Join us in celebrating the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution with our "Art Days" project. This unique initiative, sponsored by Virginia Humanities, invites local students from kindergarten to 12th grade in the New River Valley (Floyd, Giles, Montgomery, Pulaski, & Radford City) to contribute their creative works. We are collecting 2-D art, poetry, and short stories (max. 200 words) to be featured in a traveling exhibit curated by VT students and faculty.

Submission Details

• Who Can Participate: Students enrolled in kindergarten through 12th grade in the New River Valley area.

• What to Submit: 2-D art, poetry, or short stories (max. 200 words)

• Topics: Students should select 1 of the 4 topics below and then choose 1 prompt from that topic for their project!

  Topic 1: Freedom

  1. Where do you feel free?

  2. What do you need to feel brave?

  3. What/who inspires you to fight or sacrifice for freedom?

  4. What/whose freedoms do you fight for?

  Topic 2: Bravery & revolution

  1. Whose unwritten, revolutionary story do you want to tell?

  2. Give an example of everyday revolutionary bravery.

  3. How do everyday actions result in revolutionary consequences?

  4. How do we remember everyday revolutionary acts of bravery?

  Topic 3: The Present

  1. Where do you find the Revolution in your community or neighborhood?

  2. We often think about “powerful people” as people with money and position. What other kinds of power do you see in your community or neighborhood? What makes you powerful?

  Topic 4: History in the Future

  1. Appalachia’s history is made of revolutionary individuals. What should we take from Appalachia’s revolutionary past into the future?

  2. What does the world look like if you help Appalachia live up to the ideals of the Revolution?

• Submission Methods:

  • Email: Send submissions or pictures of submissions to wrrm5240@gmail.com.

  • Mail: PO Box 373, Newbern, VA 25126.

Need Supplies?

If your student needs paper, crayons, pencils, or markers to complete their masterpiece at home, please email JessicaTaylor@vt.edu.

Why Participate?

• Showcase Talent: Give students a platform to express their creativity and be part of a significant historical commemoration.

• Educational Opportunity: Encourage learning and appreciating American history through art and literature.

• Community Involvement: Connect with the community and participate in a meaningful project sponsored by Virginia Humanities.

On Location Schedule:

Friday, July 19, 10am Giles County Historical Society, 208 N Main St, Pearisburg, VA, 24134

Tuesday, July 23rd, 11am Ratcliffe Museum, 51 Commerce Street, Pulaski, VA

Saturday July 27th, at Ingles Castle and part of Mary Draper Ingles Festival, 10am-3pm. Blacksburg Regional Artists Association to assist.

Sunday, July 28th, at Ingles Tavern and part of Mary Draper Ingles, must catch shuttle van to site, on the hour 10:30-2:30

Wednesday, July 31st, 10am Wilderness Road Regional Museum, 5240 Wilderness Road Newbern, VA

Thursday, Aug 1st, 3pm, Belle-Hampton, limited space at a private residence, email to register wrrm5240@gmail.com

Monday Aug. 5th, 10am Colonel Christian Chimney at Claytor Lake State Park, Dublin Pulaski Library to assist.

Wednesday, Aug. 7th, 10am, William Preston's Smithfield, 1000 Smithfield Plantation Road, Blacksburg, VA

Contact Information

For more information, please contact us at wrrm5240@gmail.co