Resource Center

Find resources for classes, home, museum visits, & more. For keyword search, click the green search bar.

Educators + Students
Explore what resources VMFA has to offer at the museum or in the classroom!
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Kids + Families
Looking for a fun way to explore VMFA as a family? Check out our resources for use on site or at home.
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Visitors + Researchers
Discover what resources VMFA has to offer whether you are a casual visitor or doing research.
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Sample Resources

These are just a sampling of the many resources we have to offer!

Collection: American Art

Culture/Region: America

Subject Area: African American, Fine Arts, Visual Arts

Grade Level: Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12

Activity Type: Gallery Guides & Hunts, Hands-On Activity, Lesson Concept

Topic Tour: Animals!

Collection: American Art, East Asian Art, South Asian Art

Culture/Region: America, China, East Asia, India

Subject Area: Fine Arts, Music, Visual Arts

Grade Level: Early Childhood

Subject Area: Fine Arts, Visual Arts

Grade Level: Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12

Activity Type: Art Activty Videos, Hands-On Activity, Video

Creative Connection: Splish, Splash, & Swim

Subject Area: Fine Arts, Visual Arts

Grade Level: Early Childhood, Grades 3-5, Grades K-2

Collection: Decorative Arts after 1890, Native American Art, Pre-Columbian Art

Culture/Region: America, Europe

Subject Area: Creative Thinking, Fine Arts, Math

Grade Level: Grades 3-5, Grades K-2

Collection: Native American Art

Culture/Region: America

Subject Area: History and Social Science, Visual Arts

Grade Level: Grades 3-5, Grades K-2

Activity Type: Resource Set

Global Exchange

Collection: African Art, Ancient Art, Decorative Arts after 1890, East Asian Art, Egyptian Art, European Art, Pre-Columbian Art, South Asian Art

Culture/Region: Africa, America, China, East Asia, Egypt, Europe, Greece, India, Rome, South Asia

Subject Area: Fine Arts, History and Social Science, Visual Arts

Grade Level: Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12

Subject Area: English, Fine Arts, Visual Arts

Grade Level: Early Childhood, Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Grades K-2

Collection: European Art, Impressionism

Culture/Region: Europe

Subject Area: Fine Arts, History and Social Science, Visual Arts

Grade Level: Adult, College, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12

Collection: African Art, American Art, European Art, Pre-Columbian Art, South Asian Art

Culture/Region: Virginia

Subject Area: History and Social Science

Grade Level: Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12

Activity Type: Engagement Activity

Writing to Learn: Haiku

Subject Area: English, Visual Arts

Grade Level: College, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12

Collection: African Art

Culture/Region: Africa

Subject Area: History and Social Science, Visual Arts

Grade Level: Grades 3-5, Grades K-2

Collection: Ancient Art

Culture/Region: Egypt

Subject Area: History and Social Science

Grade Level: Grades 3-5, Grades K-2

Activity Type: Resource Set

Wealth & Trade

Collection: African Art

Culture/Region: Africa

Subject Area: Fine Arts, History and Social Science, Visual Arts

Grade Level: Grades 3-5

Collection: East Asian Art

Culture/Region: China

Subject Area: Science, Visual Arts

Grade Level: Early Childhood, Grades 3-5, Grades K-2

Exhibition Resources

Collection: African American Art, Modern and Contemporary Art

Collection: African American Art, Modern and Contemporary Art

Activity Type: Hands-On Activity, Special Exhibition

At-Home Art Activity: Shape your City

Collection: African American Art, Modern and Contemporary Art

Subject Area: African American, Fine Arts, Visual Arts

Grade Level: Grades 3-5, Grades K-2

Collection: African American Art, Modern and Contemporary Art

Subject Area: African American, Fine Arts, Visual Arts

Grade Level: Grades 3-5, Grades K-2

Activity Type: Hands-On Activity, Special Exhibition

At-Home Art Activity: Create Your Community

Collection: African American Art, Modern and Contemporary Art

Subject Area: African American, Fine Arts, Visual Arts

Grade Level: Grades 3-5, Grades K-2

Collection: American Art

Collection: American Art

Collection: American Art

Collection: American Art

Collection: American Art

Culture/Region: America

Subject Area: Fine Arts, Visual Arts

Activity Type: Gallery Guides & Hunts, Special Exhibition

The Dirty South: Family Visit Guide

Collection: African American Art, American Art, Modern and Contemporary Art, Photography

