Join us on Saturday, September 9^th at 10 AM for a hands-on 3D printer demonstration with Chris and Jon Caswell, co-owners of 3D Central.

Attendees will have the opportunity to explore prototypes and ask local 3D printing pros their "need to know" questions. They can also expect to learn about printing logistics and see previous 3D Central projects.

3D printing is the bridge between the digital and physical worlds of creation. Join us to learn how this exciting technology can be utilized in unexpected ways.

There will be a surprise 3D-printed gift given to each attendee!

About 3D Central

Originally a retail storefront on Main Street, the Caswell Brothers now run their 3D Print Studio out of Scott's Addition offering on demand manufacturing, custom fabrication, and rapid prototyping services to a wide variety of businesses, schools, and individuals. They also offer 3D Printer repairs, service and training especially for our local educators.

Christopher's fascination with 3D Printing goes all the way back to a childhood Popular Science magazine and a lifelong love of Star Trek. With a background in Computer Science, he bought one of the first consumer printers when they became available in 2011. As he started to sell his replications, the printer eventually paid for itself and then a second and third. A few years later he moved to Richmond to start the business that eventually became 3D Central.

Jonathan moved to Richmond to help create 3D Central as it transitioned from a retail store to full service design studio. Drawing from his experience in Outdoor Leadership as well as CNC production, his love of logistics has helped to turn 3D Central into the powerful creative and productive engine that it is today.

Join us on Saturday, October 7^th, at 10 AM for Coffee + Conversation with Jessie Gemmer. Jessie will be discussing building your spatial vocabulary. 

We live every moment of our modern lives in a constructed world designed by people we never meet.  The spaces we live, work, play, love, grow and grieve in affect us - physically and mentally - but within a shroud of mystery that cloaks the world of architecture. In order to understand how the built environment affects our existence we must first identify what it's made out of and then how it makes us feel.  Please join us for a conversation about the basic building blocks of the physical world, as we work together to understand the magic powers of architecture and design.

Enjoy delicious coffee or a mimosa (21+), light breakfast foods, and design-centered discussion. 

About Jessie Gemmer 
Jessie Gemmer is a registered architect, VCU professor, and the founder of Acme Architecture. Jessie believes that design is the language we use to give physical form to the ephemeral. Her guiding principle, in the words of Barbara Bestor, is that “everyone should experience strange beauty every day.”

Andrew Davies

Partner and Creative Director at Paragon Design Group & Adjunct Typography Professor at VCU

Presenters: (Left to Right)

Samira Creel

Design & Research Tools Strategy & Operations Lead at Capital One

Gena Johnson

Founder of Gena J. Co & Interior Stylist

Jerome Legions

President of Carver Area Civic Improvement League & President of The Moore Street School Foundation

Katie MacDonald & Kyle Schumann

Co-Founders of After Architecture & Directors of the Before Building Laboratory at UVA

About the Event:

It's not safe to be out on Friday the 13th! Join The Branch on Thursday the 12th for a spine-chilling, spooktacular open house. This event is free and open to the public. Registration is required. 

Already have tickets? Pre-purchase drink and snack tickets here.

The Branch's favorite thereminist, Caroline Scruggs, will be performing chilling tunes, and Haunts of Richmond will be offering a Richmond-Themed ghost tour around The Branch (for an additional cost). 

Get your tarot read by Irish Wake Tarot, see curios from Rest in Pieces and shop Momma Luna. Snacks, beer, wine, booze, and kombucha courtesy of Come 'bucha! are available for purchase.

Dress up in your best costume! We will be hosting a costume contest with some terrifyingly good prizes. Anyone is welcome to compete.

Event Schedule:

Doors open: 5:30pm

Caroline Scruggs Theremin performance: 6pm-7pm

Haunts of Richmond Ghost Tour: 7pm-8pm

Costume Contest winners announced:

8:15pm

Doors close: 8:30pm

Create your very own print using stencils and guidance from Studio Two Three! 2501 Monument Ave. | 4-6PM

Prints are inspired by the current exhibition on view at The Branch: Women's Rights are Human Rights

Moderator:

Ashley Montgomery | Hanbury

Panelists:

André Johnson | Creative Director, Red Orange Studio

Mariah Williams | Urban Planner, Virginia Housing

Keith Ramsey | Metal Artist

Shannon Bass | Graphic Designer, Markel & Black Creatives RVA (Founder)

At The Branch for a screening of the documentary Miss Representation on November 16th at 6pm!

