The only known Carson Davenport painting depicting Danville City, viewed from his house on North Main Street in Danville. This painting is owned by the private collector Henry Hurt. | |
Wishing You A Wonderful Thanksgiving !!! | |
There is so much the Danville Museum is Thankful for... | |
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The Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History is grateful, as we look back on 2021, for your tremendous volunteer involvement, commitment of membership support, and participation in our programs. Thank you. We appreciate all who attended classes, exhibitions, Zoom meetings, events, and made financial contributions as well as commitments of time and skills. To the volunteers, interns, staff, board members and community partners who devoted your time and attention to reading the narratives and news in this newsletter, we appreciate, and we are grateful for all your efforts on behalf of the DMFAH. Thank you to our stakeholders, who offered us an exhibition space in the River District, on Craghead Street, and at the 24 Reid Street Gallery in Chatham. Moving cultural programming into our communities allowed us to come together in a more meaningful way during the pandemic.
Here is a short but interesting history of Thanksgiving outlined by “the Writers Almanac” that we hope you will enjoy - Click Here!
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The DMFAH featured in Hyco Lake Magazine | | |
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Smithsonian Crossroads Closes on November 21 | |
The DMFAH thanks our community partners for their tremendous support during the Smithsonian Crossroads: Change in Rural America Exhibition. We thank our Chatham community partners: Bill Guerrant and the Pittsylvania County Historical Society; Amy Davis and Chatham First; John Harris and the Old Dominion Agricultural Complex; Lisa Tuite and the Pittsylvania County Library; and Tred Hunt from Hunt and Company.
We also thank the schools and universities participating in the Crossroads programming throughout the months of October and November: Averett University, Chatham Hall, Hargrave Military Academy, and Heritage Academy. We also thank Alisa Davis, director of the Reid Street Gallery and Tred Hunt, proprietor of Hunt & Co for their tremendous support in preparing the exhibition space at 24 Reid Street for the Smithsonian Exhibition, and providing a community center, where all felt welcome and all could enjoy good food.
We thank the volunteers who made the exhibition accessible to the public, the DMFAH staff, as well as the Hanover and Ashland Museum staff. The Crossroads exhibition has served almost 2000 people since it was installed at the 24 Reid Street Location.
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Carson Davenport Retrospective Extended through January 30th, 2022 | |
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Carson Davenport Exhibition remains up through January at the 24 Reid Street location in Chatham.
While the Crossroads exhibition will relocate to the Creative Arts Center in Stuart, Virginia, the DMFAH Carson Davenport Retrospective exhibition will remain on location at 24 Reid Street through the December Holidays, and remain installed until January 30. The Carson Davenport collection continues to solicit meaningful conversations about this Danville artist, who contributed Main Street Post Office murals to the state of Virginia and Georgia during Roosevelt’s New Deal. On Friday, November 19, the last programming event took place discussing the iconic Chatham mural “Harvest Season in Southern Virginia”, which illustrates the agricultural life of the Dan River’s rural region. The DMFAH Collections Manager Annie Chappell, and Director Elsabé Dixon outlined the role Carson Davenport played as a professionally trained artist working during the Depression and after WWII.
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New Holiday Exhibition in Main Street Storefront | | |
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Celebrating Harriet Fitzgerald of Danville and her impact on the New York Art Scene.
DMFAH collaborates with the New York City Abingdon Square Painters to bring a Storefront Exhibition to Danville for the Holidays
When driving past the old Woolworths building on Main Street, you will notice a series of panels depicting the art work of the NYC Abingdon Square Painters combined with images of painting from the DMFAH collection. This group, founded by the Danville native, Harriet Fitzgerald, whose father and grandfather were both Dan River Mill presidents, is represented in the Danville Museum’s 20th Century Art collection. We thank Anthony Mavilia, President of the Abingdon Square Painters, for his concerted efforts to help us record the history of this art collective, and for affording us a view of past presidents work, while also offering us a new scope of works to inform our collections. The DMFAH has worked hard for a year to research our holdings of Harriet Fitzgerald and the Abingdon Square Painters. We hope you enjoy this exhibition that showcases works by Harriet Fitzgerald and the Abingdon Square painters.