Culture/Region: America

Subject Area: African American, Fine Arts, Music, Visual Arts

Grade Level: Adult, College, Early Childhood, Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Grades K-2

Collection: European Art

Culture/Region: Europe

Subject Area: Visual Arts

Grade Level: College, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Teacher Professional Development

Collection: American Art

Culture/Region: America, Virginia

Subject Area: African American, Communication, Creative Thinking, Critical Thinking, History and Social Science, Visual Arts

Grade Level: Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Teacher Professional Development

Collection: Ancient Art, Egyptian Art

Culture/Region: Egypt

Subject Area: Creative Thinking, Critical Thinking, Fine Arts, History and Social Science, Visual Arts

Grade Level: Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8

Activity Type: Special Exhibition, Talks, Lectures & Additional Audio, Video

Sunken Cities: Opening Lecture

Collection: Ancient Art

Culture/Region: Egypt

Subject Area: Fine Arts, History and Social Science, Visual Arts

Grade Level: Adult, College, Grades 9-12

Activity Type: Special Exhibition, Talks, Lectures & Additional Audio, Video

Sunken Cities Lecture Series: Egypt and Kush: Superpowers of the Nile Valley

Collection: Ancient Art

Culture/Region: Egypt

Subject Area: Fine Arts, History and Social Science, Visual Arts

Grade Level: Adult, College, Grades 9-12

Collection: Modern and Contemporary Art, Photography

Subject Area: African American, Collaboration, Fine Arts, Photography, Visual Arts

Grade Level: Adult, College, Grades 9-12

Collection: Modern and Contemporary Art

Subject Area: African American, Fine Arts, Visual Arts

Activity Type: Art in Depth, Special Exhibition

Layers of Louis

Collection: Modern and Contemporary Art

Culture/Region: America, Virginia

Subject Area: African American, History and Social Science, Visual Arts

Collection: African American Art, Modern and Contemporary Art

Subject Area: African American, Fine Arts, Visual Arts

Collection: Modern and Contemporary Art

Culture/Region: America

Subject Area: African American, Fine Arts, Visual Arts, Women

Collection: South Asian Art

Culture/Region: India, South Asia

Subject Area: Fine Arts, Visual Arts

Activity Type: Gallery Guides & Hunts, Special Exhibition

Gallery Guide: Art from the Congo in VMFA’s Collection

Collection: African Art

Culture/Region: Africa

Subject Area: Fine Arts, Visual Arts

Grade Level: Adult, College, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12

Activity Type: Hands-On Activity

Make a Community Mask

Collection: African Art

Culture/Region: Africa

Subject Area: Fine Arts, Visual Arts

Grade Level: Early Childhood, Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8, Grades K-2

Activity Type: Talks, Lectures & Additional Audio, Video

Howardena Pindell @ VMFA

Collection: Modern and Contemporary Art

Culture/Region: America

Subject Area: African American, Fine Arts, Science, Visual Arts, Women

Grade Level: Adult, College, Grades 9-12

Collection: European Art

Culture/Region: Europe

Subject Area: Fine Arts, History and Social Science, Visual Arts

Grade Level: Adult, College, Early Childhood, Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Grades K-2

Activity Type: Gallery Guides & Hunts, Special Exhibition

Gallery Hunt: What Does Power Look Like? (old version)

Collection: African Art, Ancient Art, Decorative Arts after 1890

Culture/Region: Africa, Egypt, Greece, Rome

Subject Area: Fine Arts, History and Social Science, Visual Arts

Grade Level: Adult, College, Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Grades K-2

Collection: European Art

Culture/Region: Europe

Subject Area: Fine Arts, History and Social Science, Visual Arts, World Languages

Grade Level: Adult, College, Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12

Collection: European Art

Subject Area: Fine Arts, History and Social Science, Visual Arts

Grade Level: Adult, College, Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12

Collection: European Art

Culture/Region: Europe

Subject Area: Fine Arts, History and Social Science, Visual Arts

Grade Level: Adult, College, Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12

Activity Type: Special Exhibition, Talks, Lectures & Additional Audio

Napoleon: Opening Lecture

Collection: European Art

Culture/Region: Europe

Subject Area: Fine Arts, History and Social Science, Visual Arts

Grade Level: Adult, College, Grades 9-12

Collection: European Art

Culture/Region: Europe

Subject Area: Fine Arts, History and Social Science, Visual Arts

Grade Level: Adult, College, Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12

