Member Events

Thu, Oct 7, 6 pm | Leslie Cheek Theater
Modernism’s Ambivalences: Charles Ethan Porter’s Chrysanthemums, c. 1881
with Kirsten Pai Buick, PhD, Professor of Art History at the University of New Mexico

Charles Ethan Porter's still life of chrysanthemums creates an interesting puzzle. The flower has been cultivated for over 3,000 years, first in China and then Japan, reaching the United States as a popular greenhouse plant by 1860. Associated with the creative infusion of Japanese aesthetics into European and U.S. art, chrysanthemums together with innovative compositional elements evoke stylistic modernism. However, as an African American artist, Porter’s participation in such modernist tropes merge in troubling ways with ideological modernism and how it created a visual and spatial divide between human zoos, where Japanese people were displayed, and the tea houses and other aesthetic spaces where primarily white visitors could indulge in their own orientalist fantasies.

Presented By

The VMFA Circle Lecture Series is open to all members beginning at the Friends Circle level.

Thu, Oct 7, 6 pm | Live Stream via Zoom
Modernism’s Ambivalences: Charles Ethan Porter’s Chrysanthemums, c. 1881
with Kirsten Pai Buick, PhD, Professor of Art History at the University of New Mexico

Charles Ethan Porter's still life of chrysanthemums creates an interesting puzzle. The flower has been cultivated for over 3,000 years, first in China and then Japan, reaching the United States as a popular greenhouse plant by 1860. Associated with the creative infusion of Japanese aesthetics into European and U.S. art, chrysanthemums together with innovative compositional elements evoke stylistic modernism. However, as an African American artist, Porter’s participation in such modernist tropes merge in troubling ways with ideological modernism and how it created a visual and spatial divide between human zoos, where Japanese people were displayed, and the tea houses and other aesthetic spaces where primarily white visitors could indulge in their own orientalist fantasies.

Presented By

The VMFA Circle Lecture Series is open to all members beginning at the Friends Circle level. This program will be offered in person and virtually, via Zoom. 

Wed, Oct 6, 6 pm | Join us via Zoom!
Join us for virtual cocktails with Dr. John Henry Rice, E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Curator of South Asian and Islamic Art. John Henry will present an overview of his upcoming exhibition Tsherin Sherpa: Spirits, the first museum survey for this Nepalese-born Tibetan-American artist who was introduced to VMFA audiences through his paintings in 2019's Awaken exhibition.

Presented By

This virtual program series is a special offering for VMFA members beginning at the Friends Circle level. If you have questions, please contact the Donor Relations team at rsvp@VMFA.museum.

Oct 4, 8:00 am - 10:00 am | VMFA Members only

Members will have exclusive access to the museum during a time when the museum is not open to the public. 

In Ansel Adams: Compositions in Nature, more than 70 photographs spanning over five decades showcase the breathtaking vistas, beguiling details, and inimitable style that define this most beloved and influential photographer. Considering Adams as artist, environmentalist, and musician, the exhibition includes iconic images, rarely seen early photographs, and musical recordings that also take you behind the camera.

VMFA Members FREE. Advanced reservations strongly recommended. 
Member Mornings are open exclusively to VMFA members. We encourage you to bring guests every Wednesday evening during Member Appreciation Nights. We will be closed the evening of 10/20 for a Special Event.

Thu & Fri, Oct 21 & 22, 8:00 am - 10:00 am | VMFA Members only

Members will have exclusive access to the critically acclaimed and newly reinstalled Mellon Collections, featuring stunning works of French Impressionist Art and British Sporting Art. Guests are encouraged to stay past the conclusion of the preview to enjoy Fine Arts & Flowers, featuring more than eighty floral designs inspired by the VMFA permanent collection. Please note that all galleries with the exception of the Mellon Collections will be closed until 10 am on Oct 21 and 22, 2021.

VMFA Members FREE. Advanced reservations required. 
Click here to learn more about Fine Arts & Flowers and how to purchase event tickets.