#HomeHistory

Happy National Gardening Day, Virginia!

On loan from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, “The Cut Flower Garden” by Nell Blaine is one of several works highlighting the artist’s unique composition of colors and forms, an artistic style which is thought to have been influenced by her severe early childhood condition of crossed eyes. A life-long Richmond resident, Blaine’s life story and #homehistory is one shrouded in passion, resilience, and astounding success.

Learn more about the interesting and inspiring Nell Blaine in the Art Experience section, and plan your trip to the Executive Mansion on Friday, April 26 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. to view the grounds in full bloom on Historic Garden Day!

Recognized in April, Autism Acceptance Month celebrates the numerous ways individuals with autism enrich our world. Using his talent and creativity, Joey Frye creates #homehistory making artwork that inspires joy in others through a unique perspective, one he accredits to Asperger’s Syndrome. Hanging in the front hall of Virginia’s Executive Mansion, Joey’s painting “Autumn Light” reflects the beauty of our Commonwealth’s landscapes as well as the beauty that comes from the diversity of its people. To learn more about Artism by Joey, click on the Art Experience header in the website’s navigation bar.

On display in the front hall of Virginia’s Executive Mansion, Lorraine Bolton’s soothing watercolors, “Green Harbor” and “Green Trees,” instill tranquility and reflection in those who visit, accompanying the dozens of amazing works by women of the Commonwealth.

Bolton lived in the Hampton community for over 25 years, establishing a successful career as a painter, professor and ultimately the head of the art department at Hampton Institute. In recognition of her contributions to Hampton’s #homehistory, Bolton received a posthumous award in 2016 from the Hampton University Museum during the museum’s “New Power Generation” exhibition opening, an exhibit displaying the works of 24 artists of African American descent.

Learn more about Lorraine Bolton’s life and work in the Art Experience tab or visit the Executive Mansion on Tuesdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to take in dozens of paintings by Virginia women.

Folk artist Queena Stovall was born in rural Amherst County, Virginia. After raising eight children, Stovall’s artistic journey did not begin until she was 62. Stovall enrolled in a class at Randolph Macon Woman's College where her instructor, celebrated artist Pierre Daura, encouraged her to drop the class and pursue her unique painting style. She developed techniques to compensate for her lack of formal training, painting nearly 50 canvases that portray life on the farm. As seen in “Making Apple Butter” and “The Basket Weaver,” Stovall’s work is deeply reflective of her community’s #homehistory and is currently on display in the Executive Mansion’s ballroom as part of the Art Experience. 

On display at the Executive Mansion as part of the Art Experience, Catherine Kauffman’s painting “Waiting in the Wings” hangs alongside other works reflective of the performing arts and features her granddaughter and other anonymous ballerinas at their very first dance recital.

Catherine Kauffman dove headfirst into her artistic journey at a young age. When she was in high school, Kauffman was selected to study with the artists in residency at the National Gallery of Fine Arts and the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. During her time in D.C., Kauffman worked at the Smithsonian, fully immersing herself in the world she knew she would be a part of. Connecting back to her #homehistory, the artist now paints in the same Burgess, Virginia home and studio her mother once worked in.

Visit the Executive Mansion each Tuesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to view “Waiting in the Wings” and over twenty other amazing works by women.

In honor of Women’s History Month, the Art Experience at the Executive Mansion is showcasing the work of Washington, Virginia resident Ruthie Windsor-Mann. Inspired by the nature surrounding her studio in the middle of a hayfield in Rappahannock County, Ruthie’s paintings “The Blank Canvas” and “Not Quite Hidden” represent her internal and external environments. Ruthie has been a professional painter since 1970, making #homehistory with work in many public and private collections in the United States and abroad. To learn more about this limited time exhibition or start planning your visit, head to the Art Experience section. 

The Ladies’ Parlor at the Executive Mansion has been a destination of waiting, mingling, visiting and #homehistory for centuries. Today, the space exists as an homage to the beauty and complexities of womanhood, showcasing antique artifacts alongside contemporary art painted by, of, or for the women of the Commonwealth. Join us this Women’s History Month as we use #homehistory to highlight the amazing women involved in the Art Experience at the Executive Mansion and keep an eye out for more news on this month’s featured artist: Ruthie Windsor-Mann!

Legendary butler Winston Edmunds served twelve Virginia governors at the Executive Mansion over 47 years. Between 1886 to 1933, Edmunds not only witnessed #homehistory but instilled within Virginia’s home a legacy of his own by leading the first recorded guided tours of the Mansion in the 1930s, marrying his wife in one of the home’s rare wedding ceremonies and much more. Serving Virginia's first families in multiple capacities for 40 years, Tutti Townes continues the tradition of long-standing service and stewardship alongside his son and deputy, Martin.