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Roediger Induction to the DMFAH Hall of Fame | |
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The Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History established the Hall of Fame in 1974 to recognize and honor Dan River Region citizens whose achievements have had national or international impact on culture and humanity.
The Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History announced a new inductee into its Hall of Fame, nominated by Laura Morgan Powell. The induction/installation took place in the DMFAH auditorium on Friday, November 12th at 7:30pm. Laura Powell sponsored the events reception. Henry L. "Roddy" Roediger III flew into Raleigh to attend the event, which was opened by DMFAH Board Secretary Connie Fletcher. Roediger served as President of the Association of Psychological Science and several other associations of psychologists. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences. Roediger was awarded a John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship from the Guggenheim Foundation and an honorary doctorate from Purdue University. Roediger has also received the Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award from the American Psychological Association.
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The Historical Union Hill Site | | |
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Crossroads Community Discussion: Anita Royston hosts panel on the Historical Union Hill, Virginia site in relation to eco justice and social justice issues.
On Thursday, November 18, anthropologist Lakshmi Fjord discussed her work with descendants of the Free Black founders of the community of Union Hill in Buckingham County, Virginia, where the Atlantic Coast Pipeline was granted an air permit for a compressor station. The group developed site-sensitive methods to uncover demographic and family heritage evidence. Attorney Mark Sabath of the Southern Environmental Law Center explains the legal role of this evidence in contesting the air permit. Local speakers from Pittsylvania County will talk about the compressor station proposed near Chatham as part of the Mountain Valley Pipeline Southgate Project. Dr. Mary Finley Brook, of the University of Richmond, an expert on energy and climate justice closed the program. Change in rural America is not without controversy.
The opinions expressed by the speakers do not necessarily reflect those of The Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History or those of its partners in sponsoring the Crossroads exhibit.
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Katie Whitehead speaks on eco justice issue.
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Annie Chapel running Tech support. | |
Newly appointed Danville Marketing Director Stops by the Museum | | |
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Welcome to Danville’s new marketing Director Lisa Meriwether.
On Friday November 19 Danville Museum Director Elsabe Dixon and the Director of the Virginia Association of Museums, Jennifer Thomas, met with newly appointed Danville Marketing/ Tourist Director Lisa Meriwether. Having spent more than 35 years in hospitality, sales, and tourism, she knows how to align resources to make events – from the smallest conferences to the largest conventions – memorable for all involved. Lisa’s collaborative spirit enables her to bring hotel properties and attractions to the table with meeting planners to craft experiences that showcase the best that the Danville region has to offer. Please read her full bio HERE
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Camilla Williams exhibition captures Jesse Jackson's 1984 run for the Presidency. | | |
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An exceptional visitor at the DMFAH
Skye Jackson – Granddaughter of Jesse Jackson Visits the Danville Museum of Fine Arts And History on November 21, 2022.
Skye Jackson enjoyed the Camilla Williams exhibition and loved the fact that her Grandfather, who was the first African American to run for the US Presidency, was mentioned on the Camilla Williams Timeline. The last time Jesse Jackson came through Danville was on September 19, 2008 when he made a number of stops in Danville on a Thursday, speaking to a variety of people with the same underlying message: “ There have been profound changes, but we still have work to do…” Skye Jackson visited the Civil Rights Exhibition called The Movement and the Danville Civil Rights timeline. She was not here on official business, but was visiting friends in town.
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Swanson Studio December Workshops | |
Public School Teacher Cali Earp Nominated for the 2021 Debbi Kleisch Residency/A.I.R
Cali Earp leads two bookbinding/bookmaking workshops on December 4th and December 11th from 1pm - 4pm.
