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Our Current Exhibit

From 1990 to 1995, local children took part in organized art projects, camping trips, fencing matches, community elder meetings, and even neighborhood trash cleanups. It was all through a program called Newtown Kids

Newtown Kids was the vision of Staunton native, Ms. Jennifer Vickers. Daughter of the late Rosa Lee and Timmie Vickers Sr., Jennifer came from a legacy of active community engagement. She became involved with the Staunton C.I.A. (Community, Involvement, Awareness), a grassroots effort her parents had been active in, whose initial focus was to address the "blight" in the Johnson Street neighborhood. Through her involvement with C.I.A., Jennifer saw a need to provide structure in the lives of neighborhood children. Soon after, Newtown Kids was born. Youth from all over town participated before Newtown Kids was disbanded in 1995. Its impact, however, continues to this day.

The exhibit has been curated by local filmmaker (Angel) David Verde in partnership with Emmy-award winning filmmaker Lauren Fulton. This exhibit has been made possible by the generous support of the Shenandoah Valley Black Heritage Project, the Staunton Downtown Development Association, and the Jerome L. Green Foundation as recommended by Karen Brooks Hopkins.

Staunton Stories

Staunton Stories

Our latest edition of Staunton Stories features Mark Reed, owner and operator of Heirloom Home in downtown Staunton. Click the link below to hear his story!

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