Member Events
Members of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts are invited to enhance their experience through a variety of events including exhibition preview days, exclusive opportunities that highlight the permanent collection, and special programs that are tailored to specific membership levels and philanthropic interests. Click here to learn more or contact Sarah Burgess at 804.204.2676 or sarah.burgess@vmfa.museum.
All Members
Member Appreciation Events and Programs
Member Appreciation is proudly sponsored by Hamilton Beach Brands.
Check back soon for events in this category
Friends Circle
VMFA Circle Lectures
Open to members at the Friends Circle level, the VMFA Circle Lecture Series features speakers sharing their expertise on a variety of topics in the art world as they relate to VMFA’s permanent collection and special exhibitions.
VMFA Circle Lecture Series | Ragamala Paintings: History and New Interpretations
Thu, Mar 28, 6 pm | Reynolds Lecture Hall
Ragamala Paintings: History and New Interpretations
with Dr. Marika Sardar, Museums Consultant and Independent Scholar
Understanding Ragamala paintings from India, which represent the musical modes known as ragas, has long proved a challenge. This lecture explores their extraordinary act of translation from one sensation (hearing) into another (seeing), suggests new avenues for interpretation, and highlights intriguing connections beyond the confines of Indian art history.
The VMFA Circle Lecture Series is open to all members beginning at the Friends Circle level. This program will be offered in person and virtually, via Zoom. Click here to register for the livestream.
VMFA Circle Lecture Series | Dr. Robin Poynor
Thu, Apr 25, 6 pm | Reynolds Lecture Hall
I Hold in My Hand...Prestige, Rank, and Power
with Dr. Robin Poynor, Professor Emeritus, School of Art and Art History, University of Florida
Objects held in the hand can be seen as extensions of an individual’s presentation of self through dress. From ancient times, Yoruba notables have performed roles in the cultural hierarchy through dress, not only donning sumptuous robes but manipulating handheld items to indicate position, alluding to their place within the chain of command. In this program, Dr. Robin Poynor will address twelve object types, including brass, ivory, iron, leather, horsetail, wood, and beadwork.
The VMFA Circle Lecture Series is open to all members beginning at the Friends Circle level. This program will be offered in person and virtually, via Zoom. Click here to register for the livestream.
Cocktails with a Curator
This virtual program series is a special offering for VMFA members beginning at the Friends Circle level. We hope you will join us for a virtual cocktail and live Q&A with a museum curator.
Check back soon for events in this category
Events Open to All Members
These opportunities to engage with VMFA are open to all current museum members
Check back soon for events in this category
Supporters Circle
Curator’s Choice
Curator’s Choice programs are a benefit for members beginning at the Supporters Circle level. We invite you to engage with the museum’s encyclopedic permanent collection and nourish your passion for art through exciting programs designed by the museum’s curatorial staff. These unique opportunities promise to provide the latest information about curatorial collecting strategies, care of the collections, and more!
Curator's Choice: Dr. Theresa A. Cunningham
Tue, April 9, 6–8 pm
Talk | 6 pm | Reynolds Lecture Hall
Reception | 7 pm | Marble Hall
Experimental Lines: Impressionist and Postimpressionist Drawings
with Dr. Theresa A. Cunningham, Assistant Curator of European Art and the Mellon Collections at VMFA
One hundred and fifty years ago, the Impressionists shocked viewers with their avant-garde paintings. Yet, the innovative implementation of color, composition, and subject matter employed by Degas, Morisot, Renoir, as well as Postimpressionist artists including van Gogh and Cézanne, emerged from revolutionary drawing practices. This talk will explore the experimental approach to drawing among artists working in France during the second half of the nineteenth century, highlighting works from VMFA’s collection that will be on view in the Mellon Focus Gallery, beginning March 22, 2024.
Curator’s Choice programs are a benefit for members beginning at the Supporters Circle level. This program will be offered in person and virtually, via Zoom. Click here to register for the livestream.
Seating Reynolds Lecture Hall is now fully booked. To register for overflow seating in the Marble Hall, please RSVP by April 5 to Josette Sydnor at rsvp@vmfa.museum or 804.340.1499.
