A blog by staff and others about the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
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…
Maharaja LIVE
June 7, 2012
Maharaja: The Splendor of India’s Great Kings has made its television debut! WTVR/CBS 6 News’ executive producer, Jessica Noll, reported live from the VMFA yesterday morning for an exclusive look at one of the museum’s most opulent exhibitions yet. But as the rest of Richmond watched from home, I had the privilege of observing the broadcast from behind…
Reasons to Celebrate Walt Whitman
May 31, 2012
“Whatever satisfies the soul is truth.” –Walt Whitman Happy Birthday, Walt! 193 years ago today, America’s greatest and most influential poet was born on Long Island, New York. VMFA is honoring Walt Whitman’s life and work in a special summer exhibition—Bold, Cautious, True: Walt Whitman and American Art of the Civil War Era—that opens in…
The passing of an American art icon: Elizabeth Catlett
April 4, 2012
Bittersweet. The word comes to mind as I take in the sad news that the magnificent Elizabeth Catlett died on Monday. Just two weeks shy of her 97thbirthday, this pioneering African American printmaker and sculptor had certainly lived life large. And last week—little knowing Catlett was facing her final days—VMFA paid tribute to this iconic…