Featured Events

Listen, play, and explore at VMFA College Night! Join members of the College Advisory Council for games in the Marble Hall, view the work of Gordon Parks, and hear a lecture about the photographer by John Edwin Mason, Associate Professor of History at the University of Virginia. Event Schedule

Few photographers have shaped the American public’s understanding of pressing social issues as much as Gordon Parks. From the 1940s until the 1970s, photo-essays that he published in Life magazine introduced millions of readers to people and ideas that challenged and sometimes changed the way that they saw their nation and themselves. This lecture traces the impact of…

With Dr. Sarah Eckhardt, Associate Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art & Karen E. Haas, Lane Curator of Photographs, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Explore Gordon Parks’s larger career at Life magazine by examining VMFA’s collection of the photographer’s works. The conversation will be followed by a visit to the special exhibition Gordon Parks: Back to Fort…

What did the ancient Greeks and Romans think about dogs? Were they seen as faithful companions, helpful hunters, or fierce guardians? Through mythological stories, ancient author’s accounts and artistic depictions, discover the Ancient Greek and Roman view of man’s best friend.

With Karen E. Haas, Lane Curator of Photographs, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Peter W. Kunhardt, Jr., Executive Director of the Gordon Parks Foundation, & Dr. Sarah Eckhardt, Associate Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art Join Karen E. Haas, curator of Gordon Parks: Back to Fort Scott, and Peter W. Kunhardt, Jr., Executive Director of the Gordon…

Jean Renoir, son of Pierre-Auguste Renoir and a master of French cinema, chose to make his first Technicolor work entirely in India. Based on the Rumer Godden novel, the film eloquently contrasts the lives of young British and Indian women with the immutability of the Ganges River in Bengal. Renoir’s nuanced understanding of the culture,…

VCUarts students were invited to design and develop their own products inspired by works in VMFA’s outstanding permanent collection. Now, VCUarts and VMFA Shop are proud to introduce the three finalists and their creatively designed, handcrafted products. Come to the VMFA Shop and meet these talented emerging artists! Exclusive VMFA member discount on all purchases.

Learn more about the VMFA Fellowship Program with this free discussion open to practicing and aspiring artists and art historians. Fellowship Program Coordinator Jenny Harding will provide a history of the program and review the eligibility requirements as well as helpful hints for navigating the application process.

Featuring Daphne Maxwell Reid in discussion with Elvatrice Belsches, the film’s researcher and writer. Moderated by Kimberly Brown. This documentary explores the extraordinary life of Elizabeth Keckly against the national crisis of the Civil War. Born a slave in Virginia, Keckly’s skill as a seamstress enabled her to purchase her freedom. She became the favorite dressmaker and personal confidante of…

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.