 17th at 12 noon EST at www.instagram.com/iridiangallery. Winning bidders will be contacted to arrange payment. Artwork needs to be picked up in person Dec 19-20. If you'd like to inquire about shipping, please contact before bidding.

The gallery is open to the public Tuesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Please contact with any questions.

Introduction To Pilates

Introduction to Pilates

Wed., Dec. 9th 6:00 p.m.
Diversity Richmond Event Hall

Diversity Richmond and Niche Fit Studio are joining together to bring a Health and Wellness class to our Richmond community. This is the first of several planned classes throughout the year to bring us together safely.

In the intro class, you will learn correct form, alignment, modifications, terminology and more from certified instructors at Niche Pilates Studio.

There is a strict 25 person limit for the in-person class in our 13,000 square foot event hall - but it will also be streamed live on Twitch!

Register here

Free Virtual Movie Night

Movie Night youre invited

Thurs,. Dec. 17th
Time varies

Join Diversity Richmond on Thursday, December 17th for a free digital film screening of The Perfect Wedding.

Registration & Logistics: Guests to this event must register online. Guests will be emailed links to the film 30 minutes before 7pm and you will have until 11pm that evening to watch the content.

Film Synopsis: Paul (Eric Aragon), a charismatic recovering alcoholic, falls head over heels for Gavin (Jason T. Gaffney) over the Christmas holidays. Surrounded by a swirl of family drama and a complicated ex-boyfriend, Paul is living one day at a time – and beginning to plan … The Perfect Wedding!

Register here

The Perfect Wedding

Black And Bold Nominations Deadline Friday!

Black and Bold RVA

Please share and save the date for Thursday February 25th at 7 p.m. as Diversity Richmond looks forward to celebrating our 5th annual Black and Bold Awards.

This year has challenged us all which makes it all the more necessary to recognize exemplary Black leadership in the LGBTQ+ community. Our nomination period is open until December 11th for anyone who could be honored this February. However, we welcome nominations throughout the year as we look to praise community members well beyond Black History Month.

If you have any questions or would like to support this program, please contact Program Coordinator Evan Smith at .

Nomination form

Greater Richmond LGBTQIA+ Community Survey

LGBTQIA+ community survey

Are you an LGBTQ+ person 18 or older living in the greater Richmond area?

You are invited to participate in a survey about the experiences of members of the LGBTQIA+ community living in or around Richmond and the perception of the needs of the LGBTQIA+ community. The study is being conducted to inform the development and targeting of potential requests for support for services, programs and resources for the LGBTQIA+ community.

Learn more and access the survey here.

For Latinx, African American, older (55+), youth, or transgender members of the LGBTQIA+ community in the Richmond area, you are also invited to be part of focus group discussions. In this study, you will go to a group meeting, lasting about one hour. In the meeting, you will be in a group with 5 to 12 other members of the LGBTQ+ community. You will be asked to talk about things like experiences in the community, the kinds of support that you receive, needs that you see for LGBTQIA+ community and places where you feel safe. If you have any questions, concerns or want to participate, please contact: Eli Coston at (804) 404-3179, .

Holiday Food Drive

Hfood

Diversity Richmond is hosting a Holiday Food Drive! So many of us have been fortunate through this pandemic - now you have the opportunity to give back and pay it forward. Donate now to give back to those in our community effected by food insecurity and get into the true meaning of giving this holiday season. We will be accepting donations until December 17th. If you have any questions, contact Raul Cantu at  or (804)678-8138 

Thanksgiving Day Drive-Thru

thanksgiving drive thru 2020

Thurs., Nov. 26th
11:30 a.m. 'til 2:00 p.m.
Diversity Richmond parking lot
1407 Sherwood Ave., RVA 23220

You're invited to swing by a pick up a free delicious hot Thanksgiving meal catered by Ms. Girlee's Kitchen, courtesy of Black Pride RVA and the Laughing Gull Foundation.

