A portion of the sidewalk on the south side of Broad Street is closed to pedestrian and bicycle traffic as work progresses on the new Quirk Hotel. The development also will contain a new home for the Quirk Art Gallery. The 75-room luxury hotel is going into the nearly 100-year-old building at 201 W. Broad St. that originally was a department store. The gallery, now located a block west, is to fill 207 W. Broad St. The hotel-gallery is a project of Ted and Katie Ukrop. The hotel is projected to open in September.

JUNETEENTH- Scores of people gathered on South Side last Saturday to celebrate Juneteenth, the day that commemorates the announcement of the abolition of slavery in Texas on June 19, 1865. Right, Elijah Coles Brown, a gifted 11-year-old orator from Henrico County who donned a wig, beard and period dress, recites Frederick Douglass’ famed “The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro” speech. The speech attacked the hypocrisy of July 4th celebrations during times of enslavement.

Danny Richardson of the Haliwa-Saponi Tribe in North Carolina uses sage to bless J. Ron Fleming in a Native American ceremony kicking off the event presented by the Elegba Folklore Society.

REVEL IN THE ARTS- Members of the internationally acclaimed Step Afrika! step group perform at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts last Saturday in “Celebrate African and African-American Art: All Good!” a celebration of all art forms.

Indacia Turner, 11, shows off her skills in Double Dutch jump roping as Gail Kingrey and Abbie Dentler of the Swingers Jump Rope Team handle the ropes at the museum’s Pauley Center Patio. Other activities included interactive games, creating Egungun-inspired masks and a musical performance by the Afrika Arkestra.