Collection: Ancient Art

Culture/Region: Greece

Subject Area: Fine Arts, History and Social Science, Visual Arts

Grade Level: Adult, College, Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Grades K-2

Collection: Ancient Art

Culture/Region: Greece

Subject Area: History and Social Science, Visual Arts

Grade Level: Grades 3-5, Grades K-2

Collection: East Asian Art

Culture/Region: China

Subject Area: Fine Arts, History and Social Science, Music, Visual Arts

Grade Level: Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12

Collection: East Asian Art

Culture/Region: China

Subject Area: Fine Arts, History and Social Science

Grade Level: Adult, College, Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12

Activity Type: Hands-On Activity, Special Exhibition

Take & Make: Tangram Puzzle Horse & Warrior

Collection: East Asian Art

Culture/Region: China

Subject Area: Fine Arts, History and Social Science, Math

Grade Level: Grades 3-5, Grades K-2

Collection: East Asian Art

Culture/Region: China

Subject Area: Fine Arts, History and Social Science, Visual Arts

Collection: East Asian Art

Culture/Region: China, East Asia

Subject Area: History and Social Science

Grade Level: Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Grades K-2

Collection: East Asian Art

Culture/Region: China

Subject Area: Fine Arts, History and Social Science, Visual Arts

Resource Videos

Mandala Sand Painting: Time Lapse
4:48

The Mystical Arts of Tibet, featuring the Tibetan Monks from the Drepung Loseling Monastery, created this mandala with colored sand over the course of four days (May 2–5, 2019).

Kehinde Wiley @ VMFA
14:57

Produced to accompany the exhibition, "Kehinde Wiley: A New Republic," this video series features the artist himself discussing his background, work, process, philosophy, and art historical influences.

What’s the Story? Episode 1: Serapis with Peter Schertz
8:53

Join gallery educator Maggie McGurn as she visits with curator Peter Schertz to learn the story of one special object and examine its place in the museum collection. Along the way, gain some insight into how curators work, how galleries are designed, and how you can enjoy art in a museum setting.

Esther Mahlangu @ VMFA
10:12

South African Ndebele artist Esther Mahlangu discusses the early years of her paining practice, her designs and pigments, and the preservation of culture in this talk at VMFA. The conversation includes Esther Mahlangu, Marriam Mahlangu, Grace Masango, and Richard Woodward (Curator of African Art).

Ryan McGinness @ VMFA
3:58

Contemporary artist Ryan McGinness discusses his process in this artist talk at VMFA. He explores his inspiration, symbols in the collection, and authenticity.

Robert Pruitt @VMFA
3:50

American artist Robert Pruitt discusses his inspirations, his process, and elements of the absurd in this artist talk.

Hank Willis Thomas @VMFA
4:34

American artist Hank Willis Thomas discusses his work and the construction of black identity through popular culture.

The interview was conduced by John B. Ravenal (Syndey and Frances Lewis Family Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art), VMFA.

Kristin Baker @VMFA
3:46

American contemporary artist Kristin Baker discusses her work, process, and inspiration. She ends with a brief description of The Prig (2009), which resides in VMFA’s collection.

Radcliffe Bailey @ VMFA
5:14

Artist Radcliffe Bailey talks about his artistic process and what he hopes his art conveys. Come see "Vessel" in VMFA's permanent collection.

Art in Depth

Learn about Japanese culture and the history of the Samurai by exploring this exquisite suit of Samurai armor from the 18th century. ...

Discover Virginia’s rich history through art! By observing and discussing art objects, learn about significant people, places, and events throughout the Commonwealth’s history. ...

Activity Type: Art in Depth

A Closer Look

Go beyond the surface of six works of art from VMFA’s collection to investigate how art can be an expression of place or personal and cultural identity; how different cultures throughout time rep...

Activity Type: Art in Depth, Lesson Concept

Thinking about the Colosseum!

Let’s learn about the Colosseum, a famous building constructed in ancient Rome that is still visited by millions of people almost every year. The Colosseum became so famous that travelers to Ital...

Drawing upon creative vision, patterns from the world around them, and African American quilting traditions, Gee’s Bend quilters have constructed some of the most iconic textiles of the American ...

This Art in Depth Resource highlights six printmaking methods used by artists in Britain at the turn of the 20th century. The selection of techniques are drawn from the body of work produced by Sir...

Distance Learning at VMFA

Video-conference with a museum educator for a facilitated experience in the galleries exploring on-view works of art.

Learn more about Distance Learning
Distance Learning at VMFA

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