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Legacies of Independence features a slate of art exhibitions including

Georges Adeagbo: Thomas Jefferson and the Legacies of Independence;

Collection and Translation: Thomas Jefferson in Southern France;

Independent Ideas: Narcissa Chisholm Owen; and

Sky Hopinka: Mnemonics of Shape and Reason


The Fralin Museum of Art at The University of Virginia hosts Legacies of Independence, a slate of four exhibitions exploring varied themes and perspectives around the legacies of Thomas Jefferson and the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. On view from August 29, 2026, through January 3, 2027, the exhibitions take both historic and contemporary approaches to consider the ways Jefferson helped shape the United States in its infancy and promoted ideals we continue to deliberate to this day.

The exhibitions explore a variety of perspectives that range from a site-specific installation by internationally acclaimed artist Georges Adeagbo to an examination of Jefferson's time in Southern France through eighteenth and early nineteenth-century prints, drawings, rare books, maps, and objects.

The Fralin also showcases nineteenth century Native American artist Narcissa Chisholm Owen's painting Jefferson and His Descendents and Sky Hopinka's video installation Mnemonics of Shape and Reason, to further celebrate the museum's recognition of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Admission is free. The Fralin Museum of Art at UVA is open Tuesday - Saturday 10 am - 5 pm, with extended hours on Friday, and Sunday 12 pm - 5 pm. The museum is closed on the following holidays: New Year's Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day.