Featured Events

This will be the Virginia premiere of René Balcer’s new documentary, Above the Drowning Sea (2017; 88 mins), the epic story of the dramatic escape of thousands of Jewish refugees from Austria to the welcoming sanctuary of Shanghai, China, on the eve of World War II. Chinese diplomat Ho Feng Shan heroically defied the Nazis…

“There are a number of things that set Southern artists apart from anyone else,” said photographer Sally Mann regarding her relationship with painter Cy Twombly. Discover on this tour Twombly and Mann’s deep connection to the place where they lived and created their art.

There are many types of luck: good luck, bad luck, beginner’s luck, the list could go on… Join Colleen Yarger, Curatorial Assistant for the Mellon Collections, for a gallery talk that will explore the concept of luck across time from coin tosses to rabbit’s feet to the artistic design process.

Explore the special exhibition The Horse in Ancient Greek Art with curator, Dr. Peter Schertz and VCU Kinetic Imaging students as they share tips and animation processes they learned while creating animated scenes inspired by artwork featured in the exhibition. Try your hand at your own Greek art-inspired animations led by members of VMFA’s College…

Join poet and author, Ron Smith, in the special exhibition The Horse in Ancient Greek Art as he reads poetry that was inspired by artwork featured in the exhibition. Smith, poet laureate of Virginia from 2014 to 2016, is also the author of four books and is currently writer-in-residence at St. Christopher’s School, where he…

Join VMFA curators for a discussion of how the imagery of the horse translates across Ancient and East Asian cultures. This program will highlight works of art from the permanent collection and the two special exhibitions, Terracotta Army: Legend of the First Emperor of China and The Horse in Ancient Greek Art.

Join Mary Holland, The Thomas C. Gordon, Jr. Director of the Studio School, for an exploration of works in the special exhibition, Steinlen: Cats.

Celebrate Black History Month! As a part of the 28th annual National African American Read-In, leaders from the community share African and African American literature related to works in the permanent collection. The VMFA Library will also be open on this night for extended hours with works from the archives relating to the artist Chester…

Horses hooved and winged, chariots, centaurs, and satyrs – the ancient Greeks were mad for horses. This symposium features contributors to The Horse in Ancient Greek Art catalogue and explores equestrian art and culture in ancient Greece, from the social prestige of owning and racing horses and chariots to the fabulous stories and myths the…

This program will feature six leading scholars and archaeologists from China and the United States addressing recent excavations, new research, and innovative approaches in archaeology. Topics range from new discoveries at the First Emperor’s mausoleum and Qin’s capital of Yongcheng, to Qin law inscribed on bamboo strips, bronze casting in the ancient Mediterranean, and archaeology…