Poet Ogden Nash once penned, “Winter is the king of showmen,” and we couldn’t agree more, especially when it so magically blankets the city like it did the grounds of Randolph College last year.

We have our fingers crossed for more snow-laden scenes this year, full of sledding in our public parks and silent walks through neighborhoods with only the crunch of snow under our feet singing out. As night comes faster and we make room for the inevitable bustle that comes with these next few months, we hope you find time to soak up the beauty of the season.

A Cold War Relic

Photos Courtesy of The Maier Museum of Art

Many Lynchburg residents are unaware of the Cold War relic humbly nestled on the campus of Randolph College. As one of Lynchburg’s staple art locations, the Maier Museum of Art’s history is as rich as its unique collection of original paintings and photographs.

In wake of the Nazi escalation of power, which pinnacled in 1938, Adolf Hitler confiscated thousands of European artworks, paving the way for a new kind of art—one that emphasized the Volksgemeinschaft (the racial community).

This menacing operation, titled Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg, confiscated more than 20 percent of Europe’s art collections, making it the most detrimental heist of art in the world.

It robbed its own citizens and countless galleries and museums throughout Europe.

While some of these stolen treasures were eventually recovered following World War II, thousands were either lost or destroyed. Many items included works from Van Gogh, Michelangelo, and other celebrated, world-renowned artists.

But the conclusion of WWII ushered in another period of foreboding conflict—the Cold War, which stretched from 1947-1991. Fearful of the disastrous art robbery from the previous decade, the United States government knew it needed a backup plan for the nation’s art collection should the Cold War escalate and eventually manifest on U.S. soil.

The National Art Gallery in Washington D.C. devised a strategy to transport its valuable collection of art 150 miles Southwest, to Lynchburg, onto the campus of Randolph-Macon Woman’s College (R-MWC).

The college, founded in 1891, had built a strong reputation of art appreciation. Louise Jordan Smith, one of the first five resident professors at R-MWC, wanted students to be submerged in art, regardless of degree program. She taught Art and French and was the pioneer in building the college’s art program, even launching one of the first American Art History survey courses in 1913. Randolph’s annual exhibition of contemporary art, approaching its 111th uninterrupted show, was also Smith’s brainchild.

“She thought it was really important for all students to be surrounded by high-quality original artwork everywhere,” said Martha Johnson, who has served in various roles at the Maier Museum of Art since 2002. She now serves as director. “Where they ate, where they studied, where they socialized. It had to be a part of every aspect of their lives.”

The National Gallery board of trustees took notice—among other reasons—of the college’s powerful emphasis on the visual arts and authorized an emergency project to guarantee safety of its art collection should the Cold War turn dark. The National Gallery would transport its valuable collection of American art to R-MWC.

The confidential feat was dubbed “Project XYZ” (the “Y” referring to the college).

In 1951, the U.S. government funded a storage building between 6,000 and 7,000 square feet, with roughly 25,000 square feet of vertical space for sliding screens.

The fireproof structure, costing just under a quarter million dollars, was finished in the spring of 1952. Steel-reinforced concrete made up the building’s roof and floor; all aspects of the project were constructed in accordance with industry-standard codes for museum creation.

“There was a sense of urgency in getting this structure built quickly,” Johnson said.

Additional features included more than 60 rows of steel and aluminum sliding screens, a loading dock, and ample space for security.

The agreement would last for 25 years, and it was specified that R-MWC would have complete agency over the building unless the National Art Gallery needed it for its intended purpose. Given the confidential details surrounding the building, the college advertised it as space to house an outstanding collection of campus and American art.

A test evacuation drill occurred in 1962 to sample the abilities of the truck drivers and to ensure the trucks fit into the new building’s loading dock.

In March of 1976, the agreement was renewed for an additional 25 years.

The renewal included a $12,500 grant from the National Endowment of the Arts to fund renovations, which included additional gallery spaces, fresh paint, and other miscellaneous upkeep expenses.

Thankfully, America’s prized art collection never made its way to the college. Instead, the building now houses Randolph College’s astounding collection of paintings, photography, and more.

The museum welcomes thousands of guests every year. Prior to COVID-19 regulations, the museum brought in around 7,000 annual guests. The galleries are open to both students and members of the public.

The museum features five distinct galleries, each presented in chronological order. Upon entering, a portrait of Louis Jordan Smith greets visitors. Walking through the galleries, spectators can enjoy art pieces from the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. While two galleries are devoted to changing exhibitions, three remain relatively consistent, featuring the best from the permanent collection, such as pieces by Edward Hopper, Georgia O’Keeffe, Thomas Hart Benton, and a multitude of other artists throughout the centuries. The museum even shows a piece by Gilbert Stuart, who painted George Washington’s official portrait.

Randolph College’s Maier Museum of Art carries a rich collection of art and a fascinating history, even floor markings from the original sliders, but it also serves the Lynchburg community by boasting one of the greatest stories of art preservation.

“You have people who come in here and don’t care about art at all, but they love this story,” Johnson said. “There is a lot of history to try to live up to. We do our best to honor that. It’s a proud history to be a part of.”

