Virginia Humanities Announces $165,844 in Awards
Virginia—Virginia Humanities, the state’s humanities council, announced $165,844 in additional VA250 grants to 19 nonprofit cultural organizations.
The Virginia American Revolution 250 Commission (VA250) was established by the General Assembly in 2020 to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, the Revolutionary War, and the Independence of the United States in the Commonwealth of Virginia. In 2026, VA250 saw Virginians come together for an extraordinary milestone. But the story of America’s founding didn’t end on July 4, 1776. VA250, now known as “America Made in Virginia,” reflects the next chapter of this commemoration, telling the story of how independence was fought for and ultimately won, while reminding Americans of Virginia’s central role in building our nation.
By understanding our past, we better understand who we are and the responsibilities we share in shaping our nation’s future.
Carly Fiorina
“The Declaration of Independence was not the end of our founding story, but the beginning of an extraordinary struggle to turn the ideals of liberty and self-government into reality.” Said Carly Fiorina, National Honorary Chair of the Virginia American Revolution 250 Commission. “Every community across Virginia has stories that deserve to be discovered, preserved, and shared. We are grateful for our partnership with the extraordinary team at Virginia Humanities, whose work helps ensure that we tell our history fully and truthfully—its triumphs and tragedies, its heroes and contradictions. By understanding our past, we better understand who we are and the responsibilities we share in shaping our nation’s future.”
In total, more than 84 museums, libraries, historic sites, and cultural organizations received VA250 grants from Virginia Humanities over four grant cycles between 2023-2026.
More information on grant opportunities and how to apply can be found at VirginiaHumanities.org/grants.
Delivering the Untold Story of Fauquier’s African American Population at America’s Founding
Afro-American Historical Association of Fauquier County ($10000)
Warrenton, VA
Support for the development of new public-facing materials related to research about the lives, locations, and contributions of African Americans living in Fauquier County during the Revolutionary War era.
Afro-American Historical Association of Fauquier County ($10000)
Warrenton, VA
Support for the development of new public-facing materials related to research about the lives, locations, and contributions of African Americans living in Fauquier County during the Revolutionary War era.
Frontier Culture Museum Summer 2027 Elementary Teacher Institute
American Frontier Culture Foundation ($9900)
Staunton, VA
Support for a teacher institute that will provide elementary educators with immersive training on teaching the American Revolution through primary sources, material culture, and multiple historical perspectives.
American Frontier Culture Foundation ($9900)
Staunton, VA
Support for a teacher institute that will provide elementary educators with immersive training on teaching the American Revolution through primary sources, material culture, and multiple historical perspectives.
Revolutionary Ideas, Local Voices
Arts for Learning ($7500)
Norfolk, VA
Support for a free professional development workshop that equips educators with arts-integrated, place-based strategies for teaching civic education and America’s 250th anniversary.
Arts for Learning ($7500)
Norfolk, VA
Support for a free professional development workshop that equips educators with arts-integrated, place-based strategies for teaching civic education and America’s 250th anniversary.
Freedom Forward Film & Forum (2027)
Djimon Hounsou Foundation ($10000)
Venice, CA
Support for "Freedom Forward Film & Forum," a new recurring component of the Run Richmond 16.19 event that uses film screenings and scholar-led discussions to explore Black Americans’ experiences, contributions, and perspectives during the American Revolution.
Djimon Hounsou Foundation ($10000)
Venice, CA
Support for "Freedom Forward Film & Forum," a new recurring component of the Run Richmond 16.19 event that uses film screenings and scholar-led discussions to explore Black Americans’ experiences, contributions, and perspectives during the American Revolution.
Special Documentary Screening – Rock & Reel: A Film About Monticello’s Black Fiddlers
Early Music Access Project ($5000)
Charlottesville, VA
Support for a public screening of "Rock & Reel: A Film About Monticello’s Black Fiddlers," a documentary exploring the lives of the Hemings and Scott family musicians and their complex connections to Thomas Jefferson.
