A blog by staff and others about the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
VMFA and Chase: Meeting People Where They Are
November 23, 2020
CELESTE FETTA is the Director of Education at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, a role she has had for the past five years. She has been with the museum since 2001 serving in several capacities within the Education Department. Here, she shares VMFA’s nurturing of creativity in the community, its steadfast commitment to its…
The Sounds They Saw: Kamoinge and Jazz
September 23, 2020
By Dr. John Edwin Mason Author’s Note: This blog post draws heavily on an essay, also called “The Sounds They Saw: Kamoinge and Jazz,” that I wrote for the exhibition catalogue Working Together: Louis Draper and the Kamoinge Workshop. I’m grateful to the photographer Herb Robinson, a member of Kamoinge, for selecting the music that…
Delving into Draper
September 16, 2020
Sandra Sellars is an assistant photographer at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and VMFA’s Louis Draper Archive photographer. Sellars is also an award-winning photojournalist for the Richmond Free Press—a Black–owned and operated newspaper. She will be a featured presenter in VMFA’s free seven-part virtual symposium titled The Kamoinge Workshop: Collaboration, Community, and Photography, which…
We’re Open and the Listening Continues
July 29, 2020
During the past two months, we have been listening to our staff, members, visitors, and members of the community. We are grateful for the candid thoughts, personal experiences, and genuine concerns many have expressed in direct response to VMFA’s statement of support for the protests that began after George Floyd’s murder. Listening to your stories…
Remembering John Lewis
July 28, 2020
John Lewis in Nashville (Primary Title), Memories of the Southern Civil Rights Movement (Portfolio Title), 1962–64, printed 2015, Danny Lyon (American, born 1942), gelatin silver print. Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Arthur and Margaret Glasgow Endowment, 2017.404.2. Image © Danny Lyon The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts pays tribute to the life of John Lewis,…
At Home with Richmond-Area Fashion Design Students: VMFA’s Teen Stylin’ Adapts to COVID-19
May 20, 2020
Maddie, a Teen Stylin’ participant, uses materials found at home to work on her garment. If you’ve ever watched the reality show Project Runway, you know the drama that can play out when there’s passion for fashion. This spring, students enrolled in Teen Stylin’ Metamorphosis at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts rose to an…
Let Us Now Praise Public Servants
May 6, 2020
Governor Ralph Northam has proclaimed this week Virginia Public Service Week, a time to recognize and honor state employees for their service to the Commonwealth. Public Service Recognition Week, also commemorated on a national level this week, celebrates federal, county, and local government employees as well. From medical professionals and first responders to community leaders,…
VMFA Reimagined: 10th Anniversary
April 28, 2020
This May marks ten years since the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts completed a historic expansion and grand reopening. Although we looked forward to celebrating this milestone in-person with all of you, understandably those plans and so many others have changed. First and foremost, our thoughts turn to you and to the safety and well-being…
Art for the Aspiring Traveler
April 27, 2020
As a pandemic halts even the most mundane activities outside the home, you may be reflecting on past travel opportunities with a bit of nostalgia. Whether you’ve traveled extensively, rarely, or always postponed your dreams to “some day,” you may be looking forward to the time when we can once again journey near and far…
Five Art-Related Films for In-Home Viewing
April 13, 2020
Whether you’re someone who’s staying home to practice social distancing or someone deemed essential and thereby in need of escape at the end of the work day, movies may be the perfect way to spend your free time right now. Many of us are streaming more than ever before or doing so for the first…