Upcoming exhibitions

Organized Labor in Virginia

September 6–December 30, 2010
Organized Labor in Virginia begins in the early 19th century with pre-union contracts and precursor groups. The first national union, the Knights of Labor, arrived in Virginia in the 1880s. The early 20th century saw the rise of the trade union, represented by the American Federation of Labor, which had a big exhibit at the 1907 Jamestown Exposition. Important state laws on hours and safety passed in the 1910s, and federal laws enacted in the 1930s helped organizing efforts. The founding of the CIO in 1935 led to the growth of the industrial union. Conditions for labor changed after World War 2, exemplified by the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947 that established "right-to-work." Exhibition topics include the 1903 Richmond–Petersburg streetcar strike; Labor Day celebrations; the 1920s advocate for women, Lucy Randolph Mason; in Hopewell, the Tubize Artificial Silk shut-down of 1934; tobacco workers, race, and the sit-down strike in 1937–41; and the would-be Vepco strike of 1946 averted by the actions of Gov. William Tuck.

What's related:
• Gallery walks

An American Turning Point: The Civil War in Virginia

February 4–December 30, 2011
From 1861 to 1865 Virginia stood at the center of a military and social revolution. How we define freedom, liberty, patriotism, and nation today is directly related to the diverse experiences of the individuals who participated in the Civil War. Using original objects, interactive technology, and state-of-the-art audiovisual programs, An American Turning Point: The Civil War in Virginia relates the personal experiences of the free and enslaved men, women, and children of wartime Virginia. Visitors are encouraged to consider what was lost, what was gained, what was decided, what was left uncertain, and how an event that occurred 150 years ago still influences us today. An American Turning Point is a signature program of the Virginia Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War Commission.