Richmond, Virginia — Starr Hill Brewery and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) announced today the launch of a limited-edition beer, Storied Strings Lager, developed to celebrate the museum’s upcoming exhibition, Storied Strings: The Guitar in American Art.
The exclusive brew will debut at an evening launch party being held from 4:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 1, 2022, at Starr Hill Beer Hall & Rooftop in Richmond. Storied Strings Lager will be available for purchase by guests ages 21 and older with IDs. For more information about the Storied Strings Lager release party, visit www.VMFA.museum.
“To expand the awareness of our institution and to reach new audiences, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts thoughtfully engages local community businesses in smart and unique collaborations,” said Jan Hatchette, VMFA’s Deputy Director for Communications and Marketing. “Working with Starr Hill’s talented brewers to develop Storied Strings Lager has been an exciting creative experience. This carefully crafted beer in its distinctive can will help to introduce VMFA and our upcoming exhibition, Storied Strings: The Guitar in American Art, to a new generation of visitors.”
Storied Strings Lager, available starting October 1, 2022, is a harmonious fusion of Starr Hill and VMFA’s shared passion for music and art. The special brew is a light-bodied beer prominently featuring German malts, which provide its pale amber color and notes of biscuit and toffee on the palate. This subtle malt sweetness is balanced by German Hallertau hops and a crisp, clean finish. It is perfect for a concert or backyard jam.
Available in 4-packs of 16-ounce cans and draft, Storied Strings Lager will be sold across Virginia at Starr Hill’s six breweries and at VMFA’s Best Café and Amuse Restaurant for a limited time — until March 19, 2023, or supplies sell out.
Storied Strings Lager’s eye-catching can features Jessie with Guitar (1957), a work by eminent American artist Thomas Hart Benton (1889–1975). The iconic painting is one of more than 150 works of art and instruments that will be included in the exhibition Storied Strings: The Guitar in American Art on view at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts from October 8, 2022 to March 19, 2023.
“Since its inception, Starr Hill has strived to create a connection between high-quality beer and great music. The brewery has supported and will continue to support local artists and musicians across the Commonwealth,” said Allie Hochman, General Manager at Starr Hill Richmond. “Starr Hill is thrilled to partner with VMFA on this collaboration, and we look forward to sharing Storied Strings Lager with art and beer fans everywhere!”
About VMFA’s Exhibition Storied Strings: The Guitar in American Art
Storied Strings: The Guitar in American Art is the first exhibition to explore the instrument’s symbolism in American art from the early 19th century to the present day. Featuring 125 works of art, as well as 35 musical instruments, the exhibition will demonstrate that guitars figure prominently in the visual stories Americans tell themselves about themselves — their histories, identities and aspirations. Audio-visual kiosks featuring music and filmed performances will further enhance the visitor experience. A window overlooking an impressive, fully functioning recording studio, installed in the exhibition in partnership with In Your Ear Studios, will enable visitors to view guitarists of national and regional renown as they record songs that demonstrate the power of the instrument to tell stories. The resulting videos of their performances will be released regularly on VMFA’s website and YouTube channel as Richmond Sessions ’22–’23. Visit www.VMFA.museum to purchase tickets for Storied Strings: The Guitar in American Art.
About Starr Hill Brewery
Born in a Charlottesville music hall in 1999, Starr Hill is an independent, regional craft brewery founded out of a passion for great beer and live music. Among the most award-winning craft breweries on the East Coast, Starr Hill has won 24 Great American Beer Festival, World Beer Cup and Great British Beer Festival medals. Headquartered in Crozet, Virginia, fans can also visit the five other pilot breweries located in Richmond, Roanoke, Lynchburg, Charlottesville and Tysons. For more information about Starr Hill Brewery, visit www.StarrHill.com.
About the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond, Virginia, is one of the largest comprehensive art museums in the United States. VMFA, which opened in 1936, is a state agency and privately endowed educational institution. Its purpose is to collect, preserve, exhibit and interpret art, and to encourage the study of the arts. Through the Office of Statewide Partnerships program, the museum offers curated exhibitions, arts-related audiovisual programs, symposia, lectures, conferences and workshops by visual and performing artists. In addition to presenting a wide array of special exhibitions, the museum provides visitors with the opportunity to experience a global collection of art that spans more than 6,000 years. VMFA’s permanent holdings encompass nearly 50,000 artworks, including the largest public collection of Fabergé outside of Russia, the finest collection of Art Nouveau outside of Paris and one of the nation’s finest collections of American art. VMFA is also home to important collections of Chinese art, English silver and French Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, British sporting and modern and contemporary art, as well as renowned South Asian, Himalayan and African art. In May 2010, VMFA opened its doors to the public after a transformative expansion, the largest in its history.
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts has begun its more than $190 million expansion and renovation project led by the international architecture firm SmithGroup. Tentatively scheduled for completion in 2027, the project consists of adding a new wing of nearly 170,000 square feet and renovating 45,000 square feet of existing spaces, while maintaining four acres of green space in the Sculpture Garden. Visitors will experience a seamless journey through the collections in the new wing, which will house contemporary art, African art, American art, a new suite of galleries for rotating special exhibitions and a special-events space. The expansion and renovation will enable the museum to display more art, welcome more visitors and provide more enjoyment.
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is the only art museum in the United States open 365 days a year with free general admission. For additional information, telephone 804.340.1400 or visit www.VMFA.museum.
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Media Contacts
Jan Hatchette | 804.204.2721 | jan.hatchette@VMFA.museum
Amy Peck | 804.204.2680| amy.peck@VMFA.museum
Kyla Coleman | 804.204.2702 | kyla.coleman@VMFA.museum
200 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd., Richmond, VA 23220