FAMILY DAY EVENT
Celebrate the Art of Latin America: Colombia
Sat, Sep 9, 2023
11 am-3 pm
Museum-wide
Free. No reservations required.
Join us as we celebrate and explore the rich artistic traditions of Colombia. Enjoy performances, artist demonstrations, workshops, art projects, and more.
At-A-Glance Event Schedule
Additional details listed to the right.
11 am–3 pm | Museum-wide: Art Activities
11 am-3 pm | Atrium: VMFA Conservation Demonstration
11 am-3 pm | Library: Community Map Project with the Virginia Hispanic Foundation and Chamber
11 am-3 pm | Studio 1: Artist Demonstration with Diego Sanchez
11 am–3 pm | Reynolds Lecture Hall: Video Showcase
Noon-2:30 pm | Atrium: Coffee Tastings with Blanchard’s Coffee
11 am-3 pm | Sculpture Garden: Collaborative Artist Demonstration with Alfonso Pérez Acosta
11:30 am–12:10 pm | Leslie Cheek Theater: Dance Performance by Latin Ballet of Virginia
12:15–12:45 pm | Atrium: Dance Workshops & Performances, Tradición Dance Company
1:30–2:10 pm | Sculpture Garden: Dance Performance by Latin Ballet of Virginia
2:15–2:45 pm | Atrium: Dance Workshops & Performances, Tradición Dance Company
Performances, Artist Demonstrations and Workshops
★ Performances, Artist Demonstrations, and Workshops
Please note scheduled times and locations below.
Dance Performances by Latin Ballet of Virginia
Leslie Cheek Theater, Level L | 11:30 am–12: 10 pm
Sculpture Garden | 1:30–2:10 pm
Doors to Theater open for seating at 11:15 am.
The Latin Ballet of Virginia (LBV) was founded in 1997 in Richmond, Virginia, under the direction of Ana Ines King. LBV is a professional dance company and school of dance, providing multicultural dance programs, instruction, and performances for a diverse community. During Family Day, the Latin Ballet of Virginia will represent the culture of Colombia through excerpts from the original production of MACONDO, produced by Colombian native, Ana Ines King. MACONDO is a performing arts interpretation based on the novel, Cien Años de Soledad (One Hundred Years of Solitude), written by Colombian novelist and 1982 Nobel Prize in Literature winner, Gabriel García Márquez, creator of magical realism in Hispanic literature.
Dance Workshops and Performances with Tradición Dance Company
Atrium, Level 1 | 12:15–12:45 pm
Atrium, Level 1 | 2:15–2:45 pm
Watch as Tradición Dance Company performs a traditional Colombian cumbia to the song “La Pollera Colorá,” composed in 1960 as an instrumental by Colombian clarinetist, Juan Madera Castro, with lyrics written in 1962 by singer-songwriter Wilson Choperena. The cumbia incorporates a brightly colored, instantly recognizable dress that is considered the most well-known national costume for Colombian women. Join Tradición Dance Company in these engaging and fun dance performances!
Colombian Coffee Tastings with Blanchard’s Coffee Roasting Company
Atrium, Level 1 | Noon–2:30 pm
Learn about and taste Colombian coffee with Richmond-based roaster, Blanchard’s!
Artist Demonstration with Diego Sanchez
Art Education Center, Studio 1, Level 1 | 11 am–3 pm
Watch and join in conversation as artist Diego Sanchez works on a series of mixed media pieces on paper. As described by Sanchez, “these pieces will reflect my intuitive approach to my work. The creation of these expressive and colorful pieces is dynamic and the process is experimental, hopefully resulting in visually engaging and resonant artworks.” Born in Bogotá, Colombia, Sanchez obtained a BFA and MFA in Painting and Printmaking from Virginia Commonwealth University and was the first recipient of the Theresa Pollak Artist of the Year award. His works have been shown throughout Virginia and in Peru, Italy, Belgium, Hungary, Colombia, and France.
Collaborative Artist Demonstration: JÚBILO INMORTAL (Immortal Joy) with Alfonso Pérez Acosta
Sculpture Garden | 11 am–3 pm
Join this participatory art demonstration by Colombian artist Alfonso Pérez Acosta, involving a large-scale drawing made with Colombian coffee and an open invitation for guests to interact with meaningful elements of Colombian culture. Alfonso Pérez Acosta’s style sits at the intersection of art and education, employing multimedia languages in a variety of community-based projects, with a special interest in contemporary drawing and healing practices. His work includes the Together We Rise mural for the Mending Walls project, art for the Portraits of Immigrant Voices drawing series book, and the creation and development of the Casa Lápiz art program for middle-schoolers at Richmond’s Sacred Heart Center.
