Free & Open to the Public
“And today we say yes to something that looks like us. We say yes to inclusivity. We say yes to broader notions of what it means to be an American.”
—Kehinde Wiley
Be one of the first in Richmond to see Kehinde Wiley’s Rumors of War at its unveiling at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
The event begins at 3:30 pm in VMFA’s Mary Morton Parsons Plaza, facing Arthur Ashe Boulevard. The program will include a performance by Richmond Public Schools All City Marching Band and remarks by:
- Kehinde Wiley
- The Honorable Ralph Northam, Governor of Virginia
- The Honorable Levar Stoney, Mayor of the City of Richmond
- Alex Nyerges, VMFA’s Director and CEO
- Dr. Monroe Harris, VMFA’s President of the Board of Trustees
- Valerie Cassel Oliver, VMFA’s Sydney and Frances Lewis Family Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art
- Sean Kelly, Sean Kelly Gallery
From 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm, the celebration continues with an indoor reception featuring live music and refreshments in the Cochrane Atrium.
Learn More About the Sculpture
Street Closures
Southbound lanes of N. Arthur Ashe Blvd, between Ellwood Ave and Monument Ave will be closed between 2 pm and 6 pm on the day of the event.
Shuttle Service
FREE parking and FREE shuttles are available from Rueger Playground at 3000 Grant St. Shuttles will run regularly between 2:30 pm and 7:00 pm. All shuttles will stop at the corner of N. Arthur Ashe Blvd and Grove Ave.
Parking
Guests attending this event are advised to use remote parking at Rueger Playground (3000 Grant St) and ride the free shuttles, which will drop off at the corner of N. Arthur Ashe Blvd and Grove Ave.
No parking will be allowed on either side of N.Arthur Ashe Blvd, between Floyd Ave and Kensington Ave, between noon and 6 pm on the day of the event.
Parking will also be restricted on Grove Ave between N. Arthur Ashe Blvd and Sheppard St beginning at 12:00 pm.
School Groups
School groups planning to attend the unveiling should contact VMFA’s Tour Services at 804.340.1419 or at tourservices@vmfa.museum to let us know your expected arrival time, the number of students in your group, and if you are traveling by bus.
IMAGE Rumors of War (detail), 2019, Kehinde Wiley (American, born 1977), bronze with stone pedestal, overall: 27’ 4 7/8” H x 25’ 5 7/8” L x 15’ 9 5/8” W. Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Purchased with funds provided by Virginia Sargeant Reynolds in memory of her husband, Richard S. Reynolds, Jr., by exchange, Arthur and Margaret Glasgow Endowment, Pamela K. and William A. Royall, Jr., Angel and Tom Papa, Katherine and Steven Markel, and additional private donors, 2019.39