Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
Founded in 1934 by Virginia's General Assembly and opened in 1936, The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is a state-supported, privately endowed educational institution created for the benefit of the citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Its purpose is to collect, preserve, exhibit, and interpret art, to encourage the study of the arts, and thus to enrich the lives of all. The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts houses a permanent collection of more than 40,000 works of art, spanning 6,000 years of human history from around the world.
Howardena Pindell:
What Remains To Be Seen
Aug. 25–Nov. 25, 2018
For nearly five decades, Howardena Pindell has explored the intersection of art and activism. This groundbreaking exhibition looks at the arc of this African American artist’s career through the presentation of paintings, video art and works on paper that celebrate her singular vision and its imprint upon abstract painting and conceptual art since the 1960s. This exhibition was organized by the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago and co-curated by MCA Curator Naomi Beckwith and Valerie Cassel Oliver, Sydney and Frances Lewis curator of modern and contemporary art at VMFA. Evans Court Exhibition Gallery and 21st Century Gallery; free.
Congo Masks:
Masterpieces from Central Africa
Nov. 10, 2018–Feb. 25, 2019
This innovative and visually compelling exhibition presents more than 130 masks from the vast Congo region of Africa (known today as the Democratic Republic of the Congo). Drawn from the finest and most comprehensive collection in private hands, these masks from the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries are combined with film footage, field photographs, maps and musical instruments to highlight the performative aspect of these extraordinary works of art. Organized by the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and the Congo Basin Art History Research Center, Brussels, Belgium. The exhibition program at VMFA is supported by the Julia Louise Reynolds Fund. Lower Level Exhibiton Galleries; Free for VMFA members, children ages 6 and under, active-duty military personnel and their immediate families; $16 for adults, $12 for seniors 65 and older, and $10 for youth ages 7-17 and college students with ID.
Temples and Shrines in Japan: Woodblock Prints by Kawase Hasui
November 17, 2018 - March 2019 (exact close date TBD)
This exhibition features twelve woodblock prints by Japanese artist Kawase Hasui (1883-1957). Selected from more than 600 prints donated to VMFA by René and Carolyn Balcer, these works focus on scenes of temples and shrines across Japan, celebrating their sacred architecture and connections with people and nature.
The Encyclopedic Eye: Prints by Wenceslaus Hollar from the Frank Raysor Collection
February 2 – May 5, 2019
This exhibition celebrates one of the least known but most remarkable and “modern” artists of the Baroque period. Focusing on his mastery of print work, The Encyclopedic Eye: Prints from the Frank Raysor Collection includes over 200 prints representing the range and quality of his work drawn exclusively from the Frank Raysor Collection, a promised gift to VMFA. Hollar’s most important and beautiful works are well-represented in the Raysor Collection, which rivals those held by the British Museum and the Queen’s Collection.
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is the only art museum in the United States open 365 days a year with free general admission. As the nation’s oldest statewide art system, VMFA serves the greater Richmond area and more than 1,000 arts organizations across Virginia. In late October 2018, VMFA will launch VMFA on the Road, a state-of-the-art mobile art museum and learning center designed to provide art experiences to Virginians in all corners of the Commonwealth. VMFA on the Road is a 21-century re-imagination of the Virginia Museum’s original Artmobile, launched in 1953 and retired in the early 1990s.
In addition, as part of its strategic plan, the Virginia Museum seeks to actively engage families and African American audiences. Programs for families include three free annual Family Day events and myriad educational programs. The museum is intentional in developing exhibitions and programs that, while universal in appeal, are framed by and for audiences who identify as Black and/or African American.
In recent years, VMFA has also expanded its holdings of African and African American art with more than $8 million in art purchases. These acquisitions include masterpieces by artists such as Romare Bearden, Joshua Johnson, Sanford Biggers, David Drake, Eldzier Cortor, Palmer Hayden and John Biggers. The Virginia Museum also has significantly expanded its holdings of photography by African American artists.
Howardena Pindell:
What Remains To Be Seen
Aug. 25–Nov. 25, 2018
For nearly five decades, Howardena Pindell has explored the intersection of art and activism. This groundbreaking exhibition looks at the arc of this African American artist’s career through the presentation of paintings, video art and works on paper that celebrate her singular vision and its imprint upon abstract painting and conceptual art since the 1960s. This exhibition was organized by the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago and co-curated by MCA Curator Naomi Beckwith and Valerie Cassel Oliver, Sydney and Frances Lewis curator of modern and contemporary art at VMFA. Evans Court Exhibition Gallery and 21st Century Gallery; free.
Congo Masks:
Masterpieces from Central Africa
Nov. 10, 2018–Feb. 25, 2019
This innovative and visually compelling exhibition presents more than 130 masks from the vast Congo region of Africa (known today as the Democratic Republic of the Congo). Drawn from the finest and most comprehensive collection in private hands, these masks from the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries are combined with film footage, field photographs, maps and musical instruments to highlight the performative aspect of these extraordinary works of art. Organized by the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and the Congo Basin Art History Research Center, Brussels, Belgium. The exhibition program at VMFA is supported by the Julia Louise Reynolds Fund. Lower Level Exhibiton Galleries; Free for VMFA members, children ages 6 and under, active-duty military personnel and their immediate families; $16 for adults, $12 for seniors 65 and older, and $10 for youth ages 7-17 and college students with ID.
Temples and Shrines in Japan: Woodblock Prints by Kawase Hasui
November 17, 2018 - March 2019 (exact close date TBD)
This exhibition features twelve woodblock prints by Japanese artist Kawase Hasui (1883-1957). Selected from more than 600 prints donated to VMFA by René and Carolyn Balcer, these works focus on scenes of temples and shrines across Japan, celebrating their sacred architecture and connections with people and nature.
The Encyclopedic Eye: Prints by Wenceslaus Hollar from the Frank Raysor Collection
February 2 – May 5, 2019
This exhibition celebrates one of the least known but most remarkable and “modern” artists of the Baroque period. Focusing on his mastery of print work, The Encyclopedic Eye: Prints from the Frank Raysor Collection includes over 200 prints representing the range and quality of his work drawn exclusively from the Frank Raysor Collection, a promised gift to VMFA. Hollar’s most important and beautiful works are well-represented in the Raysor Collection, which rivals those held by the British Museum and the Queen’s Collection.
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is the only art museum in the United States open 365 days a year with free general admission. As the nation’s oldest statewide art system, VMFA serves the greater Richmond area and more than 1,000 arts organizations across Virginia. In late October 2018, VMFA will launch VMFA on the Road, a state-of-the-art mobile art museum and learning center designed to provide art experiences to Virginians in all corners of the Commonwealth. VMFA on the Road is a 21-century re-imagination of the Virginia Museum’s original Artmobile, launched in 1953 and retired in the early 1990s.
In addition, as part of its strategic plan, the Virginia Museum seeks to actively engage families and African American audiences. Programs for families include three free annual Family Day events and myriad educational programs. The museum is intentional in developing exhibitions and programs that, while universal in appeal, are framed by and for audiences who identify as Black and/or African American.
In recent years, VMFA has also expanded its holdings of African and African American art with more than $8 million in art purchases. These acquisitions include masterpieces by artists such as Romare Bearden, Joshua Johnson, Sanford Biggers, David Drake, Eldzier Cortor, Palmer Hayden and John Biggers. The Virginia Museum also has significantly expanded its holdings of photography by African American artists.