Miss Representation is written and directed by Jennifer Siebel Newsom and exposes how mainstream media contribute to the under-representation of women in positions of power and influence in America.  

The documentary screening is a program in conjunction with the current exhibition on view at The Branch, Women's Rights are Human Rights.

Join us on Saturday, December 16th at 10AM for Coffee + Conversations with Sallie Plumley. Sallie will discuss her journey into the world of custom woodworking (as a woman in a male dominated industry), her past and recent design projects, material acquisitions and selections, and where to start if you're interested in pursuing your design passion in woodworking, or a related field.

Enjoy delicious coffee or a mimosa (21+), light breakfast foods, and design-centered discussion. 

About Sallie Plumley

Sallie Plumley is a custom woodworker in Richmond, VA who has owned and operated Sallie Plumley Studio full-time for the last seven years. She enjoys exploring different woodworking processes including the use of rotten materials within furniture. She believes all aspects of business should function on the backbone of integrity and aims to go about business decisions with that in mind.

Women’s Rights Are Human Rights: International Posters on Gender-based Inequality, Violence, and Discrimination features posters created by men and women that acknowledge the vital role women play locally, nationally, and internationally in protecting and promoting human rights. These posters challenge religious and cultural norms and patriarchal attitudes that subordinate, stigmatize, or restrict women from achieving their fullest potential. They argue for eliminating discrimination against women and girls, empowering them, and achieving equality while fostering human dignity.

In this presentation, Resnick will examine the issues explored in this exhibition, namely gender-based Inequality, violence against women, and discrimination against women through selected posters and poster series.

About Elizabeth 

Elizabeth Resnick is a Professor Emerita of Graphic Design at Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Boston. She is a passionate design curator who has organized seven comprehensive exhibitions, including the current traveling exhibition Women’s Rights Are Human Rights: International Posters on Gender-based Inequality, Violence and Discrimination. Her own posters have been included in the Mexican, Bolivian, and Warsaw Biennials and many invitational exhibitions. Her publications include The Social Design Reader, Bloomsbury Visual Arts (2019); Developing Citizen Designers, Bloomsbury Academic (2016); Design for Communication: Conceptual Graphic Design Basics, John Wiley & Sons Publishers (2003) and Graphic Design: A Problem-Solving Approach to Visual Communication, Prentice-Hall Publications (1984). She is currently completing a new book of illustrated essays on 20th-century women graphic designers for Bloomsbury to be published in 2025.

This talk is hosted via Zoom. We recommend using a desktop or laptop computer. 

Join us on January 25th, at 6 PM for panel discussion with leading women design professionals in conjunction with the current exhibition on display at The Branch, Women's Rights are Human Rights.

During this discussion, the panelists will share their varied personal workplace experiences, barriers they face, and resources to institute change and empower women in design professions. 

Meet the Moderator

Jamie Ivey: Jamie received her industrial engineering degree from Virginia Tech and worked as an IT consultant in New York and DC. Unfulfilled creatively, she went back to school to receive her interior design degree, and along with her industrial designer husband Trip Ivey, moved to southern California to work in luxury hospitality design. Trip and Jamie moved back to Virginia in 2015 and started Ivey Design Group. As creative director, Jamie leads the interiors team, working on high-end homes and boutique commercial projects around Virginia and throughout the US.

Meet the Panelists

Alana Robinson: Alana Robinson is a multidisciplinary creative and art director who combines creativity, art, and culture to solve creative challenges. She has collaborated with industry giants like Google, ESPN, Bed Bath and Beyond and Dominion Energy. In addition, Alana is dedicated to giving back to her community, volunteering 50 hours annually to support local nonprofits and small businesses with her creative prowess. Currently, she is based in Richmond, VA, working at Arts and Letters Creative Co.

Anne Darby: Anne is an urban planner with over a decade and a half of experience in the public and private sectors.  She is currently managing and growing a planning department for an engineering firm and working on a wide range of planning projects in localities across Virginia and North Carolina, from comprehensive plans, zoning ordinance updates, public participation and entitlement processes, and feasibility studies. She holds a Master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from VCU and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners.

