Richmond museums, theaters close and postpone events due to COVID-19
Iman Mekonen, Spectrum Editor Several nearby art museums and VCU buildings have decided to close in response to COVID-19 in an effort to prevent transmission of the virus. The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts closed on Sunday and won’t open again until March 28, meaning classes, programs and […]
Read-in celebrates black identity and personhood through art and literature
Aerin Fortes, Contributing Writer Jiana Smith, Contributing Writer Richmonders came together in a chic, music-filled space for an evening of black art and literature on Thursday at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts’ annual African American Read-In. This year’s event highlighted five works throughout the museum, each with an accompanying literary piece chosen by the […]
New year, new exhibits: a preview to Richmond’s upcoming and current art exhibits
Iman Mekonen, Spectrum Editor The new year means new things to see with new galleries on display. Here’s a preview of what the local art museums and galleries have planned for their upcoming and current projects. Candela Books and Gallery Candela’s current galleries, “The Golden Age” by Alanna Airitam and “Domestic Ballads” by Patty […]
Kehinde Wiley brings ‘Rumors of War’ to permanent home at VMFA
Iman Mekonen, Spectrum Editor Lovers of history and art came together on Tuesday for the unveiling of “Rumors of War,” the newest artistic endeavor from New York artist Kehinde Wiley at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. The 27-foot-tall bronze sculpture depicts a young African American man riding an active horse, dressed in ripped jeans, […]
Kehinde Wiley sculpture unveiled in NYC, heads south in December
Morgan Edwards, Capital News Service Artist Kehinde Wiley’s monumental statue “Rumors of War” was unveiled in Times Square on Friday to an estimated 350 attendees. The statue is Wiley’s response to the Confederate sculptures scattered throughout the South, especially in Richmond, Virginia. “This is his first attempt at a monumental sculpture, and I’d have to […]
New VMFA exhibition celebrates African American art, culture
It’s been 400 years since Europeans brought the first enslaved African people to the shores of North America, to what is now Virginia. Since then, African and African American artists have used every possible medium to express sorrow, joy and fear. But until recently, black creators have received little recognition for their contributions to American culture as a whole.
VMFA event pairs African-American art with poetry
Iman Mekonen, Contributing Writer Walter Chidozie Anyanwu, Contributing Writer Richmonders and VCU community members shared a night of powerful storytelling and appreciation for African-American art at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Feb. 21. To celebrate Black History Month, the VMFA hosted its annual “African-American Read-In,” which featured a different reading every 15 minutes. Speakers […]
Legendary Terracotta Army comes to VMFA
“Terracotta Army: Legacy of the First Emperor of China” opened to the public on Nov. 18 at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, featuring ten life-size terracotta figures from 210-209 B.C. and more than 130 works of art. The exhibition was curated by Li Jian, the VMFA E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Curator of […]
Native American artists give voice to their history at the VMFA
Three artists from the Virginia Museum of Fine Art (VMFA) exhibition, “Hear My Voice: Native American Art of the Past and Present” spoke on preserving and innovating their cultures’ Oct. 13 at a panel discussion held at the museum. The exhibition, which opened on Aug. 19 and will run until Nov. 26, includes a blend […]
Sonya Clark Q&A
Chair of the Craft and Material Studies Department at VCU Sonya Clark is featured at the VMFA for her piece, Black Hair Flag. Clark is known for using a variety of materials including human hair and combs to address race, culture, class and history. Tell me about your piece It was acquired by the museum […]