Recurring Events
Thursday Jazz Café
Groove to an eclectic mix of jazz ensembles every Thursday, 6 – 9 p.m., at VMFA’s Best Café. The Jazz Café is presented to the public by the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, in conjunction with the Richmond Jazz Society, free of charge! Light fare and beverages available for sale. Artists subject to change.
Friday Art & Wine
Now you have more reasons to hang out at VMFA on Friday nights! Head to the museum and enjoy discounted beverages and free half-hour gallery tours at 7 and 7:30 pm. On the first Friday of each month, check out our First Fridays entertainment, too.
First Fridays: Performing Arts
The First Fridays series features an eclectic mix of multicultural performing arts showcased in different spaces within the museum. Take advantage of extended hours on Friday evenings (open until 9 pm) to also stroll through the galleries, explore the VMFA Shop, or enjoy dinner and drinks in Amuse Restaurant or Friday Art & Wine at Best Café.
Second Fridays: Wine Tasting
Taste different wines from around the world as Tony Karabaich, VMFA Restaurant and Service Manager, pours his choices of interesting wines-reds, whites, sparkling, and more. Refine your palate and learn about different wines and winemaking regions from a variety of wine experts, who will be available for discussion and questions. Also enjoy discounted beverages and guided tours as part of Friday Art & Wine.
Third Fridays: Tango After Work
Join in the fun and exotic beauty of the tango with Richmond’s tango community, while enjoying the food and social atmosphere in Best Café. You can also take advantage of half-price beverages as part of Friday Art & Wine.
Fourth Fridays: Meet Up with Art
Connect with newcomers to Richmond and those new to the arts scene as you make new social and professional contacts. You’ll enjoy delicious café cuisine as well as discounted beverages and guided art tours as part of Friday Art & Wine.
Walk-In Highlights Tours
Mon – Wed: 1 p.m., 3 p.m.
Thurs – Fri: 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 6 p.m.
Sat – Sun: 11 a.m., 2 p.m.
DECEMBER
December 16, 17
Young @ Art: The Emperor’s Palace
Ages 2 ½–5, accompanied by an adult, enrollment limit: 12 children
Tuesdays or Wednesdays, 11 a.m. – noon | Art Education Center
$10 (VMFA members $8) per child/adult pair
Diverse objects from imperial China will inspire your own extravagant creations. Innovative art lessons inspire your child’s imagination and creativity. Join “Ms. Lori” for hands-on activities—with new art projects introduced weekly—along with exciting gallery tours, entertaining stories, exploratory puzzles, and movement games.
December 17
Intro to Filmmaking
Wednesdays, 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. (3 sessions) | Meet in the Pauley Center Lobby
$65 (VMFA members $59)
Write, record, and edit an original movie clip inspired by the museum’s collections and grounds. Focus on your favorite style, medium, or technique in these innovative classes, reserved for students enrolled in middle or high school. This experience will help you to develop works for a college portfolio, grow creatively, and explore self-expression.
December 18
Artsy Infants: Movin’ and Groovin’
Ages 3-13 months, accompanied by an adult, enrollment limit: 12 children
11 a.m. – noon | Art Education Center
$10 (VMFA members $8) per child/adult pair
Focus on the importance of “tummy time” and movement in art. Twist, swish, and groove through the galleries in this interactive infant class. It’s never too soon to introduce your infant to art! Led by Lori Valente Coffey, this unique studio program fosters sensory stimulation during the early stages of growth and development. Enjoy inspirational stroller tours, playtime learning, and experimenting with art supplies (safe for babies). To determine if this class is developmentally suited for your child, please contact Lori Valente Coffey at (804) 340.1343.
After School Art Club: Posters and Prints
Ages 5 – 8, enrollment limit: 18
4:15 – 6 p.m. | Art Education Center
$20 (VMFA members $18) per class
Did you know that posters used to be made by hand using fine art printing techniques? Check out some of these posters in the Lewis Decorative Arts Gallery and try these printing techniques in the studio. Let your imagination soar in the studio as you make original works of art inspired by objects in the museum. Sign up for one or more of these fun and creative workshops led by Lori Valente Coffey. Special Offer: Receive a $2 discount per class when you register for six or more Afterschool Art Club sessions! (Note: Classes are nonrefundable and cannot be transferred to another class. Please mark your calendars.)
Foundations in Art: Inspired by China
Ages 9–12, enrollment limit: 12
4:15–6 p.m. (3 sessions) | Art Education Center
$65 (VMFA members $59) per class
After discovering ancient Chinese traditions such as shadow puppetry and woodblock printing, explore the culture and ways of thinking that influence these art forms. Imagine, create, and grow as an emerging young artist while making original artworks inspired by gallery observations and innovative materials. Through technical guidance and encouragement, students build their confidence, talents, and love of art.
Jazz Café: Brian Jones Quartet
6 – 9 p.m. | Best Café
Originals and jazz standards from the early-1960s and beyond. Brian Jones on drums, Alan Parker on guitar, J.C. Kuhl on tenor sax, Randall Pharr on bass.
December 19
Friday Family Art Night: Gingerbread Houses
5 – 7 p.m. | Art Education Center
$20 per child/adult pair (VMFA members $18)
Recommended for children ages 5 – 12 | Construct an architectural — yet delectable — structure out of gingerbread, royal icing, and lots of colorful candies! Note: This class is not recommended for anyone with food allergies. For questions, email youthstudio@vmfa.museum.
December 20
Teen Saturdays in the Studio: Animation in a Day
1 – 4 p.m. | Art Education Center
$25 (VMFA members $22)
Ready . . . set . . . ACTION! Watch illustrations come to life as you draw, assemble, and compose an original stop-motion animation.
December 26
Jazz Café: Rudy Faulkner (NOTE: Friday performance because of Christmas.)
6 – 9 p.m. | Best Café
Holiday cheer with a Caribbean flavor, featuring favorites from Al Jarreau, Jon Lucien, and Ella Fitzgerald with Charlie Kilpatrick on piano and Devonne Harrison on drums.
JANUARY 2015
January 2
Film and Lecture: Giuseppe Castiglione in China: Imperial Painter, Humble Servant (2014; 26 min) Cross-cultural Dialogues in the 18th Century and Today
6:30 – 9 p.m. | Leslie Cheek Theater
$8 (VMFA members $5)
How did a young Jesuit missionary born in Italy end up in 1700s Imperial China as artist to three emperors? The story of Giuseppe Castiglione is one of passion, conviction, and creativity; and his journey has left a long-lasting impact in China and beyond. Father Gerald Martinson, executive producer of the film, has encountered similar challenges in his 48 years in Taiwan and China. Father Martinson relates his personal experiences in a cross-cultural dialogue with insights into the inner-workings of China in the 18th century and now. Several of Castiglione’s works are included in VMFA’s Forbidden City exhibition. Co-Sponsored by The Rose Group for Cross-Cultural Understanding.
January 3
ChinaFest! Year of the Wood Sheep
11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Celebrate longevity, the New Year, and treasures from the Forbidden City while exploring Chinese culture. Participate in a LEGO® reproduction of the Imperial Palace nine dragon screen and nine imperial treasure-making activities. Take in nine Chinese animated films for children, breathe and stretch with Richmond Project Yoga, and be amazed by martial arts demonstrations. Also discover the Legend of the Chinese Dragon as Richmond Ballet’s Minds In Motion Team XXL brings this folk tale to life through the magic of dance. Free, no registration required. Entry to the Forbidden City exhibition not included. Visitors interested in visiting the special exhibition are strongly encouraged to purchase their tickets in advance. VMFA Family Events are generously sponsored by the MeadWestvaco Foundation. ChinaFest Programmatic support provided by The Rose Group for Cross-Cultural Understanding.
January 4
Open Studio Sunday
1 – 4 p.m. | Art Education Center
Free, no reservations required
All ages, children under 13 must be accompanied by an adult
Make Open Studio Sundays part of your family routine! Come by the studios anytime between 1 and 4 p.m. to enjoy “make-it, take-it” art activities inspired by objects from the VMFA collection. A new art project offered every month, with assistance from VMFA volunteers.