VMFA Circle Lectures
Open to members at the Friends Circle level, the VMFA Circle Lecture Series features speakers sharing their expertise on a variety of topics in the art world as they relate to VMFA’s permanent collection and special exhibitions.
VMFA Circle Lecture Series | Ragamala Paintings: History and New Interpretations
Thu, Mar 28, 6 pm | Reynolds Lecture Hall
Ragamala Paintings: History and New Interpretations
with Dr. Marika Sardar, Museums Consultant and Independent Scholar
Understanding Ragamala paintings from India, which represent the musical modes known as ragas, has long proved a challenge. This lecture explores their extraordinary act of translation from one sensation (hearing) into another (seeing), suggests new avenues for interpretation, and highlights intriguing connections beyond the confines of Indian art history.
The VMFA Circle Lecture Series is open to all members beginning at the Friends Circle level. This program will be offered in person and virtually, via Zoom. Click here to register for the livestream.
VMFA Circle Lecture Series | Dr. Robin Poynor
Thu, Apr 25, 6 pm | Reynolds Lecture Hall
I Hold in My Hand...Prestige, Rank, and Power
with Dr. Robin Poynor, Professor Emeritus, School of Art and Art History, University of Florida
Objects held in the hand can be seen as extensions of an individual’s presentation of self through dress. From ancient times, Yoruba notables have performed roles in the cultural hierarchy through dress, not only donning sumptuous robes but manipulating handheld items to indicate position, alluding to their place within the chain of command. In this program, Dr. Robin Poynor will address twelve object types, including brass, ivory, iron, leather, horsetail, wood, and beadwork.
The VMFA Circle Lecture Series is open to all members beginning at the Friends Circle level. This program will be offered in person and virtually, via Zoom. Click here to register for the livestream.
Cocktails with a Curator
This virtual program series is a special offering for VMFA members beginning at the Friends Circle level. We hope you will join us for a virtual cocktail and live Q&A with a museum curator.
Check back soon for events in this category
Events Open to All Members
Check back soon for events in this category
Partners Circle
In addition to the option to bring four guests per visit to special ticketed exhibitions, at no charge, members beginning at the Partners Circle may elect to join Canvas.
Canvas Programs
In addition to all the benefits of their chosen level of membership, Canvas members receive invitations to two exclusive Canvas events per year, a quarterly online Canvas newsletter, and the opportunity to learn about and lend support to the museum’s newest initiatives and most urgent needs.
Check back soon for events in this category
Curator’s Choice
Curator’s Choice programs are a benefit for members beginning at the Supporters Circle level. We invite you to engage with the museum’s encyclopedic permanent collection and nourish your passion for art through exciting programs designed by the museum’s curatorial staff. These unique opportunities promise to provide the latest information about curatorial collecting strategies, care of the collections, and more!
Curator's Choice: Dr. Theresa A. Cunningham
Tue, April 9, 6–8 pm
Talk | 6 pm | Reynolds Lecture Hall
Reception | 7 pm | Marble Hall
Experimental Lines: Impressionist and Postimpressionist Drawings
with Dr. Theresa A. Cunningham, Assistant Curator of European Art and the Mellon Collections at VMFA
One hundred and fifty years ago, the Impressionists shocked viewers with their avant-garde paintings. Yet, the innovative implementation of color, composition, and subject matter employed by Degas, Morisot, Renoir, as well as Postimpressionist artists including van Gogh and Cézanne, emerged from revolutionary drawing practices. This talk will explore the experimental approach to drawing among artists working in France during the second half of the nineteenth century, highlighting works from VMFA’s collection that will be on view in the Mellon Focus Gallery, beginning March 22, 2024.
Curator’s Choice programs are a benefit for members beginning at the Supporters Circle level. This program will be offered in person and virtually, via Zoom. Click here to register for the livestream.
Seating Reynolds Lecture Hall is now fully booked. To register for overflow seating in the Marble Hall, please RSVP by April 5 to Josette Sydnor at rsvp@vmfa.museum or 804.340.1499.
