RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — The Virginia Museum of Fine Art (VMFA) is celebrating Black History Month with a wide variety of programs highlighting Black artists, musicians and writers, while also encouraging community members to work on their own creations.
Four special exhibitions and installations will be presented at the museum during February. including the film installation “Lessons of the Hour—Frederick Douglass,” the video installation “… three kings weep …” and a 19th century photography collection titled “A Powerful Influence.”
For the final installation, RVA Community Makers will be honoring local Black leaders in a variety of fields through a public art project presented by the museum for the fifth year. RVA Community Makers will have an unveiling program at the museum on Thursday, Feb. 16 beginning at 6 p.m.
If you prefer music or movies, VMFA has offerings for you, too. For the whole month, guests can join in on the “Dominion Energy Jazz” performance, which will begin at 6 p.m. every Wednesday in February. A special screening of the 1976 film “Leadbelly,” which tells the life story of folk singer Huddie Ledbetter, will be held on Friday, Feb. 17 beginning at 6:30 p.m. This is the only Black History Month event that requires admission. Tickets are $5 for museum members and $8 for all others.
There are also plenty of opportunities for community members to get hands-on. For any budding artists, the museum will host two open studios on Sunday, Feb. 5 between noon and 3 p.m. Participants can choose between creating a movie poster or a multimedia abstract ink blot painting.
The museum’s permanent collection will also be available to view, and February offers special interactive tours through some of the works on display by Black artists. Join in on the “The Socio-Political Landscape in 21st-Century Art” gallery program tour, which will host an in-person session on Tuesday, Feb. 7 and a virtual session on Thursday, Feb. 9. Both sessions will begin at 11 a.m. Or, stop by the African American Read-In’s two sessions — one on Thursday, Feb. 23 starting at 5:30 p.m. and a family-friendly version on Saturday, Feb. 25 starting at 11 a.m. — for a tour alongside live poetry and literature readings.
For more information on the museum’s permanent and visiting exhibits, visit VMFA online.