Sponsorship Opportunities

Sponsors support our mission by helping make our programs possible and our institution stronger. We invite you to become our partner as we continue to collect, preserve and interpret Richmond’s history, using our past to inform the present and shape the future.

Choose to donate to general operations or elect to sponsor one or more exhibitions, series, events or other initiatives at one of the levels below.

Your contribution to the Valentine is an investment in your community!

Funding will be used to support the development, installation and promotion of an upcoming exhibition.

Annual Exhibitions Presenting Sponsor $50,000

Sponsorship supports a full year of exhibitions with top billing on all marketing and exhibition materials as well as an opportunity to provide remarks at each opening event.

Single Exhibition Sponsorships

Sponsorship supports the exhibition of your choice with a presence on marketing materials plus the other benefits tied to the level chosen on page one.

Edmund Archer: Perspectives on Black Dignity
September 2024 – September 2025

Edmund Archer’s portraits of Black men and women reflect his subjects’ dignity and starkly contrast the caricatures and stereotypes of earlier Richmond artists and 20th-century popular culture.  His honest portrayals tell the story of a progressive group of Richmond artists.

Sponsorship is now closed.

Thank you to our Edmund Archer exhibition supporters!

Jim and Bobbie Ukrop · Yvonne and Charles Gold
Reilly and Julia Monroe · Lillian and Walter Dean · Jean and David Holman
Sarah Whiting · Guy and Marion Horsley

FANCY: Costumes, Characters, and the Richmond Masque      
May 2025 – January 2026

Richmonders have always cloaked themselves in costume. From 19th century fancy dress balls to contemporary stage performances, themed festivals and community celebrations, costumes are used to adopt or amplify a new persona. FANCY will highlight the ways Richmonders use costume to celebrate, protest and perform.

• Mannequin Sponsor: $2,000 – In addition to the sponsorship levels on page one, a mannequin sponsor at the $2,000 level will be recognized on one of the mannequin’s labels and will receive two tickets to the opening fundraiser or a private tour from the exhibition curator, Nichol Gabor.

Telling Tales: Stories of Asian Americans in Richmond                  
July 2025 – May 2026

Exhibition Partners to Date: Altria

Through photographic portraits and stories, individuals in the region will share their experiences as Asian Americans living and working in the Richmond region.

West by Water: Richmond’s James River and Kanawha Canal
September 2025 – September 2026

Journey with Richmond photographer John Henley and writer Harry Kollatz, Jr. along the city’s historic James River & Kanawha Canal, which even after two centuries remains to some elusive and mysterious.

Sponsorship at one of the levels on page one will be used to support Richmond History Makers and other mission-driven initiatives that help grow public awareness of the Valentine’s important contributions to our community.

2024 Winter Wander
Sunday, December 8, 2024

This annual event in partnership with other cultural sites in our Court End neighborhood takes place on our picturesque block of East Clay Street and is free and open to the public. Everyone is welcome to enjoy some holiday cheer with entertainment, refreshments, family crafts and games. Tour the historic Court End neighborhood and hop on a shuttle to visit nearby cultural sites for open houses and other activities.

FANCY – Opening Fundraiser
Friday May 2, 2025

This will be the inaugural year of a spring fundraising event in our garden. FANCY’s opening party will be a costumed event that takes full advantage of our beautiful campus and exhibition spaces with music, delicious food and beverage plus a few surprises like only the Valentine is known for!

2025 Richmond History Makers
Thursday, April 10, 2025

RHM Presenting Sponsor: Dominion Energy

RHM Partners to Date: Altria

Our 20^th annual Richmond History Makers (RHM) event will take place at the Valentine and again honor the individuals and organizations who are making a significant impact on our community.

New impact categories this year will include:

• Building Inclusive Community Neighborhoods
• Creating High-Quality Educational Opportunities
• Establishing Rewarding Work Environments
• Promoting Access to Healthy Communities
• Inspiring Residents to Thrive

For the first time, the Valentine will also be recognizing one student in the Richmond region who is making history in their own unique way. The student chosen as the 2025 Young Richmond History Maker will receive a monetary award of $1,000 and be recognized at our Richmond History Makers event.

