Miwako Nishizawa is a California-based Japanese-American artist specializing in the traditional shin-hanga Japanese woodblock technique that revitalized the ukiyo-e tradition in early 20th century Japan. As part of their interest in the work of shin-hanga artist Kawase Hasui, collectors René and Carolyn Balcer commissioned Nishizawa to execute “Twelve Views of Virginia” in the shin-hanga style. This exhibition uses working drawings and artist proofs from the series to demonstrate the technique. These will be exhibited at the same time as a large exhibition of works by Hasui in the Evans Court Gallery.

This exhibition presents a visually compelling selection of Japanese woodblock prints — as well as paintings and didactic material — that explores the dynamic early work of Japanese landscape artist Kawase Hasui (1883-1957). Through the work of Hasui, the exhibition explores the themes of nostalgia and longing — the search for individual and national identity in Japan during the early Taisho period, an era of dizzying social and cultural change. It presents the best work of one of Japan’s modern masters, featuring high quality objects that are compelling visually, often rare, and broadly resonant. The core themes of this art — the exploration of the native landscape and the discovery of a new urban beauty in response to the anonymity of modern life — are as relevant to American audiences now as they were to Japan in the 1920s.

The works selected for this exhibition focus on Hasui’s most creative period of woodblock print design: the years from 1918 to the Great Earthquake of 1923. The exhibition utilizes the unparalleled collection donated to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts by preeminent Hasui collectors, René and Carolyn Balcer.

The exhibition is curated by Kendall Brown, Professor of Asian Art History at California State University, Long Beach, and author of earlier books on Hasui and several catalogues on modern Japanese prints. It will be accompanied by a major catalogue including essays by leading scholars from North America and Japan.

Carolyn Hsu-Balcer and René Balcer

E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation

Christie’s

The Japan Foundation

Robert Frank photographs Beat poet Allen Ginsberg hugging a tree, Imogen Cunningham poses Alfred Stieglitz standing in front of a flower painting by Georgia O’Keeffe, and Barbara Morgan captures modern dancer Martha Graham as she stretches her body into a dramatic form; these images convey more than a mere likeness of the artists portrayed. Instead they highlight the collaboration between photographer and subject when both are artists seeking to convey a unique persona.

This exhibition features photographic portraits of fine artists, writers, and performers taken throughout the 20th century. From the softly focused, romantic images the Pictorialists made in the early 1900s to the casual color polaroids Andy Warhol took of the celebrities around him in the early 1970s, these works also trace the evolving styles and functions of photography as it documented artistic movements and increasingly served as a primary artistic medium in itself. Artists as Art is curated by Dr. Sarah Eckhardt, Assistant Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art.

Two recently acquired works in the African collection provide insight into far-reaching social and economic changes associated with the independence movement that swept across Africa during the 1950s and 1960s, bringing an end to European colonialism officially, if not in reality. The upbeat Barber’s Sign from Ghana, infused with the optimism of the new era, suggests modern hairstyles for fashionable personal identity, while celebrating the name Ghana along with the red, yellow, green, and black state colors the new nation adopted after declaring autonomy from Britain in 1957.

Revealing another aspect of the transition, the haunting photo montage, Untitled 21, from the suite Mémoire, by Congolese artist, Sammy Baloji investigates the impact of industrial development in the Belgian Congo during the colonial era and its demise after independence in 1960. In this focus installation, both the sign and the photo montage are presented with related works to portray the historic context more broadly and cast a sharper focus on the nature of the changes in society and art that have played out in Africa during the second half of the 20th century.

“The Great War” changed the face of the world when it began on July 28, 1914. The story of World War I and the emotions it brought on are told through prints by British and American artists such as Muirhead Bone, Kerr Eby, Childe Hassam, James McBey, and Claude Shepperson. The works depict scenes of combat in France and the Near East, life on the home front in the United States and England, and the war’s aftermath and its commemoration. All of the prints come from the Frank Raysor Collection, a promised gift to the museum. Curated by Dr. Mitchell Merling, Paul Mellon Curator and Head of the Department of European Art.

Ryan McGinness: Studio Visit will explore this contemporary artist’s creative process for his 2009 painting Art History Is Not Linear (VMFA). Commissioned by VMFA, this 16-panel painting contains 200 icons inspired by works from the museum’s collection. A three-part exhibition, the first gallery will provide a glimpse of McGinness’s studio practice, the second will display a selection of the objects McGinness chose from the museum collection alongside his sketches and final image, and the last portion will show early works the artist made while growing up in Virginia Beach. The exhibition will engage a wide audience, and an exciting array of education programs will especially encourage young viewers to seek out their own favorite works in the collection and actively participate in their own process of exploration and interpretation.

