Exhibitions at the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center link the past to the present. Our permanent exhibition Pride Overcomes Prejudice presents the history of the African American communities of Charlottesville/Albemarle VA, through the lives of those students and teachers who built and fostered the Jefferson School from the19^th through the 20^th century. Our contemporary gallery features mult-idisciplinary work by African American artists, or artist who represent African American culture.

Owing to limited space in exhibition galleries, visitors must now obtain a general admission ticket to visit. Groups are limited to no more than eight people. Groups must obtain a timed group ticket. For your safety, if galleries are full at the time that you arrive, you may be asked to wait. For guided tour information please contact us.

We will be closed beginning Friday April 7 at 12 pm through Tuesday April 11 at 1pm.

In the Contemporary Gallery: Picture Me As I Am | Mirror and Memory in the Age of Black Resistance

11 February-29 April, 2023

Of the over 10,000 photographs taken at the Holsinger Studio, a subset of 600 portraits are of local African Americans.This exhibition presents a small selection of this subset, dated between the late 1890s and the first two decades of the Twentieth Century.  These commissioned portraits suggest the aspirations of people distanced two to three generations away from enslavement. Their subjects were instructed by Black teachers who firmly understood the importance of education as a tool of freedom. They were guided by preachers who sermonized Black attainment from their pulpits. They were also exposed to newspapers with coverage and mastheads that delivered a sentiment of Black liberation.

Masks are required when visiting JSAAHC.