The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) opens its doors to over one million visitors every single year. With almost 50,000 works, the museum houses art and artifacts, old and new, from all around the world. Located on Arthur Ashe Boulevard here in Richmond, Virginia, the museum has had a grand impact on the city and its citizens.

Before the gallery opened, a long line of thought went into its logistics and composition. Judge John Payne was the catalyst, donating his fifty paintings to the Commonwealth of Virginia in 1919. Prior to coming to Virginia, Payne acted as a judge on the superior court of Cook County, Illinois. Afterwards, he served as the Secretary of Interior from 1920 to 1921 during the presidency of Woodrow Wilson and then worked as the president of the American Red Cross from 1921 to 1935. As more and more pieces of art were given to the state, Payne gifted a $10,000 challenge loan to Virginia to build an art museum for the whole state to enjoy. The acting governor of Virginia, John Pollard, agreed to the challenge and began to gather more funds.

The VMFA first officially opened in 1936. However, as collections continued to be donated to the museum, expansion became necessary. In the 1950s, the ‘70s, and the ‘80s, more galleries were added to the museum to keep up with the growing number of gifts from people across Virginia.

One early, notable donor was Lillian Thomas Pratt, who donated her large collection of Russian art to the museum when she died in 1947. The most famous part of her collection were five of the world-recognized Fabergé eggs. Peter Fabergé was a Russian jewelry maker, founder of the House of Fabergé, and creator of the Fabergé eggs, many of which were given to the royal family of Russia. Using priceless jewels and materials, exquisite crafting techniques, and beautiful colors, the eggs are truly one of a kind. Out of the multitude of eggs that were created, five of them reside at the VMFA today in an exhibit dedicated to Fabergé.

In addition to the museum’s permanent collection, other exhibits also are present for a limited time. One particular exhibit that received significant acclaim is the Samurai Armor exhibit in the spring and summer of 2024. With over 140 pieces, the collection presented full sets of samurai armor from Japan during the Edo period. One Maggie Walker student, Sage Lindmar (‘28), saw the art over the summer and shares its extensive praise. “One of my favorite parts of the samurai exhibits was the intricately detailed armor pieces,” he says. “I especially enjoyed seeing the horse armor, as I thought that was something very interesting that I might not get to see ever [again]. I also was interested in seeing the ancient katanas, spears, and daggers; I thought it was really cool to imagine a samurai wielding these intricate weapons.” In anticipation of the following school year, Lindmar also said that the exhibit made him especially excited for Japanese class, reporting that the exhibit gave him “hopes of learning more about the culture.”

Other than exhibits, the VMFA is also famous for hosting festivals throughout the year for the greater Richmond community. Recently, on February 8th, the museum hosted its 20th ChinaFest festival, an annual event celebrating the Lunar New Year and Chinese culture. Including choirs and dance groups, the event brings people from all over the greater Richmond area together to celebrate the culture. In an interview with ABC News, Director of Education and Assistant Deputy Director for Art and Education Celeste Fetta described the origins of the festival. The event was founded by Rose Chen, who grew up in Taiwan and moved to the United States to study in Illinois. In 2002, Chen established the Rose Group with the goal of fostering multiculturalism. The 2025 ChinaFest celebration celebrated Chen’s lifelong commitments to sharing culture in today’s world.

This spring, a groundbreaking exhibit by Frida Kahlo will make its appearance in the museum. Titled “Frida: Beyond the Myth,” the collection will house drawings and paintings made throughout Kahlo’s life, some of which have never been seen before outside of Mexico. The exhibit will include many self portraits made by Kahlo that celebrate her individuality and bravery to be herself. The collection will be on display at the VMFA starting April 5th and will leave on September 28, 2025.

Many of the VMFA’s events and exhibits are structured for anyone in the Richmond area, but the museum is also well known for its programs geared towards particular age groups. For teens, one of the most prominent is Teen Stylin’. In this 12-week program, teens are assigned a work of art from the VMFA and then learn to interpret and design a garment inspired by it. A runway exhibition concludes the program, and people from all over Richmond go to see the creativity of the city’s teenagers. To mix things up annually, a new theme is introduced each year. This year, the theme is Authenticity, inspired by the Frida Kahlo exhibit and Kahlo’s undeniable passion to be herself. Teen Stylin’ is expected to continue to bring together artistic talent in coming years, celebrating its 16h anniversary in 2025.

Since its creation in 1936, the VMFA has been all about creating and fostering creativity in the Richmond and Virginia community. Without people working together, the museum would have never been built, and its programs would never be full of the amazing, artistic individuals that compose it today. As the VMFA enters 2025 with many exciting plans, it is certain that communities will continue to come together to support the art here, in Richmond.

Information retrieved from the VMFA, The Rose Group, ABC News, The Miller Center, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum.