Join us in person, at VMFA, on Sat, Feb 3, 2024, 10 am–4:30 pm, to celebrate the Lunar New Year. See vibrant performances, participate in hands-on art activities, and collaborate in a community art-making project. The schedule for our onsite ChinaFest Family Day is listed below. Please note: The schedule is subject to change.
At-a-Glance Schedule for Performances, Art Activities, and Artist Demonstrations during ChinaFest: Year of the Wood Dragon at VMFA.
10 am–4:30 pm | Museum-wide – Art Activities
10 am–4:30 pm | Reynolds Lecture Hall, Level L – Film Showing
10 am–4:30 pm | Art Ed Center, Studio 1 – Dalton Zheng Artist Demo
10:15–10:25 am | Atrium, Level 1 – Lion Dance Performance by Choy Wun Dance Troupe
10:45–10:50 am | Atrium, Level 1 – Dance Performances by Pacific Arts Troupe
11 am–11:20 am | Cheek Theater, Level L – Dance Performances by Yu Dance Arts
11:30 am –Noon | Atrium, Level 1 – Kung Fu Demonstrations by Richmond Moy Yat Kung Fu Academy
12:15–12:30 pm | Cheek Theater, Level L – Dance & Martial Arts Presentations by Pacific Arts Troupe
12:30–12:40 pm | Atrium, Level 1 – Dance Performances by On the One Dance Co.
1:15–1:20 pm | Atrium, Level 1 – Dragon Dance Performance by Choy Wun Dance Troupe
1:45-2:05 pm | Cheek Theater, Level L – Dance Performances by Yu Dance Arts
2:15–2:45 pm | Atrium, Level 1 – Kung Fu Demonstrations by Richmond Moy Yat Kung Fu Academy
2:55–3 pm | Cheek Theater, Level L – Dance Performances by Pacific Arts Troupe
3:30-3:50 pm | Cheek Theater, Level L – Dance Performances by Yu Dance Arts
4–4:10 pm | Atrium, Level 1 – Lion Dance Performance by Choy Wun Dance Troupe
Explore these featured activities and resources from home. They will be available on this page through February 2024.
★ Art Activities
It’s time to make art! Select a project below to get started:
Create an Interactive Paper Lion
Create a Chinese paper lion that celebrates the traditional Lion Dance of China.
Fold a Lucky Money Envelope
Use the printable template provided below to fold a red paper envelope. Learn about the red envelope and how it is used. Follow the instructions provided here to begin your project.
Tangram Puzzle: Horse and Warrior
Follow the link below to access a Tangram Puzzle project. Use the tangram puzzle template provided to create a Horse and Warrior figure and other designs!
★ Explore More
Unrolling and Viewing a Chinese Handscroll
There are a variety of formats used in traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy. Typically, these works are created by artists on sheets of paper or silk laid on a flat surface and then mounted onto similar material with water soluble glue. Because of their fragility, most of these works of art are intended only for occasional display. Watch as Palace Museum Conservator Wang Yanjing demonstrates the proper technique for unrolling and viewing a Chinese handscroll. In this video, she examines VMFA’s painting made in the style of Xi Gang The Pleasures of Fishing in a Mountain Stream in the Frank Raysor Center for the Study of Works on Paper.
Learning about the Art of Calligraphy
Calligraphy, or the art of writing, was considered the highest visual art form in China. Watch as calligrapher Yi Hao, a volunteer teacher from the Confucius Institute at the College of William and Mary, writes different characters including peach, crane, lotus, plum, and chrysanthemum.
Chinese Seals
Traditionally made from precious stones, seals contain the names of artists, collectors, and their studios, or even a favorite poetic phrase. Learn about carved seals and their use and symbolism.
Ancient Writing
As early civilizations developed, societies became more complicated. Record keeping and communication demanded something beyond symbols and pictures to represent the spoken word. Explore this resource to learn about the early writing systems of four ancient civilizations: Mesopotamia, Egypt, China, and Mesoamerica.
East Asian Gallery Preview
Explore VMFA’s East Asian Galleries virtually! Follow the link below to learn more about this collection and examine a work of art closely!
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