January 6
3 in 30 Gallery Talk
Photo Portraits: In the Studio, On Location and the Snapshot
11 – 11:30 a.m. | Meet at the Visitor Services Desk
Free, no reservations required
Join Frank Saunders, Photographer and VMFA Studio School Administrative Assistant and explore three works in the special exhibition “Artists as Art: Photographic Portraits.” This talk will discuss how photographic technology and changing aesthetics influenced the evolution of photographic portraiture in the 20th Century—moving from the formal studio portrait, to on-location and finally to the more casual snapshot.
January 7-28
Art History Classes
Tradition and Innovation: The Contemporary Native American Arts
Dr. F. Johanna Minich, Adjunct Professor of Art History, University of Mary Washington
Wednesdays, 1 – 2 p.m. | Conference Suite & Galleries
$75 (VMFA members $60
Beginning with a discussion of the impact of European culture on indigenous art forms—and how museums, critics, and art historians respond to this “non-Western” tradition, this course goes on to examine some of the major Native North American artists—Norval Morrisseau, Maria Martinez, Bill Reid, Preston Singletary—and movements in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. As students explore objects in VMFA’s permanent collection, they discover how these artists both carry on traditions and move in new directions.
January 8
Tots of Art: “H” is for Horse
Ages 14-30 months, accompanied by an adult, enrollment limit: 12 children
Thursday, 11 a.m. – noon | Art Education Center
$10 (VMFA members $8) per child/adult pair
After checking out horses at VMFA, use stickers and stamps to arrange a creative horse collage. Captivate your toddler and stimulate his or her budding curiosity. Tots of Art fosters growing mobility and introduces children to new sensory and fine motor experiences that only the VMFA campus and studio can provide. In this exciting program, children and caregivers play and bond through singing and movement activities, exploratory art lessons, and stroller tours. To determine if this class is developmentally suited for your child, please contact Lori Valente Coffey at (804) 340.1343.
3 in 30 Gallery Talk
Photo Portraits: In the Studio, On Location and the Snapshot
6:30 – 7 p.m. | Meet at the Visitor Services Desk
Free, no reservations required
Join Frank Saunders, Photographer and VMFA Studio School Administrative Assistant and explore three works in the special exhibition “Artists as Art: Photographic Portraits.” This talk will discuss how photographic technology and changing aesthetics influenced the evolution of photographic portraiture in the 20th Century—moving from the formal studio portrait, to on-location and finally to the more casual snapshot.
January 9
Teen Drawing Club: Pen & Ink
5 – 6:30 p.m. | Art Education Center
$10 (VMFA members $8)
Focus: Atmospheric perspective and contrast in Chinese landscapes. Led by artist Cheryl Dillard and designed for teenagers enrolled in middle or high school, monthly sessions include demos, art talks, and independent instruction to accommodate both beginning and accomplished artists. In this session, focus on overlapping and blending colors to show realism and emotion.
January 13, 14, 20, 21, 27, 28
Young @ Art: Art in Motion
Ages 2 ½–5, accompanied by an adult, enrollment limit: 12 children
Tuesdays or Wednesdays, 11 a.m. – noon | Art Education Center
$10 (VMFA members $8) per child/adult pair
Get groovin’ with lines, patterns, and brush strokes and discover techniques artists use to show movement in their work. Innovative art lessons inspire your child’s imagination and creativity. Join “Ms. Lori” for hands-on activities—with new art projects introduced weekly—along with exciting gallery tours, entertaining stories, exploratory puzzles, and movement games.
January 14
Collection Connection: Treasures from the Rare Book Collection: Design Inspiration, Art Nouveau and Art Deco
Lee Bagby Viverette, Director of Library, Archives and Special Collections and Barry Shifman, Sydney and Frances Lewis Family Curator – Decorative Arts from 1890 to the Present
11 a.m. – noon | Meet at the Visitor Services Desk
Free, no reservations required
Artists working in the Art Nouveau and Art Deco periods often applied their design motifs to lithography, illustration, advertisements, prints and book cover design. Discover how turn of the century artists such as Alphonse Mucha, Eugene Grasset, Georges Barbier, Jessie King and others are represented in the Rare Book Collection and how the materials relate to works on view in the Decorative Arts Galleries.
January 15
Tots of Art: “L” is for Leaping
Ages 14-30 months, accompanied by an adult, enrollment limit: 12 children
Thursday, 11 a.m. – noon | Art Education Center
$10 (VMFA members $8) per child/adult pair
Perform movement activities, find movement in art, and then create your own action-packed work in the studio. Captivate your toddler and stimulate his or her budding curiosity. Tots of Art fosters growing mobility and introduces children to new sensory and fine motor experiences that only the VMFA campus and studio can provide. In this exciting program, children and caregivers play and bond through singing and movement activities, exploratory art lessons, and stroller tours. To determine if this class is developmentally suited for your child, please contact Lori Valente Coffey at (804) 340.1343.
After School Art Club: Lively Lines
Ages 5 – 8, enrollment limit: 18
4:15 – 6 p.m. | Art Education Center
$20 (VMFA members $18) per class
Explore line, movement, and rhythm in art. Observe actively painted canvases and delicately balanced sculptures to inspire your own creative movable pieces. Let your imagination soar in the studio as you make original works of art inspired by objects in the museum. Sign up for one or more of these fun and creative workshops led by Lori Valente Coffey. Special Offer: Receive a $2 discount per class when you register for six or more Afterschool Art Club sessions! (Note: Classes are nonrefundable and cannot be transferred to another class. Please mark your calendars.)
Teacher Workshop: Japanese Printmaking: Water, Shadow, and Landscape
4:30 –7 p.m. | Conference Room 1 and Galleries
$20 (VMFA members $18)
This workshop, led by Mary Holland—VMFA Studio School Director, artist, and expert printmaker—complements the special exhibitions Water and Shadow: Kawase Hasui and Japanese Landscape Prints and Miwako Nishizawa: Twelve Views of Virginia, on view at VMFA from November 15, 2014, to March 29, 2015. The workshop combines a hands-on printmaking experience with aesthetic and technical considerations of woodblock prints. Hasui (1883–1957) was one of Japan’s woodblock print masters. Nishizawa is a contemporary California-based Japanese-American artist who combined traditional Virginia landscape views (including Hollywood Cemetery, Jamestown, and Monticello) with the Japanese landscape tradition to create the works in her exhibition.
January 15, 22, 29
Foundations in Art: What’s the Point?
Ages 9–12, enrollment limit: 12
Thursdays, 4:15 – 6 p.m. (3 sessions) | Art Education Center
$65 (VMFA members $59) per class
Become proficient at drawing one-point perspective and other techniques that will make your flat image appear 3D. Imagine, create, and grow as an emerging young artist while making original artworks inspired by gallery observations and innovative materials. Through technical guidance and encouragement, students build their confidence, talents, and love of art.
January 22
Artsy Infants: Silly Smiles
Ages 3-13 months, accompanied by an adult, enrollment limit: 12 children
Thursday, 11 a.m. – noon | Art Education Center
$10 (VMFA members $8) per child/adult pair
Discuss the development of your baby’s personality and self awareness. During your gallery tour, view expressive portraits and make faces to express different emotions in the studio. It’s never too soon to introduce your infant to art! Led by Lori Valente Coffey, this unique studio program fosters sensory stimulation during the early stages of growth and development. Enjoy inspirational stroller tours, playtime learning, and experimenting with art supplies (safe for babies). To determine if this class is developmentally suited for your child, please contact Lori Valente Coffey at (804) 340.1343.
