NRV Black History Collection of books and pamphlets.

On August 3, 2022   /   Events, History Exhibits  

NRV Black History Collection of books and pamphlets.

Press release:

MONTGOMERY COUNTY-RADFORD CITY-FLOYD COUNTY BRANCH OF THE NAACP PARTNERS WITH MONTGOMERY MUSEUM TO MAKE AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE MORE ACCESSIBLE

The Education Committee of the Montgomery County-Radford City-Floyd County Branch of the NAACP (MRF Branch) has organized the NRV Black History Collection of books and pamphlets.  The purpose of the collection is to make local African American history more accessible to the community by providing resources to local museums. The public, students, and community groups can gather to research and experience local history through this robust collection.

On Thursday, August 11, from 5-7pm, the Montgomery Museum of Art and History will have an open house in conjunction with its summer Membership Mingle. At 6pm the MRF Branch will formally present its Black History Collection to the museum, including the newly created history booklets.  The event will take place at the museum’s new location, 4 East Main Street, Christiansburg, VA and all are welcome for this historic community event. “We are honored to partner with the Montgomery County-Radford City-Floyd County Branch of the NAACP to make African American history and culture more accessible to all within the New River Valley,” said Executive Director, Casey Jenkins of the Montgomery Museum. Deborah Travis, President of the NAACP Branch, stated “this project would not have been possible without the support of the community.  We are excited to make these materials available through the museum and embrace the value it will bring to our community.”

The collection was curated by the Education Committee in consultation with curators of local history museums, and with history and sociology professors from Virginia Tech and Radford University.  This collection has come to life through the generous contributions of community members who purchased and donated books from a designated book list. Generous support from these donors also allowed the Education Committee to purchase and acquire rare literature and cover the cost of printing and binding of certain booklets.

The collection has two parts: 25 books that tell the history of African Americans in the New River Valley and the greater region of Appalachia, and 8 booklets that focus more narrowly on the New River Valley and the lived experiences of African Americans in Montgomery, Floyd, and Pulaski counties and Radford City.  The subjects covered include coal mining, local education, slavery and segregation, massive resistance, and reconciliation within the region.  In addition to printed material there will be QR codes to access documented oral histories.

Two sets of the Book Collection have been donated to the Montgomery Museum of Art & History.  The following quotation is printed on the bookplate inside each book: “There is no more powerful force than a people steeped in their history. And there is no higher cause than honoring our struggle and ancestors by remembering.” -Lonnie Bunch, Founding Director of the National Museum of African History and Culture

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Reimagined art and history museum

On June 7, 2022   /   Art  

We are so excited to welcome you back to YOUR reimagined art and history museum! We cannot wait for our soft opening on Wednesday, June 22, which is also Give Local NRV Day. We are accepting donations for Give Local through the 22nd. For more information and to donate, please visit https://www.givelocalnrv.org/organization/Mmah

Now on to the exciting itinerary that we have planned for the soft opening! Mark you calendars and bring your friends and family-9am The Montgomery County VA Chamber of Commerce will hold a ceremonial ribbon cutting. Breakfast items such as coffee and pastries will be served10am-3pm: A Bouncy House for children will be on-site in the back parking lot12pm-1pm (noon): A celebratory cake cutting will take place in the museum lobby. We will celebrate until the cake is gone! 12:30pm and 2:30pm: After the cake cutting stick around for Story Time with Joelle Kathryn Shenk with the kids! 12-7pm: We will have food trucks on-site in the back parking lot. 4pm: “Bonus Happy Hour” which will continue through 7pm as we celebrate our local member-artist who will display their work in the lobby. Wine and Cheese will be served.

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Give Local NRV

On June 2, 2022   /   Art  

#GiveLocalNRV We are so thrilled to be in a position to offer a $17,700 match for Give Local, but we need your help to reach this ambitious goal! This match was created by the support of the Board of Directors and 100% staff giving. To learn what your donation will support and to donate, please click HERE   

 

Looking Toward the Future: Growing With Our Community

Your support today helps us continue Growing With Our Community in the following ways:

Expand Our Footprint to Better Serve the Community

As our increasingly diverse community continues to grow, so must we in order to accommodate and serve the region at large. As the county museum, we are cognizant of our responsibility to steward the arts, history and culture of Montgomery County and the New River Valley. Our NEW home at 4 East Main St. will enhance our programming and outreach capabilities, offering the community a gathering place to learn and engage with history and art.

