Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) 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.

VMFA features exhibitions, events, tours, After 5 Fridays, Jazz Cafe, several resources, a library, just to name a few, for educators, researchers, students, children and families.

The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts houses a remarkable permanent collection of nearly 50,000 works of art from almost every major world culture. Especially noteworthy are the museum’s collections of Art Nouveau, Art Deco, and Modern and Contemporary American art donated by Sydney and Frances Lewis; French Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art and British sporting art given by Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon; American art acquired through the J. Harwood and Louise B. Cochrane Fund; The Lillian Thomas Pratt Collection of Fabergé jeweled objects; and The Jerome and Rita Gans Collection of English Silver. The museum’s holdings of South Asian, Himalayan, and African art are among the finest in the nation.

From 1936—the time of the opening of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts—to the early decades of the 21st century, the museum has undergone five significant expansions, culminating in the 2010 opening of the James W. and Frances G. McGlothlin Wing.

Having recently marked its 80th anniversary, VMFA celebrates not only its history and accomplishments as one of the nation’s leading comprehensive art museums but also commemorates the compelling and important history of its grounds. This includes the ongoing, careful stewardship of Robinson House, Home for Confederate Women (Pauley Center), and the Confederate Memorial Chapel—all three structures named to the prestigious Virginia Historic Landmarks and National Register of Historic Places listings.