After School Art Club: Colorful Creations
Ages 5 – 8, enrollment limit: 18
4:15 – 6 p.m. | Art Education Center
$20 (VMFA members $18) per class
Investigate color theory through works of art found in the galleries. In the studio, blend primary colors to create a color wheel-inspired work of your own. Let your imagination soar in the studio as you make original works of art inspired by objects in the museum. Sign up for one or more of these fun and creative workshops led by Lori Valente Coffey. Special Offer: Receive a $2 discount per class when you register for six or more Afterschool Art Club sessions! (Note: Classes are nonrefundable and cannot be transferred to another class. Please mark your calendars.)
January 23
Friday Family Art Night: Family Portraits
5 – 7 p.m. | Art Education Center
$20 per child/adult pair (VMFA members $18)
Recommended for children ages 5 – 12 | Visit the galleries to find paintings that depict children and their families. Then take turns modeling and drawing a portrait of each other.
January 24
Kids Discover: Drawing in the Galleries
Ages 6–9, enrollment limit: 16
1 – 4 p.m. | Art Education Center
$25 (VMFA members $22) per class
Enjoy roaming through the galleries in search of inspirational art! Practice observing and rendering lines, shapes, and textures just like the masters.
January 29
Artsy Infants: Animal Babies
Ages 3-13 months, accompanied by an adult, enrollment limit: 12 children
Thursday, 11 a.m. – noon | Art Education Center
$10 (VMFA members $8) per child/adult pair
Sing your favorite animal songs, mimic mammal movements and sounds, and find inspiration in the galleries for you and your baby to create animal art of your own. It’s never too soon to introduce your infant to art! Led by Lori Valente Coffey, this unique studio program fosters sensory stimulation during the early stages of growth and development. Enjoy inspirational stroller tours, playtime learning, and experimenting with art supplies (safe for babies). To determine if this class is developmentally suited for your child, please contact Lori Valente Coffey at (804) 340.1343.
After School Art Club: The Egyptian Painter
Ages 5 – 8, enrollment limit: 18
4:15 – 6 p.m. | Art Education Center
$20 (VMFA members $18) per class
Paint like an Egyptian in this special portraiture lesson, and then hear fascinating tales of this ancient civilization. Let your imagination soar in the studio as you make original works of art inspired by objects in the museum. Sign up for one or more of these fun and creative workshops led by Lori Valente Coffey. Special Offer: Receive a $2 discount per class when you register for six or more Afterschool Art Club sessions! (Note: Classes are nonrefundable and cannot be transferred to another class. Please mark your calendars.)
Teacher Workshop: Paper: Tactile, Textured, Versatile—and Revolutionary
4:30 – 7 p.m. | Conference Room 1 and Galleries
$20 (VMFA members $18)
It is indeed a digital age, but an appreciation for paper—its finish, weight, strength, color, ability to accept or reject media, etc.—is integral to understanding the art-making process. This workshop begins with an exploration of works on paper and works made of paper in the VMFA collection. Participants will also create two- and three-dimensional works of art using a variety of paper samples and media.
January 31
Teen Saturdays in the Studio: Art of Manga
1 – 4 p.m. | Art Education Center
$25 (VMFA members $22)
Join us to learn what Manga is and what makes it different from American comics. In this introductory session, participate in exercises to create Manga-style drawings.
FEBRUARY 2015
February 1
Open Studio Sunday
1 – 4 p.m.| Art Education Center
Free, no reservations required
All ages, children under 13 must be accompanied by an adult
Make Open Studio Sundays part of your family routine! Come by the studios anytime between 1 and 4 p.m. to enjoy “make-it, take-it” art activities inspired by objects from the VMFA collection. A new art project offered every month, with assistance from VMFA volunteers.
February 3
3 in 30 Gallery Talk: African Traditions in Contemporary Art
11 – 11:30 a.m.| Meet at the Visitor Services Desk
Free, no reservations required
Join Karen Getty, Docent and Tour Program Coordinator, to explore three works by 20th and 21st century artists. Observe how they refashion and implement historical visual content from Africa in their own works to bring greater cultural significance to the meaning.
February 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 18, 24, 25
Young @ Art: Marks like the Masters
Ages 2 ½–5, accompanied by an adult, enrollment limit: 12 children
Tuesdays or Wednesdays, 11 a.m. – noon | Art Education Center
$10 (VMFA members $8) per child/adult pair
From dots to splatters to thick brushstrokes, be inspired by the painting techniques of master artists to create a colorful work of your own. Innovative art lessons inspire your child’s imagination and creativity. Join “Ms. Lori” for hands-on activities—with new art projects introduced weekly—along with exciting gallery tours, entertaining stories, exploratory puzzles, and movement games.
February 4, 11, 18
Wearable Art
Wednesdays, 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. (3 sessions) | Meet in the Pauley Center Lobby
$65 (VMFA members $59)
Get creative with fashion! Design wearable works of art and stylish accessories using a combination of materials—from decorative fabrics to found objects.
February 5
Tots of Art: “M” is for Music
Ages 14-30 months, accompanied by an adult, enrollment limit: 12 children
Thursday, 11 a.m. – noon | Art Education Center
$10 (VMFA members $8) per child/adult pair
Explore music in art! After hearing and learning about sounds and rhythm, create an artistic composition inspired by beats. Captivate your toddler and stimulate his or her budding curiosity. Tots of Art fosters growing mobility and introduces children to new sensory and fine motor experiences that only the VMFA campus and studio can provide. In this exciting program, children and caregivers play and bond through singing and movement activities, exploratory art lessons, and stroller tours. To determine if this class is developmentally suited for your child, please contact Lori Valente Coffey at (804) 340.1343.
After School Art Club: The Art of Nature
Ages 5 – 8, enrollment limit: 18
4:15 – 6 p.m. | Art Education Center
$20 (VMFA members $18) per class
Allow the natural world to spark your imagination. With fun papers and paints, explore warm and cool colors, found in nature and during different weather conditions, to design mixed-media collages. Let your imagination soar in the studio as you make original works of art inspired by objects in the museum. Sign up for one or more of these fun and creative workshops led by Lori Valente Coffey. Special Offer: Receive a $2 discount per class when you register for six or more Afterschool Art Club sessions! (Note: Classes are nonrefundable and cannot be transferred to another class. Please mark your calendars.)
3 in 30 Gallery Talk: African Traditions in Contemporary Art
6:30 – 7 p.m.| Meet at the Visitor Services Desk
Free, no reservations required
Join Karen Getty, Docent and Tour Program Coordinator, to explore three works by 20th and 21st century artists. Observe how they refashion and implement historical visual content from Africa in their own works to bring greater cultural significance to the meaning.
Performing Arts: The Lion in Winter Preview
7 – 9:15 p.m. | Leslie Cheek Theater
$20 (VMFA member $15)
In a family scuffle over succession to England’s throne, King Henry II of England squares off against three malcontented sons and his banished queen, the notorious Eleanor of Aquitaine. The kingdom teeters on the brink of bloody war, but the conniving members of this power-hungry tribe maneuver precariously for power, in this darkly hilarious modern take on medieval royals. Starring David Bridgewater as Henry II and Melissa Johnston Price as Eleanor. Henley Street Theater is proud to be the first to bring a full run of a theatrical production back to VMFA’s Leslie Cheek Theatre after a hiatus of 13 years.
February 5, 12, 19
Foundations in Art: Mixed Media Painting
Ages 9–12, enrollment limit: 12
Thursdays, 4:15 – 6 p.m. (3 sessions) | Art Education Center
$65 (VMFA members $59) per class
Think outside the box. Experiment with nontraditional painting techniques and applying mixed media to develop an artistic voice. Imagine, create, and grow as an emerging young artist while making original artworks inspired by gallery observations and innovative materials. Through technical guidance and encouragement, students build their confidence, talents, and love of art.