Presented by The Council of VMFA, the 12th Fine Arts & Flowers features floral interpretations of masterpieces from the permanent collection, presented by members of The Garden Club of Virginia, the Virginia Federation of Garden Clubs, and Garden Clubs of Virginia. This four-day fundraising exhibition combines fine art with floral mastery for a dazzling exhibition of beauty and creativity.

Maps of the floral exhibit placements will be available at Visitor Services.

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Unfolding Elegance: Gala Preview

Wed, Oct 23, 2024
6:30–9:30 pm 
$250 per person. Advance registration required.
Cochrane Atrium

Join us for the opening celebration and preview of Fine Arts & Flowers. 

Register Now

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Guided Tours

Thu, Oct 24, and Fri, Oct 25
10 am, 11am, 12 pm, 1pm, 2 pm, and 3 pm

Sat, Oct 26, and Sun, Oct 27
11 am, 12 pm, 1 pm, 2 pm, and 3 pm

$15 per person
Meet in the Cochrane Atrium

Enjoy a 50 minute guided tour of exhibition highlights with a VMFA  tour guide. 

Register Now

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Guest Speaker | Ingrid Carozzi

Thu, Oct 24, 2024
10–11 am 
$50 per person
Cheek Theater

As a leader in sustainable floral design, Ingrid Carozzi teaches workshops and master classes at FlowerSchool in New York. She owns Tin Can Studios, specializing in floral designs for weddings and corporate events, and has been named Best Florist by New York Magazine. Recently, she collaborated with TIME magazine on their announcement gala for the 2023 Person of the Year, Taylor Swift. Carozzi’s latest book is Flowers by Design: Creating Arrangements for Your Space. 

Register Now

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Marble Hall Luncheon

Thu & Fri, Oct 24 & 25, 2024
noon–1 pm 
$65 per person. Advance registration required.
Marble Hall

Enjoy a seated luncheon in the Marble Hall, accompanied by fashion modeling by the VMFA Shop.

Register Now

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Guest Speaker | Robbie Honey

Thu, Oct 24, 2024
2–3 pm 
$50 per person
Cheek Theater

Born in Zimbabwe, Robbie Honey grew up roaming the countryside and developing a love of flowers.  At age 25, he opened a London business where he worked with high fashion clients including Hermès, Dior, Valentino, Armani, and Lancôme. As an international horticulturist, Honey is concerned about worldwide threats to native plant habitats. His first publication, The Accidental Botanist: The Structure of Plants Revealed, has garnered a worldwide audience.

Register Now

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Curator Tour and Reception

"The Great American Still Life” with Dr. Christopher Oliver, Bev Perdue Jennings Associate Curator of American Art
Thu, Oct 24, 2024
3:30–5:30 pm 
$45 per person
Meet at Visitor Services

Sold Out

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Guest Speaker | Canaan Marshall

Fri, Oct 25, 2024
10–11 am 
$50 per person
Cheek Theater

Known as “The Flower Whisperer,” Canaan Marshall has demonstrated a knack for all things growing and green since childhood. An animated, joyful floral designer, his skills include largescale event arrangements, with two featured in Flower magazine’s 2023 “Best Flower Arrangements” lists. Marshall’s advice: “Choose flowers you like, put some love into the preparation, and have fun!” He hopes to be a role model for Black children and inspire them to fulfill their dreams, as he has done.

Register Now

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Curator Tour and Reception

“De Heem and the Golden Age of Dutch Still Life Painting” with Dr. Theresa Cunningham, Assistant Curator of European Art and the Mellon Collections
Fri, Oct 25, 2024
3:30–5:30 pm 
$45 per person
Meet at Visitor Services

Sold Out

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Floral Workshop with David Pippin

Sat, Oct 26, 2024
10–11 am or 2–3 pm 
$50 per person
Conference Room 1

Popular floral designer David Pippin will lead “Art for Inspiration," a hands-on creation of arrangements based on works in the VMFA collection.

Sold Out

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Luncheon and Fashion Show

Sat, Oct 26, 2024
noon–1 pm
$65 per person. Advance reservations required.
Marble Hall
 
The Flowers in Fashion luncheon showcases original designs by students from the Virginia Commonwealth University Department of Fashion Design & Merchandising.