Food will be distributed by order of arrival. We will not accept early arrivals. To ensure the health and safety of our volunteers and community members, we will adhere to COVID-19 CDC guidelines. Please remain in your vehicle and open the window of your vehicle when it’s your turn in line. All COVID-19 protocols are in place for all people preparing and handling the food. See you then!

Mongrel donates Rainbow and Virginia flags to Diversity Richmond

flag1 mongrel pride

Last November we dedicated the Rainbow, American and Virginia flags during our annual Diversity Richmond Celebrates. Carytown’s Mongrel, donated the Rainbow flag and just recently contributed a new Virginia flag as the original had faded. Pictured above are Mongrel’s Chris, Mike, Mark, Stan, (Diversity Richmond’s Raul) and Mongrel’s Laci.

flag2 mongrel VA

Black And Bold Nominations Deadline Dec. 11th

Black and Bold RVA

Please share and save the date for Thursday February 25th at 7 p.m. as Diversity Richmond looks forward to celebrating our 5th annual Black and Bold Awards.

This year has challenged us all which makes it all the more necessary to recognize exemplary Black leadership in the LGBTQ+ community. Our nomination period is open until December 11th for anyone who could be honored this February. However, we welcome nominations throughout the year as we look to praise community members well beyond Black History Month.

If you have any questions or would like to support this program, please contact Program Coordinator Evan Smith at .

Nomination form

Thank you, Mongrel, December Newsletter Sponsor

mongrelxmas

Since its inception, Carytown’s infamous gift shop, Mongrel, has been a supporter of countless number of local charities and causes. The welcoming staff, the unusual collection of gifts and cards that one can find nowhere else in town, are just of a few reasons the store is now celebrating their 30th anniversary.

Owners Stan McCulloch and Mark Burkett, along with their staff, support Diversity Richmond both personally and professionally. Be it designing event announcements, donating door prizes or much needed dollars, Mongrel is a very good friend to our community. And to them we say thank you!

mongrelxmascards

Grant Deadline Reminder

Since 1999, Diversity Richmond has contributed more than $1 Million in support of our local LGBTQ+ community. This does not include the thousands of dollars in food and clothing vouchers for those in need. Nor does it include the free use of meeting and storage spaces that countless numbers of organizations use in our building.

This year has been challenging for us all due to the Coronavirus pandemic, but we are committed to supporting our community as best we can. This year Diversity Richmond is providing up to $25,000 in grant funds for area organizations. There are four levels of funding that organizations may apply: $5,000, $2,500, $1,000 and $500

The deadline to apply is Sunday, November 29th. The awards will be announced before year’s end. Download the grant application here.

If you have questions, please email Program Coordinator, Evan Smith, at .

Diversity Richmond Partners with Dr. Chaz Antoine Barracks

Chaz BMP

We are very excited about partnering with Chaz Antoine and love providing a grant of monetary support for his Black Matter Productions! If you read Style Magazine, you saw that Chaz Antoine was chosen as one of the 40 under 40 this year. And, if you watched our first Diversity Richmond Film Night you saw his film “ Don't Touch My Hair RVA” an art-documentary to pluralize the Black narrative and reveal the wealth of Black experiences. By centering Black women, who herstorically are often the bridge and backbone to social justice movements, hair expressions are used as a metaphor to depict a multiplicity of blackness. Then you had a chance to view the talk back with him.

Last weekend Chaz Antoine and Black Matter Productions presented a virtual program “A Messy Year” for 1708 Gallery’s InLight along with co-host Diversity Richmond Board member Rebecca Keel. Earlier, he showed a Black Matter production in process with commentary at the Afrikana Virtual Film Festival. He continues to lead the Blackademic programming at Six Points Innovation Center (6PIC) and is active with local arts and inclusion organizations in Richmond.

With his recently completed Media, Art, and Text Interdisciplinary PhD program at VCU, and Master's in Nonprofit Studies at University of Richmond, where he focused on youth arts programs, Dr Chaz Antoine's scholarly practice brings together Black feminist auto-ethnography, Black pop culture and performance studies, and Black queer world-making. He wants to lift up Black Joy!

We look forward to continuing to partner with Dr. Chaz Antoine Barracks and to provide support for his work.

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