HU Museum, Greater Williamsburg Women’s Association and Armstrong School for the Arts commemorate Harriet Tubman

HU Museum, Greater Williamsburg Women’s Association and Armstrong School for the Arts commemorate Harriet Tubman

The Hampton University Museum with support from the Hampton Arts Commission and The Greater Williamsburg Women’s Association (GWWA) will present Charmaine Crowell-White of Richmond, Va in her portrayal of Harriet Tubman.  Crowell-White, director of speech and drama at Tomahawk Middle School in Chesterfield County will portray Harriet Tubman for the fifth graders at Armstrong School for the Arts on Thursday, April 26.  Crowell-White will also perform at the Hampton University Museum for a Brown Bag Lunch on the same day at 12:15 p.m. This performance is presented in conjunction with the museum’s exhibitions, "Freedom Fighters: Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman Series" by Jacob Lawrence in Commemoration of the Civil War Sesquicentennial and "Civil War Vignette: Paintings and Drawings of Freedom Fighters" from the Hampton University Museum Collection.

The Museum, Armstrong School for the Arts and GWWA has had a two-year partnership.  Conversations began with former Armstrong principal, Linda Byrd, right before the school was renamed Armstrong School for the Arts.   Committed to continue with the goal to establish the partnership, incoming principal, Levia Stovall, continued to work with the committee to form this relationship. Students have visited the museum with special programs provided by over fourteen dedicated volunteers every other week. Arts Chair for GWWA, Brenda Pollard Prather has organized these dedicated women, who travel all the way from Williamsburg to provide tours, read and develop fun art projects for the children, including projects such as learning about artists such as Jacob Lawrence.

Fall 2011 and 2012, the children visited the museum and learned how to serve as museum docents showing off their skills during the Holiday and Kwanzaa Marketplace.  Also, a special holiday chorus from Armstrong sang for our many shoppers and parents of students.

Levia Stovall, the principal of Armstrong School for the Arts, and teacher liaison, Michelle Bowers have worked with Vanessa Thaxton-Ward, Hampton University Museum liaison to keep this partnership fresh and fun.  GWWA is a volunteer service organization of concerned, committed, and talented women who desire to impact the quality of life in our community through service in response to an ever-changing society. In an effort to contribute to the formulation of a positive, productive, and culturally diverse society, GWWA focuses on education, cultural enrichment, health and wellness and civic involvement.