VMFA Circle Lectures
Open to members at the Friends Circle level, the VMFA Circle Lecture Series features speakers sharing their expertise on a variety of topics in the art world as they relate to VMFA’s permanent collection and special exhibitions.
VMFA Circle Lecture Series | Ragamala Paintings: History and New Interpretations
Thu, Mar 28, 6 pm | Reynolds Lecture Hall
Ragamala Paintings: History and New Interpretations
with Dr. Marika Sardar, Museums Consultant and Independent Scholar
Understanding Ragamala paintings from India, which represent the musical modes known as ragas, has long proved a challenge. This lecture explores their extraordinary act of translation from one sensation (hearing) into another (seeing), suggests new avenues for interpretation, and highlights intriguing connections beyond the confines of Indian art history.
The VMFA Circle Lecture Series is open to all members beginning at the Friends Circle level. This program will be offered in person and virtually, via Zoom. Click here to register for the livestream.
VMFA Circle Lecture Series | Dr. Robin Poynor
Thu, Apr 25, 6 pm | Reynolds Lecture Hall
I Hold in My Hand...Prestige, Rank, and Power
with Dr. Robin Poynor, Professor Emeritus, School of Art and Art History, University of Florida
Objects held in the hand can be seen as extensions of an individual’s presentation of self through dress. From ancient times, Yoruba notables have performed roles in the cultural hierarchy through dress, not only donning sumptuous robes but manipulating handheld items to indicate position, alluding to their place within the chain of command. In this program, Dr. Robin Poynor will address twelve object types, including brass, ivory, iron, leather, horsetail, wood, and beadwork.
The VMFA Circle Lecture Series is open to all members beginning at the Friends Circle level. This program will be offered in person and virtually, via Zoom. Click here to register for the livestream.
Cocktails with a Curator
This virtual program series is a special offering for VMFA members beginning at the Friends Circle level. We hope you will join us for a virtual cocktail and live Q&A with a museum curator.
Check back soon for events in this category
Events Open to All Members
Check back soon for events in this category
Patrons Society
Leadership Programs
Leadership Giving Society members provide vital ongoing philanthropic support to advance the museum’s mission. The following opportunities, including opening-night preview events, are available to all Leadership Giving Society members, beginning at the Patrons Society level.
Samurai Opening Reception
Tue, April 16, 6-8 pm
Celebrate the opening of Samurai Armor from the Collection of Ann & Gabriel Barbier-Mueller at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts with a cocktail reception honoring our generous exhibition sponsors and VMFA's Leadership Giving Societies.
Patron Exhibition Opening Receptions are a benefit for Leadership members beginning at the Patrons Society Level. To reserve or learn more, please contact rsvp@vmfa.museum or 804.340.1499.
Canvas Programs
In addition to all the benefits of their chosen level of membership, Canvas members receive invitations to two exclusive Canvas events per year, a quarterly online Canvas newsletter, and the opportunity to learn about and lend support to the museum’s newest initiatives and most urgent needs.
Check back soon for events in this category
Curator’s Choice
Curator’s Choice programs are a benefit for members beginning at the Supporters Circle level. We invite you to engage with the museum’s encyclopedic permanent collection and nourish your passion for art through exciting programs designed by the museum’s curatorial staff. These unique opportunities promise to provide the latest information about curatorial collecting strategies, care of the collections, and more!
Curator's Choice: Dr. Theresa A. Cunningham
Tue, April 9, 6–8 pm
Talk | 6 pm | Reynolds Lecture Hall
Reception | 7 pm | Marble Hall
Experimental Lines: Impressionist and Postimpressionist Drawings
with Dr. Theresa A. Cunningham, Assistant Curator of European Art and the Mellon Collections at VMFA
One hundred and fifty years ago, the Impressionists shocked viewers with their avant-garde paintings. Yet, the innovative implementation of color, composition, and subject matter employed by Degas, Morisot, Renoir, as well as Postimpressionist artists including van Gogh and Cézanne, emerged from revolutionary drawing practices. This talk will explore the experimental approach to drawing among artists working in France during the second half of the nineteenth century, highlighting works from VMFA’s collection that will be on view in the Mellon Focus Gallery, beginning March 22, 2024.
