Portraits from a Place of Grace
- Artist: Richard Hollant
- Material Used: Photography & Videography
- Location: Newtown Road & Hampshire Way
Portraits from a Place of Grace by Richard Hollant is a new public art installation commissioned by the City of Virginia Beach Office of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the African American Cultural Center of Virginia Beach (AACCVB). Resting at the future home of the African American Cultural Center, the immersive design celebrates Virginia Beach’s historic African American neighborhoods and their residents.
Through interviews, videography, photography, and graphics, the aspirations of members of the community have been captured and are presented in this piece and can be viewed online at portraitsofgrace.us
Through a network of community leaders, the artist, Richard Hollant, and AACCVB leaders reached out to the historic African American neighborhoods in Virginia Beach to identify a broad range of residents who would contribute to the visual tapestry and oral history depicting the Black experience in the city. With the hospitality of Ebenezer Baptist Church and New Hope Baptist Church in Virginia Beach, neighborhood residents were photographed and video recorded over several months.
