Family Days
What is a VMFA Family Day?
Bring the entire family and discover the richness of cultures from around the world, the science behind art-making, and the stories of the artists and their art. Become an artist for the day while exploring traditional art objects, art activities, and performances and entertainment related to VMFA’s collection and special exhibitions. Activities are recommended for children ages 3–12. Children must be accompanied by an adult. All ages welcome. Free; no tickets required.
Upcoming Family Day Events: Save the Date
ChinaFest: Year of the Wood Snake
Sat, Feb 8, 2025 | 10 am–4:30 pm
Museum-wide event
Join us as we celebrate the traditions of Chinese Lunar New Year—and the 20th anniversary of the ChinaFest program! Experience ChinaFest: Year of the Wood Snake at this Family Day event featuring art activities, performances, music, and so much more. All ages welcome.
Free, no tickets or registration required.
Want to Volunteer at Family Day?
Community Project Highlights
Project Spotlight: Collaborative Mosaic: Icons of Brazil
During our 2024 Celebrate the Art of Latin America: Brazil Family Day event, visitors participated in our Collaborative Mosaic: Icons of Brazil community project, inspired by mosaic art in Brazil. Guests selected a foam tile to decorate, and then add to the background of a drawing representing icons of Brazilian culture. Each individually decorated tile became part of a larger mosaic design celebrating the art and culture of Brazil! See the final products of this collaborative project in the images below.
Artist Highlights
Artist Spotlight: Alfonso Pérez Acosta
During our 2023 Celebrate the Art of Latin America: Colombia Family Day event, guests joined in this participatory art demonstration by Colombian artist, Alfonso Pérez Acosta, involving a large-scale drawing made with Colombian coffee and an open invitation for guests to interact with very meaningful elements about Colombian culture.
Coffee tasting cups in the colors of the Colombian flag – yellow, blue, and red – were provided and guests created their own unique drawing directly onto the cup, which Alfonso Pérez Acosta then contributed to the large-scale drawing. The drawing itself contains an outline of Colombia and the words JÚBILO INMORTAL (Immortal Joy), which according to the artist, is inspired by a line from Colombia’s national anthem and represents the spirit of the celebration.
Alfonso Pérez Acosta intersects art and education through multimedia languages in a variety of community-based projects, with a special interest in contemporary drawing and healing practices.
To learn more about the artist and his work, visit the Alfonso Pérez Acosta website.
Artist Spotlight: Noah Scalin
During our 2016 Celebrate African and African American Art: Culture King Family Day event, local artist Noah Scalin created an installation of a large-scale anamorphic portrait based on a photograph by James Conway Farley from the collection of The Valentine. Art Materials for this project donated by Diversity Thrift.