As outlined in Senate Resolution No. 50, critically acclaimed and best-selling author John Grisham was recently honored with this year’s Outstanding Virginian Award. The First Lady and Governor were honored to host the #homehistory making author for lunch at the Executive Mansion following the Senate’s presentation of the award. As a resident of the Commonwealth for the past 30 years, Grisham has contributed to his local community around Charlottesville through his philanthropic efforts and invaluable literary achievements. The Commonwealth thanks you, John, for your creativity and leadership!

Retired United States Army Officer, four-star General, and the first African American in #homehistory to serve as the U.S. Secretary of State and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Colin L. Powell’s story is a testament to unrelenting service, bravery and excellence. Colin L. Powell, a resident of Virginia, passed away in October 2021 and was laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery alongside hundreds of thousands of our nation’s heroes. On loan to the Executive Mansion by the Powell family, these photographs serve as a reminder of his legacy as a remarkable Virginian and are available to view in the Old Governor’s Office as part of the current ‘Art Experience’.

Photographer Robert H. McNeill traveled throughout Virginia, capturing #homehistory for the books “The Virginia Guide” and “The Negro in Virginia,” both published in 1940. Four of McNeill’s photographs, taken in Richmond, are available to view at the Executive Mansion in partnership with The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts as part of the Art Experience. Recognize any of these places or faces? Email executivemansion@governor.virginia.gov to share your story!

This Black History Month the Executive Mansion will be highlighting the work of Stanley Rayfield, nationally renowned artist and member of the Citizens’ Advisory Council on Furnishing and Interpreting the Executive Mansion. Rayfield made #homehistory in 2022 when he painted Governor Ralph Northam’s official portrait, becoming the first African American artist to paint a gubernatorial portrait in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Visit the Executive Mansion for a tour this February to view Rayfield's paintings “Church Hat No. 32” and “King of the Sea" alongside other pieces by talented Black artists or head to the Art Experience section to learn more about Stanley and the inspiration behind his work. Join us in celebrating Black stories and #homehistory this month, and all year round!

Marking the 79th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz- Birkenau, today is recognized as International Holocaust Remembrance Day, an opportunity to honor the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust and millions of others who suffered oppression and persecution at the hands of Nazis. Holocaust survivor Halina Zimm remembers a pleasant life in Lodz, Poland before the Nazis invaded her country. After years of anguish, loneliness, fear and finally liberation, Halina met her future husband Alan Zimm and immigrated to the United States, where she now makes #homehistory in Virginia and across the nation sharing her stories and inspiring all those who listen.

As a third-year architecture student at UVA and contestant on Fox’s LEGO Masters, Benjamin Edlavitch is no stranger to creative challenges. Capturing #homehistory in an unprecedented way, Ben designed and built this LEGO model of the Executive Mansion in just under a month. Thank you, Ben, for your one-of-a-kind contribution to the Art Experience at the Executive Mansion!

As we reflect on the courage of Martin Luther King, Jr. and other civil rights leaders, we would be remiss if we did not recognize the vital activism of Richmonder Oliver Hill, Sr. Through his position as Virginia’s NAACP attorney, Hill achieved significant legal victories as one of the lead lawyers in Davis v. County School Board of Prince Edward, one of the five suits that were consolidated into the revolutionary U.S. Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education. By advancing the rights of African Americans, serving as the first African American member of the Richmond City Council and championing civil rights, Hill made #homehistory in multitudinous ways. Painted by Elaine Bankston, Oliver Hill Sr. is honored through portraiture in the Old Governor’s Office of Virginia’s Executive Mansion.

Vietnam veteran, community leader, bluegrass musician and artist Charlie McConnell has always found time to pursue his artistic talents, exemplifying what it means to ‘Do What You Love in Virginia.’ Moved by the #homehistory he witnessed in Coeburn, Virginia, Charlie’s work depicts the bluegrass music scene at the Lays Hardware Center for the Arts and on the Crooked Road, known as Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail. The First Lady and Governor were honored to have Charlie and the Out of Time Folk duo perform at the Executive Mansion last month in celebration of the Art Experience.

From first-time visitors to #homehistory buffs, the Executive Mansion welcomed thousands of guests in 2023! Start planning your visit to Virginia’s home today. Tour the Executive Mansion on Tuesdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

This past December the Executive Mansion welcoming a multitude of musicians representing a medley of ages, geographies and genres. Virginia’s governors have long valued entertainment, a tradition that remains a part of the #homehistory of this stately home. Thank you Mason, Bob, Jamie, Sarah, Bruce, Malik, Barry, Rich, Tiffany, Hannah, Amalya, Luke, Charlie, Don, Dick, Caleb, Carter and the Eastern View High School Choir for sharing your talents with us!