Looking Forward

Vision

The vision of the Valentine is to be recognized as the premier source for experiencing Richmond’s history – using its past to inform the present, and to shape the future.

Since our opening 125 years ago, the Valentine has been focused on informing and helping to build the future of our region through not only the history we preserve but also through active engagement in the community.

In many ways, the Valentine is a looking forward museum, and through our enduring commitment to our region’s history, we have an opportunity to create a common ground for what’s next.

Strategic Plan

In 2023, the Valentine staff and Board of Trustees developed its new strategic plan Finding Truth, which presents the museum’s priorities for the next five years.

The Valentine Moment Campaign

The Valentine Moment Campaign is a multi-year, $16 million effort to strengthen our understanding and presentation of Richmond’s significant history. The campaign includes a plan to renovate our storage facilities, create a new public reading room, and review the 1.6 million objects in our collection to make sure each object tells an important Richmond story. The project also includes the reimagining of the Valentine Sculpture Studio and an endowment component to sustainably support the museum’s ability to serve the community for future generations. This transformational project is on target for completion in early 2024.