Raeesah Islam Takes Us on Utopia Feni’s 10-Year JOURNEY

For the past decade, multifaceted creative Raeesah Islam has dedicated herself to building and nurturing Virginia Beach’s arts scene through her nonprofit, Utopia Feni. From open mics and public art projects to murals and experiential activations, Raeesah has cultivated a diverse and vibrant co-op of local artists.

Certainly, it’s Raeesah’s authenticity, generosity and genuine love of community that inspired more than 50 guests to flock to The Garage in the bitter cold of winter – at 8:30 a.m. no less! – to learn more about her transformative JOURNEY.

Raised in Virginia Beach, Raeesah grew up with the ardent support of her parents, whom she credits with allowing and empowering her to move through life to the beat of her own drum. Feni, Bangladesh, her father’s native village, also fueled Raeesah’s perspective and helped color her creative prowess. It’s Feni’s simple, community-minded lifestyle that inspired Raeesah’s message of unity through her art and community work and ultimately led her on the journey of finding ways to give back and show the value of creativity.

“If I hadn’t been taught or encouraged to be an artist, I wouldn’t have been one. I wanted to find ways to impart that message to the kids in Feni, too.”

Suffering from autoimmune diseases and medical complications, Raeesah was often isolated as a child, an experience that led to introspection, resilience and dreams of being a fashion designer in London. In 2011, she turned that vision into reality, attending the London College of Fashion and discovering that everything she had once wanted was standing before her.

“I suddenly had this realization: Everything I had wanted London to be, I had at home. Virginia Beach was a fertile and blank canvas for me…”

With a reinvigorated vision, Raeesah got to work, with the mission to share the value of creativity with local artists and with Bangladeshi youth in Feni. In 2015, Raeesah transformed her father’s former doctor’s office in Kempsville into a creative studio and 501©(3) aptly named Utopia Feni.

In its third year, Utopia Feni established an arts program in Feni; when it was forced to shut down in 2020 due to the pandemic, Raeesah’s focused her efforts on serving the needs of the local creative community, helping create movements like #VAweloveyou, which connected and supported artists in the 757 during the Covid-19 shutdowns.

Over a decade, Raeesah has been an educator, a curator, an organizer and a beloved beacon of hope and opportunity for Virginia Beach creatives. She has planned a stage at Pharrell’s Something in the Water festival, curated the First Fridays series at ViBe Park in the ViBe Creative District and collaborated on new projects with The Chrysler Museum of Art.

As Raeesah reflects on Utopia Feni’s dynamic 10-year journey, she’s proudest of having built an authentic community that has helped open the doors for so many fellow creatives.

“There have been many dream-come-true moments in the past 10 years. I’m ready to slow down a bit, reevaluate my mission, and continue this journey.”

No doubt Raeesah’s incredible journey has just begun. Learn more about Utopia Feni at utopiafeni.com, or follow Raeesah on Instagram at @raeesah.757.

_

Written by CMVB volunteer blogger Valeria L. Palmertree

Join us every third Friday in 2025 as we explore, along with 236 other cities in 69 countries around the world, 12 new themes in a face-to-face community format. Past themes have included Cycle, Rhythm, Endurance, Ritual and Reflection. February’s theme is LAYERS, and our speaker will be Sarah Hodge of Aura Theory.

CM also has virtual field trips and a database of previous talks to enjoy and explore at home.