As soon as the seats went in and the curtains went up, I was itching to host events in the movie theater in the basement of Mobelux. One of my other proud scores (see below) was rescuing 24 period-correct theater seats from Richmond stalwart, The Westhampton Theater, which sadly was slated for demolition as soon as construction began on Saunders Station. With the great resources of the building, including an HD theater with reference-quality audio, classic theater seats, and a popcorn machine, I knew I had to get great stories in there.

Being a photographer himself, Garrett, Mobelux co-founder, challenged me to develop a program that would engage and inspire. Not solely serving as a happy hour or a meet-up, I lined up presenters who'd inspire through their words and their works. Ethan and I made it a point to meet every photographer in town we could, attending meet-ups, book events or screenings & openings, in an attempt to build a diverse group of artists.

We'd luckily made friends with a few early on who championed the cause and provided a sounding board for our ideas. As we went, having talented hands available to help with the events became key. When we were hosting & greeting, we had some of the city’s best photographers helping run the happy hour, shoot behind-the-scenes footage, or help clean up.

As an aspirational event, I wanted to ensure we were always pushing the envelope. I also challenged us to ensure that the bills were as diverse as possible, always looking for additional opportunities to represent unheard voices. This also gave us a great chance to contrast more experienced professionals with new voices, a dynamic through which we found great success.

These diverse bills also allowed a new audience to continue to build, and each presenter, whether a seasoned pro or rising star, brought their own insights, styles, and followers to the space.

The event continues to grow, but recent successes include an exclusive first look at a national Documentary on renowned Photographer Garry Winogrand by VCU Film & Photography chair Sasha Waters Freyer (balanced by a presentation by the mysterious and talented Mister Fili) and a night of daredevils; grizzled Commercial Photographer Adam Ewing sharing stories of thrill-seeking motorcycle shoots offset by wunderkind, National Geographic photographer and world traveler, Trevor Frost.