This April, Gallery5 is honored to present “Richmond Resistance” as part of Richmond’s First Fridays Art Walk and Block Party on Fri., April 3rd from 5PM - 11PM.

Richmond was once the capital of the Confederacy, ground zero for facism, racism, division, and oppression. But anyone who was part of Richmond in the late 90’s and early 2000’s knows that Richmond is also a locus for DIY culture, community organizing, mutual aid, revolutionary ideals, and arts experiences that express those societal movements. How does Richmond hold those disparate histories in one city? Were the waves of resistance of the late 90s necessary in part because of the dark history of the city itself? What potential does Richmond hold for the future of resistance culture and as a continued base for societal change in the South?

Gallery5 is excited to host our April exhibition and First Friday opening focused on the ideas these questions seek to answer. “Richmond Resistance” is an exhibition about where we’ve been as a city, where we are now, and where we want to go – in terms of what we resist, how we do so, and what we can learn and carry forward to continue those movements. From punk shows to mutual aid organizations to protests, and everything else in between, resistance in Richmond has a storied and vibrant history and future. In this exhibition we expect you’ll see photographs, objects, artworks, and stories about how the community changed this city, and how they continue to do so for the common good.