February 6 – 28
Performing Arts: The Lion in Winter Preview
Thursdays, 7 p.m. | Fridays & Saturdays, 8 p.m. | Sundays, 2 p.m. | Leslie Cheek Theater
$35 adults|$30 Seniors 65+ | $25 VMFA members & groups of 10+ | $20 student
In a family scuffle over succession to England’s throne, King Henry II of England squares off against three malcontented sons and his banished queen, the notorious Eleanor of Aquitaine. The kingdom teeters on the brink of bloody war, but the conniving members of this power-hungry tribe maneuver precariously for power, in this darkly hilarious modern take on medieval royals. Starring David Bridgewater as Henry II and Melissa Johnston Price as Eleanor. Henley Street Theater is proud to be the first to bring a full run of a theatrical production back to VMFA’s Leslie Cheek Theatre after a hiatus of 13 years.
February 7
Teen Saturdays in the Studio: The Photoshop Crash Course
1 – 4 p.m. | Art Education Center
$25 (VMFA members $22)
Gain experience with the essential tools and functions of Adobe Photoshop Pro. Through instruction and introductory activities, learn to use filters, manipulate images, and more.
February 10 & 17
Art History Classes: The Art of the Japanese Landscape
Dr. Kerry Lucinda Brown, PhD, Department of Art History, VCU
Tuesdays, 1 – 2:30 p.m. | Conference Suite & Galleries
$45 (VMFA members $35
This course is an exploration of the history of the Japanese woodblock print, highlighting the emergence of the ukiyo-e (floating world) in Edo Period Japan (1615 – 1868) and the Shin Hanga (New Prints) movement of the Taisho period (1912 – 26). To complement what students learn in the classroom, they’ll visit the special exhibition Water and Shadow: Kawase Hasui and Japanese Landscape Prints and see landscape prints, made by master artist Kawase Hasui in an era of significant social and cultural change in Japan.
February 12
Tots of Art: “N” is for Numbers
Ages 14-30 months, accompanied by an adult, enrollment limit: 12 children
Thursday, 11 a.m. – noon | Art Education Center
$10 (VMFA members $8) per child/adult pair
Take a journey into the world of numbers. Practice singing and rhyming, and then count on a fantastic art project in the studio. Captivate your toddler and stimulate his or her budding curiosity. Tots of Art fosters growing mobility and introduces children to new sensory and fine motor experiences that only the VMFA campus and studio can provide. In this exciting program, children and caregivers play and bond through singing and movement activities, exploratory art lessons, and stroller tours. To determine if this class is developmentally suited for your child, please contact Lori Valente Coffey at (804) 340.1343.
After School Art Club: On the Horizon
Ages 5 – 8, enrollment limit: 18
4:15 – 6 p.m. | Art Education Center
$20 (VMFA members $18) per class
As far as the eye can see is the horizon—where the sky and the land meet. Learn more about spatial relationships and illustrating objects in proportion. Let your imagination soar in the studio as you make original works of art inspired by objects in the museum. Sign up for one or more of these fun and creative workshops led by Lori Valente Coffey. Special Offer: Receive a $2 discount per class when you register for six or more Afterschool Art Club sessions! (Note: Classes are nonrefundable and cannot be transferred to another class. Please mark your calendars.)
February 13
Teen Drawing Club: Cupids in Art
5 – 6:30 p.m. | Art Education Center
$10 (VMFA members $8)
Focus: Depicting Cupid, the God of Love, and other dramatic figures in art. Led by artist Cheryl Dillard and designed for teenagers enrolled in middle or high school, monthly sessions include demos, art talks, and independent instruction to accommodate both beginning and accomplished artists. In this session, focus on overlapping and blending colors to show realism and emotion.
Friday Family Art Night: Gilded Gifts
5 – 7 p.m. | Art Education Center
$20 per child/adult pair (VMFA members $18)
Recommended for children ages 5 – 12 |Who doesn’t love glitter and gold? Decorate family picture frames in gold leafing, add sparkly embellishments to keepsake boxes, and create other glamorous craft projects.
February 19
Artsy Infants: It All Makes Sense
Ages 3-13 months, accompanied by an adult, enrollment limit: 12 children
Thursday, 11 a.m. – noon | Art Education Center
$10 (VMFA members $8) per child/adult pair
Our five senses help us discover the world. In the galleries and studios, babies can learn about their senses by playing with instruments, texture samples, and more! It’s never too soon to introduce your infant to art! Led by Lori Valente Coffey, this unique studio program fosters sensory stimulation during the early stages of growth and development. Enjoy inspirational stroller tours, playtime learning, and experimenting with art supplies (safe for babies). To determine if this class is developmentally suited for your child, please contact Lori Valente Coffey at (804) 340.1343.
After School Art Club: Chinese Ink Painting
Ages 5 – 8, enrollment limit: 18
4:15 – 6 p.m. | Art Education Center
$20 (VMFA members $18) per class
Celebrate the Chinese New Year with us! Explore the East Asian Galleries and learn how to use a bamboo brush to create beautiful ink paintings of your own. Let your imagination soar in the studio as you make original works of art inspired by objects in the museum. Sign up for one or more of these fun and creative workshops led by Lori Valente Coffey. Special Offer: Receive a $2 discount per class when you register for six or more Afterschool Art Club sessions! (Note: Classes are nonrefundable and cannot be transferred to another class. Please mark your calendars.)
Teacher Workshop: African American Dreams: Poets, Painters, Singers, and Other Visionaries
4:30 – 7 p.m. | Main Building Conference Room 2 and Galleries
$20 (VMFA members $18)
Delve into word and image in this consideration of the African American experience as represented by works in the VMFA American Art galleries. Paintings and sculptures take on deeper meaning when coupled with primary sources, poems, essays, speeches, and song lyrics. Authors to be explored include Phyllis Wheatley, Frederick Douglass, W.E.B. Du Bois—and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
February 21
Teacher Workshop: STEAMin’ at VMFA!
10 a.m. – 3 p.m.| Pauley Center Parlor
$30 (VMFA members $27), includes a boxed lunch
How can art energize STEM, the acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math? Art is the perfect catalyst for producing energized reactions from your students. Art, which is both hands-on and cerebral, offers fascinating possibilities for inter-disciplinary learning. Learn how to use paintings, prints, vases, sculptures—and hands-on processes—to create group projects in your classroom. This workshop includes a resource packet with a CD of images, background information about works of art in the VMFA collection, resources for image analysis, lesson plans, and templates for hands-on activities.
Kids Discover: Games of Art
Ages 6–9, enrollment limit: 16
1 – 4 p.m. | Art Education Center
$25 (VMFA members $22) per class
Inspired by Dada and Surrealism, explore the possibilities of art through fun games and activities that combine visual arts with music and tactical experiences.
Teen Saturdays in the Studio: The Adobe Illustrator Crash Course
1 – 4 p.m. | Art Education Center
$25 (VMFA members $22)
Experiment with design tools and functions in Adobe Illustrator Pro. With the instructor’s guidance, practice creating vector images for designing logos, cartoons, etc.
February 26
Artsy Infants: Music Makers
Ages 3-13 months, accompanied by an adult, enrollment limit: 12 children
Thursday, 11 a.m. – noon | Art Education Center
$10 (VMFA members $8) per child/adult pair
Watch your infant’s eyes light up as we sing, explore musical instruments, and view musically themed works in the galleries. Then create a melody-inspired masterpiece. It’s never too soon to introduce your infant to art! Led by Lori Valente Coffey, this unique studio program fosters sensory stimulation during the early stages of growth and development. Enjoy inspirational stroller tours, playtime learning, and experimenting with art supplies (safe for babies). To determine if this class is developmentally suited for your child, please contact Lori Valente Coffey at (804) 340.1343.
After School Art Club: Animal Explorers
Ages 5 – 8, enrollment limit: 18
4:15 – 6 p.m. | Art Education Center
$20 (VMFA members $18) per class
Junior animaliers (people who paint animals) will discuss habitat, basic needs, and characteristics while drawing animals in VMFA’s collection. Use actual and implied texture to create animal portraits in the studio. Let your imagination soar in the studio as you make original works of art inspired by objects in the museum. Sign up for one or more of these fun and creative workshops led by Lori Valente Coffey. Special Offer: Receive a $2 discount per class when you register for six or more Afterschool Art Club sessions! (Note: Classes are nonrefundable and cannot be transferred to another class. Please mark your calendars.)
