Virginia Opera Events
Celebrate Black History Month
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In celebration of Black History Month, the Library
of
Virginia will present two free events in support of the Virginia Opera
world-premiere production of “Loving v. Virginia,” co-commissioned by
the Richmond Symphony, in conjunction with the opera’s May 9–11
performances at the Dominion Energy Center’s Carpenter Theatre in
Richmond. The opera is based on the true story of Mildred and Richard
Loving, a young couple from Central Point, Virginia, who were
criminally
charged for their interracial marriage in 1958 and forced to leave the
state to avoid prison sentences. The Lovings took their case to the
Supreme Court and won a landmark victory for Civil Rights in the
United
States.
On Wednesday, Feb. 26 at 6
p.m.,
Danielle Wingfield, assistant professor of law at the University of
Richmond, will moderate a legal panel discussion titled "The Constitution and 'Loving v. Virginia'”
with
Mary Bauer, executive director of ACLU-VA; Kim Forde-Mazrui, the
Mortimer M. Caplin Professor of Law at the University of Virginia; and
author Peter Wallenstein, professor of history at Virginia Tech.
On Wednesday, March 5 at 2 p.m., a
performance
of “A Loving Community,” an educational touring
program commissioned by Virginia Opera, will feature music and history
relevant to the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Excerpts
from “Loving v. Virginia” will be performed by Virginia Opera’s
four Emerging Artists with piano accompaniment.
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Shown left to right are honoree Winsome Earle-Sears,
student contest finalist Alvaro Lobo Arispe, student contest finalist
Nikhita Saravanan, honoree Kelly L. Knight, Librarian of Virginia Dennis
T. Clark, honoree Damien Geter, Dominion Energy CEO Robert M. Blue,
student contest winner Matthew Peng, Gainsboro Branch Library manager
Megan Mizak representing honoree Virginia Young Lee, student contest
finalist Allison Arnett and honoree Don L. Scott Jr. at the 2025 Strong
Men & Women in Virginia History gala.
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Strong Men &
Women in Virginia History Honorees & Student Content
Finalists Announced
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Dominion Energy and the Library of
Virginia announced the 2025 Strong Men & Women in Virginia History
honorees at a reception and private dinner on Thursday, Feb. 6 in
Richmond. This annual program recognizes notable African American
business and community leaders who have overcome obstacles to make
significant impacts across the state. The Library hosts a traveling
exhibition featuring the honorees to be displayed at community,
business
and educational institutions across Virginia throughout the year.
The 2025 honorees are Winsome Earle-Sears, lieutenant
governor, Winchester; Damien Geter, composer, conductor and
bass-baritone, Chesterfield County; Kelly L. Knight, professor and
forensic scientist, Fairfax County; Virginia Young Lee, librarian,
Roanoke; and Don Scott, legislator and Speaker of the House of
Delegates, Portsmouth.
Also honored were the winner and
finalists of the 2025 Strong Men & Women in Virginia History
Student
Creative Expressions Contest. Matthew Peng of Meridian High
School
won the contest. The finalists were Allison Arnette of Grafton High
School in York County, Alvaro Lobo Arispe of Washington Liberty High
School in Arlington County, Matthew Peng of Meridian High School in
Falls Church, and Nikhita Saravanan of Maggie L. Walker Governor’s
School for Government and International Studies in Richmond.
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The Library and the VA250
Commission Partner on Public Engagement Activities for the 250th
Anniversary of the American Revolution
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The Library is excited to partner
with
the Virginia American Revolution 250 Commisson
(VA250) to create statewide programming and an online resource to
share
information with the public about one of the Commonwealth’s most
important Revolutionary-era document collections.
Titled “Ideas
in Action: Virginians Petition Their Government, 1776–1786,” the
project
involves a participatory, crowd-sourced approach to engaging today’s
Virginians with the ideals, issues and actions contained in more than
2,000 legislative petitions that Revolutionary-era Virginians
submitted
to their General Assembly during this time frame. The petitions, part
of
the Library’s vast collections, demonstrate that Virginians of all
backgrounds and walks of life believed the government existed to
protect
their rights and was accountable to the people.
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Virginians will be able to
transcribe
legislative petitions and other historic materials focused on their
localities. Project activities will occur over three years as part of
commemorating Virginia’s role in the revolution.