Offer New, Cultural Programming to provide Dynamic Forums of Self-Expression and Discovery

By donating to the museum, you are helping to create new cultural programming that we can provide to the community. We have many ideas for new events and exhibits designed to catered to all audiences of our beloved community. Based on community input, these event ideas include art walks/crawls across the County, Native American cultural programming, literary festival, film festival, and many more exciting programs! Our new building can also warmly welcome and host groups such as Dialogue on Race, Virginia History Day, and state-of-the-art traveling shows and exhibitions.

Community Collaborations to Create new Cultural Programming and Curriculum

In collaboration with many community partners, we are dedicated to sharing resources in the effort to promote, present, and preserve African American heritage and culture in Montgomery County.  Through a partnership with Christiansburg Institute, we recently erected three storyboards on the Town Square in Downtown Christiansburg honoring African American heritage, which can be found directly in front of our new building location.

Interpret and Examine the Region’s History through a New Lens and Offer a Safe Place for Discussion and Reflection

One of our objectives is to interpret and present the region’s culture and heritage, often through storytelling, public art, and history exhibits. In order to do this, it is critical to offer a safe environment and space to encourage dialogue and discussion, particularly to highlight cultural differences or elevate neglected voices in the community. We have the great responsibility, honor, and privilege to steward many untold stories that speak to the region’s heritage and offer these stories in curated form for public consumption and education.  

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April 7 is last day for museum’s old location

On April 3, 2022   /   Art  

                                              

The Montgomery Museum of Art & History, which opened its doors to the public in 1989, is closing its Pepper Street location to give way to a new chapter. Thursday, April 7, will be the last day the museum will be open to the general public at the Christiansburg site that has housed the museum for 33 years. 

Through a building acquisition, the museum will move its operations to downtown Christiansburg, taking up residence at 4 East Main St. The new location is the site of the former Bank of Christiansburg, next to the Post Office and directly behind the town quadrant which now holds the recently unveiled African American storyboards.

 

“Once we close the doors to the museum on Pepper Street, we will take the rest of the spring season to prepare and move our physical operations to the new building,” said Executive Director Casey Jenkins.  

 

“The historic manse has been a wonderful home to the museum for many decades but it is time for the museum to take on a larger space,” he continued, “one which will give us the opportunity to enhance and develop dynamic cultural programming, exhibits and displays. Specifically, I look forward to how the new facility can offer a space and forum for community conversations and dialogue amongst a variety of community voices and stakeholders.”

The museum will gain more than 12,000 square feet by moving. The historic building on Pepper Street is roughly 2,600 square feet, and the new building downtown is approximately 15,000 square feet.

The soft opening for the museum’s new location is scheduled for Wednesday, June 22. The day will begin with a ribbon cutting provided by the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce and end with a member-artist exhibit opening and reception in the evening. During the day, the museum will provide fun, family-friendly activities, food and beverages. This day is also Give Local NRV, a day dedicated to nonprofit fundraising sponsored by the Community Foundation of the New River Valley. The museum will be accepting donations for Give Local NRV during its celebrations on June 22.

 

The museum will retain the old property at 300 S. Pepper St. The intention is to lease the historic building as office use, while promoting the outdoor recreational opportunities including the community garden, which is managed by Master Gardeners.

For more information regarding the museum’s move and capital campaign, please visit https://montgomerymuseum.org/capital-campaign/ or reach out to Casey Jenkins at director@montgomerymuseum.org or 382-5644. 

 

– Submitted by Casey Jenkins

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Press Release

On February 9, 2022   /   Art  

50 Years in the Making: Celebrating old time, blues and bluegrass music

A Concert to benefit the Montgomery Museum of Art and History
Presented by the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM) Christiansburg, VA 02/08/2022 – On Tuesday, April 5, 2022 at 7pm, guests will enjoy a live concert celebrating old time, blues, and bluegrass music at the Moss Arts Center at Virginia Tech. 100% of all ticket proceeds will benefit the Montgomery Museum of Art and History. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Children 12 and under are $5. Seating is limited and tickets are now available online at https://montgomerymuseum.org/events/50-years-in-
the-making/ . Tickets can also be purchased in person at the Moss Arts Center box office during certain open hours. For more information, call the box office at 540-231-5300. A mask, photo ID, and proof of Covid-19 vaccination OR a negative test within 72 hours of the event are required for admittance. The concert is presented by the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM) with additional financial support provided by: Stateson Homes, Duncan Automotive Network, Virginia Tech Foundation Inc., David and Judie Reemsnyder, Blue Ridge Beverage, Holiday Inn Express and Suites Christiansburg, Asset Solutions Corp., Shelter Alternatives, FocusOne Integrated Financial Planning, and the Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center. Montgomery County native, Jack Hinshelwood, is the concert host. He brings together 12 remarkable artists who are releasing a new recording containing 22 tracks from their recent collaboration to celebrate three distinct but connected musical traditions – bluegrass, old time, and blues. The concert will feature recognized masters of these music forms including Phil Wiggins, Rob Ickes, Trey Hensley, Butch Robins, Ivy Phillips, Scott Freeman, Jacob Eller, Debbie Yates, Sandy Shortridge, and Jack Hinshelwood as host. A special feature of the concert includes
performances by two European artists, uilleann piper, Ronan Browne from Ireland and euphonium maestro Steven Mead from England, performing via YouTube