Early Music Access Project ($5000)
Charlottesville, VA
Support for a public screening of "Rock & Reel: A Film About Monticello’s Black Fiddlers," a documentary exploring the lives of the Hemings and Scott family musicians and their complex connections to Thomas Jefferson.
Shore History Celebrates VA250: Living History Days at Historic Ker Place
Eastern Shore Virginia Historical Society ($9995.84)
Onancock, VA
Support for a two-day immersive event at historic Ker Place that commemorates the United States Semiquincentennial by bringing Revolutionary-era Virginia history to life through reenactments, historic interpreters, demonstrations, and hands-on educational activities.
Eastern Shore Virginia Historical Society ($9995.84)
Onancock, VA
Support for a two-day immersive event at historic Ker Place that commemorates the United States Semiquincentennial by bringing Revolutionary-era Virginia history to life through reenactments, historic interpreters, demonstrations, and hands-on educational activities.
Salubria's Oktoberfest and History Faire: Celebrating Virginia's Stories Through the VA250
Germanna Foundation ($10000)
Locust Grove, VA
Support for a free public humanities festival that uses living history, archaeology, traditional crafts, music, and expert interpretation to explore Virginia’s Revolutionary-era history and the experiences of diverse communities.
Germanna Foundation ($10000)
Locust Grove, VA
Support for a free public humanities festival that uses living history, archaeology, traditional crafts, music, and expert interpretation to explore Virginia’s Revolutionary-era history and the experiences of diverse communities.
Journeys of Liberty
Hampton History Museum Association ($10000)
Hampton, VA
Support for a documentary and educational outreach project that explores Hampton’s Revolutionary War history through the stories of lesser-known individuals whose actions shaped local and national events.
Hampton History Museum Association ($10000)
Hampton, VA
Support for a documentary and educational outreach project that explores Hampton’s Revolutionary War history through the stories of lesser-known individuals whose actions shaped local and national events.
Foundations of Liberty: Interpreting the Founding Documents that Shaped Virginia & the United States
Historical Society of Western Virginia ($10000)
Roanoke, VA
Support for a ten-part public lecture series that explores the key Virginia and American founding documents that shaped representative government, constitutional principles, and civic life.
Historical Society of Western Virginia ($10000)
Roanoke, VA
Support for a ten-part public lecture series that explores the key Virginia and American founding documents that shaped representative government, constitutional principles, and civic life.
Whose Declaration? Descendant Voices and the Legacy of American Independence
Menokin Foundation ($2500)
Warsaw, VA
Support for a facilitated screening and descendant dialogue around “Thicker Than Water,” bringing together descendants of people enslaved at Menokin to reflect on and help shape the interpretation of their families' histories before the documentary is finalized.
Menokin Foundation ($2500)
Warsaw, VA
Support for a facilitated screening and descendant dialogue around “Thicker Than Water,” bringing together descendants of people enslaved at Menokin to reflect on and help shape the interpretation of their families' histories before the documentary is finalized.
Northern Neck 250 Preservation Fellows: Young Voices for Preservation and Commemoration
Northern Neck Tourism Commission ($10000)
Warsaw, VA
Support for an eight-month fellowship that engages ten high school students in hands-on preservation experiences focused on the people, places, and stories that should be preserved and commemorated for America’s next 250 years.
Northern Neck Tourism Commission ($10000)
Warsaw, VA
Support for an eight-month fellowship that engages ten high school students in hands-on preservation experiences focused on the people, places, and stories that should be preserved and commemorated for America’s next 250 years.
Hybrid Access to sessions on the American Revolution at our annual SHEAR conference
Society for Historians of the Early American Republic ($10000)
Williamsburg, VA
Support for hybrid access to the 2027 annual conference in Richmond, making scholarly discussions of the American Revolution and early United States accessible to educators, public historians, and others who cannot attend in person.
Society for Historians of the Early American Republic ($10000)
Williamsburg, VA
Support for hybrid access to the 2027 annual conference in Richmond, making scholarly discussions of the American Revolution and early United States accessible to educators, public historians, and others who cannot attend in person.
