RICHMOND, VIRGINIA - The Library of Virginia, in partnership with Old Dominion University, will present a new exhibition, “Envisioning Revolution,” opening Saturday, June 13, and on view through Dec. 31, 2026, to commemorate Virginia’s role in the 250th anniversary of American independence. 

The exhibition will feature works from students in ODU's Department of Art who created works in the fall 2025 semester that envision Virginians featured in legislative petitions submitted to the state between 1776 and 1786. Those portraits and petitions, along with related research, are the foundation of the exhibition, providing insight into the diverse voices and revolutionary spirit of the time.

“This exhibition was conceived as a companion to our VA250 Commission-supported, three-year project "Ideas in Action," which examines Revolutionary-era petitions through community engagement and crowdsourcing,” said Sarah Falls, the Library’s chief of Researcher Engagement.  “Through an important partnership with Old Dominion University, the exhibition has become much more, with work of student artists who created meaningful and symbolic images that convey a rich, layered and complicated history.”

A satellite exhibition will open at ODU's Perry Library during the fall 2026 semester.     

A variety of VA250-related activities will be available to visitors at the Library of Virginia’s opening day celebration. Exhibition tours will begin at 1 p.m. and continue each half hour up until 3 p.m. ODU student artists and exhibition curators will be on hand to discuss the exhibition and its works. Visitors will also have the option of listening to a livestream of the TED Democracy Philadelphia: Founding Futures symposium, or taking part in a VA250 Revolutionary era transcription event.  

In addition to these events, the Library has scheduled a variety of free talks and workshops throughout this commemorative year, including the following: 

Book Talk with George D. Oberle III| “Creating an Informed Citizenry”
Thursday, April 30, noon to 1 p.m. 
Register at https://lva-virginia.libcal.com/event/16212403

Historian George D. Oberle III will discuss his new book, “Creating an Informed Citizenry: Knowledge and Democracy in the Early American Republic,” which examines early debates in the United States over how to educate constituents of the new nation. Oberle will be joined in discussion by Cynthia Kierner, author and professor of history at George Mason University. A book signing will follow the program.

Interpreting History | A Conversation with Christy S. Coleman and Librarian of Virginia Dennis T. Clark
Thursday, May 14, 6 to 7 p.m.
Register at https://lva-virginia.libcal.com/event/16515392

Join us for a conversation with Christy S. Coleman, executive director of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, and Librarian of Virginia Dennis T. Clark as they explore how interpretations of history offered through historic sites, museums and archives shape our understanding of the past. A tireless advocate for the power of museums and narrative correction, Coleman is an innovator in the museum field, having held leadership roles at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, the Wright Museum of African American History and the American Civil War Museum. 

Book Talk With Dr. Kathleen DuVal | “Independence Lost”
Wednesday, May 27, noon to 1 p.m.
Register at https://lva-virginia.libcal.com/event/16314349

Join us for a noon talk with historian Dr. Kathleen DuVal on her book, “Independence Lost: Lives on the Edge of the American Revolution,” which examines how Native Americans, enslaved people and individuals across the Gulf Coast shaped the conflict through their own motives and choices. Duval is a professor of history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she teaches early American and American Indian history. A book signing will follow the program.

Virtual Book Talk With Dr. Brooke Newman | The Crown's Silence
Wednesday, June 3, noon to 1 p.m.
Register at https://lva-virginia.libcal.com/event/16698005 

Join us for a virtual talk by historian Dr. Brooke Newman on her latest book, “The Crown’s Silence: The Hidden History of the British Monarchy and Slavery.” The book uncovers the British monarchy’s deep entanglement in the transatlantic slave trade and colonial slavery, which includes King Charles III’s direct ancestor Edward Porteus, an enslaver who owned a tobacco plantation in Virginia.

Livestream of TED Democracy Philadelphia: Founding Futures Symposium
Saturday, June 13, 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Register at https://lva-virginia.libcal.com/event/16731312

Join us for a livestream of TED Democracy Philadelphia: Founding Futures, a daylong symposium featuring more than 15 original TED Talks focused on the past, present and future of democracy. Streaming live from Philadelphia leading up to America’s 250th birthday celebrations, this landmark event convenes bold thinkers and civic leaders to share ideas and solutions designed to inform and inspire.