MARCH 2015
March 1
Open Studio Sunday
1 – 4 p.m.| Art Education Center
Free, no reservations required
All ages, children under 13 must be accompanied by an adult
Make Open Studio Sundays part of your family routine! Come by the studios anytime between 1 and 4 p.m. to enjoy “make-it, take-it” art activities inspired by objects from the VMFA collection. A new art project offered every month, with assistance from VMFA volunteers.
March 3
3 in 30 Gallery Talk: Japanese Art Sampler
11 – 11:30 a.m. | Meet at the Visitor Services Desk
Free, no reservations required
Mary Holland, The Thomas C. Gordon Jr., Director of the Studio School
March 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 18, 24, 25, 31, April 1
Young @ Art: Shape it up!
Ages 2 ½–5, accompanied by an adult, enrollment limit: 12 children
Tuesdays or Wednesdays, 11 a.m. – noon | Art Education Center
$10 (VMFA members $8) per child/adult pair
Join us as we explore shapes—from searching for circles, squares, and triangles in the galleries, to art movements like Cubism, to “shapely” art projects in the studio! Innovative art lessons inspire your child’s imagination and creativity. Join “Ms. Lori” for hands-on activities—with new art projects introduced weekly—along with exciting gallery tours, entertaining stories, exploratory puzzles, and movement games.
March 4 – April 8
Art History Classes: The Middle Ages in Europe and England
Dr. Donald Schrader, Adjunct Professor of Art History, University of Mary Washington
Wednesdays, 2 – 3 p.m. | Pauley Center Parlor
$90 (VMFA members $75)
The great artistic movements of the Middle Ages—the Romanesque and the Gothic—emanated from France to other parts of Europe in a variety of ways, presenting a distinctive national creativity and character for the first time in medieval art. Among the architectural treasures explored in this class will be the majestic imperial churches in the Rhineland, the proud cathedrals of the independent Italian cities, and the playful novelty of the English Gothic style. Discover the remarkable figurative arts connected to these buildings, including the extraordinary sculpture of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, the beautiful illustrated manuscripts used in services, and the stunning large-scale fresco cycles in Italian churches that foreshadow the early modern era.
March 5
Tots of Art: “O” is for Over
Ages 14-30 months, accompanied by an adult, enrollment limit: 12 children
Thursday, 11 a.m. – noon | Art Education Center
$10 (VMFA members $8) per child/adult pair
Practice and play with spatial concepts and experience the galleries from different perspectives. In the studio, experiment with dimensional art materials. Captivate your toddler and stimulate his or her budding curiosity. Tots of Art fosters growing mobility and introduces children to new sensory and fine motor experiences that only the VMFA campus and studio can provide. In this exciting program, children and caregivers play and bond through singing and movement activities, exploratory art lessons, and stroller tours. To determine if this class is developmentally suited for your child, please contact Lori Valente Coffey at (804) 340.1343.
After School Art Club: Sketch It Out
Ages 5 – 8, enrollment limit: 18
4:15 – 6 p.m. | Art Education Center
$20 (VMFA members $18) per class
Build on shading techniques like crosshatching and stippling, practice blind contour drawings, and even model for fellow artists to create gestural figure drawings! Let your imagination soar in the studio as you make original works of art inspired by objects in the museum. Sign up for one or more of these fun and creative workshops led by Lori Valente Coffey. Special Offer: Receive a $2 discount per class when you register for six or more Afterschool Art Club sessions! (Note: Classes are nonrefundable and cannot be transferred to another class. Please mark your calendars.)
3 in 30 Gallery Talk: Japanese Art Sampler
6:30 – 7 p.m. | Meet at the Visitor Services Desk
Free, no reservations required
Mary Holland, The Thomas C. Gordon Jr., Director of the Studio School
March 7
Kids Discover: Art Without Limits
Ages 6–9, enrollment limit: 16
1 – 4 p.m. | Art Education Center
$25 (VMFA members $22) per class
Step outside the box in this experimental painting session. Use nontraditional surfaces and applications while focusing on the process—not the product.
Teen Saturdays in the Studio: Shrinky Selfies
1 – 4 p.m. | Art Education Center
$25 (VMFA members $22)
Using portraits in the galleries and even selfies from your cell phone, illustrate faces and figures onto shrinkable plastic. Turn your completed works into wearable art, accessories, or even home décor!
March 12
Tots of Art: “R” is for Red
Ages 14-30 months, accompanied by an adult, enrollment limit: 12 children
Thursday, 11 a.m. – noon | Art Education Center
$10 (VMFA members $8) per child/adult pair
Explore the importance of bright, bold colors—especially red—and let the color-filled paintings throughout the museum inspire your creative art making. Captivate your toddler and stimulate his or her budding curiosity. Tots of Art fosters growing mobility and introduces children to new sensory and fine motor experiences that only the VMFA campus and studio can provide. In this exciting program, children and caregivers play and bond through singing and movement activities, exploratory art lessons, and stroller tours. To determine if this class is developmentally suited for your child, please contact Lori Valente Coffey at (804) 340.1343.
After School Art Club: Stained Glass Designs
Ages 5 – 8, enrollment limit: 18
4:15 – 6 p.m. | Art Education Center
$20 (VMFA members $18) per class
Be motivated—and illuminated—by stunning stained glass objects while learning the terms “translucent” and “opaque” to help you create similar designs of your own. Let your imagination soar in the studio as you make original works of art inspired by objects in the museum. Sign up for one or more of these fun and creative workshops led by Lori Valente Coffey. Special Offer: Receive a $2 discount per class when you register for six or more Afterschool Art Club sessions! (Note: Classes are nonrefundable and cannot be transferred to another class. Please mark your calendars.)
Teacher Workshop: George Catlin and the American West
4:30 – 7 p.m. | Conference Room 1 and Galleries
$20 (VMFA members$18)
George Catlin’s renderings of Indians were so powerful that they were said to hold great ‘medicine,’ a term denoting vast spiritual vitality. From his earliest known Indian portrait in 1827 until his death in 1872, Catlin was respected as an artist who possessed an anthropologist’s eye for cultural study supported by finely observed details. His works portraying traditional dances, rituals and ceremonies exist today as the sole record of many aspects of Indian life. This workshop offers hands-on activities for examining art with a critical eye, treating pictures as windows into the past that have the power to yield unique insights.
March 13
Teen Drawing Club: Break it Down
5 – 6:30 p.m. | Art Education Center
$10 (VMFA members $8)
Focus: Composition, color, and form in the style of Cubism. Led by artist Cheryl Dillard and designed for teenagers enrolled in middle or high school, monthly sessions include demos, art talks, and independent instruction to accommodate both beginning and accomplished artists. In this session, focus on overlapping and blending colors to show realism and emotion.
Friday Family Art Night: Silk Painting
5 – 7 p.m. | Art Education Center
$20 per child/adult pair (VMFA members $18)
Recommended for children ages 5 – 12 | Explore traditional and modern approaches to the art of silk painting. Each family will design one silk scarf to take home.
March 14
Teacher Workshop: The Art of Place! Geography Connections at VMFA
10 a.m. – 3 p.m. | Pauley Center Parlor
$30 (VMFA members $27), includes a boxed lunch
How does art illuminate geography? Let us count the ways! Ancient art, for example, was made at a particular time and place—from available materials. Were the materials local or did they come from far away? What types of land and water had to be crossed? Where were the stones, marbles, and other minerals obtained? How did the movement of human populations change the earth itself—and how do artifacts inform our answers? What do landscape paintings tell us about changes in landforms? Participants will investigate geographic topics and solve geography quests in VMFA galleries in this interactive workshop.
March 18, 25, April 1
Pottery: Exploring Material
Wednesdays, 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. (3 sessions) | Meet in the Pauley Center Lobby
$65 (VMFA members $59)
Try something new with an age-old medium. Discover the many forms and functions of clay while experimenting with methods of hand building, sculpture, and glaze applications.
