May First Friday Happenings

On the first Friday of every month, there are exciting cultural events happening all around the city. But I'm especially excited about what's going on at the Main Library this Friday, May 6. There will be art exhibits, of course, and also a visit from a local author and a traditional Japanese drumming performance.

There will be some wonderful art exhibits opening. In the Gellman Room, you'll find art by Maria Guimoye-McCarthy in an exhibit titled "Raices: Return to My Peruvian Home." These oil landscapes are emotive and vivid reflections of the artist's childhood in Peru.

In the Dooley Foyer and Hall, see Keith M. Ramsey's "Diluted Loss," an exhibit that illustrates the racism and discrimination that was directed toward African American troops in World War II, both from the United States military as well as German and Japanese troops.

Upstairs in the Second Floor Gallery, work from three artists will be on display in an exhibit called "Friends Sharing Their Love of Art." This will be a spring collection of oils, acrylics, and watercolors by Richmond artists Jacquelin Vaughan Gant, Dorethia Brown, and Kenneth Brown.

The Richmond Writers Series, sponsored by the Friends of the Library, will continue with a visit from Ellen F. Brown, co-author of Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind: a Bestseller's Odyssey from Atlanta to Hollywood. We are so excited to have Ms. Brown come talk to us about what it was like to create a "comprehensive overview of how this iconic novel became an international phenomenon." The book has been well-received by critics and is sure to excite anyone with a passion for Gone With the Wind. Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing. The discussion will start at 7 pm and will take place in the Davenport Special Collections Room. A big thank you goes out to our amazing Friends of the Library for making this free event possible.

On top of an already exciting evening, we'll have some really awesome musical entertainment. River City Taiko, an ensemble from University of Richmond, will be giving a traditional Japanese drumming performance in the Dooley Foyer. Note that this performance was going to be held on the front portico (outdoors), but there's word of rain, so it has been moved inside. If you don't know much about Taiko (like me), check it out on YouTube. Watching the drummers online is exhilarating, so I can only imagine what it's going to be like to watch River City Taiko in person in the Library. The performance starts at 6:30 and will last for about 30 minutes. After the performance, anyone who wants to play on the drums will get a chance to try their hand at Taiko. So this event will be especially fun for kids. River City Taiko will also be collecting donations for the Red Cross disaster relief in Japan--even more reason to come see this concert.

It's going to be a pretty exciting Friday night at the Library. Something for everyone, right? We hope you'll be able to stop by!