Crystal Miller: Crystal is the mother to one beautiful daughter. She loves art, wine, yoga, and prefers city living where plantings are strategic, and necessities are in walking distance. Crystal was born to be an architect and finds it deeply fulfilling that after 20 years of practice she now gets to spend her days educating students about the things she loves most: creating meaningful spaces and improving humanity through the built environment.  

Gayatri Choudhary: Gayatri Choudhary, founder of GC Interiors, grew up in Southern California and has lived on the East Coast for about 25 years. Her interest in interior design started around age 6 when her family moved into their first home. Gayatri’s personal aesthetic focuses around a modern, chic design that embraces comfort, warmth, and ease. She is influenced by living both on the East and West coasts as well as her love for beautiful fabrics, stunning wallpaper, and bespoke furnishings. Having completed projects all over the country including Atlanta, DC, and Arkansas, she currently resides in Richmond, Virginia, with her husband, 2 children, and dog. Her primary goal is providing warm, inviting refined spaces to clients who are busy but want a beautifully decorated house to come home to and entertain. She delivers a stylishly designed space that exceeds their vision and truly reflects them and how they want to live.

Please explore the exhibition prior to this event.

Doors will open at 5PM

Investigating Teen Relationships:

Uncovering the Rights of a Healthy Relationship

We are inviting high schoolers to join us on Saturday, February 3rd from 1pm to 3pm for a peer-led workshop that helps define healthy relationships and consent. Participants will create their own zines (mini magazines), while discussing healthy, unhealthy, and abusive relationship behaviors and identify them in practice. Participants will also learn what a healthy consent practice looks like.

This workshop is a part of Teen Violence Awareness Month in conjunction with the current exhibition on display at The Branch in partnership with YWCA and Empower RVA Teens. 

About Empower RVA Teens

Empower RVA Teens is a youth-led group where young people come together in an organized space to collaborate with and empower one another. They aim to educate peers on the topics of healthy relationships, teen dating violence, and consent in the community. Learn more here.

This workshop is intended to be a safe space for teens to share freely. Any accompanying adults can view the Women's Rights exhibition or explore the museum during the workshop.

This workshop is free! Due to limited seating, registration is required. 

Join artist Blythe King at The Branch on Saturday, February 17th for a mixed media workshop in conjunction with the current exhibition on display, Women’s Rights are Human Rights.

Advertisements and media outlets have historically portrayed women in a negative light. This workshop will allow individuals to deconstruct vintage and modern advertisements and transform them into empowering works of art.

Participants will learn the process of transferring images to create layered collage pieces. 

About the Artist

Blythe King leads a diversified life in the arts. She works as an educator, mentor, collaborator, program director, and practicing artist. Blythe’s collage work has exhibited regularly in Virginia through the Richmond Public Library, Quirk, Eric Schindler Gallery, and the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art. She has also been showcased by The Griffin Museum of Photography in Massachusetts and the Hillyer in Washington DC. Most recently, she was awarded a 2022-23 Artist Fellowship from the Virginia Commission for the Arts. In 2021, Blythe launched Open Space Education in response to the growing need for equitable access to nature, art education, and alternative modes of learning for Richmond youth. Blythe’s academic background combines an MA in Buddhism and Art from the University of Colorado, with undergraduate studies in Japanese religion and art at the University of Richmond. She currently serves as Vice President on the board of Richmond Zen.

*Limited amount of tickets available 

April 11th - Chapter I & II: Legacy by Design & Inspiration by Design – Why Design Matters Discussion

May 9th - Chapter III: History by Design – Why Design Matters Discussion

June 20th - CHAPTER IV: Persuasion by Design – Why Design Matters Discussion

We’re thrilled to collaborate with The Branch Museum of Architecture & Design in commemorating the 5th anniversary of Arthur Ashe Boulevard. Join us as we unfold the narrative, showcasing the pivotal role design played at every stage leading up to the grand unveiling.

Join Michelle Sandler from My Alternative Hats at The Branch on Sunday, March 10th for a hat making workshop in prepration for the museum's second annual Mad Hatter Garden Party and Design Auction.

Participants will assemble a hat using found or shared materials. 

You don't have to attend this year's garden party to participate! Need to clean out your craft room or even your junk drawer? Bring what you find to the workshop to material share with other participants. 

