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Rawls Museum Arts invites artists of all levels to share how creativity supports healing—mentally, emotionally, and physically. Whether you’re a professional artist, a beginner, or someone who creates as a form of self-expression, we welcome your voice.

Submit your work and join a community that celebrates the transformative power of art to restore and inspire!

We’re seeking vendors for the Wellness Fair, featuring services and resources that promote healing and well-being. If you provide support for those experiencing trauma, grief, resource scarcity, substance use, or PTSD, and more, or if you offer mental health therapy, massage, equine or dog therapy, acupuncture, or art therapy, we’d love to have you join us!Join us in helping to break the stigma around mental health, make resources more accessible, and reach all members of our community—youth and adults alike—with support and care.

Vendor space is FREE! We’ll provide a table and chair. Indoor spaces are limited, with additional spots available outdoors in our courtyard.

Discover the vibrant connection between art, culture, and community through the work of Sukenya Best!

Sukenya Best was born in New York City, where her origins in visual art, faith in God, dance, and cultural community festivals began. In the 90s her family moved to Richmond Virginia, which has been her home for over 30 years.

She took art lessons in all of her schools to eventually receive a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2001. As an undergraduate student she studied Baroque art history in London, Europe. During that trip she observed first-hand paintings by Caravaggio, Rembrandt, and Frans Hals; which sparked her current practice of portrait painting. She also traveled to Zimbabwe, Africa, to study drawing and batik making. There she experienced a rich culture and an appreciation for fabric designs. When she attended the University of Tennessee in Knoxville (earned a M.F.A in 2007) she continued to explore printmaking on fabric with the combination of dance and music.

Currently she works at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts as an On the Road Coordinator, where she is part of the museum’s Education Division. Sukenya is still able to interact with various communities and schools, as she travels around Virginia with the VMFA Artmobile. 

Join Chris in celebrating creativity and connection – visit her exhibit and find a piece that speaks to your own story!

Chris Jeanguenat is a Suffolk painter, whose fun, illustrative paintings reflect her love of nature and adventure. She works primarily in acrylic and chalk paint, and will paint anything if it stands still long enough.

Her inspiration is taken from raising two sons, with her playful pitbulls and her husband and high school sweetheart. Her childhood adventures, from living in 300 acres of solitary forests, digging for treasures, building forts, climbing trees with books and snacks, are threaded within her paintings. Chris hopes the viewer can feel as if they’ve stepped in to their own magical childhood memories.

Join us for Open Studio Figure Drawing at Rawls Museum Arts with instructor Jess Goehner! Each session begins with quick, dynamic poses, moves into longer studies, and concludes with an optional group critique. Open to artists of all levels and mediums – from beginners to masters – these sessions offer a supportive environment to practice and grow. Drawing supplies are provided, and students are encouraged to experiment and explore new techniques.

Develop your skills and express your creativity—register today and bring your drawing to life!

Join us for Open Studio Figure Drawing at Rawls Museum Arts with instructor Jess Goehner! Each session begins with quick, dynamic poses, moves into longer studies, and concludes with an optional group critique. Open to artists of all levels and mediums – from beginners to masters – these sessions offer a supportive environment to practice and grow. Drawing supplies are provided, and students are encouraged to experiment and explore new techniques.

Develop your skills and express your creativity—register today and bring your drawing to life!