After a brief discussion about the history and purpose of bookplates and bookmarks, students will create their own bookplate and bookmark designs on paper. The designs will then be transferred to a soft printmaking block (Safety Kut) and cut out using carving tools. The carved block will be inked and printed on paper and cardstock as each participant creates her/his own set of bookplates to use or bookmarks to give as gifts.
Archives
Stenciling and Stamping on Fabric
Want to make your own stamps and stencils for decorating fabric? In this workshop, participants will explore a variety of versatile and easy fabric applications using water-based textile pigments. After first experimenting with direct-application painting, students will then create their own contact paper stencils and stamps using a variety of materials. The pigments provided are ideal for layering color and pattern on fabric. Students may complete pillow covers, gift bags, or fabrics to be used in a larger project. No experience is necessary. Fabrics and pigments are provided.
Screen Printing Workshop
In this workshop, students will explore the expressive potential of screen-printing on fabric and discover ways to create unique patterns on cloth. Transparent textile pigments provide many color options for developing complex surfaces through layering simple shapes and textures. Participants will make crayon-rubbing silkscreen prints, produce simple contact paper stencils, and learn how to continue exploring these techniques at home and in the classroom.
Gesture: Abstract Expressionists
From brushstrokes to drips and palette knives to spray cans, this lecture explores the role of the artist’s mark in several iconic paintings from the Virginia Museum of Fine Art’s 20th- and 21st-century collection. While abstract expressionists such as Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning, whose bold, energetic, and seemingly messy applications of paint are best known, a wider range of artists experimented with similar techniques. From European avant-garde artists experimenting with brutal brushstrokes of German expressionism and the loose, automatist lines of French surrealism, to African American artist Norman Lewis’ explorations of black and gray tones, the marks of all these artists register an array of varied responses that run the gamut from playful to political.
Armchair Adventures: Henri Rousseau and His Fantastical Landscapes
Join Jeffrey Allison, Paul Mellon Collection Educator and Manager, Statewide Programs and Exhibitions, as he explores the unique life and work of the French artist, Henri Rousseau. The essentially self-taught painter created cityscapes and portraits as well as dream-like exotic jungle scenes without stepping out of the city. During his lifetime his work was ridiculed by critics, but now his paintings are among the most popular works produced in the 20th century.
Awaken: Tibetan Buddhist Art at VMFA and Beyond
In his overview of the South Asian and Islamic Art holdings of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, John Henry Rice reviews the history of how one of North America’s finest collections of South Asian and Himalayan art came to richmond.
Devi: The Goddess and Her Many Forms
Throughout South Asia, the Goddess Devi is an important cultural and religious symbol in both Hindu and Buddhist communities. The variety of her forms, both wrathful and peaceful, underscores the dynamic nature of this figure. This lecture examines the roots of the goddess tradition in ancient India and the contemporary aspects of Devi’s worship, addressing issues of gender, power, and authority. Particular attention will be placed on understanding the cultural contexts — religious, philosophical, and political — that motivated the creation of these art objects across the subcontinent by examining key works in the collection of the VMFA.
Buddhist Art and Pilgrimage
Shortly after the death of Buddha in the 5th century BCE, pilgrimage was promoted as a vital component of Buddhist practice and spiritual development. Subsequently, the art and architecture that developed at these sites have become intrinsic components of Buddhist visual culture. Utilizing objects in the permanent collection at the VMFA, this program examines the use of paintings, sculpture, and the built environment to facilitate Buddhist religious experience in the context of pilgrimage.
Latin American Perspectives
From the ancient to the contemporary, discover the Latin American connection to artworks from VMFA’s collection. Learn how these works were influenced by artists’ perceptions of Central and South America’s social, political, economic, and cultural world, and how these same perspective are relevant today.
World Beat Workshop
The World Beat Workshop, with drummer Robert Jospé and percussionist Kevin Davis, engages students in exploring the diaspora of West African rhythms in the Americas and their influence in current music styles. Using a map, percussion instruments and music charts, this interactive program brings musical, historical, cultural, and geographical information to life with the journey of clave. Join this musical journey from West Africa to Cuba, Trinidad/Tobago, the Dominican Republic, Brazil, and New Orleans, all the while learning about the evolution of dance through the blending of cultures.