RVA Thrives

ARCA

 

ARCA MISSION & PROGRAM 

ARCA stands for “Art, Reconciliation, and Civic Advocacy.” The mission of ARCA is to bring together Latino/a youth and black youth in Richmond’s Southside who will: deepen relationships across racial and ethnic lines; learn ways to advocate for community projects; and design and create public art.

PURPOSE: To equip and employ Southside youth, ages 14-18 years to use art to support civic advocacy and racial reconciliation in their communities.

  • Led by professional artists, Ham Glass & Alfonso Perez

  • Traffic calming street murals, city park art installations

  • Youth advocate to city art commission for project approval

  • Creative placemaking led by youth

ARCA’s Rock Garden.

Created in 2023 by ARCA Youth, this rock garden represents the elements of a medicine wheel - with the elements being Air, Water, Fire, and Earth. Each section/element is color matched with a specific color - Air being yellow, Earth being green, Fire being red, and Water being blue - and is paired with a corresponding park bench and panel (which were designed by the youth in 2024).

In 2023, we (VACV Staff, ARCA Co-Directors and the youth) came up with the idea to create a rock garden in Broad Rock Creek Park as their project for the year because they wanted to have something that people could feel that they could add to in the park. After some discussion, we decided to paint the colors of the rock garden based off of the elements of a medicine wheel (a medicine wheel is a symbol of interconnectedness to all things and depicts the four elements of nature) and included positive messages by the youth on some of the rocks in the garden.

The idea behind the panels and park benches was to make the rock garden more informative and interactive to those who visit the park and see the rock garden. Each panel and park bench (4 park benches and 4 panels, with one panel and one park bench in front of each section of the rock garden) match each element of the wheel with designs thought out by the youth that represent the element that they chose. The youth worked in groups to design and paint each park bench and panel during our 8 week program. 

Watch the video below, take in what you see, hear and feel go visit the park at 2600 Lynhaven Ave. Richmond, VA 23234.

2025 ARCA GOALS

  • More intentionally partner with the Greening Working Group to support placemaking art and traffic calming art near established gardens.

  • Plan with the design team to support Art for the Southside Center for Rest and Healing.

  • Continue to create to support to placemaking art and established green spaces to bring Broad Rock Creek Park (ARCA Park) fully online

  • Support the implementation of a community survey of the neighborhood surrounding Broad Rock Creek Park.