The history of the Longwood Center for the Visual Arts (LCVA), the art museum of Longwood University, dates to the late 1800s, when the university began acquiring works of art. Longwood formally chartered the LCVA in 1978, building on decades of collecting and a belief that the arts are an essential part of a liberal arts education. Today the museum is located in historic downtown Farmville, Virginia, and its collection includes nearly 6,500 works of art.
Longwood’s Art Collection Takes Root
Longwood University began building its art collection in the late 1800s with students and alumni helping to support some of its earliest acquisitions. Among them is Joan of Arc (1915) by Anna Hyatt Huntington (American, 1876–1973), acquired with support from the Class of 1927. This work remains on view in the Sally Manson Cole Gallery located between the Rotunda and Blackwell Hall.
Longwood art department faculty, including Virginia Bedford, Barbara Bishop and Janice Lemen, played a central role in developing both the university’s art collection and the vision for a formal museum. In the 1950s, they developed the first formal named collection of art, the Virginia Artists Collection, which is the only one of its kind in the Commonwealth. The first inventory of artwork was completed in 1958. By the late 1990s, the university was actively collecting American, African, Chinese, and European art.
The LCVA Collection Today
Today the LCVA’s collection includes nearly 6,500 works of art. Named collections include:
- Jack L. Blanton Collection (est. 2007)
- Donna and Thomas L. Brumfield, Jr. Collection (est. 1999)
- Waverly M. Cole Collection of 19th-Century Decorative Arts (est. 2004)
- Keith Kissee American Art Collection (est. 2016)
- Robert B. and Margaret T. (Class of 1952) Mayo American Art Collection (est. 1997)
- William and Ann Oppenhimer Folk Art Collection (est. 2005)
- Henry and Bernice Beazley (Class of 1970) Rowe Chinese Art Collection (est. 1994)
- Helen Savage Memorial Collection (est. 1996)
- Cheryl G. and Henry A. Yancey, Jr., M.D. Collection (est. 2014)
- Henry Alexander Yancey, Jr., M.D. Collection (est. 2014)
- Robert S. Zigler Collection (est. 1996)
The LCVA Is Established
Longwood University’s belief that the arts are an essential component of a liberal arts education led it to formally charter the Longwood Center for the Visual Arts (LCVA) in 1978. The LCVA’s administrative offices were first housed in Eason Hall, and its exhibitions were presented in the art department’s Bedford Gallery. Barbara L. Bishop, former art department chair, was appointed the first director for the center, a position she held until her untimely death in 1992.
LCVA Directors
Past directors include:
- Barbara L. Bishop (1978–1992)
- Georgia Coopersmith (1993–1999)
- Suzanne Arnold (interim, 1999–2000)
- K. Johnson Bowles (2000–2012)
- Emily Grabiec (interim, 2012)
- Scott Habes (interim, 2013)
- Emily Grabiec (interim, 2014)
- Rachel Talent Ivers (2015–2026)
- Tayloe Michael David Whaley (2026–present)
A Permanent Home in Downtown Farmville, Virginia
In 1993, Longwood President Dr. William S. Dorrill and the Board of Visitors made a pivotal decision to establish a permanent home for the LCVA in downtown Farmville rather than on Longwood’s campus. The location reflected the museum’s commitment to serving both the university and the broader community.
That year, the LCVA moved into a 25,000-square-foot facility at the corner of Third and Main streets in historic downtown Farmville. The building had previously housed a J.J. Newberry and Co. department store and, later, a Roses department store. Longwood purchased and renovated the building in 2005.
After a rigorous review, the LCVA earned accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums in 2010. In 2011, the university acquired two small adjacent buildings on Third Street for LCVA education programs, expanding the Center’s footprint to 33,000 square feet.
Art Across Longwood University’s Campus
Today significant portions of the permanent collection are displayed in galleries throughout Longwood University’s main campus through the Patricia Cormier Art on Campus Program, named for Longwood’s president emerita. By bringing works from the LCVA collection into academic and administrative buildings, the program reflects the belief that art is an essential part of education and everyday life.
Galleries on Longwood’s Campus
On-campus named galleries include:
- The Sally Manson (Class of 1927) Cole Gallery (The Rotunda)
- The Robert B. and Margaret T. (Class of 1952) Mayo Gallery (Blackwell Hall)
- The Henry and Bernice Beazley (Class of 1970) Rowe Gallery (Eason Hall)
- The William and Ann Oppenhimer Gallery (Upchurch University Center)
