From Here I Can… Connect to a Creative Life

“Being surrounded by other creatives motivates and inspires me to pursue creativity in my own free time, and to embrace those things that I love. I love being in a creative field.”

Cameron Bass, Marketing Director for RSO and RAM
Guitar in hand, Cameron plays music for his church community.

When Cameron Bass moved from Indianapolis to Richmond for a job in early 2020, he had no idea just how much his life was about to change.

“I moved here three weeks before the pandemic shut everything down,” says Cameron, “So it was a really weird time to move to a new town.”

A musician and artist who had gotten used to performing for large church congregations in Indianapolis, Cameron’s first job in Richmond wasn’t what he’d hoped for.

“I initially moved here for a job in the career I went to school for,” he says. “Afterwards, I debated moving somewhere else. But I decided to stay in Richmond, because I loved the community and the people I’d already met, and I wanted to see what else I could discover here.”

Community through Coffee

Cameron soon landed a job at Roscoe’s Coffee Bar and Tap Room downtown. And at Roscoe’s, he found a network of support and creative community, even amidst the pandemic.

“I loved working at Roscoe’s, because it helped build my passion and love for this community. I got to know even more people, got to talk to them about their lives and what’s going on, and it was a unique way to get to know the wider community.”

Through Roscoe’s, Cameron began to make even more connections in Richmond and Wayne County’s thriving arts community. Here, he made connections with independent artists running businesses making and selling art. Seeing the success of the creative people around him encouraged Cameron to take up new art forms himself — from painting to crafting chainmail as attire for Renaissance Faires.

Cameron hangs out with a group of friends at Roscoe’s.
Æthelflæd tries on one of Cameron’s chainmail pieces.
Cameron poses in his chainmail costume that he crafted for the Ohio Renaissance Festival.

A Connection to Opportunity

And it was through the connections he made at Roscoe’s that Cameron also found his next career adventure. Monica Koechlein, the executive director for the Richmond Symphony Orchestra (RSO), had gotten to know Cameron through her morning coffee runs — so she was excited to reach out to him about a new, grant-funded position that would coordinate marketing for both RSO and the Richmond Museum of Art (RAM).

Cameron stands outside of Civic Hall Performing Arts Center.
Through Roscoe’s, Cameron connected with Monica which opened the door to his role with RSO and RAM.

“As we created the position, we (RSO & RAM) both knew the person hired would have to be self-driven, relational, passionate about greater connection with the community and region, and love where they live,” says Monica. “Cameron is all those things and so much more!”

Today, Cameron splits his time between RSO and RAM as the marketing director for both.

“Being surrounded by other creatives motivates and inspires me to pursue creativity in my own free time, and to embrace those things that I love,” he says. “I love being in a creative field.”