March 19
After School Art Club: Form & Sculpture
Ages 5 – 8, enrollment limit: 18
4:15 – 6 p.m. | Art Education Center
$20 (VMFA members $18) per class
Find inspiration from ancient artifacts made of clay as well as contemporary pottery. Using air-dry clay, learn basic hand-building techniques to make small-scale sculptures. Let your imagination soar in the studio as you make original works of art inspired by objects in the museum. Sign up for one or more of these fun and creative workshops led by Lori Valente Coffey. Special Offer: Receive a $2 discount per class when you register for six or more Afterschool Art Club sessions! (Note: Classes are nonrefundable and cannot be transferred to another class. Please mark your calendars.)
March 19, 26, April 2
Foundations in Art: Graphic Design
Ages 9–12, enrollment limit: 12
Thursdays, 4:15 – 6 p.m. (3 sessions) | Art Education Center
$65 (VMFA members $59) per class
Building on students’ original ideas and talents, this graphic arts introduction teaches students everything from hand-drawn graphics to digital imaging. Imagine, create, and grow as an emerging young artist while making original artworks inspired by gallery observations and innovative materials. Through technical guidance and encouragement, students build their confidence, talents, and love of art.
March 24 – April 14
Art History Classes
The Floral as Still Life: Delacroix, Courbet, Manet and Van Gogh
Dr. Colleen Yarger, Adjunct Professor of Art History, Randolph Macon College
Tuesdays, 1 – 2:30 p.m. | Conference Suite & Galleries
$90 (VMFA members $75) Cost includes admission to The Art of the Flower.
Van Gogh and many of his contemporaries were committed to flowers as both a subject and a source of painterly meditation, as evidenced by VMFA’s special exhibition Van Gogh, Manet, and Matisse: The Art of the Flower. Focusing on four major artists featured in this intriguing exhibition: Eugène Delacroix, Gustave Courbet, Edouard Manet and Vincent van Gogh, this course highlights and examines the personal vision, style, and influences of each of these artists as it relates to their floral still life painting.
March 26
Artsy Infants: Parents & Painting
Ages 3-13 months, accompanied by an adult, enrollment limit: 12 children
Thursday, 11 a.m. – noon | Art Education Center
$10 (VMFA members $8) per child/adult pair
Explore the interaction between parents and children in artwork from VMFA’s collection. Notice your own children’s reactions while you sing, play, and create together. It’s never too soon to introduce your infant to art! Led by Lori Valente Coffey, this unique studio program fosters sensory stimulation during the early stages of growth and development. Enjoy inspirational stroller tours, playtime learning, and experimenting with art supplies (safe for babies). To determine if this class is developmentally suited for your child, please contact Lori Valente Coffey at (804) 340.1343.
After School Art Club: Delightful Designs
Ages 5 – 8, enrollment limit: 18
4:15 – 6 p.m. | Art Education Center
$20 (VMFA members $18) per class
Focus on the geometric lines and motifs in artifacts from the African art collection. Draw similar designs and patterns for creating relief prints in the studio. Let your imagination soar in the studio as you make original works of art inspired by objects in the museum. Sign up for one or more of these fun and creative workshops led by Lori Valente Coffey. Special Offer: Receive a $2 discount per class when you register for six or more Afterschool Art Club sessions! (Note: Classes are nonrefundable and cannot be transferred to another class. Please mark your calendars.)
March 27
Lecture
Sunflowers and Still Life: from Monet through Van Gogh to Gauguin
Dr. Richard Brettell, Margaret M. McDermott Distinguished Chair of Art and Aesthetic Studies, University of Texas, Dallas
6:30 – 7: 30 p.m. | Leslie Cheek Theater
$8 (VMFA members $5)
This discussion will trace the particular history of the sunflower still life. Speaker Dr. Brettell will explain how “Monet was the first great artist to stuff a bunch of recently cut sunflowers into a vase and paint it, …starting a condition that had its climax when Van Gogh painted his first group of sunflowers in the summer of 1888.” Van Gogh, in turn, inspired Gauguin, who planted a garden in remote Tahiti in 1898 from which he harvested sunflowers to paint the most complex floral still-life paintings of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
March 28
The Japanese Landscape through Prints: A Forum
10 a.m. – 3 p.m. | VMFA Cheek Theater
$10 (VMFA members $8)
International speakers discuss the vibrancy and history of the Japanese Landscape through prints, including the legacy of Kawase Hasui.
-Dr. Ken Brown, professor of Asian Art History at California State University, Long Beach and guest curator of Water & Shadow: Kawase Hasui and Japanese Landscape Prints and author of studies of Hasui, the Shin-hanga movement and Japanese Art Deco.
-Dr. Christine Guth, Head of Asian Design, Royal College of Art, London, and History of Design Program, Victoria and Albert Museum.
-Dr. Noriko Kuwahara, Lecturer at Seitoku University, Chiba, Japan.
-Dr. Mitchell Merling, VMFA Paul Mellon Curator & Head of the Department of European Art
APRIL 2015
April 2
Tots of Art: “S” is for Spring
Ages 14-30 months, accompanied by an adult, enrollment limit: 12 children
Thursday, 11 a.m. – noon | Art Education Center
$10 (VMFA members $8) per child/adult pair
Flowers are blooming, birds are chirping, and the grass is growing! Join us as we explore the colors, flowers, and shapes inside and outside the museum. Captivate your toddler and stimulate his or her budding curiosity. Tots of Art fosters growing mobility and introduces children to new sensory and fine motor experiences that only the VMFA campus and studio can provide. In this exciting program, children and caregivers play and bond through singing and movement activities, exploratory art lessons, and stroller tours. To determine if this class is developmentally suited for your child, please contact Lori Valente Coffey at (804) 340.1343.
After School Art Club: Shape Shifters
Ages 5 – 8, enrollment limit: 18
4:15 – 6 p.m. | Art Education Center
$20 (VMFA members $18) per class
Practice using symmetry while shifting around different shapes and patterns. Learn to transform these puzzle-like designs into mathematical tessellations. Let your imagination soar in the studio as you make original works of art inspired by objects in the museum. Sign up for one or more of these fun and creative workshops led by Lori Valente Coffey. Special Offer: Receive a $2 discount per class when you register for six or more Afterschool Art Club sessions! (Note: Classes are nonrefundable and cannot be transferred to another class. Please mark your calendars.)
April 7, 8, 14, 15, 21, 22, 28, 29
Young @ Art: Colorful Flowers!
Ages 2 ½–5, accompanied by an adult, enrollment limit: 12 children
Tuesdays or Wednesdays, 11 a.m. – noon | Art Education Center
$10 (VMFA members $8) per child/adult pair
Let paintings by artists like Van Gogh, Manet, and Matisse help teach the art of the flower and basic color theory before creating vibrant works in the studio. Innovative art lessons inspire your child’s imagination and creativity. Join “Ms. Lori” for hands-on activities—with new art projects introduced weekly—along with exciting gallery tours, entertaining stories, exploratory puzzles, and movement games.
April 9
Tots of Art: “T” is for Texture
Ages 14-30 months, accompanied by an adult, enrollment limit: 12 children
Thursday, 11 a.m. – noon | Art Education Center
$10 (VMFA members $8) per child/adult pair
After exploring works of art that appear to have interesting textures, curious little fingers will touch, hold, connect, and experiment with many tactile objects in the studio! Captivate your toddler and stimulate his or her budding curiosity. Tots of Art fosters growing mobility and introduces children to new sensory and fine motor experiences that only the VMFA campus and studio can provide. In this exciting program, children and caregivers play and bond through singing and movement activities, exploratory art lessons, and stroller tours. To determine if this class is developmentally suited for your child, please contact Lori Valente Coffey at (804) 340.1343.
