Chatham and the surrounding area have a wonderful opportunity to share in the celebration of the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown. Three exhibits will be on display in the Fellowship Hall of the Chatham Baptist Church December 6th, 7th and 8th. On Thursday, December the 6th, there will be a private showing for sponsors of the exhibit. On Friday, December the 7th, the exhibits will be open from 9:00am to 3:00pm for school groups and from 3:00pm until 6:30pm for the entire public. The exhibits will also be open to the public from 9:00am until 5:30pm on Saturday, December the 8th.

    Initially, 4th grade school groups will be scheduled to visit the exhibits on Friday. After the 4th grade requests have been satisfied, other school groups may request to visit the exhibitions. High school students will be on duty to assist in leading groups through the exhibits and sharing information about the displays. To schedule your school group for the exhibits, contact John and Phyllis Collins, 434-432-0816.

    The event consists of three traveling exhibitions produced by the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts for statewide circulation in conjunction with the 400th anniversary of Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in the New World.

     The first exhibit, Uncovering Home: A Visual Essay on Jamestown Archaeology, revisits the story of Jamestown through the eyes of the Jamestown Rediscovery archaeologists at Historic Jamestowne — a project of the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities (APVA).  
 
    Digging through layers of time, the archaeologists continue to uncover new information that changes perceptions of the colonists, the Virginia Company and Virginia Indians. Through historical archaeology — which investigates how Europeans explored, colonized, and subsequently changed other parts of the world after the 15th century — the Jamestown Rediscovery experts take advantage of written records, artifacts and comparisons with similar archaeological sites.  
 
    "The evidence we uncover . . . gives us a better opportunity to let Jamestown teach us what it means to be American," says Dr. William Kelso, APVA director of archaeology. 
 
    "This is the birthplace of modern America, and these were the people who began to mold our sense of national identity. Knowing more about Jamestown's beginnings is like understanding your childhood. It's the key to understanding how we came to be who we are as a nation today."  
 
    The exhibit includes 12 framed panels that combine text and images. It was developed by Twyla Kitts, VMFA's coordinator of teacher programs, with the assistance of Tonia Deetz Rock, statewide educational coordinator for APVA. Historic Jamestowne is jointly administered by APVA and the National Park Service. 
 
    A second exhibition, Jamestown and Beyond: The World of 1607, establishes that Jamestown was an integral part of the cultural, historical and geographical context of the day. It explores connections between Jamestown and major 17th-century cultures through images from VMFA's collection. The exhibition, also developed by Kitts, includes images that illustrate how the legacy of Jamestown has continued to affect art and culture. The exhibit features 12 framed reproductions and two introductory panels. 
 
    The third exhibit, Looking for Jamestown Today: Photographs by Steven Coates, is a visual essay on contemporary Jamestown presented in black-and-white photographs. It was organized by Rebecca Jones, VMFA's statewide traveling exhibition programming coordinator. The photographer explores the Jamestown settlement's legacy as it is seen in contemporary Virginia's commerce, culture and communities. The exhibition comprises 24 silver-gelatin prints and introductory panels.