VMFA Conservation Demonstration
Atrium, Level 1 | 11 am–3 pm
Discover where art and science meet with our Conservation team. Come see some of the tools and techniques used to care for and preserve VMFA’s collection.
★ Art Activities
Ongoing, 11 am-3 pm
Shape a Sombrero Vueltiao
Studio 2 Art Education Center, Level 1
Create a clay version of the sombrero veultiao, a cultural icon of Colombia!
Paper Lantern Making with 1708 Gallery
Marble Hall, Level 2
Join Kerry Mills from Richmond’s 1708 Gallery to create a lantern inspired by a traditional celebration in Colombia. Learn more about InLight 2023!
Make a Tissue Paper Orchid & Butterfly
Marble Hall, Level 2
Explore the nature of Colombia by decorating its national flower and butterfly species with tissue paper.
Construct a Guacharaca Instrument
Marble Hall, Level 2
Celebrate Colombia’s rich musical traditions by creating and playing your own gaucharaca instrument.
Create a Woven Vessel
Marble Hall, Level 2
Practice the art of weaving and create your own woven vessel inspired by the mochila bag.
Stamp a Golden Pendent
Sculpture Garden
Create a wearable golden pendant inspired by the geometric and symmetrical designs commonly found in gold jewelry in ancient American art.
★ Collaborative Activities
Ongoing, 11 am-3pm
Community Map Project with the Virginia Hispanic Foundation and Virginia Hispanic Chamber
Library | Atrium, Level 1
Join the Virginia Hispanic Chamber and Virginia Hispanic Foundation and participate in a collaborative map project, brought to life through community, memories, traditions, and thoughts. Learn more about the Virginia Hispanic Foundation and their upcoming programs and events!
Survey and Prize Table
Atrium, Level 1
Vote for your favorite art activity of the day and receive a fun prize to take home.
Family-Friendly Short Films
Reynolds Lecture Hall | Level L
Drop into Reynolds Lecture Hall to watch short films about Colombian art, music, and culture. The films will play on a loop from 11 am–3 pm.
Play & Relax
Sculpture Garden
Lounge, relax, and play the Colombian game La Rana in VMFA’s Sculpture Garden.
★ Explore More
Ongoing, 11 am-3 pm
FREE Admission to Special Exhibitions
Admission to Whitfield Lovell: Passages and Benjamin Wigfall and
Communications Village is free on Saturday, Sep 9, from 11 am–4 pm. Stop by the Visitor Services desk to pick up a free, timed ticket to these exhibitions—available on a first come, first served basis on Sep 9, 2023, only.
A Closer Look Interactive Gallery
Memorial Foundation for Children Interactive Gallery, Level 1
VMFA’s latest Interactive Gallery exhibition goes beneath the surface of six works of art from VMFA’s collection to investigate how art can be an expression of place or personal and cultural identity, how different cultures throughout time represent history and identity through art, and what histories are publicly told and which are hidden.
VMFA’s Galleries | Museum-wide
Explore all three levels of VMFA’s galleries.
VMFA’s Best Café | Atrium, Level 1
Stop by VMFA’s Best Café to purchase a tasty treat or delicious dish. To celebrate Colombia, the Best Café will have a special dish, sudado de pollo, available from 11:30 am–2 pm, or until sold out! All other food will be available for purchase until 2:30 pm.
Shop VMFA | Atrium, Level 1
The VMFA Shop searches the world to provide a diverse selection of unique jewelry, home accessories, toys, stationery, and books, focusing on merchandise related to the museum’s collections and exhibitions as well as educational items and works by Virginia artists.
VMFA’s Margaret R. and Robert Freeman Library | Atrium, Level 1
Stop by VMFA’s Library to learn more about their services.
Membership Opportunity at VMFA | Visitor Services Desk | Atrium, Level 1
Become a member and enjoy VMFA with your family 365 days a year! Join today with promo code FAMILY to receive two additional months of membership, plus a free gift.* Additional discounts are available for qualifying individuals. For more information visit www.VMFA.museum/membership or call 804.340.1520.
*Offer valid through 9/16/2023. Terms and conditions apply.
Generously sponsored by
ChinaFest: Year of the Wood Dragon | Feb 3, 2024 | 10 am-4:30 pm