April 10
22nd Annual James River Film Festival
6:30 – 9 p.m. | Leslie Cheek Theater
$8 (VMFA and JRFF members $5)
Screenings with guest filmmakers. See website for details. James River Film Society is a volunteer-run nonprofit organization dedicated to the art of film and film as art. Co-Sponsored by VMFA.
April 11
Teen Saturdays in the Studio: Urban Art
1 – 4 p.m. | Art Education Center
$25 (VMFA members $22)
While they may not be formally trained, many urban artists have managed to make it in the art world. After learning the dos & don’ts of street art, spray paint your own designs on a large-scale surface.
April 15, 22, 29
Painting in Paris
Wednesdays, 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. (3 sessions) | Meet in the Pauley Center Lobby
$65 (VMFA members $59)
Get a feel for what it was like to paint in nineteenth-century France through the brushstrokes of artists like Van Gogh, Manet, and Matisse. Use similar styles, methods, and painting media to complete your own original still life.
April 16
Artsy Infants: Bright Ideas
Ages 3-13 months, accompanied by an adult, enrollment limit: 12 children
Thursday, 11 a.m. – noon | Art Education Center
$10 (VMFA members $8) per child/adult pair
Discuss your baby’s developing senses, observe works of art that emphasize light and contrast, and then explore vibrant colors in the studio. It’s never too soon to introduce your infant to art! Led by Lori Valente Coffey, this unique studio program fosters sensory stimulation during the early stages of growth and development. Enjoy inspirational stroller tours, playtime learning, and experimenting with art supplies (safe for babies). To determine if this class is developmentally suited for your child, please contact Lori Valente Coffey at (804) 340.1343.
After School Art Club: Let’s Make Paper
Ages 5 – 8, enrollment limit: 18
4:15 – 6 p.m. | Art Education Center
$20 (VMFA members $18) per class
Learn about the history of papermaking and then get messy while making your own fiber sheets using pulp and natural materials. Let your imagination soar in the studio as you make original works of art inspired by objects in the museum. Sign up for one or more of these fun and creative workshops led by Lori Valente Coffey. Special Offer: Receive a $2 discount per class when you register for six or more Afterschool Art Club sessions! (Note: Classes are nonrefundable and cannot be transferred to another class. Please mark your calendars.)
April 16, 23, 30
Foundations in Art: Pencils & Paint
Ages 9–12, enrollment limit: 12
Thursdays, 4:15 – 6 p.m. (3 sessions) | Art Education Center
$65 (VMFA members $59) per class
Be inspired by artists like Van Gogh and Manet to draw and paint still life artwork like a pro! Learn how to use similar painting methods, apply layers and undertones, and use complementary colors for contrast. Imagine, create, and grow as an emerging young artist while making original artworks inspired by gallery observations and innovative materials. Through technical guidance and encouragement, students build their confidence, talents, and love of art.
April 18
Kids Discover: Flower Power
Ages 6–9, enrollment limit: 16
1 – 4 p.m. | Art Education Center
$25 (VMFA members $22) per class
Spring has sprung in VMFA’s Sculpture Garden. Let your imagination grow with creative ideas for making nature-inspired artwork.
April 23
Artsy Infants: Moovin’ and Groovin’
Ages 3-13 months, accompanied by an adult, enrollment limit: 12 children
Thursday, 11 a.m. – noon | Art Education Center
$10 (VMFA members $8) per child/adult pair
Focusing on the importance of building gross motor skills and movement in art, twist, swish, and groove through the galleries in this interactive infant class. It’s never too soon to introduce your infant to art! Led by Lori Valente Coffey, this unique studio program fosters sensory stimulation during the early stages of growth and development. Enjoy inspirational stroller tours, playtime learning, and experimenting with art supplies (safe for babies). To determine if this class is developmentally suited for your child, please contact Lori Valente Coffey at (804) 340.1343.
After School Art Club: Land of Illustrators
Ages 5 – 8, enrollment limit: 18
4:15 – 6 p.m. | Art Education Center
$20 (VMFA members $18) per class
Focusing on landscape elements, read stories and explore techniques found in well-known children’s books. Create your own images inspired by these illustrated scenes. Let your imagination soar in the studio as you make original works of art inspired by objects in the museum. Sign up for one or more of these fun and creative workshops led by Lori Valente Coffey. Special Offer: Receive a $2 discount per class when you register for six or more Afterschool Art Club sessions! (Note: Classes are nonrefundable and cannot be transferred to another class. Please mark your calendars.)
Teacher Workshop: Workin’ the Flowers: Van Gogh, Cezanne, Matisse, and Modern Visions
4:30 – 7 p.m. | Conference Room 1 & Galleries
$20 (VMFA members $18)
How did impressionist and post-impressionist painters radically transform the traditional French still life genre? How were their experimentations with paint application, composition, and color combinations connected with changes in science, commerce, and technology? Discover how their reinvention of artistic representation can inspire and challenge your students’ understanding of art-making in this workshop that combines gallery exploration with hands-on elements.
April 24
Friday Family Art Night: From Petals to Paper
5 – 7 p.m. | Art Education Center
$20 per child/adult pair (VMFA members $18)
Recommended for children ages 5 – 12 | Using pulp made from the instructor’s plants and flowers, families make their own natural, handmade paper and learn the history of this intriguing art form.
April 25
Celebrate the Art of Flowers: Paris in Springtime
11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Free, no registration required
Take a trip back in time to Paris in the 19th century. Stroll among books and prints in the VMFA Bouquiniste tent sale. Enjoy the Zany Umbrella Circus featuring a tight wire walking elephant, and jugglers and acrobats, inviting you to engage in theatrical play. Set up an easel to capture the VMFA sculpture garden, participate in flower- inspired art activities, and view elaborate puppet shows in this springtime extravaganza.
April 28
Garden Inspirations
With author and interior designer, Charlotte Moss
10 – 11 a.m. Lecture | Leslie Cheek Theater
11 a.m. – 12 p.m. Book Signing | Conference Room 1
12 – 1:30 p.m. Luncheon | Marble Hall
Ticket price is TBD
In celebration of Van Gogh, Monet, and Matisse: The Art of the Flower, acclaimed author and interior designer Charlotte Moss discusses Twenty-five years of creating a garden and influences along the way, including how gardens are incorporated throughout the home. Following the lecture, Ms. Moss will sign copies of her latest publication, Garden Inspirations. The event concludes with a luncheon in the Marble Hall.
April 30
After School Art Club: Stylin’ Still Life
Ages 5 – 8, enrollment limit: 18
4:15 – 6 p.m. | Art Education Center
$20 (VMFA members $18) per class
Explore still life compositions and painting styles by famous French artists like Van Gogh and Manet. Discuss shapes, contrast, and complementary colors to use in vibrant still life paintings. Let your imagination soar in the studio as you make original works of art inspired by objects in the museum. Sign up for one or more of these fun and creative workshops led by Lori Valente Coffey. Special Offer: Receive a $2 discount per class when you register for six or more Afterschool Art Club sessions! (Note: Classes are nonrefundable and cannot be transferred to another class. Please mark your calendars.)
MAY 2015
May 2
Teen Saturdays in the Studio: Animation in a Day
1 – 4 p.m. | Art Education Center
$25 (VMFA members $22)
Ready, set …ACTION! Watch your ideas and sketches come to life as you draw, assemble, and compose an original stop-motion animation.
May 3
Open Studio Sunday
1 – 4 p.m. | Art Education Center
Free, no reservations required
All ages, children under 13 must be accompanied by an adult
Make Open Studio Sundays part of your family routine! Come by the studios anytime between 1 and 4 p.m. to enjoy “make-it, take-it” art activities inspired by objects from the VMFA collection. A new art project offered every month, with assistance from VMFA volunteers.
May 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20
Young @ Art: Artsy Animals!
