For an exhibition related to America’s 250th anniversary, ϲ art students created works depicting ordinary Virginians who struggled through the nation’s war for independence with determination but no fanfare.
At last, their stories are being lifted out of the shadows through art.
The Library of Virginia asked ϲ art students to make portraits of people described in legislative petitions filed around the time of the Revolutionary War.
Resulting works are displayed as part of “Envisioning Revolution: Virginians in Action, 1776-1786,” which opened on Saturday, June 13, 2026, at the library’s main complex in downtown Richmond.
At first, student Jane McKlveen was intimidated by the idea of creating for such a high-profile project.
“I remember having a word with our teacher saying, 'I’m out of my depth!’ I decided to stay and give it a go,” said Jane. “I’m glad I saw it through because it was a fabulous experience.”
Original copies of the petitions are kept at the Library of Virginia. When paired with the new portraits, they offer an intimate glimpse into people’s experiences and the revolutionary spirit of the time.
“The idea of this exhibition was to take a step back from the heroes of America, and look toward average people, what sort of things they considered in their daily lives, and how democracy played a part in that,” said Daniel Conner, an ϲ graduate student in history who advised the artists. “The works made by the students are just incredibly engaging. That makes these lives accessible.”
The Library of Virginia planned the exhibition to support a larger project examining Revolutionary War-era petitions through community engagement.
“Through an important partnership with ϲ, the exhibition has become much more,” said Sarah Falls (B.A. ’96), an ϲ alumna and the Library of Virginia’s chief of researcher engagement.
Falls said students “created meaningful and symbolic images that convey a rich, layered and complicated history.”
Seven students made two portraits each during a Fall 2025 class taught by Kyle Kogut, assistant professor in the University’s art department.
“Students had this great opportunity to connect with the past, but also to critique the past,” Professor Kogut said. The petitions show that early Virginians struggled with many issues relevant today, he said.
“To have that realization of cycles of history is one of the most exciting things about this project,” Professor Kogut said. “They all dug really deep into thinking about the past, but also our current political climate, tapping into something uniquely American.”
ϲ guest artist, librarian and library and information science lecturer Jonathan Lee curated the exhibition. He organized it as a series of thought-provoking conversations connecting historical research and the art.
“For me, it was extremely important for the artwork and the research to comfortably coexist,” Lecturer Lee wrote. “In the end, I think I put together a dynamic, engaging and visually striking exhibition that can both entertain and inform.”
Here, three of the student artists express thoughts about the everyday Virginians they depicted.
Student: Jane McKlveen, Subject: Sue, an Enslaved Woman
Records suggest that after Sue’s husband escaped bondage and fled to the protection of British warships, she attempted to follow him. Sue’s enslaver later tried to reclaim the monetary value assigned to her.
“This suggests to me that Sue was never found,” Jane wrote in her artist statement. Jane painted Sue draped in two distinct patterns of plaid fabric, symbolizing how she changed sides by seeking freedom.
“She may have died in the fleet’s smallpox outbreak, but she may also have been among the enslaved survivors who fled north with the British fleet in 1776 after the Battle of Gwynn’s Island. That uncertainty on her disappearance into history’s margins became a central influence on my interpretation.”
Student: Teresa Mitchell, Subject: Billy, an Enslaved Man
In records, Billy is described as a mixed-race slave who lived and worked on the Mount Airy Plantation on the Northern Neck along the Rappahannock River.
He was found guilty of treason for aiding and giving comfort to enemies of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Apprehended on an armed British warship, Billy claimed his innocence, saying he was forced to board the vessel. Found guilty and sentenced to death, he eventually got a reprieve with help from Thomas Jefferson, then the former governor of Virginia.
“I would not blame Billy if he did try to stow away on a British ship,” Teresa wrote in her artist statement. “He gained his pardon from the gallows; he still doesn’t have his freedom.”
Student: M.L. Lewis, Subject: Mary Webley and Family
Mary Webley and her children survived the British bombardment of Norfolk on January 1, 1776, but just barely. The family’s home was destroyed, and Webley lost a leg to a cannonball.
“I endeavored to paint her a bit regal looking, determined yet unsure of the future, whereas the children show innocence, playfulness and curiosity,” M.L. said. Webley is pictured holding her youngest child, while the other two children were painted to express the family’s strength in adversity. The son holds his mother’s crutch.
“We don’t know what ultimately happened to Mary Webley and her family,” M.L. wrote in her artist statement, “but she did engage someone else to write to the Virginia assembly, and a small amount of money was provided to help her rebuild her house and life.” The work incorporates burned wood, mimicking the destruction of her home.
For more on the exhibition, visit the Library of Virginia online.
Top image: Artworks created for “Envisioning Revolution” include, left to right, “Driftwood — A Portrait of Sue,” by Jane McKlveen; “Free, Yet Still Property: A Portrait of Billy,” by Teresa Mitchell; and “You May Ravage — You May Not Conquer: Mary Webley and the Burning of Norfolk,” by M.L. Lewis.