A blog by staff and others about the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
“Forbidden City” Cultural Exchange Recognized
November 22, 2013
U.S.-China Consultation on People-to-People Exchange (CPE) It’s not everyday that VMFA is cited by the U.S. Secretary of State and the Vice Premier of China. Fact Sheet Office of the Spokesperson Washington, DC November 21, 2013 Secretary of State John Kerry and Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong co-chaired the fourth annual U.S.-China Consultation on…
Monkey Business at VMFA
October 30, 2013
Allegory of Marital Fidelity, Jan Miense Molenaer. (1633) As a reference librarian, I am often asked to find things for people. These little hunts are often straightforward and informative. But sometimes I get to uncover funny little bits of history and lore along the way. Recently, I received a phone call from a woman in…
There’s no place like VMFA!
October 30, 2013
I’m excited for Hollywood Costume not just as an intern at VMFA, but as a Fashion Merchandising student at VCU. Since I’ll never get to wear the original Ruby Slippers from Wizard of Oz, I decided to make an inexpensive pair of my own that you can also make at home. After all, Halloween is…
Celebrating Géricault
September 26, 2013
Théodore Géricault (1791-1824) was one of the towering geniuses of the Romantic period. Partly self-taught and partly trained by Carle Vernet and Pierre-Narcisse Guerin, he arrived at a wholly personal style with which to portray modern life – turning his back and the grand mythological and religious subjects that had dominated art up to his…
Art-filled Saturday for Richmond
September 12, 2013
There is no shortages of things to do this weekend in Richmond. Saturday, in particular, will be a busy day! VMFA will be hosting a Family Day, which will celebrate the Art of Latin America: Peru!The event is packed with free activities for children and adults from 1 to 4 p.m. This will be a…
Breaking Bad’s Vince Gilligan: humor, humility, and staying true to your roots
August 28, 2013
“If I could go back in time and talk to my fifteen-year-old self, I would say ‘Smile a little, talk to people, and don’t be such a sheltered little nerd’.” Usually you don’t hear such honest self-reflection from anyone, let alone a world famous Hollywood producer, director, and writer! But Vince Gilligan is no ordinary…
Wesselmann’s pop art inspires poets
July 25, 2013
The Poetry Society of Virginia recently took an Ekphrastic Day visit to VMFA to write some art-inspired poems. “Ekphrastic” is the poets’ term for poetry inspired by artwork. Below are a couple of poems inspired by our current special exhibition Pop Art and Beyond: Tom Wesselmann. The exhibition ends this Sunday, July 28th, so if…
ARTrageous, a glittering evening of fun
July 23, 2013
ARTrageous 2013 looks ahead to Hollywood Costume, a dazzling blockbuster exhibition coming to VMFA in November from the Victoria and Albert Museum. A committee of volunteers, led by Jennifer and Geoff Sisk and Julee and Drew Spitzer, will bring the glamour of Hollywood to VMFA on September 7 for an evening that rivals the thrill…
With respect to Nelson Mandela on his birthday
July 18, 2013
Today is the birthday of Nelson Mandela, Nobel Peace Prize winner and former president of South Africa. He is 95. This is an appropriate time to consider a South African work in VMFA’s collection. Sue Williamson, a South African artist, found this object in a thrift shop. It’s a pass book, and a remnant of…
Conservators gather at VMFA for five intensive days of study
July 17, 2013
In conjunction with the Virginia Conservation Association, and with a grant from the Foundation for the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works, VMFA is hosting a workshop for practicing conservators on the Modular Cleaning Program formulated by Christopher Stavroudis, a conservator in private practice in Los Angeles and Richard Wolbers, professor of…