Ages 2 ½–5, accompanied by an adult, enrollment limit: 12 children
Tuesdays or Wednesdays, 11 a.m. – noon | Art Education Center
$10 (VMFA members $8) per child/adult pair
Investigate animal characteristics and habitats while you paint, sculpt, and draw your way through the animal kingdom. Innovative art lessons inspire your child’s imagination and creativity. Join “Ms. Lori” for hands-on activities—with new art projects introduced weekly—along with exciting gallery tours, entertaining stories, exploratory puzzles, and movement games.
May 6, 13, 20
Digital Photography
Wednesdays, 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. (3 sessions) | Meet in the Pauley Center Lobby
$65 (VMFA members $59)
Improve shooting techniques and gain experience using Adobe Photoshop Pro in the computer lab. Also, learn about portfolio development and career opportunities.
May 7
Tots of Art: “U” is for Underwater
Ages 14-30 months, accompanied by an adult, enrollment limit: 12 children
Thursday, 11 a.m. – noon | Art Education Center
$10 (VMFA members $8) per child/adult pair
After School Art Club: Express Yourself
Ages 5 – 8, enrollment limit: 18
4:15 – 6 p.m. | Art Education Center
$20 (VMFA members $18) per class
Learn about the abstract expressionist movement and make your mark by creating your own action paintings. Let your imagination soar in the studio as you make original works of art inspired by objects in the museum. Sign up for one or more of these fun and creative workshops led by Lori Valente Coffey. Special Offer: Receive a $2 discount per class when you register for six or more Afterschool Art Club sessions! (Note: Classes are nonrefundable and cannot be transferred to another class. Please mark your calendars.)
May 7, 14, 21
Foundations in Art: The Life of an Object
Ages 9–12, enrollment limit: 12
Thursdays, 4:15 – 6 p.m. (3 sessions) | Art Education Center
$65 (VMFA members $59) per class
Enjoy this exciting mixed media and sculpture class that focuses on form and function. Design a Joseph Cornell-inspired memory box, and learn to create and solve your own artistic challenges. Imagine, create, and grow as an emerging young artist while making original artworks inspired by gallery observations and innovative materials. Through technical guidance and encouragement, students build their confidence, talents, and love of art.
May 8
Teen Drawing Club: Life in Paris
5 – 6:30 p.m. | Art Education Center
$10 (VMFA members $8)
Focus: Still life objects inspired by special exhibition Van Gogh, Manet, & Matisse: The Art of the Flower. Led by artist Cheryl Dillard and designed for teenagers enrolled in middle or high school, monthly sessions include demos, art talks, and independent instruction to accommodate both beginning and accomplished artists. In this session, focus on overlapping and blending colors to show realism and emotion.
May 9 & 16
Art History Classes
Europe’s Fascination with the East: From Orientalism to Japonisme
Dr. Mitchell Merling, Paul Mellon Curator and Head of the Department of European Art and Kristie Couser, Curatorial Assistant for the Mellon Collections
Saturdays, 2 – 3:30 p.m. | Reynolds Lecture Hall
$45 (VMFA members $35)
This two-part course will explore the history of western Europe’s artistic fascination with the people and locales of north Africa, the Middle East, and east Asia. The first session will focus on nineteenth-century Romantic and Academic artists, including French Orientalist painter Eugène Delacroix. The second session examines the practitioners of French impressionism who engaged with the aesthetics of Japanese art, among them Claude Monet who famously collected ukiyo-e prints and designed a Japanese-inspired water garden surrounding his home and studio at Giverny. This course, offered in conjunction with the exhibition Félix Bracquemond: Impressionist Innovator (VMFA Mellon Focus galleries, Feb 13 – Oct 4, 2015), will also interpret how Bracquemond’s etchings and ceramics express stylistic elements of Japonisme.
May 14
Tots of Art: “V” is for Vegetables
Ages 14-30 months, accompanied by an adult, enrollment limit: 12 children
Thursday, 11 a.m. – noon | Art Education Center
$10 (VMFA members $8) per child/adult pair
Identify foods in paintings and enjoy a pretend picnic. Then use real fruits and veggies to make art. Captivate your toddler and stimulate his or her budding curiosity. Tots of Art fosters growing mobility and introduces children to new sensory and fine motor experiences that only the VMFA campus and studio can provide. In this exciting program, children and caregivers play and bond through singing and movement activities, exploratory art lessons, and stroller tours. To determine if this class is developmentally suited for your child, please contact Lori Valente Coffey at (804) 340.1343.
After School Art Club: Is it Art?
Ages 5 – 8, enrollment limit: 184:15 – 6 p.m. | Art Education Center
$20 (VMFA members $18) per class
Discover how art can serve a purpose. Check out the handcrafted buckles and brooches in the Art Nouveau collection and then return to the studio to create your own functional artworks! Let your imagination soar in the studio as you make original works of art inspired by objects in the museum. Sign up for one or more of these fun and creative workshops led by Lori Valente Coffey. Special Offer: Receive a $2 discount per class when you register for six or more Afterschool Art Club sessions! (Note: Classes are nonrefundable and cannot be transferred to another class. Please mark your calendars.
May 15
Film + Talk: Lust for Life (1956, 122 min, MGM)
6:30 – 9 p.m. | Leslie Cheek Theater
$8 (VMFA members $5)
Vincent van Gogh, legendary as the quintessential tortured artist who painted with unmatched intensity, provided a powerful subject to explore in this big and beautiful 1956 Hollywood biopic. Kirk Douglas, with such physical resemblance, put his entire being into portraying the Dutch artist and his pain of life. Many of the locations used for filming were the actual locations van Gogh visited. His paintings shown throughout add rich subtext. Director Vincent Minnelli masterfully understood the unique lustrous saturation of film color and used it to the fullest. The movie will be introduced by Dr. Mitchell Merling, VMFA’s Paul Mellon Curator and Head of the Department of European Art, with Q&A afterwards.
May 16
Kids Discover: Still Life with Style
Ages 6–9, enrollment limit: 16
1 – 4 p.m. | Art Education Center
$25 (VMFA members $22) per class
Paint like a pro! Be inspired by techniques from the floral paintings of famous artists like Van Gogh, Manet, and Matisse to create a painting your way!
Teen Saturdays in the Studio: Intro to Botanical Illustration
1 – 4 p.m. | Art Education Center
$25 (VMFA members $22)
Led by a certified botanical artist, discover how the masters used botanicals in their own work. Learn fundamental techniques for this formal style of art to illustrate plants and flowers of your own.
May 21
Artsy Infants: Fuzzy Friends
Ages 3-13 months, accompanied by an adult, enrollment limit: 12 children
Thursday, 11 a.m. – noon | Art Education Center
$10 (VMFA members $8) per child/adult pair
Enjoy singing your favorite songs about animals, mimicking sounds made by mammals, and creating your own fuzzy creatures like those found in the museum! It’s never too soon to introduce your infant to art! Led by Lori Valente Coffey, this unique studio program fosters sensory stimulation during the early stages of growth and development. Enjoy inspirational stroller tours, playtime learning, and experimenting with art supplies (safe for babies). To determine if this class is developmentally suited for your child, please contact Lori Valente Coffey at (804) 340.1343.
After School Art Club: Plein Air Painting
Ages 5 – 8, enrollment limit: 18
4:15 – 6 p.m. | Art Education Center
$20 (VMFA members $18) per class
Experience impressionist-style painting en plein air (in the open air). While painting what you see outside, focus on color theory and brushstrokes. Let your imagination soar in the studio as you make original works of art inspired by objects in the museum. Sign up for one or more of these fun and creative workshops led by Lori Valente Coffey. Special Offer: Receive a $2 discount per class when you register for six or more Afterschool Art Club sessions! (Note: Classes are nonrefundable and cannot be transferred to another class. Please mark your calendars.)
May 22
Friday Family Art Night: En Plein Air with Parents
5 – 7 p.m. | Art Education Center
$20 per child/adult pair (VMFA members $18)
Recommended for children ages 5 – 12 | Together kids and parents find a picturesque spot in the VMFA’s Sculpture Garden to set up their easels and, with guidance from an experienced painter, paint en plein air (in the open air).
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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