VMFA Blog

A blog by staff and others about the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

Epic Film Toussaint Louverture Debuts at VMFA

You go to the chain theaters to see what everyone else in the country is watching, but if you want films that are provocative and inspirational and that make you think, you go to VMFA. On Sat, Sep 6, VMFA will be pre-screening another of these thought-provoking films Toussaint Louverture. Not only has the whole…

Interactive exhibition Beyond the Walls opens Sunday

In contrast to Forbidden City, which focuses on the world of the emperor, Beyond the Walls allows you a glimpse into the home of an 18th century merchant-class family in China. Plus, this exhibition, located in the Memorial Foundation for Children Teaching Gallery, is interactive! Families, school groups, and other visitors can participate in activities including writing…

Jacques Doucet at VMFA  

Recently, there was an article in Architectural Digest about Jacques Doucet, the French fashion designer and art patron. Among the most important patrons of Paris Art Deco, Doucet added a studio called the Studio Saint-James to his residence in Neuilly, France (outside Paris) at the beginning of the twentieth century. In this studio, the celebrated…

VMFA Outside

The VMFA transformation continues. Taking full advantage of the spectacular summer weather, we invite visitors to enjoy the initial phase of VMFA Outside. We’ve learned from our advisors at the Project for Public Spaces that people want movable tables and chairs to enable them to find the perfect patch of sun or shade, and to…

Ryan McGinness

Gallery Hunting: Ryan McGinness Style

Rarely do people enter an art museum hoping to see art being made, but rather they venture in to see the completed masterpieces. At least not until recently, that is. Ryan McGinness: Studio Visit is a full-blown recreation of contemporary artist (and VMFA favorite) Ryan McGinness’s New York loft studio, right inside the museum. This…

Andy Warhol Elvis

Happy Birthday Andy Warhol

Blog post courtesy of  http://warholessays.tumblr.com/ Andy Warhol was born 86 years ago today. Since we have Warhol’s Triple Elvis print on display, we thought it appropriate to celebrate the King of Pop Art and his print of the King of Rock and Roll. Why is Warhol the King of Pop Art? His accessible consumer content…

Danya Smith

The VMFA Visual Arts Fellowship Program Has Supported Virginia’s Artists and Art Historians Since 1940  

Need help with your art school tuition? How about some cash for art supplies? Over the past 74 years, the VMFA Visual Arts Fellowship program has awarded more than $4.6 million to help more than 1,100 professional artists, art students, and art historians in Virginia realize their educational and career goals. “This Fellowship is really…

Jamel Shabazz

Continue the Conversation: VMFA and African American Art and Heritage

As visitors enjoy the final days of VMFA’s powerful companion shows, Posing Beauty in African American Culture and Identity Shifts, they will find a panel in the galleries inviting them to “Continue the Conversation” by visiting two additional exhibitions. Those smaller unticketed shows, States of Change in Africa and Signs of Protest: Photographs from the…