Celebrate Jackson Ward:
Past, Present and Future
New Festival Will Showcase
the History, People and Places of
One of Richmond’s Most
Historic Neighborhoods
May 20-22, 2016
February 25, 2016 –
Richmond, Virginia: the First Lady of
the Commonwealth of Virginia, Dorothy McAuliffe; The Honorable Dwight C. Jones,
Mayor, City of Richmond; The Honorable Charles R. Samuels, Councilman, Richmond
City Council, Richmond North Central 2nd Voter District; Marilyn H. West, Chair
of the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia; Dr. Levy M.
Armwood, Jr. Pastor, Ebenezer Baptist Church; and Steven Smith, Music Director
of the Richmond Symphony are pleased to announce a special festival celebrating
the people, places and history of Richmond’s historic Jackson Ward. Celebrate
Jackson Ward: Past Present and Future will showcase the unique history of
Jackson Ward through the stories and performances from individuals and
organizations that continue to make a positive impact on the area. The Festival
will feature three days of performances and activities on May 20-22, 2016.
Anchored by a performance by the Richmond Symphony under its new “Big Tent”
with Virginia Repertory Theatre, Richmond Jazz Society and Elegba Folklore
Society, the festival will also give many professional, community and school
groups a chance to perform on the Symphony’s new state-of-the-art outdoor
stage. The festival will also highlight ART 180's annual spring showcase, The Really
BIG Show, as part of the weekend's festivities.
“Jackson Ward has a long and rich heritage as a community filled with
African-American leaders who made outstanding contributions as bankers,
dancers, ministers and musicians,” says
First Lady Dorothy McAuliffe. “The neighborhood continues to thrive, and I
am excited to be part of this new festival celebrating Jackson Ward’s energy
and diverse culture. The Richmond Symphony and other sponsors are doing great
work to highlight this treasure in the heart of Richmond, and I am pleased that
the festival will support the preservation of the neighborhood’s history as
well as the education of future generations.”
"I am pleased that we
will again partner with the Richmond Symphony to highlight another part of our
great city. The Jackson Ward Festival also provides the opportunity for more of
the city’s musical and cultural groups to experience performing under the Big
Tent, while the event itself will leave a lasting impression on future
generations," says Mayor Dwight
C. Jones. "Jackson Ward has had such a tremendous impact in the shaping
of the Richmond region, and I’m happy the City can be a partner in a festival
that will celebrate this historic neighborhood."
“Music truly has the power
to unite humankind” says Richmond
Symphony Music Director Steven Smith. “Sharing the planning process for this
exciting festival with the many community partners has united us all in support
of the joyous celebration that will take place. This celebration will not end
in May, but continue for generations to come. Our community is rich with
talent, wisdom and resources; the sharing of music, art, faith and history will
be the story of our future.”
“The Richmond Symphony is
excited to be a partner in the Celebrate Jackson Ward Festival,” says Executive Director David J. L. Fisk. “This
will be the second community festival venture for the “Big Tent” as it travels
through the city and region. Music has the unique ability to tell a story about
who we are as a culture, about where we have come from and where we aspire to
go. Jackson Ward has a special place at the heart of the history of Richmond,
and its own stories to tell. We hope that this festival will help shine an
appreciative light on one of the City’s important neighborhoods.”
“It is a great honor to be part of the 2016 Celebrate Jackson Ward
Festival in Abner Clay Park”, says
The Honorable Charles R. Samuels, Councilman, Richmond City Council, Richmond
North Central 2nd Voter District. “This event will showcase a remarkable
variety of musical and artistic talent during the three days of performances in
May. Historic Jackson Ward is truly experiencing a renaissance, and this
festival will continue the neighborhood’s positive momentum.”
In addition to festival
performances and activities, the event is designed to create a lasting and
positive benefit in the Jackson Ward Neighborhood. To that end, proceeds from
the festival will benefit the Friends Association for Children, The Black
History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia and G.W. Carver Elementary
School.
“The Black History Museum
board and staff are excited to be a part of the energy that is reinvigorating
Jackson Ward” says Black History
Museum Board Chair Marilyn West. “The Celebrate Jackson Ward festival could
not be happening at a better time as it coincides nicely with our upcoming
grand opening. In addition, we are grateful that the Black History Museum is
one of the organizations that will receive funds raised from the festival – the
funds will help enhance our community outreach and arts programming.”
“The historic Ebenezer
Baptist Church has been one of the faith-based centers in Jackson Ward for 158
years” says Dr. Levy M. Armwood,
Pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church. “We are delighted to be included in this
historic 2016 Celebrate Jackson Ward Festival. The church has served the
community in many ways, especially in education, by organizing public education
for African American youth in the 1860's. Our congregation welcomes and is
looking forward to the wonderful activities across from our church.”
Celebrate Jackson Ward will
kick off Friday, May 20 with ART 180's spring program celebration, The Really
BIG Show. This celebration will spotlight artwork created by young people
at a dozen ART 180 program sites this spring. Saturday May, 21 will feature a
variety of performances including: a children’s performance from Virginia
Repertory Theatre, Ezibu Muntu African Dance, the Richmond Symphony Youth
Orchestra, various local performing arts groups and storytellers, and will be
anchored by a performance of the Richmond Symphony with Virginia Repertory
Theatre, Richmond
Jazz
Society and Elegba Folklore Society. The festival will conclude on Sunday, May
22 with performances by local church choirs, liturgical dancers, and a mass
ecumenical service representing several of Jackson Ward’s churches.
The festival is intended to
attract thousands of people from throughout the region over the course of the
weekend. Local restaurants, craft beer, vendors, businesses and non-profits
will also be featured. Festival admittance is free and open to the public.
Organizations, artists, and
vendors who wish to participate in the festival should go to celebratejacksonwardrva.com to
complete an interest form. There will be limited performance time availability.
Entry fees may apply to participating vendors.
Sponsor, business partnership
and individual support opportunities are also available. For more information,
please visit celebratejacksonwardrva.com
or call 804.788.4717.
Scott Dodson, Richmond Symphony
To date, festival sponsors
include:
The E. Rhodes and Leona B.
Carpenter Foundation
Genworth Financial
The Richard and Caroline T.
Gwathmey Memorial Trust
The Beirne Carter Foundation
The City of Richmond
To date partners include:
ART 180
Black History Museum and
Cultural Arts Center of Virginia
Carver Area Civic Improvement
League
Richmond Department of Parks,
Recreation and Community Facilities
Richmond Department of Planning
and Development Review
Richmond Public Art Commission
Richmond Neighbor-to-Neighbor
program
Ebenezer Baptist Church
Elegba Folklore Society
Ezibu Muntu African Dance
Company
Friends Association for
Children
Historic Jackson Ward
Association
J. Sargeant Reynolds Community
College
Office of The Honorable Charles
R. Samuels, Councilman, Richmond City Council, Richmond North Central 2nd Voter
District
Richmond Jazz Society
Richmond Public Schools
Rotary
Club of Richmond
Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church
TheatreLab
VCU Division of Community
Engagement
Virginia BioTech Park
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
Virginia Repertory Theatre
Virginia Union University
About the Richmond Symphony
Founded
in 1957, the Richmond Symphony is the largest performing arts organization in
Central Virginia. The organization includes an orchestra of more than 70
professional musicians, the 150-voice Richmond Symphony Chorus and more than
260 students in the Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra programs. Each season,
more than 200,000 members of the community enjoy concerts, radio broadcasts,
and educational outreach programs. The Richmond Symphony is partially funded by
the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.
