Virginia Museum of Fine Art

The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is home to an expansive collection of 22,000 works of art from almost every major world culture dating back more than 5,000 years ago.

Other features include a wide variety of special exhibits, educational programs, studio classes, workshops, film series and family days. When you visit the Museum, take a self-guided tour through the collections or sign up for a guided tour with your group. You can also check out the audio tour titled 400 Years of Women Artists which features 16 of the 300 women artists featured in the Museum collections.

Some of the major gallery collections include the Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Modern and Contemporary American art. Also, there is a wide variety of French Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art and British sporting art. The Lillian Thomas Pratt Collection of Fabergé jeweled object and The Jerome and Rita Gans Collection of English Silver are among the many items of decorative and collectable arts on display. Other collections you’ll see include pieces from African, East Asian, mid to late 20th century Renaissance art and much more.

The preschool outreach program is a great way to introduce your budding artist to colors, shapes and textures as they explore the museum, listen to stories and participate in hands-on art activities. Then, in the Art Education Center you’ll find a variety of educational programs for children ages kindergarten through twelve years-old. These educational programs foster creativity, imagination and innovation through art. There are also a number of adult educational programs available to the public, including art and art history classes. Art class topics include drawing and painting. Art history classes include studies of Western, Japanese, Renaissance and Contemporary art. Visit the Museum website for a complete list of classes and to register.

One of the newest programs at the Museum is the Friday Films series—a weekly showcase located in the Leslie Cheek Theater for performing arts. The series will feature a lineup of films from today and yesterday including classic, independent, documentary and current options from around the world. Tickets can be purchased online or by phone and cost $7 per person.

Enjoy dinner or a snack while visiting the Museum or before your movie in Amuse Restaurant or Best Café. Amuse Restaurant offers a full menu of contemporary American cuisine—located on level 3 of the McGlothlin Wing. Amuse features entrée options including tuna tartare, grilled salmon, roasted chicken and grilled lamb chops ($18-$25). For a more casual dining experience, visit Best Café—located off the Atrium on the entry level features a menu of pizza, salads, specialty coffee drinks, wine and other snacks. Both restaurants are open from 11:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., with extended hours on Thursday and Friday until 8:30 p.m.

HelloRichmond Tip: Before you leave, be sure to visit the Museum Shop where you’ll find souvenirs, jewelry, books, crafts and other merchandise. There is an entire section devoted to Fabergé art and Virginia themed craft items. The Shop hosts trunk show events each month featuring local jewelers, designers and artists. Click here for information on upcoming events and to shop online.

- by Jennifer Pruett, Richmond Reporter for HelloMetro  (Click to leave a message)

Jennifer Pruett

A self proclaimed “queen of everything," Jennifer is a writer, planner and passionate lover of making exciting events extra special. As a creative mother of two she loves art, music, family, friends, exotic cuisine and exploring new areas of self improvement. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in liberal studies from the University of Oklahoma and has been writing restaurant and attraction reviews in the Phoenix Metro area since January, 2009.