Community Calendar

On July 4, 1776, two hundred miles northwest of Philadelphia, on Indigenous land along the West Branch of the Susquehanna River, a group of colonial squatters declared their independence. They were not alone in their efforts. This bold symbolic gesture was just a small part of a much broader and longer struggle in the Northern Susquehanna River Valley, where diverse peoples, especially Indigenous nations, fought tenaciously to safeguard their lands, sovereignty, and survival. Declarations of Independence immerses readers in that intense, decades-long struggle. By intertwining the experiences of Indigenous Americans, rebellious colonial squatters, opportunistic land speculators, and imperial government agents, Dr. Christopher Pearl reveals how conflicts within and between them all set the terms and ultimately shaped the meaning of the American Revolution. In the crucible of this conflict, memories, histories, and animosities collided and converged with tremendous consequences. Declarations of Independence delves into the racial violence over land and sovereignty that suffused the Revolutionary Age and helps restore Indigenous peoples to their central position at the founding of the United States.

Dr. Christopher R. Pearl is Associate Professor of History at Lycoming College. He is the coeditor (with Douglas Bradburn) of From Independence to the U.S. Constitution: Reconsidering the Critical Period of American History and the author of Conceived in Crisis: The Revolutionary Creation of an American State and Declarations of Independence: Indigenous Resilience, Colonial Rivalries, and the Cost of Revolution.

The content and opinions expressed in these presentations are solely those of the speaker and not necessarily of the Virginia Museum of History & Culture.

Program Notes:

- Tickets are required for in-person admission. Tickets are not needed if you would prefer to join us live on YouTube or Facebook.
- Admission to this lecture is free for members. Members, please login to your account to reserve your free tickets. Your free member tickets will be visible once the items are in your cart.
- In-person attendees are invited to meet the speaker immediately following the lecture.
Signed copies of the book will be available at ShopVirginiaHistory.org.

Vladimir Kara-Murza, a Russian politician, author, historian, and former political prisoner, will present Gone Today, Here Tomorrow: The Fight for Democracy as part of the Watkins Lecture Series on Thursday, Nov. 6 at 7 p.m. inside Blackwell Auditorium at the Center for the Performing Arts. Reserve your ticket here.

A close colleague of the slain opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, Kara-Murza has served as deputy leader of the People’s Freedom Party and was a candidate for the Russian Parliament. In April 2022, he was arrested in Moscow for publicly denouncing the invasion of Ukraine and the war crimes committed by Russian forces. Following a closed-door trial at the Moscow City Court, he was sentenced to 25 years for “high treason” and kept in solitary confinement at a maximum-security prison in Siberia. He was released in August 2024 as part of the largest East-West prisoner exchange since the Cold War negotiated by the U.S. and German governments.

Kara-Murza is a contributing writer at the Washington Post, winning the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for his columns written from prison, and has previously worked for Echo of Moscow, BBC, RTVi, Kommersant, World Affairs, and other media organizations. He has directed three documentary films and is the author or contributor to several books on Russian history and politics. Kara-Murza currently serves as vice-president at the Free Russia Foundation, as senior advisor at Human Rights First, and as senior fellow at the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights. He is a recipient of several awards, including the Council of Europe’s Václav Havel Human Rights Prize, and is an honorary fellow at Trinity Hall, Cambridge.

Now showing six new exhibits. The featured artists are Blake Seals, Felicia L. Reed, Adam Reinhard, Sorvino, and Tobi Holtslag. Also see 80+ working artist studios.

Visit us Tuesdays through Sundays 11am- 5pm. Admission is free and open to the public. Convenient and free parking is available. The exhibits will continue through November 22nd 2025.

-5 rounds of over-the-board chess – 20 mins plus 5 second increment per move
-Boards, pieces and clocks provided
-Trophies to the top three finishers and title of Charlottesville Scholastic Chess Champion
-No registration fee
-Any chess player grade K-8 in the Charlottesville area in good standing is welcome to participate.
-All skill levels are welcome

Register at www.renaissanceschool.org

Now showing six new exhibits. The featured artists are Blake Seals, Felicia L. Reed, Adam Reinhard, Sorvino, and Tobi Holtslag. Also see 80+ working artist studios.

Visit us Tuesdays through Sundays 11am- 5pm. Admission is free and open to the public. Convenient and free parking is available. The exhibits will continue through November 22nd 2025.

Visit the vault!

Join staff on a short tour of the VMHC's rare book and manuscript vault to see some of the collection's most unique books, documents, and artifacts from across five centuries of Virginia history. In addition to viewing these treasures, guests will learn about the VMHC's library collection and the library's role in facilitating pioneering research into Virginia history.

This tour gives special access to an area of the museum off limits to daily admission and library visitors.

IMPORTANT INFO:

This is an add-on program. You must purchase Daily Admission to the museum in order to take this tour.

Happens on the following Dates:
Sep 13, 2025, 3:00pm to 3:30pm Timezone: Eastern Time (US & Canada)
Sep 27, 2025, 3:00pm to 3:30pm Timezone: Eastern Time (US & Canada)
Oct 25, 2025, 3:00pm to 3:30pm Timezone: Eastern Time (US & Canada)
Nov 22, 2025, 3:00pm to 3:30pm Timezone: Eastern Time (US & Canada)
Dec 6, 2025, 3:00pm to 3:30pm Timezone: Eastern Time (US & Canada)
Dec 20, 2025, 3:00pm to 3:30pm Timezone: Eastern Time (US & Canada)

Now showing six new exhibits. The featured artists are Blake Seals, Felicia L. Reed, Adam Reinhard, Sorvino, and Tobi Holtslag. Also see 80+ working artist studios.

Visit us Tuesdays through Sundays 11am- 5pm. Admission is free and open to the public. Convenient and free parking is available. The exhibits will continue through November 22nd 2025.

Shop Small at our Brambly Park Artisan Market every Sunday! We'll have Local Artisans selling handmade Home décor, Art, Jewelry, Apparel, Ceramics, Candles, Woodworking, and More! We are an outdoor, open-air market located at Brambly Park, an urban winery and oasis located in the northwest corner of Richmond's Scott's Addition neighborhood. BYO Dog to run around the 2 acres of property. Kid Friendly! Come out to support our community!
VENDORS Apply on our Website www.artisanmakers.org

Now showing six new exhibits. The featured artists are Blake Seals, Felicia L. Reed, Adam Reinhard, Sorvino, and Tobi Holtslag. Also see 80+ working artist studios.

Visit us Tuesdays through Sundays 11am- 5pm. Admission is free and open to the public. Convenient and free parking is available. The exhibits will continue through November 22nd 2025.

Now showing six new exhibits. The featured artists are Blake Seals, Felicia L. Reed, Adam Reinhard, Sorvino, and Tobi Holtslag. Also see 80+ working artist studios.

Visit us Tuesdays through Sundays 11am- 5pm. Admission is free and open to the public. Convenient and free parking is available. The exhibits will continue through November 22nd 2025.