The American Civil War was precipitated by the issue of slavery, and the industrial-level slaughter made it the bloodiest war ever fought by the United States. Why, then, was there so little painting during the Civil War depicting race, slavery, and the battlefield? Taking Johnson’s painting in the collection of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts as its starting point, this lecture will explore the climate for treating these subjects during the conflict and will show how during the post-Reconstruction years, a different set of national priorities made it possible, and even necessary, to represent the Civil War battlefield.
Special Events
A View from the Forest: The Power of Southern Kuba Initiation Rites and Masks
Join us for a talk that explores the importance of initiation rites and masks for the Southern Kuba from three perspectives: the significance of the forest as the place where male initiation rites take place; the importance of male authority; and the acquisition of secret knowledge, including mask making.
Curator’s Opening Talk
Working Together: Louis Draper and the Kamoinge Workshop
Dr. Sarah Eckhardt, curator of Working Together: Louis Draper and the Kamoinge Workshop will provide an overview of the exhibition that features photography from the Kamoinge Workshop, an artist collective founded in New York City in 1963. Nell Draper-Winston, sister of the photographer Louis Draper, will join Dr. Eckhardt in conversation to discuss her brother’s photographs and his roots in Richmond.
Image Credit: Boy and H, Harlem, 1961, Louis Draper (American, 1935–2002), gelatin silver print, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Arthur and Margaret Glasgow Endowment. Courtesy of the Louis H. Draper Preservation Trust, Nell D. Winston, trustee.
Fine Arts and Flowers Children’s Workshops
Take part in workshops inspired by Fine Art and Flowers!
Impressed by Nature with Celeste Johnston
Discover how to make prints with plants.
Floral Card Making by Paper Source
Learn to create paper flowers and assemble them on handmade cards.
Fine Arts and Flowers Luncheon
The three-course, seated luncheon will take place in the Marble Hall. A select menu includes wine, with vegetarian and gluten-free options available. During the luncheon, our wonderful VMFA models will be showcasing the newest trends in jewelry and accessories from the VMFA Shop! All jewelry and accessories will be for sale in the VMFA Shop. Tables for the event seat six guests each.
For the Love of Art: Valerie Cassel Oliver and the Intersection of Art and Activism
Speakers:
Valerie Cassel Oliver, the Sydney and Frances Lewis Family Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, VMFA
Chioke l’Anson, Assistant Professor, Department of African American Studies, VCU and faculty-in-residence, ICA
Join Valerie Cassel Oliver and Chioke I’Anson for a discussion on the groundbreaking, multidisciplinary artist Howardena Pindell. The conversation will explore how Pindell has moved between figurative and abstract painting in an effort to assert her place as an African American woman in the field of contemporary art. The conversation will also explore Pindell’s work as a curator, educator, and activist, who has sought to challenge traditions of the art world and its barriers to artists of color.
Valerie Cassel Oliver is the Sydney and Frances Lewis Family Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Prior to this position, she spent 16 years at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, Texas, where she was senior curator. Cassel Oliver has organized numerous exhibitions including co-curating Howardena Pindell: What Remains to Be Seen on view at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts through November 25.
Chioke I’Anson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of African American Studies at VCU and the first faculty-in-residence at the ICA. He has a PhD in philosophy from the University of South Florida and if you listen to NPR you’ll recognize his smooth baritone voice from the underwriting announcements. Chioke rides motorcycles quite fast.
For the Love of Art is a series created by the Institute for Contemporary Art, which features artists and curators discussing big ideas that drive their favorite art movements. This program is co-presented with the VMFA in conjunction with their special exhibition, Howardena Pindell: What Remains to Be Seen.
College Night: See and Be Seen
Look, explore, and create at VMFA College Night featuring DJ Trantic
Inspired by the special exhibition Howardena Pindell: What Remains To Be Seen, VMFA invites college students to the museum for a night of art making, ice cream, and music provided by DJ Trantic Music.
Pop Up: Mother’s Memory
Join professional artist Debbie Quick, Faculty Research Fellow at the Arts Research Institute at VCUarts, for an activity that asks the visitor to share memories that will contribute to a collaborative and ongoing beaded artwork.
3 in 30: Napoleon: Casting a Long Shadow
While Napoleon was in power, and even after his downfall, he proved to be a valuable source of commissions and subject matter for artists. Although the connections between Napoleon and these artists are not always apparent, on this short tour, you’ll discover how he affected the artistic output of three artists in VMFA’s permanent collection.
Napoleon’s Military & Political Rise to Power
From obscure origins, Napoleon Bonaparte rose rapidly through the ranks of the army during the first years of the Revolution, becoming a general by the age of 25. This talk examines Napoleon’s early military career and challenges the myth that his dramatic rise epitomizes the revolutionary principle of “careers open to talent.”