Register Now

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Floral Workshop with Sarah Chiffriller

Sun, Oct 27, 2024
10–11 am
$50 per person
Conference Room 1
 
In her workshop “Environmentally Conscious Design,” Sarah Chiffriller offers instruction and tips, including the use of various sustainable practices

Register Now

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Floral Libations

Sun, Oct 27, 2024
noon–1 pm
$90 per person
Claiborne Robertson Room
 
Enjoy hearty fare, cocktails, mocktails, and prizes at this brunch featuring creations by Amuse Lead Bartender Molly McCurnin.

Register Now

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Floral Workshop with Ikebana of Richmond

Sun, Oct 27, 2024
2–3 pm
$50 per person
Conference Room 1
 
Ikeana of Richmond hosts “Ikebana Arrangements,” a hands-on workshop
showcasing the Japanese art of flower arranging.

Sold Out

 Presented by The Council of VMFA

Floral designs by members of the Garden Club of Virginia, Virginia Federation of Garden Clubs, and Garden Clubs of Virginia.

Barnes & Diehl, P.C.
Charles Schwarzschild Jeweler, Inc.
James River Air Conditioning Company
Lewis T. Stoneburner, Attorney
Mark Franko Custom Building
Middleburg Bank & Middleburg Trust Company
Riverfront Investment Group, LLC
Stoever & Palmore Investment Group of Wells Fargo Advisors
Westminster Canterbury Richmond

ADC Direct
Azzurro Ristorante
Caspari, Inc.
Chippenham Pediatrics
Costen Floors
EDC Commercial Construction
First Capital Bank
Fraiche on the Avenues
Gastrointestinal Specialists, Inc.
Handcraft Cleaners
Janet Brown Interiors
K2 Trophies & Awards, LLC MED, Inc.
Alex & Joy Paoletto
Porter Realty Company, Inc.
The Davey Tree Expert Company
The Hermitage at Cedarfield
Virginia Society of Landscape Designers
Westwood Pharmacy

Signs and protests were inseparable in the 1960s. Like a visual bullhorn, they both amplified and unified the voices fighting injustice. This exhibition includes photographs that feature protest signs, as well as images of the larger culture of resistance surrounding them, with an emphasis on Civil Rights leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Stokely Carmichael.

Japanese woodblock artist Kawase Hasui (1883–1957) was primarily a landscape artist and rarely produced works featuring other subjects. However, in 1935 he designed a series of woodblock prints that focused on traditional Japanese dolls, including Imperial Palace dolls, known as gosho ningyo. That same year, the 24 ningyo prints in this series were published in an album entitled Japanese Dolls: Gosho Ningyo by Meiji-Shobo. The twelve prints on display at VMFA were selected from the album, donated by René and Carolyn Balcer.

This exhibition sheds new light on a common, but often overlooked aspect of British art: the British Sporting Print. Highly sought after during the 18th and 19th centuries, these prints endure as symbols of English culture.

Featuring more than 100 prints, Catching Sight demonstrates the aesthetic sophistication and accomplishments of the genre. The exhibition takes an innovative approach to the subject, examining these works of art from an art historical perspective rather than simply as documents of the history of sport and rural culture.

By focusing on the visual language of Sporting Prints, Catching Sight demonstrates the qualities of directness, vividness, and even wit for which the genre was prized by both the larger public and artists such as Degas and Géricault, who borrowed extensively from its artistic vocabulary.

Catching Sight: The World of the British Sporting Print is accompanied by a lavishly illustrated catalogue by Mitchell Merling, Paul Mellon Curator, with contributions from Malcolm Cormack, Paul Mellon Curator Emeritus, and Corey Piper, former Curatorial Associate for the Mellon Collection.

This display of approximately 30 drawings, prints, posters, porcelain, and books by the Anglo-American artist Clare Leighton (1898–1989) comes from a local and rarely seen private collection. Born and raised in Great Britain, she moved to America in 1939, residing first in Maryland, then North Carolina, and finally in Connecticut. Leighton occupied a central position in the Arts and Crafts revival of British wood engraving and its related developments in America. Her book illustrations set a new standard in commercially produced literature, while her writing revived interest in early-to-mid-century rural culture. As the first woman to produce a study of the art of wood engraving (Wood-Engraving and Woodcuts, 1932), Leighton played a key role in popularizing the medium. This exhibition, which complements a larger display of Leighton’s work at the University of Richmond’s Harnett Museum of Art, includes examples of her watercolors, government posters, and wood engravings for novels by Thomas Hardy as well as volumes on southern and New England country life. It is organized for VMFA by Chief Curator and Cochrane Curator of American Art Sylvia Yount.