Curator’s Choice programs are a benefit for members beginning at the Supporters Circle level. This program will be offered in person and virtually, via Zoom. Click here to register for the livestream.
Seating Reynolds Lecture Hall is now fully booked. To register for overflow seating in the Marble Hall, please RSVP by April 5 to Josette Sydnor at rsvp@vmfa.museum or 804.340.1499.
VMFA Circle Lectures
Open to members at the Friends Circle level, the VMFA Circle Lecture Series features speakers sharing their expertise on a variety of topics in the art world as they relate to VMFA’s permanent collection and special exhibitions.
VMFA Circle Lecture Series | Ragamala Paintings: History and New Interpretations
Thu, Mar 28, 6 pm | Reynolds Lecture Hall
Ragamala Paintings: History and New Interpretations
with Dr. Marika Sardar, Museums Consultant and Independent Scholar
Understanding Ragamala paintings from India, which represent the musical modes known as ragas, has long proved a challenge. This lecture explores their extraordinary act of translation from one sensation (hearing) into another (seeing), suggests new avenues for interpretation, and highlights intriguing connections beyond the confines of Indian art history.
The VMFA Circle Lecture Series is open to all members beginning at the Friends Circle level. This program will be offered in person and virtually, via Zoom. Click here to register for the livestream.
VMFA Circle Lecture Series | Dr. Robin Poynor
Thu, Apr 25, 6 pm | Reynolds Lecture Hall
I Hold in My Hand...Prestige, Rank, and Power
with Dr. Robin Poynor, Professor Emeritus, School of Art and Art History, University of Florida
Objects held in the hand can be seen as extensions of an individual’s presentation of self through dress. From ancient times, Yoruba notables have performed roles in the cultural hierarchy through dress, not only donning sumptuous robes but manipulating handheld items to indicate position, alluding to their place within the chain of command. In this program, Dr. Robin Poynor will address twelve object types, including brass, ivory, iron, leather, horsetail, wood, and beadwork.
The VMFA Circle Lecture Series is open to all members beginning at the Friends Circle level. This program will be offered in person and virtually, via Zoom. Click here to register for the livestream.
Cocktails with a Curator
This virtual program series is a special offering for VMFA members beginning at the Friends Circle level. We hope you will join us for a virtual cocktail and live Q&A with a museum curator.
Check back soon for events in this category
Events Open to All Members
Check back soon for events in this category
Fellows Society+
Fellows Programs
VMFA is delighted to offer Fellows Programs as a benefit for members beginning at the Fellows Society level. This special series of programs will provide high-level, exclusive access to the work of VMFA curators, thought leaders, and museum-field experts.
Check back soon for events in this category
Leadership Programs
Leadership Giving Society members provide vital ongoing philanthropic support to advance the museum’s mission. The following opportunities, including opening-night preview events, are available to all Leadership Giving Society members, beginning at the Patrons Society level.
Samurai Opening Reception
Tue, April 16, 6-8 pm
Celebrate the opening of Samurai Armor from the Collection of Ann & Gabriel Barbier-Mueller at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts with a cocktail reception honoring our generous exhibition sponsors and VMFA's Leadership Giving Societies.
Patron Exhibition Opening Receptions are a benefit for Leadership members beginning at the Patrons Society Level. To reserve or learn more, please contact rsvp@vmfa.museum or 804.340.1499.
Canvas Programs
In addition to all the benefits of their chosen level of membership, Canvas members receive invitations to two exclusive Canvas events per year, a quarterly online Canvas newsletter, and the opportunity to learn about and lend support to the museum’s newest initiatives and most urgent needs.
Check back soon for events in this category
Curator’s Choice
Curator’s Choice programs are a benefit for members beginning at the Supporters Circle level. We invite you to engage with the museum’s encyclopedic permanent collection and nourish your passion for art through exciting programs designed by the museum’s curatorial staff. These unique opportunities promise to provide the latest information about curatorial collecting strategies, care of the collections, and more!
