Explore three art objects in 30 minutes. VMFA’s “3 in 30” programs are offered on the first Tuesday (in-person) and Thursday (virtually) of every month*. Curators and educators discuss works in the permanent collection and in special exhibitions, considering different themes found across the collection, artistic movements, or a single artist’s body of work. “3 in 30 PLUS” is an expanded version of this program where two speakers come together to present a program that is one-hour long. The “3 in 30” programs are free and open to the public.
*Exceptions to this schedule may occur if a holiday falls on the first Tuesday of the month. Please check the website in advance.
Upcoming Programs
3 in 30 | Contemporary Connections | In-person
Tue, Aug 6, 2024 | 11–11:30 am
Meet at Visitor Services
Free; no tickets required.
Where an artwork is displayed in a museum can reveal important context and new perspectives. In this talk, explore three contemporary works that were made by living artists—but are exhibited outside the 21st century gallery. Examine why these works are placed in these settings and uncover cross-cultural connections that can illuminate the contemporary artist’s motivations.
3 in 30 | Contemporary Connections | Virtual
Thu, Aug 8, 2024 | 11–11:30 am
Registration via Zoom required.
Where an artwork is displayed in a museum can reveal important context and new perspectives. In this talk, explore three contemporary works that were made by living artists—but are exhibited outside the 21st century gallery. Examine why these works are placed in these settings and uncover cross-cultural connections that can illuminate the contemporary artist’s motivations.
3 in 30 | Ragamalas: Picturing Music & Emotion
Tue, Sep 3, 2024
11–11:30 am
Meet at Visitor Services
Free; no tickets required
Explore the exhibition Ragamalas: Picturing Music & Emotion, currently on view in the South Asian Art Galleries. Indian musical and visual arts come together in paintings called ragamalas, sets of pictures that depict musical structures called ragas. Each raga has a characteristic progression of notes intended—as the Sanskrit word raga suggests—to “color” the mind and stimulate a distinct emotional response.
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Page from a Ragamala Series: Megha Raga, ca. 1610, Indian, Rajasthan, probably Marwar, opaque watercolor on paper. Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Nasli and Alice Heeramaneck Collection, Gift of Paul Mellon, 68.8.61
3 in 30 | Ragamalas: Picturing Music & Emotion | Virtual
Thu, Sep 5, 2024
11–11:30 am
Registration via Zoom required.
Explore the exhibition Ragamalas: Picturing Music & Emotion, currently on view in the South Asian Art Galleries. Indian musical and visual arts come together in paintings called ragamalas, sets of pictures that depict musical structures called ragas. Each raga has a characteristic progression of notes intended—as the Sanskrit word raga suggests—to “color” the mind and stimulate a distinct emotional response.
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Page from a Ragamala Series: Megha Raga, ca. 1610, Indian, Rajasthan, probably Marwar, opaque watercolor on paper. Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Nasli and Alice Heeramaneck Collection, Gift of Paul Mellon, 68.8.61
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3 in 30 | The Reinstallation of Hubert Robert | In-person
Tue, Oct 1, 2024
Free; no tickets or registration required.
Meet at Visitor Services
In anticipation of International Archaeology Day (celebrated this year on October 19), join us on October 3 for a discussion of Hubert Robert’s 1773 painting The Finding of the Laocoön, its reinstallation in the European galleries, and its connection to other works in the permanent collection. This fascinating talk will be led by Dr. Sylvain Cordier, VMFA’s Paul Mellon Curator and Head of the Department of European Art.
3 in 30 | The Reinstallation of Hubert Robert | Virtual
Thu, Oct 3, 2024 | 11–11:30 am
Registration via Zoom required.
In anticipation of International Archaeology Day (celebrated this year on October 19), join us on October 3 for a discussion of Hubert Robert’s 1773 painting The Finding of the Laocoön, its reinstallation in the European galleries, and its connection to other works in the permanent collection. This fascinating talk will be led by Dr. Sylvain Cordier, VMFA’s Paul Mellon Curator and Head of the Department of European Art.
View previous virtual programs on YouTube.