In Winchester, Virginia, Shenandoah University celebrated Founders’ Day 2026, honoring the institution’s 151-year history and recalling the anniversary events marking its 150th anniversary in 2025. This year’s celebration had a special highlight — the ceremonial opening of an exhibition featuring more than 200 original works by renowned artist Andrii Kushnir, which now adorn several buildings on the university’s main campus in Winchester, Virginia.
This was reported by Shenandoah University.
In collaboration with Shenandoah University history professor Warren Hofstra and the university’s Office of Advancement, Andrii Kushnir donated 231 original oil paintings depicting the Shenandoah Valley to the institution. Nearly 200 of these works are displayed in Halpin-Harrison Hall, home to the Shenandoah University School of Business, where the Founders’ Day celebrations and the presentation of the artistic legacy took place.
In addition to Halpin-Harrison Hall, 35 paintings are displayed in Davis Hall — home to the university’s history department and the Winchester–Frederick County Convention and Visitors Bureau — as well as in the Wilkins administrative building.
The collection blends organically with the history of the university itself, whose roots lie in the Shenandoah Valley. Founded in 1875 in Dayton, Virginia, the institution relocated to Winchester in 1960. Today, the university continues to grow in the northern part of the valley, setting enrollment records for the third consecutive year: in fall 2025, 4,488 students were enrolled, and the academic portfolio includes nearly 250 programs of study.
In her address, Shenandoah University President Tracy Fitzsimmons said:
“Today, as we celebrate our journey north along Route 11 from Dayton to Winchester, we also celebrate our enduring connection to the Shenandoah Valley through a monumental gift within the Shine campaign. Today we officially open the Andrii Kushnir Collection — a remarkable gift of 231 original oil paintings. These works are both artistic and accurate representations of the landscapes and places surrounding our university and our beautiful valley, and they connect us deeply to all that it represents.”
Andrii Kushnir, who began painting in 1981, spent the years from 2000 to 2015 artistically documenting iconic sites of the Shenandoah Valley — its famous river, rural landscapes, historic towns, Civil War battlefields, and cultural and religious landmarks. According to the artist, his goal was not only to capture the appearance of the valley at the beginning of the 21st century, but also to show how it changes over time.
The collection is also presented in the book “O, Shenandoah: Paintings of a Historic Valley and River,” published in 2018 by George F. Thompson, who attended the exhibition opening along with the artist’s family and friends.
Addressing the guests, Andrii Kushnir said:
“We must be aware at every moment that we are in a legendary place. Wherever you go in the world, everyone knows the Shenandoah Valley — its grandeur, beauty, and nobility. … My painting mentor, artist Michelle Martin Taylor, had a special way of seeing things. She used to say, ‘If you truly love a place and paint it, it will show in the painting.’ And I feel that this is true. I am glad to share my fascination, my curiosity, and my joy with everyone.”
Symbolically, the final painting in the Shenandoah Valley series, completed in 2015, depicts the Route 11 Potato Chip factory in Mount Jackson during its expansion — a sign of growth and change in the region. Present at the ceremony were the company’s founder and president, Sarah Cohen, and Chief Strategy Officer Vale Henry. Previously, the university recognized them for their collaboration on creating commemorative chip packaging for the institution’s 150th anniversary — the first time Route 11 Potato Chips released a privately branded product.
Founders’ Day concluded with a talk by history professor Warren Hofstra, who took the audience back to the events preceding the university’s founding in 1875, recalling the political and social context of Virginia after the Civil War and the enduring spirit of the Shenandoah Valley.
The professor concluded:
“What Andrii has created in this collection is beauty, a resource for education, but he has also captured something far less tangible — something we all feel very deeply. And that is the spirit of this place.”
Photo: Shenandoah University
Author: Inna Mikhno