August 12, 2019
This article is an excerpt from the museum magazine, VMFA, an exclusive benefit for museum members. See works from the Gee’s Bend quilters on display in the Cosmologies from the Tree of Life: Art from the African American South exhibition. Valerie Cassel Oliver, VMFA’s Sydney and Frances Lewis Family Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art,…
June 7, 2019
At the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Awaken: A Tibetan Buddhist Journey Toward Enlightenment asks a thought-provoking question: are we really awake and fully aware, or do the clamor and fragmentation of our lives lull us into a kind of waking sleep? The exhibition invites you to pause from the busyness of daily life and…
May 23, 2019
The works of art in the exhibition Cosmologies from the Tree of Life: Art from the African American South at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts embody stories that may remind you of your own family’s artistry, perseverance, and traditions passed down through generations. The art on view includes sculptures, quilts, paintings, and works on…
April 25, 2019
There’s a buzz in the air about VMFA’s next exhibition, Awaken: A Tibetan Buddhist Journey Toward Enlightenment. That’s because, unlike any other art exhibition, Awaken is about you as much as it is about the art. Opening April 27, the exhibition is an immersive experience that addresses the noise and fragmentation of our daily lives,…
January 30, 2019
Artists are storytellers. In their work, they often tell us stories about their own lives or the lives of the people or communities they depict. Their creations can capture a moment in time or make a human connection in ways that history books alone cannot, allowing us to better understand the heart and soul of…
November 20, 2018
William Neer, VMFA’s curatorial assistant for exhibitions, discusses Congo Masks: Masterpieces from Central Africa, which is curated by Marc Leo Felix, director of the Congo Basin Art History Research Center in Brussels, Belgium. In its only North American venue, the exhibition at VMFA is an innovative and visually compelling display of artistry and cultures, showcasing more…
October 12, 2018
Pindell’s journey presented at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is unique to the artist but not unusual. We’ve heard the tale: the impressive work ethic of a brilliant black mind, occupying double roles, only to still fall short on respect from her white colleagues as well as the white-dominant art world. Pindell worked as…
August 24, 2018
Photo: David Stover © Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Gallery views of Napoleon: Power and Splendor, June 9, 2018 – September 3, 2018 Napoleon Bonaparte, one of modern history’s most interesting and controversial figures, was replete with contradictions, leaving behind a legacy of notable and lasting achievements as well as millions of casualties and widespread…
August 21, 2018
Howardena Pindell has consistently broken new ground during her five-decades-long artistic career. In 1967, she was the first female African American to graduate from Yale University’s MFA program then began working as the first female black curator at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Her diverse body of art—from abstract canvases to photography…
August 7, 2018
Inspired by Broadway’s Hamilton: An American Musical, VMFA created an original song and video about the exhibition Napoleon: Power and Splendor, now in its final weeks. France’s Napoleon Bonaparte was no Alexander Hamilton, but the two men had much in common. Both men emigrated from small islands in search of opportunity. Both joined the military…
