For VMHC’s reopening in 2022, PRD designed two new galleries to interpret the museum’s objects with a more inclusive, visitor-focused perspective. The goal was to have these spaces evoke a new outlook by the museum and a new way to engage their visitors in the exploration of the Commonwealth’s collective history.
In “History Matters,” the objects encourages visitors to discover more about themselves, connect with Virginia’s communities, spur their sense exploration, and inspire their future. A carefully curated selection of VMHC’s collections fosters novel and familiar links between the visitors and the objects from Virginia’s history. The culminating activity asks visitors to consider what objects might reflect themselves.
In “Treasures of Virginia,” PRD created a jewel-box setting for a selection of awe-inspiring Virginia objects. The spotlight includes an emphasis on how Virginia’s key moments contribute to the collective national history. These artifacts range from George Washington’s personal diary to a 1960s Woolworth’s lunch counter where a civil rights sit-in was staged.
- Location: Richmond, VA
- Timeline: September 2020 – May 2022
- Exhibit fabrication: 1220 Exhibits, Inc.
