A blog by staff and others about the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
Beneath the Surface of African Art: Feather Identification with Dr. Carla Dove
June 15, 2017
Ainslie Harrison and Casey Mallinckrodt We (VMFA conservators Ainslie Harrison and Casey Mallinckrodt) recently travelled to Washington DC with the VMFA’s Yoruba Ogboni Society Plaque (#2000.97) to consult with Dr. Carla Dove in the Feather Identification Lab at the National Museum of Natural History. Dr. Carla Dove generously agreed to take a break from her…
Parallels in warriors and war
June 6, 2017
Today we remember D-Day and honor those who fought on the beaches of Normandy on June 6, 1944. This was the largest air, land, and sea invasion in history and led to the liberation of Europe. Over the vast span of time and cultures, we continue to see parallels in warriors and war. This vase…
VMFA team curates DePillars retrospective
May 31, 2017
Double Vision to close June 3 at Richmond’s Black History Museum An exhibition scheduled to close early next month reflects the growing interaction between the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia. Even the focus of the exhibition—a lifetime retrospective of paintings by the late Murry DePillars…
Artist Talk: Jaume Plensa
May 3, 2017
Discover the museum’s newest addition to the Robins Sculpture Garden–a work by the internationally renowned Spanish sculptor, Jaume Plensa, who specializes in large-scale outdoor artworks.
Beneath the Surface of African Art: Studying a Silver Alloy Ethiopian Cross
March 10, 2017
The research on the African Collection being carried out as part of the recently awarded Andrew W. Mellon grant is continuing to produce new insights into the objects in our collection. For example, as part of a comprehensive study of the Ethiopian crosses in our collection, 19th to 20th century hand cross (#2015.319) has undergone a…
“Three Musicians” by Romare Bearden
February 17, 2017
“Three Folk Musicians” is one of the most renowned works by American artist Romare Bearden (1911–1988). Incorporating hand-painted papers and photographs torn from magazines, Bearden’s collages of this period present complex images of African American life from multiple perspectives. Music: “Music Box Rag”, performed by the Heftone Banjo Orchestra
VMFA mourns the recent passing of Richmond-born artist Benjamin Leroy Wigfall
February 16, 2017
VMFA mourns the recent passing of Richmond-born artist Benjamin Leroy Wigfall (1930-2017). When the museum purchased his painting Chimneys in 1951, Wigfall was only 21, the youngest artist to have a work enter VMFA’s permanent collection. Wigfall was interviewed by the museum in 2003 and 2016 and was the subject of a program held at…
Revisiting Esther Mahlangu at VMFA
December 15, 2016
A lively spontaneity results from this approach, revealing the human touch of creation. No straight edge is used, no tape. Just the eye and the hand—although it’s important to mention the acrobatics and exertion also! Esther and Marriam painted standing, sitting, kneeling, and even reclining on scaffolding, ladders, and the floor. All the climbing was…
Jasper Johns & Edvard Munch
December 13, 2016
At a crossroads in the middle of his career, preeminent American artist Jasper Johns found his way forward in part by looking to the work of Norwegian Expressionist painter Edvard Munch.
Fine Arts & Flowers was a tremendous success!
November 29, 2016
Thank you to everyone that made Fine Arts & Flowers a tremendous success this year! Presented by The Council of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, with floral designs by The Garden Club of Virginia, Virginia Federation of Garden Clubs, and Garden Clubs of Virginia. Proceeds support re-installation of VMFA’s internationally acclaimed Fabergé Collection.