Brave Museums Part 2: The Valentine

Before I talk about a brave museum I've visited, I wanted to shout out all those brave museum colleagues in the United States (and librarians too!) who have pushed back against the current administration's executive orders.  In particular, check out, if you haven't already:

• Lonnie Bunch's statement on the Smithsonian 
• Ashley Rogers of Whitney Plantation discussing cancellation of IMLS funds
• Japanese American National Museum statement on DEI

and of course, so many others of you--keep it up!

The Valentine Museum is in Richmond, Virginia, once the capital of the Confederacy.  It was founded in the late 19th century and its first president was sculptor Edward Valentine whose studio was relocated to the museum grounds.  Pretty straightforward, right?

Not to the talented folks who took on the task of rethinking Valentine's work, including co-curators Christina Vida and Josh Epperson. Valentine was perhaps the best-known sculptor of Confederate memorials.  An exhibit, opened in 2024, seeks to understand, not the work, but what it stood for, why it was created, and most importantly, what legacies it has left us today, to still grapple with.  The museum describes it as an "exhibition that examines how the Lost Cause myth was spread through centers of power, like media, education, politics, money, religion, and violence."   

Interestingly, like the museum I wrote about last time, there's lots of text.  Both museums seem to believe deeply that visitors are up for challenging topics, which often need lots of text. No dumbing down here!  A thoughtful three-year process involved surveys, focus groups, conversations and programming.  This serves as a reminder to all of us--it's not the length of the text, it's the quality of ideas and language.  This exhibit used tough questions to bring folks into the topic (and effective, clear yet compelling design).  For instance,

You're involved in the label conversation, you're not just a passive consumer.  They want you to consider past and present in a city where the past and present are inextricably intertwined.  Valentine's sculptures are still on show, but behind a scrim, with the sense that they are ever-present, yet perhaps receding in a city where the White House of the Confederacy is just down the street.

I've been lucky enough to work with the team twice on developing dialogic approaches for working with groups, both adults and young people as part of my role at the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience.  This is a challenging exhibition and the team has been dedicated to dialogue,  really embracing it as a tool for individual and collective learning.  Below, two pictures from a 2024 workshop and an image sharing what the group was proud of, one year later.

Two other notes on this museum:  first, there is an extensive list of resources on their website, including lesson plans for students. Second, in its permanent exhibit, the Valentine shows the statue of Jefferson Davis, covered in paint, and lain on its side. Visitors can post comments next to the statue which does inspire some strong reactions.  According to the staff, the museum's director, Bill Martin, is always willing to come down and speak with visitors about the statue, the exhibit, or anything else on their minds.   A willingness to engage with difficult issues, to work with communities to understand complex histories, to stand our ground and not obey in advance, is needed now more than ever.  Thanks to all of you who do.