The Maier Museum of Art is open Wednesday through Sunday 1-5 p.m. Admission is free. For additional information or to browse the current exhibitions online, visit maiermuseum.org, or call (434) 947-8136.

Local Nonprofit Brings Freedom School to Lynchburg

The Listening celebrated its fifth anniversary last March, but 2019 promises to be an even more noteworthy year for the arts advocacy nonprofit. This June, The Listening will launch Freedom School, a free six-week program for rising sixth-graders that aims to improve literacy during the summer through art, dance, spoken word, and theatre lessons. Lynchburg’s Freedom School will be held at Randolph College.

The Freedom School program is a national initiative created by the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) and is rooted in the Mississippi Freedom Project of 1964. Lynchburg’s Freedom School will be the first in Central Virginia, and The Listening is ideally suited to pioneer the initiative locally. “Nicholas George [founder and executive director of The Listening] started The Listening as a way to affect lives through spoken word poetry, particularly as a mental health intervention for middle schoolers,” says the Reverend Dori Baker, Member at Large of The Listening’s Board of Directors. “Making poetry and performing poetry can help you move beyond isolation around your own pain, anxiety, and fear into a place of community.”

George, Baker, and the Reverend Dr. Keith Anderson began thinking about creating a Lynchburg Freedom School a couple of years ago, but the Charlottesville rally of August 2017 spurred the team to turn plans into reality quickly. “After white supremacists created a tragic moment in our neighboring town of Charlottesville, we looked at each other and said, ‘Now’s the time’,” Baker recalls. “‘People need a tangible way to express love in the face of this kind of hatred.’”
The first step in The Listening’s journey to build a Freedom School was a trip to Clinton, Tennessee, which is the home of CDF Haley Farm. The farm, which previously belonged to Roots author Alex Haley, is the site of the CDF’s annual Samuel DeWitt Proctor Institute for Child Advocacy.

Ten people— including three middle school students—made the trip.

“We had a week of being infused with the ethos of Freedom School and also learning the nuts and bolts,” Baker says. “We came back really inspired to do the fundraising and program planning. The three children who went were all middle schoolers. You can do Freedom School for third graders through high schoolers, but we had already zeroed in on middle school because that’s where The Listening’s sweet spot is. These middle schoolers came back so excited, singing the songs and doing the chants they had learned.”

Among the songs they learned was “Something So Strong,” a South African song of empowerment and resilience.

The lyrics include the phrase: “There’s something so strong inside of me; no matter what happens, I can take it, I can make it, I can be who I want to be.”

“The song is emblematic of what Freedom School can do,” Baker notes. “It puts inside kids’ heads this image of themselves as people who have many strengths, partly because of who they were born as, partly because of who their families are, and partly because of their communities.

Additionally, a particular strength that Freedom School focuses on is the history of people who have had to overcome struggles throughout time.

The curriculum is about inclusion, tolerance, and the strength that comes from diversity.”

The Freedom School curriculum focuses on teaching to the whole child (instead of “to the test”) through activities that foster self-expression and meaningful communication with others. “The metrics of Freedom School are so inspiring,” Baker says. “They really do solve that summer reading loss problem, especially for boys. I see Freedom School having a positive influence on the public education system over time.”

Days at the Lynchburg Freedom School will run from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and will begin with breakfast and different guest readers from the community.

“It may be our mayor, our school board superintendent, a librarian, a custodian, or a barber who does a reading, tells the children a little bit about him or herself, and does a question-and-answer session,” Baker says. “The readings will end with a chant in which the children will thank the reader for taking the time to come and share. I know that every single person who comes in to be a guest reader is going to want to find a way to come back and help in some way because, in my experience, there are not enough opportunities out there for that kind of hands-on, tangible expression of love.”

After the guest reading, the 50 students selected to participate in Freedom School will come together for a time of gathering called “Harambe,” a Swahili word meaning “let’s pull together.”

Then, after lunch, community partners such as Old City Cemetery, the Legacy Museum, Endstation Theatre Company, Camp Kum-Ba-Yah, and HumanKind will work with The Listening to provide fun enrichment activities.

Student eligibility will be determined by recommendations from fifth grade teachers and guidance counselors, and recruitment will take place in March and April.

“We hope to be able to prioritize kids who come from our two most impoverished neighborhoods,” Baker notes.

“We believe this can be an intervention in generational poverty. Dr. Elizabeth Perry-Sizemore, who is a professor of economics at Randolph College, and her research assistants are identifying the places by census zone in Lynchburg that have the highest poverty rate, and we are going to really emphasize recruitment from those two neighborhoods.” The Freedom School staff will consist of a program director, site coordinator, and six servant leader interns.

Baker hopes that Lynchburg’s Freedom School will serve as an example for future Freedom Schools throughout Central Virginia, and she is confident that future isn’t too far away.

“I envision Freedom Schools emerging across the state of Virginia from Franklin County, where Booker T. Washington was emancipated as an 11-year-old, to Hampton, where he was educated at Hampton Institute,” she says. “He walked the 500 miles right through Lynchburg and Richmond on that journey. Richmond will have a Freedom School in either 2019 or 2020. I imagine Freedom Schools blossoming all along that trail that Booker T. Washington walked.”