Arts and Crafts – The UncommonWealth

Art for Adults: Exploring Circular Weaving at Salem Public Library

Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of leading a hands-on Circular Weaving class as part of our ongoing Art for Adults series at the…

Guest ContributorJanuary 12, 2026

Newspapers

From Richmond to São Paulo: International Art Collaboration on the Eve of World War II

On January 17, 1939, American businessman Donald McKenzie Blair arrived in Rio de Janeiro, then the capital of Brazil, on board the Normandie. His arrival…

Guest ContributorJune 2, 2025

Archives Education & Programming Manuscripts & Special Collections

“A Handsome & Workmanlike Manner”: Engraving the Map of Virginia

How was Virginia’s nine-sheet map, drafted from manuscript surveys, transformed into this elegant engraving? It was a time-consuming process that involved oversight and coordination of…

Barbara BatsonFebruary 21, 2025

Education & Programming Highlights

Envisioning Ancestors with AI

On Saturday, February 10, 2024, the Library of Virginia hosted Envisioning Ancestors with AI, an image-generating workshop using historic records and free artificial intelligence tools…

Library of VirginiaJune 17, 2024

Public Libraries

This Library’s Knitting Program is Killing It

On a bone-chilling Wednesday evening in February, the Century Room on the lower level of the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library’s Gordon Avenue branch is set up…

Guest ContributorMarch 11, 2024

Archives Manuscripts & Special Collections

The End is Nigh

As another year winds down many of us may be thinking not only of endings, but also of new beginnings. New Year’s imagery usually includes…

Jessi BennettDecember 4, 2023

Public Libraries

Make It Reel

The mission of the Newport News Public Library is to "Connect, Inspire, Enrich, and Empower". We continually seek ways to engage with our community, in…

Guest ContributorApril 10, 2023

Virginia Authors

Snapshots of Violence

The Common Ground Virginia History Book Club focuses on approachable books focused on Virginia-centered nonfiction. Most of these books are historical narratives and biographies such…

Library of VirginiaDecember 21, 2022

Archives Education & Programming Manuscripts & Special Collections

Elevating the Art and Culture of Freedom in Post-War Richmond

When I arrived as a Virginia Humanities Fellow at the Library of Virginia in September 2021, I did so with the intent to research the…

Guest ContributorAugust 10, 2022

Random Reference: Fraktur Fractions

While many archival items contain interesting content, the item itself may look rather boring. That is certainly not the case with an arithmetic book from…

Ginny DunnJuly 4, 2022

Digital Projects Manuscripts & Special Collections

Echoes of Summer: Explore warm-weather recreation & attractions of the past in our digital collections

Editor's Note: A version of this article first appeared in Broadside, the magazine of the Library of Virginia, Issue No. 2, 2020. As we near…

Dana PugaAugust 18, 2021

When Archives Meet Art and Contests

The following is republished with permission from Quail Bell Magazine and Ghia Vitale. REMIX is a contest that showcases archive-inspired art and literary submissions. Check…

Vince BrooksOctober 2, 2019

Manuscripts & Special Collections

Erin Go Bragh! Images of St Patrick’s Day in the Visual Studies Collection

This March we are highlighting vintage St. Patrick’s Day postcards from the Visual Studies Collection at the Library of Virginia. What is the backstory behind…

Meghan TownesMarch 13, 2019

Manuscripts & Special Collections

Ich Liebe Dich! Vintage Valentines

Happy Valentine’s Day to our Out of the Box readers! Valentine’s Day is perhaps the most critiqued of any holiday for being “made-up,” but as…

Claire RadcliffeFebruary 14, 2019

Manuscripts & Special Collections

Season’s Greetings and More!

Did you know that the Library of Virginia's Visual Studies Collection has a Tumblr page for new acquisitions? It is called LOOK WHAT WE GOT,…

Vince BrooksDecember 6, 2018