On The Cabell Screen

Richmond Folk Festival Posters and Ties to VCU

by Sue Robinson Sain

Showing during October

The biggest show in RVA in the fall is the annual Richmond Folk Festival, Oct. 13-15, 2023. The multi-day event brings some 200,000 people to the riverfront “to celebrate the roots, richness and variety of American culture through music, dance, traditional crafts, storytelling and food.” The festival offers more than 30 performers, a documentary film series, cooking demonstrations, children’s activities and more.

One aspect of the annual festival is visual. Each year, a festival poster is commissioned and unveiled with fanfare and sold at the festival. Many of the artists have connections to VCU and the Richmond art scene. To celebrate these artists and this grand annual event, the Cabell Big Screen features selections from these works, used with the permission of Venture Richmond, which produces the festival.

  • Chris Visions-2023. He studied illustration at VCU.
  • Cassandra Kim-2022. She earned a B.F.A. in communication arts and design in 2003.
  • Mickael Broth aka the Night Owl-2021. He is best known as a muralist.
  • Shannon Wright-2020. She graduated with a degree in communication arts in 2017.
  • Noah Scalin – 2019. He was the inaugural artist-in-residence at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Business.
  • Hamilton Glass – 2018
  • Chris Milk Hulburt – 2017
  • Katie McBride– 2016. She holds a B.F.A. in Communication Arts from Virginia Commonwealth University
  • Bizhan Khodabandeh-2015. He holds a B.F.A. and the M.F.A. from VCU and teaches at VCU’s Robertson School of Media and Culture.
  • Leslie Herman– 2014
  • Brianna Bevan and Jason Frank– 2013
  • Kelly Alder– 2012, adjunct faculty in Communication Arts.
  • Matt Lively– 2011, an alumnus of the VCU School of the Arts
  • Wes Freed– 2010, an alumnus of the VCU School of the Arts
  • Jason Smith and Laura Marr – 2009. Smith holds an M.F.A. in theater and taught graphic arts at VCU.
  • Ed Trask– 2008, an alumnus of the School of the Arts
  • Sterling Hundley– 2007, Associate Professor in Communication Arts.
  • JHI – 2006
  • Robert Meganck– 2005, Professor in Communication Arts.

The current festival has roots in The National Folk Festival, which was held in Richmond 2005-2007.

The free event is presented by Venture Richmond Events, in partnership with the National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA), the Center for Cultural Vibrancy, Virginia Humanities, the Children’s Museum, and the City of Richmond.

Categories Alumni Work, Community, Faculty Work