About the Event

Take a virtual walk from the reservoir to the James River to discuss the design and development of Byrd Park.  Learn about the beginning of Richmond’s Urban Forestry program, discover the architectural gems in the park and in the  three residential neighborhoods,  climb to the top of the Carillon’s belfry, sit at the Carillon’s keyboard, explore the Gothic Revival pump house, walk the canal towpath to the Washington Arch, and learn the important relationship between the canals and the park.

About the Speaker

A master guide since the 1980’s,  Kathryn  has created and conducted numerous tours and programs for  Maymont, the Historic Richmond Foundation, and the Valentine Museum.  In 1995,  she completed the National Register Report for Shockoe Hill Cemetery which resulted in that property’s listing on the National Register of Historic Places.  In addition,  she has presented programs for the Shepherd’s Center Open University, the Osher Institute,  Life Long Learning Institute,  and numerous community organizations.  

This lecture features the Pazzi Chapel in Florence, Italy. The historic chapel's commission was awarded to Brunelleschi but its construction wasn't completed until after his death. Did the final construction and design of this influential 15th century structure meet Brunelleschi’s wishes? Find out the answer to this question and more information by joining us for this exciting lecture.

About the Lecturers

Howard Risatti is Emeritus Professor of Contemporary Art and Critical Theory in the Department of Art History at Virginia Commonwealth University where he was Chair of the Departments of Art History and of Craft/Material Studies from 2001-05.  

Donald Schrader received his MA and PhD degrees in Italian Renaissance Art from the University of Virginia. He taught Art History at Virginia Commonwealth University and at the University of Mary Washington. In addition, he has lectured at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts program for 30 years.

Re-Think Design Series!

featuring an introduction by guest curator, 

Kelly O'Keefe

Lecture begins at 6:00pm with reception following

Sagi Haviv is a partner and designer at Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv, the firm responsible for many of the most famous logos of all time, including National Geographic, Chase Bank, NBC, Conservation International, Harvard University Press, State Farm, Mobil Oil, PBS, Showtime Networks, NYU, Animal Planet, the U.S. Open Tennis Championships, and most recently the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum and Warner Bros. The firm designed the identities for both the U.S. Bicentennial (1976) and the just-released 250th anniversary of the United States (2026).

Sagi joined the firm in 2003 after graduating from The Cooper Union School of Art. A go-to expert on the process of effective logo design, Sagi has contributed to the New York Times, Bloomberg, Fast Company, Creative Review, It’s Nice That, Design Week, designboom, PBS, NBC’s Meet The Press, and SkillShare. He speaks about logo design around the world, including for TEDx, the AIGA, the HOW Design Conference, the Brand New Conference, Princeton University, the Onassis Foundation, the American Advertising Federation, and Columbia Business School, amongst many others. He teaches Visual Identity Design at the School of Visual Arts in New York City.

Sagi is coauthor of Identify: Basic Principles of Identity Design in the Iconic Trademarks of Chermayeff & Geismar (Print Publishers, 2011) and Identity: Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv (Standards Manual, May, 2018).

Jolinda will answer the question: can a design agency work without the pants-on-fire mentality?

Conversation topics include:

• Intentional agency model at Shapes & Colors

• Mindfulness and a commitment to balance

• 4-day work weeks

• Attracting kind and patient clients

• Setting boundaries

• Determining if your design practice could use a recalibration

You’ll leave with some tools, tips and best practices - as well as a few more connections with people who share the mindset that a design business can leave its designers and founder with energy for other things in their lives.

About Maritza 

Maritza Mercado Pechin leads Innovative Finance and Delivery Technical Assistance for the Build America Bureau at the U.S. Department of Transportation. She focuses on educating and expanding the capacity of public entities to develop transportation projects with an innovative financing approach. She oversees three technical assistance grant programs, strategic partnerships, project workshops, and emerging projects agreements. 

Maritza was previously a Deputy Planning Director with the City of Richmond, Virginia where she worked across City departments to lead planning and redevelopment efforts, such as the Diamond District redevelopment, the City Center redevelopment, the US DOT-funded Reconnect Jackson Ward project, the HUD-funded Jackson Ward Community Plan, and the Mellon Foundation-funded Shockoe Heritage Campus. Maritza was the lead author of Richmond 300: A Guide for Growth, the city’s national award-winning master plan. She has also served as an adjunct professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, a consultant at AECOM, and the development manager at Fulton Hill Properties, a Richmond-based infill developer. Maritza graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Government from Harvard and a Master’s in City and Regional Planning from the University of Pennsylvania. Maritza and her family live in Battery Park in Richmond’s Northside. She grew up in San Juan, PR and Newton, MA and has lived in Richmond for nearly 13 years.

