Lewis and Clark Exploratory Center

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The Lewis and Clark Exploratory Center is a hands-on museum and exhibition space located in Darden-Towe Park. [1] It finally opened in November 2015 after multiple construction-related delays. [2] A grand opening was held in the spring of 2016. [3]

The Lewis and Clark Exploratory Center is a 501 (c) (3) corporation.

Local resident David Stackpole called for the removal or replace the Sacagawea, Lewis and Clark statue because it represents Sacagawea unfairly. Executive Director Alexandria Searls wrote a letter to City Council February 9, 2016 saying if the statue had to be moved, she would accept it at the exploratory center where it could be contextualized. Many historical figures are imperfect, she says, speaking generally of the past, “to remove whatever has any guilt associated with it is to remove everything.” [4]

On November 16, 2015, City Council agreed to forgive a loan it made to the center to pay for cost overruns experienced when rock was discovered at the foundation.

Introduction

The Exploratory Center hosts art projects for both kids and adults related to nature and science and uses the center’s large collection of maps and journals for inspiration. The Exploratory Center was created here in Charlottesville due to the deep roots in Albemarle County. Merriweather Lewis was born in Albemarle County and William Clark’s family owned a plantation in an area very close to the current Exploratory Center site. [5] Currently there is a keelboat replica of one that was used on the 1804 expedition at the site. Many programs and events make use of the keelboat like children's summer camps that reenact history. Afterschool “Art and Nature” Workshops are also very popular among kids in the Charlottesville region.

Development history

Work to build the center began in 1996 with an exploratory committee. City Council held a public hearing on awarding a lease for 18 acres in Darden-Towe Park on July 21, 2003. At the time, a pedestrian bridge crossing the Rivanna River was proposed as was a vehicular connection to Route 0. [6]

The orignal plans of the new Lewis and Clark Exploratory Center in 2012

The City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County leased 17 acres of land from Darden-Towe Park to the Lewis and Clark Exploratory Center in 2010. Originally, before the construction of the new building, the Lewis and Clark Exploratory Center operated out of the Keelboat Barn still today in Darden-Towe Park. [7] After a couple years of construction the Exploratory Center now takes up their own 2,500sq ft center just hundreds of feet from the banks of Charlottesville’s Rivanna River. The center is built into a nearby hill and barely viewable from the hillside, contributing to its embedded nature feeling. The construction team was made up of engineers from Curry and Associates, Mathers Construction contractors, and the architecture designed by Hays Ewing Design Studio. [8]

New Exhibits

A Tribute to York: Readings, Exhibition, and Activities

Pictured in the middle is the 1st 3-D depiction of York, the enslaved explorer

This brand new exhibit opened on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, January 16, 2023. York was the single enslaved explorer on the Lewis and Clark expedition of 1804-1806. Originally William Clark’s enslaved laborer, York was a critical component to the expedition's success. York played the crucial role of contributing to peaceful relationships with the indigenous peoples that the expedition encountered. This new exhibit hopes to increase awareness about York’s accomplishments which include being the first African American to cross the Rocky Mountains and reach the Pacific Ocean. The controversial statue of the Lewis and Clark expedition, taken down from Main Street in 2021, bears the bas-relief of York on the sides of its base. This sculpture, sculpted by Charles Keck, is known to be the first 3-D depiction of York. The Exploratory Center was granted rights to construct a 3-D print of a sculpture of York, which is now on view in the exhibition. Also, recent research into William Clark’s family plantation has revealed that York’s father, Old York lived and worked on a section of the Clark property which is very close to the current day Lewis and Clark Exploratory Center. This rich history aids the learning about York’s life and legacy. [9]

Lewis and Clark Statue

City Council agreed in 2021 that the Sacagawea, Lewis and Clark Statue lacked context when sitting on its pedestal in a public space like the West Main Ridge Street intersection. So, the Exploratory Center pledges that they would work with Sacajawea’s descendants and other neighboring indigenous groups to contextualize the statue in a new, exploratory setting. [10]

The Lewis and Clark Statue gifted to Charlottesville in 1919, located on West Main Street until 2021

After a unanimous vote by the City Council, the statue was removed from its position on West Main Street on July 10, 2021. The vote was a part of an emergency meeting because of the public outrage due to the statue’s depiction of Sacagawea. [11]



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Board Officers and Members of the Board: (as of April 1, 2019)

Board Officers

Members of the Board

List of Current and previous members

Board of Directors

  • Heather Moore Riser, President
  • Francis McQ. Lawrence, Esq., Past President
  • Sally H. Thomas, Vice President
  • Malou Stark, Assistant Treasurer
  • Christopher L. McLean, Immediate Past President
  • Anna Berkes
  • Kenneth C. Boyd
  • John Conover
  • Anne B. Hemenway
  • Amy Hill
  • Satyendra Huja
  • Chauncey Hutter
  • Eric Johnson
  • Valerie L’Herrou
  • Dan Mahon
  • Diana Marchibroda
  • Lonnie Murray
  • Alexandria Searls, Executive Director


References

  1. ↑ Web. [1], Lewis and Clark Exploratory Center, retrieved February 2, 2012.
  2. ↑ Web. Lewis and Clark Exploratory Center Opens in Albemarle County, NBC29, November 8, 2015, retrieved November 9, 2015.
  3. ↑ Web. Long-awaited Lewis and Clark center set to officially open in May, Chris Suarez, Daily Progress, Lee Enterprises, November 8, 2015, retrieved November 9, 2015.
  4. ↑ https://www.c-ville.com/controversy-resurfaces-statue-stand/ Samantha Baars 3/03/16
  5. ↑ Web. About, Daily Progress, Lee Enterprises, 2018, retrieved April 8, 2024.
  6. ↑ Web. Charlottesville City Council meeting minutes, .pdf, Council Chambers, City of Charlottesville, July 21, 2003.
  7. ↑ Web. Vision, Daily Progress, Lee Enterprises, 2012, retrieved April 8, 2024.
  8. ↑ Web. Lewis and Clark Exploratory Center, Daily Progress, Lee Enterprises, retrieved April 8, 2024.
  9. ↑ Web. Sculpted Story Notes from a Museum: Charlottesville's Lewis and Clark Center Hosts Exhibit on Black Explorer, Alexandria Searls, Daily Progress, Lee Enterprises, February 2, 2023, retrieved April 8, 2024.
  10. ↑ Web. Sacajawea, Lewis, and Clark Statue comes down, Charlotte Rene Woods, Daily Progress, Lee Enterprises, July 10, 2021, retrieved April 8, 2024.
  11. ↑ Web. Charlottesville Removes Lewis and Clark Statue featuring Sacagawea along with Confederate Statues, Amir Vera, Daily Progress, Lee Enterprises, July 13, 2021, retrieved April 8, 2024.

External Links

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