Book Talk with Brent Tarter | Virginia's Forgotten Founder
Wednesday, July 8, noon to 1 p.m.
Register at https://lva-virginia.libcal.com/event/16714047

Join us for a conversation with retired historian and author Brent Tarter on his latest book, “Virginia’s Forgotten Founder: The World of Robert Carter Nicholas.” Study the American Revolution and you might miss the name Robert Carter Nicholas; study Robert Carter Nicholas and you will see the entire Revolution. This is the first biography of the Virginia patriot who served in the House of Burgesses and is widely remembered as an opponent of Patrick Henry’s — though the reality is more complicated. A book signing will follow the program. 

Genealogy Workshop | Unforgotten Patriots: Virginia's Black Men & Women in the Revolutionary War
Friday, July 10, 10 to 11:45 a.m.
Register at https://lva-virginia.libcal.com/event/16226245

Explore the critical yet often overlooked role of Black men and women in Virginia during the American Revolutionary War with genealogist Dr. Shelley Viola Murphy. Attendees will examine Virginia’s strategic importance, the choices Black Virginians made as Patriots or Loyalists, and how proclamations promising freedom reshaped the war. 

Genealogy Workshop | Early Virginia Genealogy
Friday, Sept. 11, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
There are no seats available but a waiting list is available.
Register at https://lva-virginia.libcal.com/event/16216781

Explore methods and resources for researching Virginia genealogy prior to 1850. Senior reference archivist Cara Griggs will present ways that information can be found despite record loss and records that lack detail. This workshop provides an overview of colonial government, focusing on a variety of record types that will help place an individual in a particular time and location and to potentially link generations together (if records survive). 

Weinstein Author Series – Karin Wulf | Lineage
Tuesday, Oct. 6, 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Register at https://lva-virginia.libcal.com/event/16255017

Join us for a talk by author Karin Wulf on her new book “Lineage: Genealogy and the Power of Connection in Early America.” From deep research across 18th century British America, the book examines how we can understand the role of genealogy then, and its impact now. Wulf is the director and librarian of the John Carter Brown Library and professor of history at Brown University. A book signing will follow the program. 

Book Talk with Brent Tarter | Vignettes of Colonial and Revolutionary Virginia
Thursday, Nov. 5, 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Register at https://lva-virginia.libcal.com/event/16716564

How did ordinary people experience life in the colonial and Revolutionary eras, from the humdrum day-to-day happenings to the extraordinary events still familiar to millions? In his two books, “Vignettes of Colonial Virginia” and “Vignettes of Revolutionary Virginia,” historian Brent Tarter paints a vibrant, colorful portrait of the Old Dominion in the eras before and during the Revolution, presenting a collection of stories gathered from his career in archival research. A book signing will follow the program. 

Lecture | Land, Liberty and Loyalties: Virginia Indian Participation in the Revolutionary War
Tuesday, Nov. 10, noon to 1 p.m.
Register at https://lva-virginia.libcal.com/event/16212201

Join us for a lecture presented by anthropologist Ashley Spivey, Ph.D., and historian Katie Gibson, M.A., about the individual choices tribal citizens made in aims to protect their land, defend their liberty and question their loyalties during the Revolutionary War. Spivey and Gibson will explore the complex choices Indigenous peoples in Virginia faced during the Revolutionary War and how these decisions shaped their communities.

To learn more about the Library of Virginia’s celebration of VA250, visit  https://www.lva.virginia.gov/events/va250.

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ABOUT THE LIBRARY OF VIRGINIA 

The Library of Virginia is the leading source of information on Virginia’s history, government and people. The Library’s collections, containing more than 134 million items, document and illustrate the lives of both famous Virginians and ordinary citizens. Our online resources draw nearly 2 million website visits per year, and our on-site records, exhibitions and events bring in thousands of visitors annually. The Library is located in downtown Richmond near Capitol Square at 800 East Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23219. Learn more at www.lva.virginia.gov.