Of Power and Place: Richmond, Virginia as the Nexus of a Nation

FAIN: GE-50089-09

Valentine First Freedom Center (Richmond, VA 23219-1527)
William Bland Whitley (Project Director: August 2008 to September 2008)
Suzanne Theresa Savery (Project Director: September 2008 to September 2011)

Planning for the installation of a permanent exhibition on the history of Richmond, Virginia, together with a companion website.

"Of Power and Place: Richmond, Virginia As the Nexus of a Nation" will be a new permanent exhibition on the history of the city of Richmond and will interpret the city as a meeting place between those ideals and social processes broadly reflective of the Unites States and those most commonly viewed as particular to the American South. It will examine the city's rich and complex history, the meanings that residents and visitors have imposed on the city's past, and the impact that such imposed meanings have had on the city's relative progress. Intended for a broad general audience, the permanent exhibition will extend beyond the galleries and include online exhibitions, audio tours, youth and adult programming, and educational resources for families and school groups. The planning phase will involve programming, schematic design, detailed content research, text development, and final object selection, all reviewed by staff, scholars, consultants, and the public.