Deborah Sue Kleisch, passed away on October 22, 2020. For those who loved her, she will be remembered through this Artist’s Residency for Public School Teachers. Her love for the arts and teaching were always connected. Friends donated to the Deborah Sue Kleisch Memorial Fund through the Danville Museum of Art and History, so they may continue creating and teaching with the Stratford Arts equipment Debbi toiled with in her college years. In 2020, Debbi Kleisch’s family donated all her studio materials to the Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History. Along with a $500 stipend, the resident artist will also receive supplies from Debbi’s studio to put towards instruction. This residency gives a public school teacher the opportunity to develop a new SOL based Art curriculum, and to connect with the DMFAH community (Staff, interns, volunteers and the Swanson Artists) . This is a great opportunity to engage with the Danville Museum Swanson Studio Site, the Danville Museum Collection, and to offer a community engagement (two workshops)
Cali Earp is a Danville native that studied art and art education at the Savannah College of Art & Design, and Averett University; she graduated with BFA and MEd degrees. She has taught middle school art for the past seven years at Halifax County Middle School, and exhibits her personal work online and at various art shows.
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Felice McWilliams will 'Make Us Smile" for the Holidays
"Mandala Making,for the Holidays "
Class on Saturday November 27th and Saturday December 18th, 11am to 2pm at the Swanson Studio both days! The cost for the class would be $35 per person! (Think of this unique gift that could make someone smile this holiday season).Please sign up with Felice HERE: felice@danvillemuseum.org – only a few spots left! She looks forward to hearing from you, and doing fun art with the community at the Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History!
If you have ever had the opportunity to attend Felice McWilliams' one of a kind Mandala classes, you can count yourself lucky. If you have never experienced making one of these symmetrical compositions, you are in for a wonderful adventure; so sign up, and come to the Swanson Studio on Saturday November 27 from 11am to 2pm and on December 18 from 11am -2pm
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Forms in Clay: Jonathan Scollo Ceramic Classes | | |
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Hand-building and Wheel
The Forms In Clay class is designed for beginners to advance students. The Swanson Studio is equipped for hand building and wheel throwing, and utilizes an electric kiln for firing. The beginner student will learn the 3 basic hand-building techniques and an introduction to wheel-throwing. Intermediate students and advance students have the flexibility to follow their own artistic direction. Forms created in class range from functional vases, bowls etc. to non-functional sculptural art pieces. For more information, or to sign up, email or call 434-792-5355 9:00am-5:30 pm. Sessions are about five weeks, and run throughout the year.
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Vote for the Danville Museum! | |
Wreaths for a Cause
The Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History is participating in the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research Annual Holiday Auction for Causes. Please support our WREATH FOR A CAUSE. Proceeds will be going toward the DMFAH summer Fellowship program for University students and also to support our Museum Internship program for High School students who are able to learn from the research fellows. The public will vote by placing monetary donations in boxes provided by IALR. IALR will promote the program through social media and print media. A ticketed Open House event will be held Tuesday, December 14, from 8:00am- 5:00pm, at which time the wreaths will be sold at a live or silent auction. All monies will go toward the cause listed by the sponsoring organization for each wreath. You may start voting soon after the wreaths are installed – please vote for the DMFAH. Please contact ellen.bass@ialr.org if you need any additional information.
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A Bluegrass Festival at ODAC sets the bar | |
Michael Cleveland & the Flamekeepers | |
During our Crossroads: Change in Rural America exhibition, the Old Dominion Agricultural Complex (ODAC) opened their Tobacco Exhibition for tours. They also brought to town, for this last weekend before the Crossroads Exhibition closed, an incredible line-up of musicians: Stillmeadow, Jus' Cauz Bluegrass Band, The New North Carolina Ramblers, Johnny and Jeanette Williams, High Fidelity, Don Rigsby & Midnight Call; Michael Cleveland and the Flamekeepers was the headline attraction. Thank you to John Harris, Executive Director of ODAC, and his staff for bringing this tremendous cultural offering to Pittsylvania County, and thank you to local legend, Kinney Rorrer, who hosted “Back to the Blue Ridge'' on Virginia Tech Public Radio for 16 years, and was the host of his podcast “County Sales Radio Hour '' on Radio Bristol; Rorrer was the emcee of the event. Rorrers’ band, “The New North Carolina Ramblers'' also performed a session during the festival. The festival is the first of its kind here in Pittsylvania County, and celebrates what Bluegrass music means to our region. | | | | | | |
