Programs
Open to campus and community at no charge, the Institutional History Museum and Galleries’ growing program calendar encourages thoughtful and critical engagement with the past, its study, and connections to modern life. To collaborate with the IHMG on an upcoming program, please contact us.
Upcoming Events
Voices & Visions of 1776: Art & Culture
January 28, 2026, 5:00 PM
Northern Auditorium in Leyburn Library
The excerpts from the series feature art, music, and literature from the Revolutionary Era, including the Homespun Movement, Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense,” Betsy Ambler, Mercy Otis Warren, and the Continental Congress’ Flag Resolution.
Panelists: Wendy Castenell, W&L Art and Art History Department, Meaghan Walsh, W&L Art Museum & Galleries, and Byron Faidley
The Spirit of Service
February 10, 2026, 5:00 PM
Northern Auditorium in Leyburn Library
The reel is designed to encourage thoughtful discussion about THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, especially around the spirit of service in American culture. Topics explored will include the Declaration of Independence, Patriot Chaplain, Philip Vickers Fithian, the role of women, and the composition of the Continental Army.
Panelists: Byron Faidley and Franklin Sammons, W&L History Department
Matthew Kahle & Artisans of Historic Rockbridge
March 25, 2026, Time TBA
Mason-Taylor Room in Payne Hall and Washington Hall
What do you know about “Old George?” As an iconic emblem of the university, Old George is one of the most recognizable pieces of campus history. But how much do you know about its creator, Matthew Kahle, a skilled cabinet maker, and the vibrant community of Rockbridge County artisans whose handiwork filled the homes and public buildings of the community? Join the IHMG and Jeffrey S. Evans as we discuss the life and career of Matthew Kahle and his best-known creation, Old George.
Speaker: Jeffrey S. Evans, President, Senior Auctioneer, and Department Head, Shenandoah Valley of Virginia Scholar, Independent Curator
Jeff Evans’ expertise in early American glass and 18th and 19th-century Shenandoah Valley furniture and decorative arts is recognized throughout Virginia and across the United States. Jeff currently serves on the MESDA Advisory Board.
Dueling Cultures, Damnable Legacies: Southern Violence and White Supremacy in the Civil War Era
April 9, 2026, 5:00 PM
Location TBA
Hear from Dr. James “Trae” Wellborn as he details the clash between Preston Smith Brooks and Charles Sumner in the Senate in 1856 and the fermenting sectional differences that led to that moment. Welborn will analyze the ideology of righteous honor and its increasing dominance across the American South in the buildup to the Civil War, as white Southerners sought to cloak a war fought in defense of slavery in the language of honor and Christian piety.
Wellborn’s book, Dueling Cultures, Damnable Legacies, was released by UVA Press in 2023.
Speaker: Dr. James Hill Wellborn III, Professor in the Department of History and Geography at Georgia College & State University
Past Event
Faith & Freedom
January 13, 2026, 5:00 PM
Northern Auditorium in Leyburn Library
The Faith & Freedom in America screening reel includes selected excerpts from the series and is designed to help audiences better understand religion and religious diversity during the 18th century. Topics will include the Great Wagon Road and colonial immigration in the British American colonies, Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense,” discussion of religious freedom in America and the founders’ positions, and the Saratoga Surrender.
Panelist: Byron Faidley