We are excited to announce that this year our independent Selection Committee will be comprised of members of HYPE (Helping Young Professionals Engage), ChamberRVA’s organization that serves as a hub for young professionals to connect with each other, plug into our community and grow personally and professionally.

2025 Winter Wander
Sunday, December 14, 2025

This annual event in partnership with other cultural sites in our Court End neighborhood takes place on our picturesque block of East Clay Street and is free and open to the public. Everyone is welcome to enjoy some holiday cheer with entertainment, refreshments, family crafts and games. Tour the historic Court End neighborhood and hop on a shuttle to visit nearby cultural sites for open houses and other activities.

Sponsorship at one of the levels on page one will be used to support the development, production and promotion of one of the series below.

Life, Liberty and Happiness

Life, Liberty and Happiness: New Perspectives on Founding Ideas explores the evolution and contemporary relevance of America’s founding philosophies. In association with the Valentine First Freedom Center, the series highlights scholars whose work contributes to a deeper understanding of freedom of conscience and reinterpreting what “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” means today. This upcoming season will also be in partnership with Monticello and Montpelier!

Controversy/History

2024-2025 Series Partners to Date: Altria

Returning for the 12th year, the Valentine Museum’s Controversy/History series, invites Richmonders to take stock of our city’s most pressing issues. Each conversation provides a forum for exploring the challenges facing the Richmond community as we dive deep into historical context, quantitative data and solution-oriented thinking and co-hosts Kelli Lemon and Josh Epperson encourage everyone in the room to get involved in shaping the region’s future. In partnership with the Community Foundation and PlanRVA, the 2024-2025 season will align with the Urban Institute’s Upward Mobility Framework, using the framework’s five pillars to explore upward mobility in ways that impact every Richmond citizen with an emphasis on our everyday experiences and looking towards the future.

Collections Connections

 The typical museum has less than 10% of its collection on view at any one time. View selections from the Valentine’s holdings that are not currently on display and learn about the fascinating Richmond stories behind them. This sponsorship includes the video segments we publish through our digital channels as well as Collections Connections Live!, which also offers an in-person, behind-the-scenes look at our new storage and access spaces.

Richmond History Tours

From historic cemeteries to the murals of Jackson Ward and the shady streets of Church Hill, our walking and bus tours dive deep into Richmond’s historic neighborhoods, uncovering the hidden stories in the art, architecture and landscape around us.

Summer Music Series

Neighbors and visitors can enjoy a lunchtime concert in our beautiful garden featuring free performances from a diverse mix of local musicians.

Extra Thursdays

Everyone can discover a little Extra on Thursdays with free admission all day and extended hours until 7 p.m. plus special events and free tours.  Sponsorship will tie the contributor’s name to all mentions related to Extra Thursdays.

Interactive Timeline

Timeline Benefactors to Date: Altria

The interactive timeline on our website tells Richmond’s story through events from the past and objects, documents and images from the Valentine’s collection.  The Timeline currently features hundreds of entries and ongoing research and website development will always be needed to make this as robust and comprehensive as possible. This valuable tool has already become one of the most popular engagement tools on our website.

2025 I Know Richmond

This six-week course offers a deep dive into the region’s past by looking at Richmond stories with a particular emphasis on overlooked history and transforming how we represent Richmond today. This immersive experience is perfect for new residents or existing Richmonders who want to learn more about what has made our hometown the vibrant and diverse city that it is today.

Fall 2025 – How Do We Remember? A Public Memory Symposium

Symposium Benefactors to Date: Altria

This day-long symposium at the Valentine will feature speakers and panelists focused on public memory and the collective conscience in Virginia. Scholars, historians, and community leaders will lead sessions on monuments, cemeteries, public art, history organizations, textbooks, the internet and social media. Guests will be encouraged to engage in conversation with the panels and other participants during and in-between sessions. After morning refreshments, guests will gather for the keynote speaker. Two panel offerings and a neighborhood walking tour option will fill the rest of the morning. A break for lunch will include time to explore the museum’s exhibit galleries. Two afternoon sessions followed by a happy hour and collaborative creation will round out the day.