Building A Loving Community
Created in support of the world premiere of Loving v. Virginia, co-commissioned by:
Join us for a thought-provoking series of events, including The Constitution and Loving v. Virginia legal panels, the inspiring play with music A Loving Community, and an engaging Artists in Conversation session. Each program offers a unique opportunity to reflect, connect, and engage with this powerful story of love and equality. All events are free and open to the public and reservation links can be found below where applicable.
We are grateful to our sponsors for making this programming possible: Altria, Arts Alliance, CultureWorks, the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Virginia Commission for the Arts.
For A Loving Community, we extend a special thanks to the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia for their invaluable contributions in curating the display panels that enhance this project, adding depth and historical insight to the experience.
The Constitution and Loving v. Virginia
Legal scholars and historians discuss the history and significance of the landmark 1967 Supreme Court decision in Loving v. Virginia, which struck down bans on interracial marriage in the United States.
Panel participants will include Mary Bauer, Executive Director of ACLU-VA, as well as other constitutional scholars, historians, active attorneys and/or judges, and experts in the area. There will be a brief Q&A session following each discussion.
Thursday, February 6 at 7:00 PM
Stacy C. Sherwood Community Center
3740 Blenheim Boulevard, Fairfax, VA
Panel participants will include Mary Bauer, Executive Director of ACLU-VA, as well as other constitutional scholars, active attorneys and/or judges, and experts in the area. There will be a brief Q & A session following the discussion. Co-presented by the City of Fairfax and Center for the Arts at George Mason University
Thursday, February 20 at 6:00 PM
Downtown Branch at Slover
235 E Plume Street, Norfolk
Panel participants will include Mary Bauer, Executive Director of ACLU-VA, Assistant Professor of Government at William & Mary, Christine Nemacheck, and Associate Professor of Law at the University of Richmond, Marissa Jackson Sow. There will be a brief Q & A session following the discussion. Sponsored by Arts Alliance, Virginia Commission for the Arts, and the NEA
Wednesday, February 26 at 6:00 PM
Library of Virginia
800 E Broad Street, Richmond
Panel participants will include Mary Bauer, Executive Director of ACLU-VA, Kim Forde-Mazrui, Mortimer M. Caplin Professor of Law at the University of Virginia, and Author Peter Wallenstein, Professor of History at Virginia Tech. There will be a brief Q & A session following the discussion. Sponsored by Altria, Virginia Commission for the Arts, the NEA, CultureWorks, and E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation
A Loving Community
Blending powerful storytelling with music from the civil rights era of the 1950s and 1960s, A Loving Community also features excerpts from the highly anticipated new opera, Loving v. Virginia, premiering in April/May 2025 as a co-commission with the Richmond Symphony. This 60-minute program is performed by Virginia Opera’s talented Herndon Foundation Emerging Artists and will conclude with a brief Q&A session.
Designed for audiences aged 15 and older, A Loving Community offers a poignant and enriching exploration of history, music, and social change, making it an ideal program for junior high students through adults.
Saturday, February 22 at 6:00 PM
Churchland High School
4301 Cedar Lane, Portsmouth
Tuesday, February 25 at 2:00 PM
Chesterfield Baptist Church
16520 Hull Street Road, Moseley
Thursday, February 27 at 6:00 PM
Virginia Museum of History and Culture
428 N Arthur Ashe Boulevard, Richmond
Wednesday, March 5 at 6:00 PM
Library of Virginia
800 E Broad Street, Richmond
Friday, March 7 at 6:30 PM
Perkinson Center for the Arts
11810 Centre Street, Chester
Monday, March 17 at 3:00 PM
Stacy C. Sherwood Community Center
3740 Blenheim Boulevard, Fairfax
Artists in Conversation: April 2025
As part of Chrysler Museum of Art’s Mixtape First Thursday: April, join us for a panel discussion with members of the creative team of Loving v. Virginia including stage director Denyce Graves and Artistic Director & Chief Conductor Adam Turner.
Thursday, April 3, 5 – 8 PM: Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk
Full programming begins at 5 PM with Virginia Opera’s discussion starting at 6:30 PM. More info about the program can be found at https://chrysler.org/event/mixtape-first-thursday-april/.
A Loving Community Creative Team
Dr. Keith Byron Kirk, Author/Librettist
Dr. Jesse Njus, Ph.D and Karen T. Federing, Dramaturgs
Dr. Kristen M. Turner, History Consultant
Helen Aberger, Director
