Valentine Will Host RVA Street Art Exhibition

The city-wide exhibition will feature public photo and video submissions of past murals.

Updated on Oct. 6, 2026 in Fine Art

Bold vector editorial illustration of a weathered brick wall featuring abstract colorful geometric paint patterns, representing local urban mural art. — The Valentine and the RVA Street Art Festival will launch an exhibition in 2027 documenting Richmond's historic mural landscape using public image submissions. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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The Valentine and the RVA Street Art Festival will partner to host an exhibition documenting Richmond murals. The gallery will open in the summer of 2027.

Why it matters

The project aims to preserve the legacy of local murals that have been lost to urban development and demolition over the years. By crowdsourcing images, organizers hope to document the citys evolving street art history.

Since launching in 2012, the festival has occupied high-profile sites including the Haxall Power Plant, the Diamond, the old GRTC bus barns, and the Southern States silo complex. Submissions are open until October 16, 2026.

The players

Jon Baliles

He is a co-founder of the RVA Street Art Festival who helped launch the initiative in 2012.

Ed Trask

He is a co-founder of the RVA Street Art Festival and a prominent muralist in the Richmond art scene.

The Valentine

It is a Richmond museum dedicated to collecting, preserving, and interpreting the history of the city.

The details

Organizers have launched an online portal for residents to submit photos and videos of past festival murals, with all contributors receiving credit for their work. The exhibition will feature visual materials that highlight the long-term impact of street art on the landscape of Richmond.

The first RVA Street Art Festival was launched in 2012.
The festival was held at the old GRTC bus barns in 2013.
The festival moved to the Southern States silo complex in 2016.
The deadline for exhibition material submissions is October 16, 2026.
The exhibition is scheduled to open in the summer of 2027.

Industry Dynamics

This project reflects a broader trend of cultural institutions archiving temporary public art before it is erased by urban growth. It positions the RVA Street Art Festival as a significant historical contributor to the citys contemporary visual identity.

Local residents can participate in the curation process by uploading their own photos and videos of past mural sites to the exhibition portal. This allows the community to directly influence the collection and preservation of public art history.

The takeaway

Preserving street art helps maintain a visual record of a citys rapid physical changes. Residents interested in contributing should organize their archives ahead of the October deadline.