Graffiti-riddled Jefferson Davis statue headed to Los Angeles

Graffiti-riddled Jefferson Davis statue headed to Los Angeles

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — The Valentine Museum is temporarily moving the statue of Confederate president Jefferson Davis to the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in Los Angeles for the upcoming exhibition "MONUMENTS."

Originally unveiled on Monument Ave in 1907, the statue had been on view at the Valentine since 2022 from its main exhibition, "This Is Richmond, Virginia," after being toppled and graffitied by protestors during the 2020 demonstrations in Richmond.

Curator of General Collections Christina Vida said its placement in the museum was part of an initiative to encourage public dialogue about the legacy of Confederate symbols, historical memory, and the evolving meaning of public art.

“This move allows the statue to be reinterpreted as a piece of contemporary art,” Vida said. “While we've focused on its historical context, MOCA is using it to spark community dialogue in a different way.”

The Valentine’s continued participation in the national conversation over Confederate monuments reflects a broader reckoning with public memory. Many of Richmond’s Confederate statues -- including those of Stonewall Jackson, J.E.B. Stuart, and Matthew Fontaine Maury -- have been removed in recent years and are at the Richmond Water Treatment Facility.

Vida emphasized the educational value of placing such monuments in museum settings:

“They help tell the story not just of the Civil War and slavery, but also of how their legacy has been reinterpreted and reshaped over time,” Vida said.

The "MONUMENTS" exhibition will start in October and run through April 2026. The Davis statue is expected to return to Richmond after the loan, though its future display status at the Valentine remains undecided.

In the meantime, the museum will feature a new artifact on loan from the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia -- the basketball hoop and ball once installed at Lee Circle.