A Seat At The Table:
Improving Opportunities for
Richmond Artists
Richmond Art Advocates and Visual Artists of Richmond
Presentation to the Richmond City Council on Dec 16, 2025
Introductions
Who We Are
Richmond is losing its artists, art
commissioners, and the trust of its
residents as it neglects issues that can
be addressed by working together.
Why We’re
Here
The Problems
1. Fewer opportunities for public
participation
2. Failure to follow Master Plan
recommendations
3. NPA Mini-Grant program’s
excessive red tape
Areas of
Concern
The Public Art Advisory
Committee has been dismantled.
Richmond Arts and Culture
Commission members were
made powerless
First
Concern:
PAAC and
RACC
Failure to follow the Public Art
Master Plan’s Recommendations:
Adequate Staffing
Maintain existing public art
Create an artist registry
Second
Concern:
PAMP
Less than 10% of the almost 2 million
Percent for Art Fund has been used
Artist John
Wehrle
Artist
Registries in
Other Cities
The Neighborhood Public Art
mini-grant program’s
requirements, contracting and
payment protocols need an
overhaul
Third
Concern:
NPA
Grant requirements that go
beyond anything other cities
are requiring
Tiny Village
NPA Grant
Award: $9,000
Cost of pollution
insurance: $3,600
Contracts treating individual
artists, non-profits and big
business vendors the
same way
The expectation that artists spend
thousands of dollars before they are
reimbursed
No consequences for payment
delays
What We Envision For Success
Include members of RAA in the
Interim and permanent Arts &
Culture Manager selection panel.
Staff to report back with a plan on
how they will select a new manager
Include members of the RAA in the
NPA mini grant renewal efforts
Transparency
•Reform the most onerous
requirements to increase the
applicant pool
•Revise the current reimbursement
model, and issue payments
promptly to ensure artists can
complete public art projects
Address The
Challenges
•Pay small grants up front- most of
these grants go to cover expenses
anyway
•Let artists negotiate advances to
cover the expenses of larger grants
•Compensate the artists who lost
money covering such expenses
before signing a contract.
Equity
Time for Questions
Contact RAA at
[email protected]
Contact VAR at
[email protected]