The days ahead are heavy with history, as an exhibition at Wilton House considers artifacts from an enslaved community, Richmond Public Library presents the author of a book on what Oscar wins mean for Black America, and the Civil War film “Glory” gets mythbusted by the Virginia Museum of History & Culture. Also on the calendar, the Richmond Ballet presents a performance from “The Sleeping Beauty.” Enjoy your week!
Digging History
In 1998 a group of archaeology students from William & Mary unearthed the largest collection of artifacts from nearly a century of enslaved families at the original site of the circa 1763 Wilton plantation. Join Katie Watkins, the education director at Wilton House, on Thursday, Feb. 18, at 6 p.m. for a virtual look at the development of “Wilton Uncovered: Archaeology Illuminates an Enslaved Community,” a new exhibition of the objects found, alongside Dennis Winston’s artistic renderings of the community that used the artifacts and left them behind. A $10 donation is suggested.
—Susan Morgan, R•Home Managing Editor
Oscar Talk
In recent years, the #OscarsSoWhite movement has called attention to the lack of substantial African American representation in the nearly century-old awards ceremony for the motion picture industry. A new book looks beyond the hashtag, offering a critical analysis of the awards and nominations given by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and what they say about race relations in America. Frederick W. Gooding Jr., the author of “Black Oscars: From Mammy to Minny, What the Academy Awards Tell Us About African Americans,” will discuss his work in a virtual author talk with the Richmond Public Library on Tuesday, Feb. 16, at 6 p.m. Registration is required, with 80 spots available.
—Craig Belcher, Arts & Entertainment Editor
The Power in ‘Glory’
If you haven’t seen “Glory,” the 1989 Edward Zwick film with Matthew Broderick, Morgan Freeman and Denzel Washington, about the Union Army’s first African American regiment in the Civil War, now’s a fine opportunity. The Virginia Museum of History & Culture’s virtual program “Movie Mythbusting,” takes on this film at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 16. Historian Kevin Levin, author of “Searching for Black Confederates: The Civil War’s Most Persistent Myth,” will lead an online discussion about the movie. With so few film treatments of this subject, “Glory” occupies a niche of its own. The program is free, but registration is required.
—Harry Kollatz Jr., Senior Writer
Ballet Your Way
Whether you choose to watch in person or virtually, the Richmond Ballet’s February Studio Series makes the beauty of movement accessible to everyone. Continuing through Feb. 21, performances include new works by Marty Davis, Sarah Ferguson, Eri Nishihara and Ira White, as well as “Stolen Moments V.2” and Pas de Deux from “The Sleeping Beauty.” The Ballet’s Studio Series is intended to uplift as you view “extraordinary dancing for extraordinary times,” as Artistic Director Stoner Winslett describes it. In-person tickets start at $25 and are limited. Virtual tickets are $20, and performances can be streamed for one week beginning Sunday, Feb. 21.
—Nicole Cohen, Special Projects Editor
Other Suggestions:
- “Cabin Fever,” 1708 Gallery’s annual auction, moves online, with silent auction bidding open all week and a live auction on Saturday, Feb. 20.
- The RVA Environmental Film Festival screens films online for free this year through Feb. 26.
- A virtual book lecture by Bettye Kearse, author of “The Other Madisons: The Lost History of a President’s Black Family,” on Thursday, Feb. 18
River City Roundup is Richmond magazine's weekly compilation of the best things to see, do and experience in the region, compiled by our editors. Get each week's installment directly in your inbox every Monday by subscribing to our e-newsletter.