A blog by staff and others about the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
Judith Godwin was inspired by dance
October 4, 2012
As I listened to Dr. Sarah Eckhart, the Assistant Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, and Robbie Kinter, from VCU’s Department of Dance and Choreography, discussing the relationship between modern dance and Judith Godwin’s paintings, I felt a real connection with Ms. Godwin. Sarah and Robbie made her come alive just like her oversized canvases. …
Fellowships: Free money for Virginia’s artists and art historians
September 27, 2012
When did you last come across a chance to win free money, and be recognized for your talented work at the same time? Sounds like a pretty sweet deal, right? Well, it’s a reality with the VMFA Visual Arts Fellowship program! For the past 72 years, the Fellowship has given away thousands of dollars each…
Better Than the Eiffel Tower
September 26, 2012
My husband and I took our eleven year old granddaughter to Paris this past summer. When asked what she wanted to see, she quickly responded– the Eiffel Tower. We couldn’t argue with that. Who doesn’t like the Eiffel Tower? Loving French cuisine, we next focused on lunch. A friend recommended the Jules Verne restaurant, located…
Outstanding young talent gains national attention
September 22, 2012
Anna Laughter is a rising 10th grader at Douglas Freeman HS in Henrico County. Last year as a freshman she took Art I under the instruction of Erin Murtagh. Her teacher submitted one of Anna’s drawings into The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards 2012 contest. Her drawing has received a number of awards and distinctions…
Antietam and the Civil War – another artist’s perspective
September 18, 2012
Yesterday’s post on Antietam has relevance today with the PBS airing of “Death and the Civil War” tonight at 8 pm EST. According to the WCVE Community Idea Stations: “The shattering Civil War death toll transformed hundreds of thousands of individual lives and the life of the nation as well, from its understanding of the…
Anniversary of Antietam
September 17, 2012
One-hundred fifty years ago today, 160 miles north of Richmond, a horrific battle near Sharpsburg, Maryland, and Antietam Creek marked the turning point in the Civil War. It was the first major confrontation in the conflict to take place on Union soil and remains the single deadliest day in American history with over 23,000 casualties…
Clip, dig, and laugh
August 30, 2012
As a veteran docent of twelve years, I thought no experience at VMFA could rival time spent in the galleries. One of my greatest joys is researching and learning about the art and conversing about it with visitors. This July I was pleasantly surprised to find just how enjoyable volunteering in the sculpture garden could…
An uncommon vision
July 3, 2012
When looking through preview photos on the VMFA’s website, I stumbled upon Édouard Boubat’s Little Girl with Dead Leaves. It is a hauntingly beautiful image, one of melancholy and wonder, and is featured in our free exhibition, “Visions of France.” Boubat, only 20 when he captured the image, wrote a poem about his encounter and…
A beautiful and symbolic flower
June 27, 2012
Yesterday was a positively beautiful day. With the sunshine warming me through wispy clouds and a cool breeze gently carrying the air, I slowly strolled past the reflecting pool. Shallow and clear, the pool is home to tall grasses and floating water lilies, but my gaze lingered on the lotus. The bright white petals, blossoming…
One of the Most Stupendous Scenes in Nature
June 7, 2012
Upon visiting Harpers Ferry in 1783, Thomas Jefferson was so awestruck by the raw beauty of the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers that he described the view as “perhaps one of the most stupendous scenes in nature.” In addition to being a site of great natural beauty, Harpers Ferry, now situated at the…