A blog by staff and others about the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
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…
Books for Lovers of Reading and Art
April 7, 2020
If you’re looking for a good book to curl up with while staying home and staying safe, consider one of the following titles recommended by the VMFA Library. Featuring past selections of the VMFA Book Club and previous winners of the Art in Literature: Mary Lynn Kotz Award, this list presents a wide range of…
Celebrating African American Community Leaders Through Public Art
August 28, 2019
This video was created by Field Studio and was made possible in part by Virginia Humanities. In February 2019, VMFA unveiled RVA Community Makers, a public art project featuring portraits of eight African American community leaders. The initiative is one example of VMFA’s commitment to opening our doors to a more diverse audience. Local artist…
The Quilting Tradition of Gee’s Bend
August 12, 2019
This article is an excerpt from the museum magazine, VMFA, an exclusive benefit for museum members. See works from the Gee’s Bend quilters on display in the Cosmologies from the Tree of Life: Art from the African American South exhibition. Valerie Cassel Oliver, VMFA’s Sydney and Frances Lewis Family Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art,…
7 Ways to Begin a Journey Toward Clarity
June 7, 2019
At the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Awaken: A Tibetan Buddhist Journey Toward Enlightenment asks a thought-provoking question: are we really awake and fully aware, or do the clamor and fragmentation of our lives lull us into a kind of waking sleep? The exhibition invites you to pause from the busyness of daily life and…
It’s a Family Affair: 7 Activities Inspired by Cosmologies at VMFA
May 23, 2019
The works of art in the exhibition Cosmologies from the Tree of Life: Art from the African American South at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts embody stories that may remind you of your own family’s artistry, perseverance, and traditions passed down through generations. The art on view includes sculptures, quilts, paintings, and works on…