Is there such thing as an excess of success? After a short six month stay in Shockoe Slip where it helped brand the new Shockoe Design District, GrowRVA’s very first Virginia Street Gallery pop-up shop is coming to an end.
The shop, which opened as a partnership between GrowRVA and Shockoe Properties, aimed to transform an otherwise underutilized — and somewhat smelly — former office space situated off the main drag into a vibrant and connected part of Shockoe Slip, filled with the works of more than 50 local artists and artisans.
The plan worked — so well that on May 29, the shop closes, making way for a permanent tenant.
“I’m both excited and sad,” says GrowRVA owner, Karen Atkinson. “We succeeded beyond our wildest imaginations by making this space something so much more than it was — and by helping make this corner of the neighborhood something more as well.”
In fact, the Virginia Street Gallery was an important anchor in the launch of the new Shockoe Design District. And GrowRVA will continue to participate through its new Thursday afternoon farmer’s market on the Turning Basin, operated in cooperation with Venture Richmond.
“Even as we close the gallery, we’re excited to continue in helping sustain the energy and excitement that now exists around the Shockoe Design District,” says Atkinson, who also hopes soon to announce plans for a new pop-up location.
“The Virginia Street Gallery has shown all of us the potential that can be realized by taking a vacant space and transforming it into the boutique atmosphere,” Atkinson says. “We already are in talks with other developers and realtors who took notice of the vast potential that comes with filling a space with light and life.”
In addition to the weekly farmer’s market, GrowRVA will maintain a significant presence on Virginia Street, moving its business headquarters in 111 Virginia Street, directly across the street from the Virginia Street Gallery space.
“This is an exciting time for GrowRVA,” Atkinson says. “We’re literally helping to grow RVA.”
