vol. 289 / where perspectives shift

vol. 289 / Where Perspectives Shift

VOL. 289 / Where Perspectives Shift

Meet this week’s guest editor, Kristen Cavallo, Executive Director of The Branch Museum of Design. Kristen never planned on becoming a CEO — yet she did, twice. For thirty years, she helped build some of the world’s most recognized creative agencies, including The Martin Agency and MullenLowe Global. After a career spent shaping brands and advancing equity, she left advertising to focus on something just as ambitious: building Virginia’s only museum devoted to design. Now, as Executive Director of The Branch Museum of Design, she’s helping people see how that craft influences the way we live. Inside a 1919 Tudor-Jacobean mansion, the museum explores how design is all around us, from restored motorcycles to woven tapestries to photography that captures moments of change.

And this season, there’s plenty to look forward to. Sit back — you’re in for a special treat as Kristen shares her tips for upcoming events not to miss.

Take it away, Kristen …

A Roaring Twenties Speakeasy

Built in 1919 as the Branch family’s winter home, the house has always been a place for gathering and celebration. On December 10, the museum revives that spirit with cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, live jazz, and a few secrets hidden throughout the house. Guests of the Roaring Twenties Speakeasy will experience the building as it was once lived in. Festive attire encouraged — and don’t forget the password: “Miss Beulah.”

Featured portrait: Branch family descendant Ned Rennolds, painted by Edmund Archer. Oil on canvas, 32” x 40”. Rennolds was also one of the founding members of the Richmond Symphony.

Vitals:

A Roaring Twenties Speakeasy – December 10 / Get tickets / Tell the doorman you’re there to see “Miss Beulah” / 2501 Monument Avenue

The Art of Fashion

Presented with VCUarts, this exhibition brings Christian Siriano and Ashley Longshore together in a bold exchange between fashion and art. Siriano’s red-carpet gowns appear in an immersive runway installation. Longshore’s pop portraits are displayed alongside the gowns, revealing how art and fashion continue to inspire one another.

Vitals:

Presented by VCUarts / January 17, 2026 / 2501 Monument Avenue

Makers Studio

Launching in 2026, a new quarterly series will bring the act of making to the public. The Makers Studio workshops break down the barrier between observer and maker — reinforcing that design isn’t only something to admire, but something to experience.

Vitals:

Follow The Branch Museum for details / 2501 Monument Avenue

Where Perspectives Shift.

This is a new phrase, but not a new direction. It’s a reflection of who The Branch Museum has always been. When the Branch House was built in 1919, it was technologically advanced: indoor electricity, an elevator, and a central vacuum. Designed not just to impress, but to push what was possible. Just like the Branch family themselves — John Kerr Branch, Mary Munford, Margaret Glasgow, Zayde Dotts, and Ned Rennolds — champions of progress, equity, and civic access long before those values were widely embraced.

Today, that same spirit fuels The Branch Museum. Through exhibitions, programs, and partnerships, The Branch highlights design that invites visitors to see things differently. It has woven this story into a new logo that was rolled out this year. The angles of the house, tilted on its side, reframe what we see: a “B” becomes a house, a house becomes a “B.” A nod to the toppled monuments that once stood outside its door, a symbol of a city always redefining progress, and an invitation to shift your perspective. The Branch invites you to come be a part of it.

Happening at The Branch

Richmondclaire vallisNovember 14, 2025go, meet, see