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• VMFA added a new wing in 2010. Why is another expansion needed?

  Soon after the James W. and Frances G. McGlothlin Wing opened in 2010, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) received a significant planned gift from Margaret B. and Arthur G. Glasgow to support the acquisition of new works of art. The museum’s collection has nearly doubled in size since then and now comprises more than 50,000 works of art, all of which belong to the people of Virginia. With the support of the Governor and the General Assembly, the museum kicked off its transformative expansion and renovation project with a discovery and design phase during summer 2021. The new wing will provide additional galleries to display the permanent collection, a second special exhibition gallery space, and an events space that can seat up to 500 people for dinner. Renovations to existing spaces will allow more works of art to be shown and displayed in a more cohesive, comprehensive way, improving the visitor experience, wayfinding, and access.

• When will construction begin? When will the new wing open?

  VMFA’s expansion design phase will take two years with groundbreaking expected in March 2026. The new wing is slated to open in 2028.

• Will the museum close during construction?

  We do not anticipate closing the entire museum during construction, and special exhibitions will continue to be available to visitors. While VMFA is undergoing expansion and renovation, some art collections will be removed from the galleries that are impacted by or adjacent to the construction area.

• Where will the expansion be located?

  VMFA’s new wing will be added to the 1985 Mellon and Lewis West Wing, on the museum’s west and south facades, along Grove Avenue and facing towards the Robins Sculpture Garden and Sheppard Street.

• How much space will be added with this expansion?

  Currently VMFA comprises 718,831 square feet. The latest expansion plans call for a new wing that will provide approximately 173,000 gross square feet of total space. In addition to new construction, the museum will carry out approximately 45,000 square feet of renovations to the existing building, including improvements to the Leslie Cheek Theater.

• Which spaces in the museum will be renovated?

  The galleries along the Great Hall and surrounding Evans Court will be reconfigured to present VMFA’s European art collections in a more coherent and continuous narrative. Additionally, new photography galleries and the Raysor Center for Works on Paper will occupy the previous location of the American art collections. Portions of the Smurfit WestRock Art Education Center will also be renovated and expanded. In spring 2025, the museum completed renovations to the Leslie Cheek Theater, which now has an expanded stage, improved lighting, and assistive listening devices for ADA compliance.

• Will the Sculpture Garden or the Confederate Memorial Chapel be impacted by the expansion?

  With minimal encroachment into the E. Claiborne and Lora Robins Sculpture Garden on the museum’s campus, a new wing comprising approximately 173,000 square feet will be added to the south and west sides of the building. Preserving the Robins Sculpture Garden is at the forefront of VMFA’s expansion project because it is such an important space for the community. The new wing is situated in an area of the Sculpture Garden adjacent to the 1985 Mellon and Lewis Wing that is rarely used by our visitors. VMFA will maintain four acres of green space, including the areas that our visitors currently use, such as the Belvedere Terrace over the parking deck and the spaces adjacent to the pond and Chihuly’s Red Reeds. The Confederate Memorial Chapel, located on VMFA’s campus, is considered the largest artwork in our collection and will remain on its current site and open throughout the expansion.

• Will the expansion include parking enhancements?

  Six electric vehicle (EV) charging stations will be added to VMFA’s parking deck.

• Who is SmithGroup and how was the international architecture firm selected for this project?

  VMFA has selected the international architecture firm SmithGroup to plan and design its next visitor-centered expansion and renovation project. SmithGroup, one of the world’s preeminent integrated design firms, creates exceptional design solutions for healthcare, science and technology organizations, higher education and cultural institutions, urban environments, workplaces, mixed-use and waterfront developments, and parks and open spaces. SmithGroup was selected following an international search that followed the Commonwealth’s established process of architect selection for state projects.

  The award-winning firm’s extensive portfolio includes several impressive national museum projects such as the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collections and Conservation Center in Maryland, the Detroit Institute of Arts in Michigan, as well as the National Museum of the American Indian and the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC. SmithGroup is currently designing the re-envisioned Thomas Gilcrease Museum of American History and Art in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The firm’s work is recognized locally as well: SmithGroup designed the concept for the National Slavery Museum at the Lumpkin’s Slave Jail Site/Devil’s Half Acre for the City of Richmond.

• How will the project be funded?

  The total cost for the expansion and renovation is $261 million, which will be funded through a combination of public and private funds.

• Will VMFA charge admission to the new wing?

  VMFA will continue its current admission practice: Permanent collection galleries will remain free to visitors while some special exhibitions will be ticketed.