Talks + Lectures

Thu, Jan 23, 2025
6:30–7:30 pm
Leslie Cheek Theater
$8 (VMFA members $5)

Explore the wildly creative but often misunderstood period in the life of Hungarian-born American photographer André Kertész. Interweaving Kertész’s photographs, particularly self-portraits, with the artist’s life story, Robert Gurbo, President of the André and Elizabeth Kertész Foundation, will unveil a powerful and brooding body of art hidden beneath the surface of seemingly simple images. The exhibition American, born Hungary: Kertész, Capa, and the Hungarian American Photographic Legacy is on view at VMFA Oct 5, 2024–Jan 26, 2025.

Livestream available
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PARTICPANTS BIOS
Robert Gurbo, president and managing director of the Estate of André Kertész and The André and Elizabeth Kertész Foundation, met Kertész while working as a photographer on the CCF-CETA Artists Project in 1978. He worked with Kertész during the last seven years of the photographer's life and has spent the last 39 years meticulously combing through his archive. Gurbo is the co-author of the catalogue that accompanied the 2005 National Gallery exhibition, André Kertész, published by Princeton University Press. He is also the editor and author of André Kertész: The Early Years and André Kertész: The Polaroids. In addition, he organized the reissue of Kertész’s seminal book, On Reading. He has contributed to numerous publications and catalogues; lectured on André Kertész throughout the world; and is an advisor to museum curators, gallerists, and collectors.

The Rough and the Smooth in 17th-century Dutch Painting
With Dr. Ronni Baer, the Allen R. Adler, Class of 1967, Distinguished Curator and Lecturer at the Princeton University Art Museum

Wed, Jan 29, 2025
6:30–7:30 pm
$8 (VMFA members $5)
Leslie Cheek Theater

Join us for the inaugural Jordan and Thomas A. Saunders III Lecture, presented by Dr. Ronni Baer, the Allen R. Adler, Class of 1967, Distinguished Curator and Lecturer at the Princeton University Art Museum. Dr. Baer will explore work by 17th-century Dutch artists Rembrandt van Rijn, Frans Hals, and Gerrit Dou. Paintings by Hals and Dou are currently on view in the Saunders Collection. 

In the 17th century, Dutch art theorists discussed two distinct styles of painting: the neat or smooth and the rough or loose. Neat painting was believed to engage the viewer for a long time, delighting the eye. By contrast, the rough style was considered “modern” and said to have the power to move the observer. Participants will be encouraged to look closely at works of art and consider the choices the artists made at the easel.

The Jordan and Thomas A. Saunders III Distinguished Lecture is presented by a scholar annually to foster the study and appreciation of European art. It is made possible through the generous support of the Saunders family.

Livestream available

RESCHEDULED: The lecture will now take place on Wed, Jan 29, 2025. It was originally scheduled for Wed, Sep 25, 2024. 

Fri, Jan 31, 2025
6:30–7:30 pm | Conversation with Q&A
7:30–8:30 pm | Reception
Leslie Cheek Theater & Marble Hall
$8 (VMFA members, $5)
Free for K-12 and college educators and students with ID. Please phone 804.340.1405 to reserve free tickets. 

Go behind the scenes with the creators and stars of Smarthistory, Drs. Beth Harris and Steven Zucker, as they share stories behind their compelling content. Experience the premiere of VMFA-featured videos and learn about the launch of their new website. Founded in 2005 and beloved by educators and students in secondary and higher education as well as lifelong learners, Smarthistory is a hub for public art history with thousands of free videos and essays. This event includes a reception in the Marble Hall with special recognition for educators.

View the Smarthistory videos that highlight objects from VMFA’s Collection on Smart History's website.

Livestream available
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PARTICPANTS BIOS
Dr. Beth Harris is co-founder and executive director of Smarthistory. Previously, she was dean of art and history at Khan Academy and director of digital learning at The Museum of Modern Art. Before joining MoMA, she was Associate Professor of art history and director of distance learning at the Fashion Institute of Technology where she taught both online and in the classroom. She holds a master’s degree from the Courtauld Institute of Art in London and doctorate from the City University of New York.

Dr. Steven Zucker is co-founder and executive director of Smarthistory. Previously, he has served as dean of art and history at Khan Academy, chair of history of art and design at Pratt Institute, and dean of the School of Graduate Studies at the Fashion Institute of Technology, SUNY and chair of art history. He earned his doctorate from the City University of New York.

Sun, Feb 16, 2025
2–3 pm
$8 (VMFA members $5)
Leslie Cheek Theater

Join visual journalist and educator Brian Palmer and Dr. Sarah Kennel, the Aaron Siskind Curator of Photography and Director of the Raysor Center for Works on Paper, for a discussion about Palmer's works currently on view at VMFA. Learn more about how the artist pays tribute to history through his photography and activist work in the Richmond community.

Thu, Feb 27, 2025
6:30–7:30 pm
$8 (VMFA members, $5)
Cheek Theater

Last year, VMFA became the first major US art museum to lend a work from its permanent collection to a sub-Saharan African institution. This talk details the collaboration between the museum and the Congolese Plantation Workers Art League art collective located in the remote village of Lusanga in the Democratic Republic of Congo that led to this loan. Dr. Ndubuisi Ezeluomba, Curator of African Art, will explain how this historic collaborative engagement came about and recount the long and fascinating journey that he and VMFA's sculpture made.

Thu, Mar 6, 2025
6:30–7:30 pm
$8 (VMFA members $5)
Leslie Cheek Theater

Join Dr. Margaret Laird to explore how, where, and why nonprofessional artists created pictorial graffiti and drawings of women on walls and other media. Although women were uncommon subjects for Pompeii’s artists, their images were nevertheless given prominence and power. This lecture has adult content, including images of graffiti with mature themes.
 
The Mary Ann Frable Lecture is presented annually by a distinguished scholar to foster the study and appreciation of ancient Mediterranean art and is supported by the Jack and Mary Ann Frable Fund for Ancient Art.

Livestream available
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Speaker Bio
Dr. Margaret Laird is Associate Professor of Latin and Classics at the University of Delaware. She earned her PhD from Princeton University. Her published work includes the book Civic Monuments and the Augustales in Roman Italy.
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IMAGE Agrippina the Elder, AD mid 1st century, Roman, marble. Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Adolph D. and Wilkins C. Williams Fund, 68.69

Thu, Apr 3, 2025*
6:30–7:30 pm
$8 (VMFA members $5)
Leslie Cheek Theater

 
Join exhibition curator Dr. Sarah Powers for a talk that marks the opening of Frida: Beyond the Myth. Learn how the exhibition moves past the mythology surrounding Mexican artist Frida Kahlo and how it elucidates the inspiring life and work of this extraordinary woman whose jewel-like paintings are among the most memorable and haunting images of the 20th century. Dr. Powers will explore works on view in the exhibition, which showcases a selection of paintings, drawings, prints, and photographs.

*Please note this date, as the talk was rescheduled after the Winter/Spring 2025 Classes & Programs brochure published.
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IMAGE Frida Kahlo, 1931, Imogen Cunningham (American, 1883–1976), gelatin silver print. Private Collection ©️ Estate of Imogen Cunningham