Karen Newton

Virginia

Contributor at Style Weekly

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Articles

The Hardest Hue

6 days ago | styleweekly.com | Karen Newton

Although the photograph was taken in 1955, it could stand as an acknowledgement of the world in which children in the U.S. live today. A young boy peers out of what appears to be a bus window, but his right eye is hidden by cracks radiating from the point of original impact that caused the window’s extensive damage. “Colorado 1955 (Cracked Glass with Boy)” by Parisian-born photographer Elliott Erwitt likely resonates quite differently in the 21st century than it did in mid-20th century.
Love Always Wins

1 week ago | styleweekly.com | Karen Newton

“Love takes off the masks we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within.” ― James BaldwinYou know Pride Month is a big deal in Richmond when it leads off with Mayor Danny Avula raising a Progress Pride Flag at Richmond City Hall to commemorate national LGBTQ+ Pride Month. Virginia Pride, Diversity Richmond, city leaders and allies gathered together on Friday, May 30 at 9 a.m. to issue a Pride Month proclamation in continued support of the LGBTQ+ community.
Glamourous Resistance

2 weeks ago | styleweekly.com | Karen Newton

The Black face in the photograph looks out at the viewer with a forthrightness and beauty. Because Qing Imzadi identifies as a Black trans/gender non-conforming artist, they see the world from a perspective many can’t. Imzadi believes it’s essential to document their experiences and existence, particularly during the current political climate. “Even in 2025, discrimination remains a tangible reality, and the queer community continues to face significant challenges,” Imzadi says.
Stock Up

1 month ago | styleweekly.com | Karen Newton

Eggs were 44 cents a dozen and Eisenhower was president when the Friends of Richmond Public Library (FRPL) was formed. The year was 1959 when the Friends of the Library book sale was created to raise funds for library programming. Today library staff and attendees agree that it remains a unique community experience for book lovers and library goers to meet and connect over the love of books, writing and learning.
Holy Diver

1 month ago | styleweekly.com | Karen Newton

“This is not my art,” was Michelangelo’s succinct response when Pope Julius II asked him to paint a simple, geometric composition with the 12 apostles on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. The artist was clear that he considered himself a sculptor, not a painter. Marking the 550th anniversary of Michelangelo’s birth, a new exhibit, “Michelangelo: The Genesis of the Sistine,” also celebrates the newly renovated and expanded Muscarelle Museum of Art at William & Mary.
Find Your People

1 month ago | styleweekly.com | Karen Newton

Often, wellness festivals are destinations. Attendees fly to faraway locations while big name presenters are flown in to lead classes and presentations for large crowds of people. But how do we continue that wellness journey once home? Rick Plautz, the founder of Rest Fest 2025, knew there was a lot going on in Richmond’s wellness scene, but he also realized that it took a lot of effort to find it. In 2023, he was inspired to try to create an event to showcase local wellness talent.
Nature's Way

2 months ago | styleweekly.com | Karen Newton

It’s as if the garden visitor is in Alice’s Wonderland and has imbibed the bottle labeled “Drink me.”The enormous flowers that make up Bethany Allen’s “Four Friends” at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden are oversized versions of four Richmond native plants—elderberry, serviceberry, swamp milkweed and sochan—with each surrounded by live versions of the flower. Allen has crafted the large-scale fabric flowers as a reminder of their value as sources of food and medicine for humans.
Garden Ink

2 months ago | styleweekly.com | Karen Newton

On a beautiful spring day when scads of visitors are walking Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden’s grounds, consider slipping away for a bit to check out the library’s latest exhibit, “Garden Ink.” It’s so Richmond. As one of the most tattooed cities in the country, Richmond employers inevitably have staff with ink. Even 20 years ago, some employers required that public-facing staff wear long sleeves to cover tattoos at work.
Hanover's Black History

2 months ago | styleweekly.com | Karen Newton

As a Black person living in Hanover County, Jody Lynn Allen always wanted to learn the stories of the people who came before her. A native of Hampton, an assistant professor of history and the Robert Francis Engs Director of the Lemon Project: A Journey of Reconciliation at William & Mary, Allen’s research interests cover the U.S. Civil War through the Long Civil Rights Movement—the years between the 1930s and 1970s—with a focus on Black agency.
House of Art

Feb 25, 2025 | styleweekly.com | Karen Newton

A family experiencing homelessness can hardly be concerned with art for their walls. But a community of artists is coming together, sharing their art, in an effort to address homelessness. Henrico County nonprofit Housing Families First is partnering with 14 local artists to raise money to support families in the region facing homelessness and housing instability.