From June 25-28, the Virginia Museum of History & Culture (VMHC) will feature an 18,000-square-foot, 20-minute video projection telling the history of America. “IllumiNATION,” a free, four-night community event, honors America’s 250th anniversary with an immersive video art projection on the museum’s historic facade. The experience, accompanied by an evening-long festival, will blend artistic light, historic imagery and music to bring the American story to life and invite viewers to see themselves within the fabric of American history.
The projection is mapped in a way that allows the building to have historic figures and events emerge from columns and windows or disappear entirely. Popular in Europe, this immersive experience is rarely seen in the United States, especially at this scale.
Four Evenings of Family-Friendly Festivities
Each evening, the VMHC campus will come alive with a family-friendly block party from 6 to 9 p.m., featuring after-hours access to museum galleries and exhibitions, live music, cultural demonstrations, community exhibitors, a petting zoo, art activities, living history, live printing from Studio Two Three, craft beer, wine and food trucks. The evening will culminate each night with the IllumiNATION video art projection at 9 p.m., a nearly 20-minute show complete with pyrotechnics.
The four-night celebration features performances by popular local bands, including Bio Ritmo, Erin & the Wildfire, The Wilson Springs Hotel and No BS! Brass. Virginia Folklife cultural demonstrations will also be featured each night, including Virginia salt-glaze pottery, African American quilting, Blue Ridge Mountain instrument making and Mattaponi pottery.
Part of America’s 250th Anniversary Celebration
The event is part of the VMHC’s multiyear commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and is designed as a large-scale public celebration of history, community and shared memory. Free pre-registration, parking information, schedule updates and event FAQs are available at virginiaHistory.org/illumination.
Daily Schedule
Family-Friendly Block Party, 6-9 p.m.
- 6-9 p.m. — Family-friendly block party After-hours access to VMHC galleries & exhibitions
- Virginia Folklife cultural demonstrations
- Family-friendly programming, including bounce house, petting zoo and art-themed partner tables w/ activities
- Living history
- Live printing from Studio Two Three
- Food trucks including 1115 Mobile Kitchen, Boka Tako, King of Pops, Timber Pizza Co., Westray’s Finest Ice Cream
- Craft beer & wine
- 6:45 p.m. — live music
- 9 p.m. — video art projection with live music and pyrotechnics
Featured Bands
- Thursday, June 25: Bio Ritmo
- Friday, June 26: Erin & the Wildfire
- Saturday, June 27: The Wilson Springs Hotel
- Sunday, June 28: No BS! Brass
Virginia Folklife Demonstrations
- Thursday, June 25: Virginia Salt Glaze Pottery with Josh Manning & Ozzy B. Freidline
- Friday, June 26: African American Quilting with Martha Jones Carter, Jacqueline Carter, and the Kuumba African American Quilting Guild
- Saturday, June 27: Blue Ridge Mountain Instrument Making with Jackson Cunningham & Raistlin Brabson
- Sunday, June 28: Mattaponi Pottery with Autumn Custalow Alfaro
About the Virginia Museum of History & Culture
Founded in 1831 as the Virginia Historical Society, the Virginia Museum of History & Culture, a private, non-profit organization, is the oldest museum and cultural organization in Virginia and one of the oldest and most distinguished history organizations in the United States. The museum cares for a renowned collection of more than nine million items representing the far-reaching story of Virginia.
