Amherst County Museum reports increased attendance for public programs, highlights ‘Vanishing Villages’ series

Octavia, identified in the meeting as the museum director, gave the museum's annual report to the Amherst County Board of Supervisors on March 18, describing a series of public programs, field trips and collection work over the past year.

Octavia said the museum has run Vanishing Villages programs for about three years; attendance for programs varied by topic, with some events drawing as many as 104 attendees and others around 31. She described recent and upcoming programs on Clifford and Lowesville, the museum's use of the Hamble Center meeting space while museum improvements were underway, and a field trip to Red Hill and St. Luke that included a tour of local historic properties.

The director reported that Colonial Day drew about 275 visitors (down from a typical 300) and that school programming continues, including visits by Amherst Elementary first graders. Octavia also recounted archival work and artifact research that led staff to find paintings and family histories tied to local artists Elizabeth Nottingham Day and Horace Day; the museum located related materials at Randolph College and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and reached out to possible descendants for exhibits.

Board members praised the museum staff and volunteers. The director acknowledged volunteers and the museum's board of directors, and thanked supervisors for county support that enabled collection and program work. No board action was required on the report; it was presented for informational purposes.