While the gallery is currently closed to the public to promote social distancing, we are pleased to host an initiative aimed at supporting our artist community: Space Grant 1708. This opportunity is given to three artists to use the gallery as a studio space, our storefront window as an exhibition platform, and more. Each artist will be using the space independently during a two week session. While we cannot currently be the hub for in-person artistic engagement, we can still be the hub for artistic innovation. 

Space Grant 1708 selection process was open to all artists and creatives from any disciplines, media, and interests to work where they might not have the space otherwise. The creation and implementation of this opportunity was based on what 1708 could provide to artists most in need. We are pleased to announce the selected artists are Nico Cathcart, Emily Culver, Nadd Harvin, and Christine Sloan Stoddard.

Session 1: Christine Sloan Stoddard

Christine Sloan Stoddard is an author, interdisciplinary artist, and the founder of Quail Bell Magazine. Above all, she loves telling stories, whether in books, films, performances, paintings, or other imaginings often merged across genres and media. Currently, she is working on several short films and videos, as well as one feature-length production. This includes related paintings and drawings.

Session 2: Nadd Harvin 

Nadd Harvin is a black, gnc, self taught painter, and art has always been a place to explore their creativity, their perceptions of reality, and a way of expressing themselves in a medium other people value and understand. Tomato Studios, a new projected created by Harvin, is a collaborative idea inspired by their unfulfilled need and desire for a creative space while on their artistic journey. While this project is mostly funded by painting commissions, their passion is studying figure painting and providing tips, tutorials, supplies, and a creative space for people traditionally excluded from the world of fine arts. 

Session 3: Nico Cathcart

Nico Cathcart is a Canadian-born muralist, artist, signpainter, and curator whose work revolves around themes of intersectional feminism and environmentalism. As someone in the process of going deaf, she uses birds in her art to address her disability. She is an outspoken advocate for equal representation in a male-dominated industry. Cathcart aims to inspire girls to be unafraid of barriers. Her large-scale public murals—which appear around Richmond and in other cities—address social issues and inspire activism. She was recently honored as one of Virgnia's "Agents of Change" by the Virginia Museum of History and Culture. A veteran of the RVA Street Art Festivals, you can now find her work in many cities across the us including Richmond, Ithaca NY, Rochester NY, Pittsburgh PA, and Columbus OH. Currently represented by BOJUArt out of Virginia Beach, her work has been shown in many galleries and museums throughout the continent, including the MASS MOCA, Gallery 5, Glave Kocen, 1975 gallery in Rochester NY, and many more.

Session 4: Emily Culver 

Emily Culver is currently an Adjunct Instructor in the Craft/Material Studies Department at VCU. Her work situates itself broadly across forms and scales, ranging from body sized sculptures to hand-held objects, as well as between Fine Art, Craft and Design disciplines. She employs a vast variety of materials such as wood, ceramic, metal and rubbers while implementing both digital fabrication methods and traditional making processes. While diverse in approach and method, at the foundation of her work is a sensitive and highly intended relationship between objects and body; a quality which comes from my background and interest in jewelry.

Stay tuned to our social media channels for more from each artist!

*Please note that the selected artists, along with 1708, will follow all mandates from government agencies in efforts to decrease the spread of COVID-19.