Explore the work of Gordon Parks with Dr. Sarah Eckhardt, Associate Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, by examining three key pieces in VMFA’s permanent collection that relate to the special exhibition Gordon Parks: Back to Fort Scott.
Special Events
Open Studio Sunday: The Artist’s Palate
Celebrate the opening of newest Teaching Gallery exhibition: The Artist’s Palate! Discover how artists use food as the main ingredient for inspiration, expand Open Studio with two art activities, and enjoy refreshments in the Atrium. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Artist’s Palate is generously supported by
2016 Teacher Open House: Inspired by Kehinde Wiley
The 2016 Teacher Open House: Inspired by Kehinde Wiley provides teachers with an opportunity to gather information about VMFA programs and resources. Light refreshments will be offered as teachers join colleagues to snap Wiley-inspired selfies; enjoy selected gallery tours; and make Spirograph designs. Participants must present a hard-copy ticket or e-ticket at the check-in tables in the Atrium before joining the event in the Marble Hall.
Participants may also visit the VMFA special exhibition Kehinde Wiley: A New Republic. A limit of 100 FREE tickets will be available for pick-up in the Marble Hall for each of these times: 5:45, 6, 6:30, and 7 pm on a first-come, first-served basis.
Sponsored By: 
Celebrate Latin American Art: Central America
Celebrate the art, culture, and traditions of countries in Central America. Through art activities, performances, and artist demonstrations, discover the history and culture of this diverse region. Learn about Mayan pottery, craft a “gold” pendant, and more. Performances feature the Latin Ballet of Virginia and La Palma Panamanian dancers. Participate in a parade at the conclusion of this festive family day!
Event Schedule
Performances
Exhibitions & Demonstrations
Activities
Community Collaborations
Dining
Celebra el arte, la cultura y las tradiciones de los países Centroaméricanos. A través de actividades artísticas, presentaciones y demostraciones de artistas, descubre la historia y cultura de esta diversa región. Aprende sobre la cerámica de los Maya, crea un colgante de “oro” y más. Habrán presentaciones del Ballet Latino de Virginia y los Bailarines Panameños “La Palma.” Participe en un desfile a la conclusión de este día de celebración para toda la familia!
Programa de Eventos
Presentaciones
Presentaciones y Demostraciones
Actividades
Colaboraciones con la Comunidad
Comida
Generously sponsored by
Apoyado generosamente por
Servicios de Traducción proveídos por Rachel Contreras, contrerarts@gmail.com
SAVE THE DATE!
Join us Feb 11, 2017, 10 am–5 pm for ChinaFest: Year of the Fire Rooster
VMFA Book Club – Still Life with Oysters and Lemon: On Objects & Intimacy
The author, who is primarily a poet, meditates on painting and the history of the everyday objects in our lives. Part memoir, part essay, he asserts that still life paintings are more complex than they first seem. Why, after hundreds of years, do we still appreciate their beauty and intimacy? The artist is long gone, as are the items depicted in the painting. What draws us to objects that are old and well-loved by previous owners? Why do we become attached to ordinary things?
VMFA Book Club
Using books about artists or works of art currently on view at VMFA to pique curiosity and open discussions, VMFA Book Club explores specific works of art as well as the setting and period surrounding them. NOTE: Reading the book is helpful but not required. The VMFA Shop stocks a limited supply of each book.
Renaissance Perspective: Film Selections Inspired by Kehinde Wiley
Rated R for language, nudity, and sexuality African American and Hispanic drag queens come together on the ballroom floor in NYC to compete in dance categories like “Executive Realness” and “Opulence” as well as “Voguing,” a style of dance imitating magazine fashion poses. Outlandish and full of joie de vivre, this intimate documentary allows participants their humanity and freedom to express their hopes, dreams, and disappointments, as well as their views on gender. Connection: Kehinde Wiley has cited this as a movie that is particularly meaningful to him. It is an interesting approach to understanding his work. Dir. Spike Lee Rated R for graphic violence, language, nudity, strong sexual content, and drug use Spike Lee’s stylized remake of 1973’s cult curiosity Ganja & Hess is a both a thriller and a new kind of love story. An art dealer shows Dr. Hess Green (Stephen Tyrone Williams) a mysterious ancient African artifact that curses him with a thirst for blood. Lacking any vampiric vulnerabilities (he is unaffected by daytime and crucifixes) Green enters into a dangerous romance with Ganja Hightower (Zaraah Abrahams) that questions the very nature of love, addiction, sex, and status in our seemingly sophisticated society. Connection: Lee features several of Kehinde Wiley’s paintings in this film. Dir. Peter Greenaway Rated R for nudity and adult content An aristocratic wife (Janet Suzman) commissions a young, brash draughtsman (Anthony Higgins) to sketch her husband’s property while he is away—in exchange for a fee, room and board, and more. The draughtsman becomes entwined in the devious scheming of this seemingly idyllic country home. Greenaway deconstructs Renaissance perspective by weaving a labyrinthine mystery of 17th-century intrigue replete with enormous wigs, living statues, intricate wordplay, erotic interludes, indiscretion, and adultery. Connection: This film serves as a sensuous philosophical study of an artist’s perception of the world. 
Paris Is Burning
(1991; 71 min)
Dir. Jennie Livingston
Fri, Jun 24, 6:30–8:30 pm
Leslie Cheek Theater
$8 (VMFA members $5)
Da Sweet Blood
of Jesus
(2014; 123 min)
Fri, Jul 29, 6:30–9 pm
Leslie Cheek Theater
$8 (VMFA members $5)
The Draughtsman’s Contract
(1982; 108 min)
Fri, Aug 19, 6:30–9 pm
Leslie Cheek Theater
$8 (VMFA members $5)
Kehinde Wiley: Opening Night Performances
Behind the Scenes: Kehinde Wiley: A New Republic
Join Dr. Eugenie Tsai for an in-depth look at the special exhibition Kehinde Wiley: A New Republic, a retrospective of the contemporary artist at the height of his career. Dr. Tsai, the curator of the exhibition, will discuss the selection and presentation of nearly 60 works, including sculpture, stained-glass panels and oil paintings which together, as a whole, alter the narrative of art history.
Kehinde Wiley: An Economy of Grace
This PBS documentary presents an intimate portrait of one of this generation’s most intriguing artists. The program studies and challenges the definition of beauty while discussing the correlation between fashion and art. The film will be followed by a discussion and Q&A led by three guest commentators. This program is inspired by the special exhibition, Kehinde Wiley: A New Republic.
Featuring
Dr. Andrea Douglas, Executive Director at Jefferson School African American Heritage Center, Charlottesville
Diego Sanchez, Painter and Chair of the Art Department at St. Catherine’s School, Richmond
Sukenya Best, Painter and Fine Arts Instructor, Virginia Union University, Richmond
3 in 30: Now Hear This! Sounds and Silence in American Art
With Dr. Leo Mazow, Louise B. and J. Harwood Cochrane Curator and Head of the Department of American Art
Appeal to your sense of sound and join Dr. Leo Mazow in exploring three works of art from the American Art collection that depict or hint at making sounds by including musical instruments and other objects.