Richmond Community Threads of Creative Expression!

Join us on Friday, November 15th for a Richmond Community Discussion featuring Ashley Williams & Michael-Birch Pierce as we explore their unique threads of creative expression and how art impacts life.

Ashley Williams

Ashley Williams is a visionary leader, educator, and advocate for community healing and well-being. Her core values that guide her life are love, connection and liberation. As the CEO of The Well Collective, she is committed to cultivating spaces where individuals can thrive through restorative practices, leadership development, and community capacity building. Her work is rooted in mindfulness, healing trauma, and transforming systems to uplift the value of every human being. With over a decade of experience in wellness, education, and community organizing, Ashley is driven by a passion for equity, compassion, and creating a more connected world.

Her current venture is bringing to life The Well, Center for Healing and Humanity at the historic Branch Building in downtown Richmond. Through her work, she has curated programs that bridge personal healing with collective transformation. Her leadership fosters a culture of authenticity, care, and growth making The Well Collective a movement for innovative and impactful work in Richmond and beyond.

Michael-Birch Pierce


Michael-Birch Pierce is a fiber artist and fashion designer. They received a B.F.A. in fashion design from VCU where they now teach Fashion Design and Arts Foundation. They also studied at the Savannah College of Art and Design for an M.F.A. in fibers with a focus on embroidery and embellishment.

Pierce has interned for Diane von Furstenberg, embroidered Christmas decorations for the Obama White House, and designed an exclusive collection for Levi’s. They have completed artist residencies in Hong Kong and Lacoste, France and exhibited in numerous galleries and museums both domestically and abroad. They have performed their embroidered portraits at Oscar and Super Bowl events, Design/Miami, and SXSW, and worked with clients such as Visa, Target, Amazon, Delta, NBCUniversal, and Airbnb.

The recipient of the 2015 Pollak Prize in Applied Arts, Pierce is represented by Quirk Gallery.