Leven Powell – Liberty
The Middleburg Museum Foundation ($8000)
Middleburg, VA
Support for a traveling exhibit that brings the story of Middleburg founder and Revolutionary War officer Colonel Leven Powell directly into local classrooms.
The Middleburg Museum Foundation ($8000)
Middleburg, VA
Support for a traveling exhibit that brings the story of Middleburg founder and Revolutionary War officer Colonel Leven Powell directly into local classrooms.
The Army Before the Army: The Grand Opening of the Museum of the Virginia National Guard
The Virginia National Guard Historical Foundation ($9948.95)
Richmond, VA
Support for a permanent exhibition that will highlight the role of Virginia’s county militias in the Revolutionary War, connect local communities to their Revolutionary history, and make scholarship accessible to broader audiences during the VA250 commemoration.
The Virginia National Guard Historical Foundation ($9948.95)
Richmond, VA
Support for a permanent exhibition that will highlight the role of Virginia’s county militias in the Revolutionary War, connect local communities to their Revolutionary history, and make scholarship accessible to broader audiences during the VA250 commemoration.
Revolutionary Roots: Agrarian Heritage, Culturally Diverse Foodways, & Community Self-Reliance in PC
Timeless Traditions Foundation – CDC ($10000)
Dry Fork, VA
Support for an interactive demonstration garden and educational workshop series in Pittsylvania County that will showcase how European settlers, African agriculturalists, and Native Americans contributed to local food production and community resilience during the Revolutionary War.
Timeless Traditions Foundation – CDC ($10000)
Dry Fork, VA
Support for an interactive demonstration garden and educational workshop series in Pittsylvania County that will showcase how European settlers, African agriculturalists, and Native Americans contributed to local food production and community resilience during the Revolutionary War.
Culpeper’s Revolutionary Story: Expanding the Road to Revolution
Town of Culpeper ($10000)
Culpeper, VA
Support to create and install three permanent Road to Revolution interpretive markers in Culpeper that connect local Revolutionary-era stories to the broader history of Virginia and the nation.
Town of Culpeper ($10000)
Culpeper, VA
Support to create and install three permanent Road to Revolution interpretive markers in Culpeper that connect local Revolutionary-era stories to the broader history of Virginia and the nation.
An Intimate Look at the People of Yorktown, 1770-1783
Virginia Commonwealth University ($3000)
Richmond, VA
Support for a public lecture by Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Dr. Kathleen DuVal about her new research examining Yorktown and the diverse communities whose experiences shaped the Revolutionary era.
Virginia Commonwealth University ($3000)
Richmond, VA
Support for a public lecture by Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Dr. Kathleen DuVal about her new research examining Yorktown and the diverse communities whose experiences shaped the Revolutionary era.
Threads of Time: The Revolution Came Through Here
Virginia Highlands Festival, Inc. ($10000)
Abingdon, VA
Support for “The Revolution Came Through Here," a project that will explore Southwest Virginia’s role in the American Revolution, emphasizing the experiences of ordinary people beyond the battlefield.
Virginia Highlands Festival, Inc. ($10000)
Abingdon, VA
Support for “The Revolution Came Through Here," a project that will explore Southwest Virginia’s role in the American Revolution, emphasizing the experiences of ordinary people beyond the battlefield.
Living Memory at the Trading Post: Community Knowledge and Virginia's Frontier Fur Trade
Virginia Trappers Association ($10000)
Fredericksburg, VA
Support to document and interpret Virginia’s frontier fur trade heritage through oral histories, living history demonstrations, and educational materials, exploring how this network shaped colonial Virginia and supported the nation’s founding.
Virginia Trappers Association ($10000)
Fredericksburg, VA
Support to document and interpret Virginia’s frontier fur trade heritage through oral histories, living history demonstrations, and educational materials, exploring how this network shaped colonial Virginia and supported the nation’s founding.
About Virginia Humanities
Virginia Humanities is the state humanities council. We share the stories of all Virginians—or, more accurately, we help Virginians share their own stories. We believe that a greater understanding of our shared humanities can help us build a more thoughtful and resilient commonwealth. To learn more, visit VirginiaHumanities.org.