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Event Honoring the First
Black
Members of the Virginia General Assembly Includes a Donation of
Papers by Speaker of the House Don Scott
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Librarian of Virginia Dennis T. Clark accepted the
donation of papers from the first Black Speaker of the Virginia House
of
Delegates, Don Scott of Portsmouth, during a Jan. 24 breakfast
reception
at the Virginia State Capitol. The event, titled Out of the Shadows:
Honoring the Legacy of the First Black Members of the Virginia General
Assembly, featured a related exhibition on display in the Capitol that
included photographs of early Black legislators from the Library of
Virginia’s collections.
Scott’s donation to the Library
will include his personal papers and other artifacts from his time as
Speaker. Clark presented Scott with a copy of “Justice for Ourselves:
Black Virginians Claim Their Freedom After Slavery,” a book by Library
of Virginia historians and editors John G. Deal, Marianne E. Julienne
and Brent Tarter with a foreword by Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan.
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Top, left to right: Librarian of Virginia Dennis T.
Clark and Speaker of the House Don Scott signed a joint deed of gift for
the donation of Scott’s papers, while Del. C.E. “Cliff” Hayes Jr. and
Del.
Candi Mundon King looked on. Above: A related exhibition on display in
the
Capitol included photographs of early Black legislators from the Library
of Virginia’s collections.
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Film Screening &
Discussion Examine Cold War History
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Join us on Friday, Feb. 21
at
1:30 p.m. for a screening of the 2015 film “Bridge of
Spies,” followed by a discussion with author and historian Gary
Powers,
a consultant on the film. This Cold War thriller tells the story of
Powers’ father, pilot Francis Gary Powers, a Virginia native who was
shot down while flying over the Soviet Union and later exchanged for
Soviet spy Rudolph Abel in February 1962.
After the
Q&A
session, Powers will sign copies of his new book, “Cold War Virginia,”
which describes the Commonwealth’s central role in the United States’
involvement with the Cold War.
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Music Performance & Book
Discussion Explore Jimmie Strother & the Virginia Songster
Tradition
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Join us on Friday, March 7
at
6 p.m., as author and historian Gregg D. Kimball explores
the
world of songster James Lee “Jimmie” Strother, based on his new book,
“Searching for Jimmie Strother: A Tale of Music, Murder and Memory.”
Strother epitomized the itinerant musicians who roamed the city
streets
and byways of the upper South through songs recorded during his time
at
the Virginia State Prison Farm by famed folklorist John Lomax for the
Library of Congress in 1936.
Kimball will illuminate Strother’s
troubled life and compelling music through images, recordings and a
live
performance with bandmates Rick Manson and Sheryl Warner. A book
signing
will follow the program.
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Visit “Mapping the
Commonwealth: 1816–1826” in the Exhibition
Gallery
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On view at the Library through June
7,
2025, “Mapping the Commonwealth, 1816–1826,” tells
the story of the 10 years, five governors, two principal surveyors and
one lead engraver — the time frame and team needed to create one of
the
first official state maps in the nation.
View examples
from
40 manuscript maps that highlight the painstaking task of creating
Virginia's first official state map. Combining art and science, these
surveys attest to the dedication, skill and stamina of surveying teams
working without the benefit of GPS and today's technology.
Two
related presentations by senior map archivist Cassandra Farrell can be
found on our YouTube channel: “Early American Migrations” and “Making the General Map of Virginia.“
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Virginia Literary Awards
Nominations Close March 1
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Nominations for the 2025 Virginia Literary Awards
must
be submitted by March 1, 2025. The awards honor
Virginia writers and celebrate their contributions to the literary
landscape of our state and nation. Given to Virginia authors in the
categories of nonfiction, fiction, poetry and children's literature —
and to nonfiction authors for works about Virginia subjects as well —
the awards are presented at the Library’s annual gala celebration that
has become an eagerly anticipated cultural tradition in Richmond.
Books
published in 2024 qualify for submission, assuming they meet all other
criteria.
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Grab Coffee or Lunch at
WHISK
at the Library of Virginia
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WHISK, the popular Shockoe Bottom
bakery, has a location in the Library’s lobby, open from 8:30
a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. WHISK at the Library
of Virginia offers handcrafted sandwiches, salads and soups made with
locally sourced ingredients, as well as a full-service coffee,
espresso
and smoothie bar. Online ordering is available at whiskrva.com/library.
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Visit the Virginia Shop for
State Seal Merchandise
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Show your love for Virginia with the state seal!
We've
got an assortment of items from padfolios, neckties and lapel pins to
pewter cups, glasses and decanter sets. Visit the Virginia Shop in
person Tuesday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. — or shop online anytime
at
thevirginiashop.org.
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