1708 Gallery and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts are pleased to announce that InLight Richmond 2015 will be held on Friday, November 13, 2015 on the VMFA campus. VMFA will stay open from 7 p.m. until midnight in honor of the free event. This year’s juror is Alex Baker, director at Fleisher/Ollman Gallery in Philadelphia.
Organized by 1708 Gallery, InLight is a public exhibition of light-based art and performances. Each year, InLight invites artists to respond to a particular section of our diverse city, attracting audiences to unique areas of Richmond. For the past seven years, 1708’s InLight has featured 190 local, national and international artists and artist collectives across some of Richmond’s most unique neighborhoods and sites, from Broad Street to historic Tredegar to Monroe Park, and has engaged more than 30,000 visitors. The partnership with VMFA, one of the region’s leading cultural attractions, continues this tradition of engaging with the histories and narratives of some Richmond’s most evocative spaces.
“The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is always thrilled to work with our partners around the Commonwealth and Richmond, specifically,” VMFA Director Alex Nyerges said. “We have been watching 1708 Gallery build an impressive following with InLight, a visionary art happening that never fails to offer surprising insights to every chosen location.”
1708 Gallery’s Executive Director Emily Smith said: “We were honored by VMFA’s offer to host InLight on its dynamic campus and are thrilled by the opportunity to collaborate with the museum staff to make InLight 2015 the brightest yet. We have been fortunate to have many great partners in years past, but VMFA represents the first major arts organization. I am eager to see how artists transform the campus with works that consider all aspects of the museum, from its vast collections to the history of its buildings and grounds.”
Artists are invited to submit proposals for InLight including, but not limited to, interactive projects, video, sculpture and performances that will engage this dynamic site. Featured artists and artist collectives will be announced in early July. For more information, including how to submit proposals, please visit: (link to come).
Having worked as a senior curator at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, and most recently as curator of contemporary art at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, InLight juror Alex Baker is currently the director at Fleisher/Ollman Gallery in Philadelphia.
InLight is made possible in large part by the continued generosity and support of 1708 Gallery’s InLight sponsors. For more than seven years, lead sponsor Altria Group has provided critical support to InLight’s exhibition and programs, and Lantern Workshop and Community Lantern Parade sponsor MeadWestvaco has funded this significant community engagement component. Additional past supporters include: the National Endowment for the Arts, Virginia Commission for the Arts, Virginia Tourism Corporation, Windsor Foundation, E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation, and Dominion Resources, as well as 3North, Baskervill, Broad/Grace Fund, CapTech, Richmond CenterStage, City of Richmond, Downtown Neighborhood Association, DreamsFactory, Eugene Holt Foundation, Foundation for Contemporary Art, Health Diagnostics Laboratory, Hunton & Williams, Jackson Foundation, Jackson Ward Neighborhood Association, Kip Kephart Foundation, LaDifférence, Madge Bemiss Architects, Markel Corporation, McGuireWoods, Neathawk Dubuque & Packett, Need Supply Co., Oliver Properties, Quirk Gallery, RCVB, Reynolds Foundation, Shockoe Partnership, TV Jerry, Union Bank, Venture Richmond, Virginia Commonwealth University, Verizon, and numerous individuals.
About 1708 Gallery
1708 Gallery is a non-profit arts organization committed to presenting exceptional new art. 1708 Gallery is committed to providing opportunities for artistic innovation for emerging and established artists and to expanding the understanding and appreciation of new art for the public.
About the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
VMFA’s permanent collection encompasses more than 33,000 works of art spanning 5,000 years of world history. Its collections of Art Nouveau and Art Deco, English silver, Fabergé, and the art of South Asia are among the finest in the nation. With acclaimed holdings in American, British Sporting, Impressionist and Post-Impressionist, and Modern and Contemporary art – and additional strengths in African, Ancient, East Asian, and European – VMFA ranks as one of the top comprehensive art museums in the United States. Programs include educational activities and studio classes for all ages, plus lively after-hours events. VMFA’s Statewide Partnership program includes traveling exhibitions, artist and teacher workshops, and lectures across the Commonwealth. VMFA, a certified Virginia Green attraction, is open 365 days a year and general admission is always free. For additional information, telephone 804-340-1400 or visit www.vmfa.museum.
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