Burt Pinnock’s passion for design has created award-winning work time and time again, from historic sites and cultural institutions to forward-thinking companies and foundations. He previously served as Chair of the Commonwealth of Virginia Art & Architectural Review Board and Vice Chair of the Richmond 300 Advisory Board, and is a co-founder of Storefront for Community Design, amongst many other notable board and committee engagements. For Burt, architecture isn’t a job; it’s his personal contribution to the wellbeing and vitality of our communities.

About Deidra 

Deidra Arrington is the Chair of the Department of Fashion Design + Merchandising in the School of the Arts at Virginia Commonwealth University. She joined the VCUarts fashion faculty in 2004. Her areas of research include the luxury market, innovative teaching methods, and historical fashion icons. She is the co-author of Fashionomics, and a chapter contributor to numerous publications. Arrington’s research has been published in several peer-reviewed journals including Fashion, Style & Popular Culture, Film, Fashion, & Consumption, and Catwalk: The Journal of Fashion, Beauty, and Style.

Prior to her VCUarts academic appointment, Arrington worked in the fashion industry as an apparel buyer and Divisional Merchandise Manager. She possesses extensive knowledge of the fashion industry, particularly retail buying and merchandising.

 
Deidra Arrington earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration at Jacksonville State University and a MBA at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Mending Walls: The Documentary - Artist Hamilton Glass challenges 30 artists from different cultural backgrounds to collaborate on 16 murals in Richmond, VA about race, status and experiences. The film shows how the artists got to know each other through difficult conversations, how working together ultimately opened their eyes and hearts to the differences between all of us, and how these murals became a symbol of hope.

Pre-Order Mending Walls: The Conversations & Coffee Table Book and pick it up at the event.

 Doors open at 5pm 

Book signing from 5-6pm 

Documentary Screening begins at 6pm with Q&A following.

Embark on a captivating two-hour bus and walking mural tour through the vibrant heart of Richmond guided by, Hamilton Glass, founder of the Mending Walls RVA project. Discover five to seven stunning murals, each a powerful testament to social justice and community unity. Immerse yourself in the stories behind these collaborative artworks, created in 2020 by the visionary Hamilton Glass and local artists of different backgrounds, races, and experiences. These murals showcase art that inspires empathy, understanding, and positive change in our community.

• Check-in at The Branch by 9:45 am

• Bus leaves promptly at 10 am and returns at 12 pm

• Approx. 1 mile of walking | Walking attire recommended

• Limited Availability

About Hamilton 

Hamilton Glass is a painter and public artist living in Richmond, Virginia. His work focuses around using public art to build up communities and create spaces in which the community members feel they have a stake in their surroundings. To him, it is vital that he uses his work in ways that serve the public and engage people through art. He believes in the power of art, which can hold communities together, and increase equity around access to the arts.

In 2020, Hamilton Glass created a project entitled Mending Walls RVA. This initiative brought together over 30 artists with the goal of establishing empathy and connection following the death of George Floyd. This extraordinary project was captured in an Emmy Award-winning PBS documentary. Each piece featured in the project has been captured in a book entitled Mending Walls: The Conversation & Coffee Table Book and includes QR codes that link to podcasts to appreciate the perspectives of each artist involved in the project. To learn more about Mending Walls, please visit www.mendingwallsrva.com. 

This event is free but registration is encouraged.

The Branch is partnering with local screen-printing pros at Studio Two Three for a holiday card workshop on Sunday, November 17th from 1-3pm. During this FREE workshop, participants will have the opportunity to make a print of the Holiday Card Contest winner's design and add personal touches to make it unique! The design will be printed using one color of ink. 

Submission Guidelines:

• Eligibility – 18+

• Theme – Goodwill & Cheer

• Accepted Mediums – paintings, drawings, or digital art (will need to be scanned for submission)

• Size and Format: submit a high-resolution digital image (at least 300dpi) in PDF or PNG, the image will be used on a 5x7in card

• Deadline – Sunday, November 3rd at 5pm

• Grand Prize - $500 and have your work printed and used as this years Branch holiday card

• Entry Fee – FREE

• Winner Announced – Wednesday, November 6th (winner will be notified by email)