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 | Photography & Place | In-person
Tue, Dec 3 I 11–11:30 am
Meet at Visitors Services
Free; no registration or tickets required
Join Dr. Sarah Kennel as she makes connections to VMFA’s permanent collection, inspired by special exhibitions American, born Hungary: Kertész, Capa, and the Hungarian American Photographic Legacy; A Long Arc: Photography and the American South since 1845; and Home/Grown: Photographs by Susan Worsham and Brian Palmer.
IMAGE Untitled (Evergreen Cemetery, Richmond, VA), 2017, Brian Palmer (American, born 1964), inkjet print. Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Eric and Jeanette Lipman Fund, 2019.305
3 in 30 | Photography & Place | Virtual
Thu, Dec 5 I 11–11:30 am
Free; registration via Zoom required
Join Dr. Sarah Kennel as she makes connections to VMFA’s permanent collection, inspired by special exhibitions American, born Hungary: Kertész, Capa, and the Hungarian American Photographic Legacy; A Long Arc: Photography and the American South since 1845; and Home/Grown: Photographs by Susan Worsham and Brian Palmer.
IMAGE Untitled (Evergreen Cemetery, Richmond, VA), 2017, Brian Palmer (American, born 1964), inkjet print. Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Eric and Jeanette Lipman Fund, 2019.305
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3 in 30 | The Reinstallation of Hubert Robert | In-person
Tue, Jan 7, 2025 | 11–11:30 am
Free; no tickets or registration required.
Meet at Visitor Services
Join us on January 7 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
3 in 30 | The Reinstallation of Hubert Robert |
Thu, Jan 9, 2025
Free; Zoom registration required.
Virtual Program
Join us on January 9 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.
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Black History Month Collection Connection
Wed, Feb 19, 2025
11–11:45 am
Meet at Visitor Services
Join Dr. Leo Mazow, VMFA's Louise B. and J. Harwood Cochrane Curator of American Art, in honoring Black History Month by exploring VMFA's American art galleries. This program includes a closer look at a recently acquired sculpture by the Chippewa and African American artist Edmonia Lewis.
African American Read-In
Thu, Feb 20, 2025
5:30–7:30 pm
Free; no tickets or registration required
Cochrane Atrium
Literature and fine art come together at VMFA's African American Read In. See and hear notable figures from the greater Richmond community deliver prose and poetry readings throughout the galleries. This powerful display of storytelling pairs evocative and powerful works by African American artists and authors.
The National African American Read-In is sponsored by the Black Caucus of the National Council of Teachers of English and endorsed by the International Literacy Association.
View previous virtual programs on YouTube.