The Danville Museum of Fine Arts &
History's board of directors has approved a three-year strategic plan to
create a new mission and vision that will drive new initiatives and
partnerships.
As part of the initiative, the museum's
board of directors recently asked the city "to remove the Confederate
flag from the grounds of the Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History,"
according to a letter sent to City Manager Joe King.
The
new theme for the museum, "The Last Capitol of the Confederacy, The
Beginning of a United Nation," will help define the museum's goal to be
more inclusive and improve the scope of its work, according to a news
release from the museum. The new theme recognizes the museum's 40-year
history and the legacy of the Sutherlin Mansion.
In
the waning days of the Civil War, the mansion served as the final home
of the Confederate government after the fall of Richmond. Danville is
considered the "last capitol" because it marked the last time the full
Confederate government met in one place before the armies in the field
surrendered.