Two people affix a poster to a brick wall
Rob Carter and Ashley Kistler at the Hope Wall outside Kistler’s studio in the Fan. (Photo by Brian Palmer)

Feb. 10, 2021

A wall in the Fan, and a global message of hope

A trio of former VCU School of the Arts colleagues have turned a brick wall in Richmond into a rotating exhibit of posters from artists around the world.

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By VCU News staff

John Malinoski, Rob Carter and Ashley Kistler have worked on numerous projects together. The former Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts colleagues — Malinoski and Carter are retired professors while Kistler is the former director of the Anderson Gallery — have collaborated on work, books and exhibitions.

Their latest project involves a brick wall in the Fan — just outside Kistler’s studio, at the corner of Shields and Grove avenues — where they’re hoping to create space for hope in challenging times. Every three weeks or so, Malinoski, Carter and Kistler cover the bricks with a series of nine posters from artists around the globe. Each poster represents the artist’s response to or perspective on the word “hope.”

This Hope Wall, which started more than a year ago, has now played host to work from 57 artists. Writer Kim Catley explores the project further — in words and photos — in a story published by the School of the Arts.