Curator's Choice: Dr. Theresa A. Cunningham
Tue, April 9, 6–8 pm
Talk | 6 pm | Reynolds Lecture Hall
Reception | 7 pm | Marble Hall
Experimental Lines: Impressionist and Postimpressionist Drawings
with Dr. Theresa A. Cunningham, Assistant Curator of European Art and the Mellon Collections at VMFA
One hundred and fifty years ago, the Impressionists shocked viewers with their avant-garde paintings. Yet, the innovative implementation of color, composition, and subject matter employed by Degas, Morisot, Renoir, as well as Postimpressionist artists including van Gogh and Cézanne, emerged from revolutionary drawing practices. This talk will explore the experimental approach to drawing among artists working in France during the second half of the nineteenth century, highlighting works from VMFA’s collection that will be on view in the Mellon Focus Gallery, beginning March 22, 2024.
Curator’s Choice programs are a benefit for members beginning at the Supporters Circle level. This program will be offered in person and virtually, via Zoom. Click here to register for the livestream.
Seating Reynolds Lecture Hall is now fully booked. To register for overflow seating in the Marble Hall, please RSVP by April 5 to Josette Sydnor at rsvp@vmfa.museum or 804.340.1499.
VMFA Circle Lectures
Open to members at the Friends Circle level, the VMFA Circle Lecture Series features speakers sharing their expertise on a variety of topics in the art world as they relate to VMFA’s permanent collection and special exhibitions.
VMFA Circle Lecture Series | Ragamala Paintings: History and New Interpretations
Thu, Mar 28, 6 pm | Reynolds Lecture Hall
Ragamala Paintings: History and New Interpretations
with Dr. Marika Sardar, Museums Consultant and Independent Scholar
Understanding Ragamala paintings from India, which represent the musical modes known as ragas, has long proved a challenge. This lecture explores their extraordinary act of translation from one sensation (hearing) into another (seeing), suggests new avenues for interpretation, and highlights intriguing connections beyond the confines of Indian art history.
The VMFA Circle Lecture Series is open to all members beginning at the Friends Circle level. This program will be offered in person and virtually, via Zoom. Click here to register for the livestream.
VMFA Circle Lecture Series | Dr. Robin Poynor
Thu, Apr 25, 6 pm | Reynolds Lecture Hall
I Hold in My Hand...Prestige, Rank, and Power
with Dr. Robin Poynor, Professor Emeritus, School of Art and Art History, University of Florida
Objects held in the hand can be seen as extensions of an individual’s presentation of self through dress. From ancient times, Yoruba notables have performed roles in the cultural hierarchy through dress, not only donning sumptuous robes but manipulating handheld items to indicate position, alluding to their place within the chain of command. In this program, Dr. Robin Poynor will address twelve object types, including brass, ivory, iron, leather, horsetail, wood, and beadwork.
The VMFA Circle Lecture Series is open to all members beginning at the Friends Circle level. This program will be offered in person and virtually, via Zoom. Click here to register for the livestream.
Cocktails with a Curator
This virtual program series is a special offering for VMFA members beginning at the Friends Circle level. We hope you will join us for a virtual cocktail and live Q&A with a museum curator.
Check back soon for events in this category
Events Open to All Members
Check back soon for events in this category
In addition to the member events outlined above, a number of highly customized events and programs are planned throughout the year that are tailored to specific membership levels and philanthropic interests. Leadership level members are invited to opening receptions for major exhibitions, members of Glasgow Society who have made planned gifts in support of VMFA’s mission are invited to learn about the impact of their giving, art donors are brought together to celebrate the growth of VMFA’s permanent collection each year as part of the John Barton Payne Society. These are just a few examples of the many wonderful opportunities to engage with VMFA and its mission that are provided each year. Click here to learn more or contact Caitlin Green, Annual Giving Officer, at 804.340.1427 or caitlin.green@vmfa.museum.