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: Modern and Contemporary Art

Subject Area: Fine Arts, Visual Arts

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

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, Grades K-2

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, Indigenous American Art, Mesoamerican Art

Culture/Region: America, Europe

Subject Area: Creative Thinking, Fine Arts, Math

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

Collection: African Art, Ancient Art, Decorative Arts after 1890, East Asian Art, Egyptian Art, European Art, Mesoamerican 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, Mesoamerican 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: Ancient Art

Culture/Region: Egypt

Subject Area: History and Social Science

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

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: American Art, Modern and Contemporary Art, Photography

Activity Type: Hands-On Activity, Special Exhibition

Art-Making Activity: Art of the Still Life

Collection: Photography

Subject Area: Fine Arts, Photography, Visual Arts

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

Collection: American Art, Modern and Contemporary Art, Photography

Activity Type: Hands-On Activity, Special Exhibition

Art-Making Activity:
Landscapes in Black & White

Collection: African American Art, Modern and Contemporary Art

Subject Area: African American, Fine Arts, Photography, 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

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 more about the research and analysis of the Fayum Portrait of a Woman from VMFA’s Ancient Mediterranean Art Collection. ...

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 ...

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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