Valentine Richmond History Center - Rotating Exhibits

Rotating Exhibits

• The History Center has several rotating exhibits that include photographs, clothes and textiles and historical based exhibits that impacted Richmond in a significant way.

• "History Ink: The Tattoo Archive Project," opening on November 2, 2012 and running until March 31, 2013, focuses on the rising popularity of body art, specifically tattoos, broadly in American culture and locally in Richmond. The History Center partnered with Richmond, Va. photographer Terry Brown to document tattoos created in Richmond. The resulting photography exhibition will showcase highlights from this project and will be displayed in the Stern Gallery.

• On display from November 2, 2012 through March 31, 2013, "Wickham House 200: Inspiring New Art Two Centuries Later" seeks to show how inspirational the Wickham House remains in the present day. To accomplish this goal, students from the nationally recognized Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts have created site-specific works of art inspired and informed by the house's architecture and history. The exhibit explores contemporary responses to the House in a variety of media and disciplines.

• Displayed until October 2012 in the Stern Gallery was the photo exhibition "Richmond Comes Together: Images of Community Outreach." This photograph exhibit featured images of the various local and national organizations that provide social services and advocate for members of the Richmond community. Highlights of the show included examples of late 19th and 20th century efforts to fight poverty, homelessness and hunger. The exhibition also documented the local volunteers and philanthropists who have worked to improve child, senior and animal welfare and to provide education, job training and health care.

• From October 2009 to March 2010 this included, “Please Enjoy the Show: Images of Richmond Theater,” exhibited photographs exploring Richmond’s 20th century theater community, examining playhouses and movie theaters, professional and amateur actors, and memorable events and personalities.

• The “Waste Not, Want Not: Richmond’s Great Depression, 1929-1941,” exhibition was on display from October 2009 until September 2010. It demonstrated life in Richmond during the Great Depression. In the midst of calamity, Richmond residents joined other Americans in an explosion of political, organizational and cultural creativity. Several important local businesses, organizations and cultural institutions were established during this period.

• In February 2011, the museum invited the public to submit original, creative captions for up to 100 random images from the History Center’s Richmond Times-Dispatch Collection. The winning captions appeared alongside their respective photos, along with the actual captions that ran in the Richmond newspapers. This exhibition was on display at the History Center and the Richmond Times-Dispatch until September 2011.

• In 2011, The Inaugural Gowns of Virginia’s First Ladies displayed nine gowns worn at inaugural balls or receptions held in honor of the new Virginia Governor. These evening dresses present a glimpse into the personal style of each woman and the fashion of the time. Fashion in the state Capitol has followed the major trends of the 20th century.