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Arts♥NRV Market

On February 8, 2022   /   Art  

 

May 20-21, 2022

Montgomery Museum of Art and History is pleased to announce the Arts♥NRV Market on May 20-21, 2022. This event features juried artists and artisans who sell and/or demonstrate their own work. Our new format this year will include a fashion show with food, drink, and music on Friday evening. Reservations are required for the fashion show $35:  Purchase Tickets Here.

More info at artsnrv.org

 

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50 Years in the Making!

On February 8, 2022   /   Events  

50 Years in the Making!

Old Time, Blues and Bluegrass Music Concert

7 pm – Tuesday, April 5, 2022

Moss Arts Center at Virginia, Blacksburg VA

FEATURING: A two-time W.C. Handy National Blues Award winner.  The most awarded instrumentalist in IBMA history. A fiddler with championship titles from 7 states.  These are just three of the remarkable artists who are part of 50 Years in the Making. 

Tickets $20 in advance, $25 at the door.  Children 12 and under $5.    All proceeds benefit the Montgomery Museum.

Buy Tickets! …or call the Moss Arts Center box office at (540) 231-5300.

More details at https://montgomerymuseum.org/events/50-years-in-the-making/

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Membership Letter

On January 29, 2022   /   Art, Events  

Greetings,

Thank you for considering membership to the Montgomery Museum!

The Montgomery Museum of Art and History is undergoing significant growth and change as we embark on a new journey to Downtown Christiansburg. As you may be aware, the Museum will be moving its operations to 4 East Main Street on the Town Square in Christiansburg. This move, scheduled for Summer 2022, will allow the institution to better serve Montgomery County and the New River Valley as a premier cultural destination.

In just a few months, we have raised nearly $800,000 toward our goal of $1.6 million needed for the move. The total reflects the purchase price of the property plus building renovations such as an elevator and ADA-compliant restrooms. We are very excited at our progress and hope to continue our fundraising success.

We have many exciting new special events planned for this year including 50 Years in the Making and Arts❤️NRV. 50 Years will feature a collection of talented artists from across Appalachia, all performing on the same stage at the Moss Arts Center sharing their talents in blues, bluegrass, and more! Arts NRV will be held at the German Club and feature a juried art show, fashion show, and silent auction. In August, we will also bring back a community favorite, Heritage Day in Downtown Christiansburg.

These are just a few of the many things we are excited about as we forecast this year. We are a museum “growing with our community.” As our increasingly diverse community continues to grow, so must we in order to accommodate and serve the region at large. We are cognizant of our responsibility to steward the arts, history and culture of Montgomery County and the New River Valley.

Your generous membership will help support the Museum’s ability to preserve history and present art to the community. This institution plays a vital role in promoting local artisans and celebrating regional history, while also providing a platform and safe space for community conversations.

I thank you so much for your friendship and support for this growing institution and I wish you and your family prosperity and happiness.

Sincerely,

Casey Jenkins

(540) 382-5644

director@montgomerymuseum.org

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Montgomery Museum invites public’s help to finish capital campaign

On January 27, 2022   /   Media  

Montgomery Museum invites public’s help to finish capital campaign

Roanoke Times Jan 24 2022

The Montgomery Museum of Art & History has raised nearly $800,000 in the past four months and is now reaching out to businesses and the general public, seeking charitable donations to continue raising funds toward its new location, according to a museum news release.

Read more…

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100+ Women Who Care NRV donates $10,000+ to Montgomery Museum

On January 24, 2022   /   Media, Uncategorized  

100+ Women Who Care NRV donates $10,000+ to Montgomery Museum

The News Messenger reports that The local chapter of the 100+ Women Who Care of the New River Valley recently donated $10,625 to the member-selected organization Montgomery Museum of Art and History in Christiansburg. See full article Here

News Messenger
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