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.

The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts envisions a future in which the museum serves a vibrant, inclusive cultural leader that empowers all Virginians to reflect and connect to each other, their communities, and the wider world through art and creativity. VMFA strives to be recognized statewide as an essential public asset, and nationally and internationally as a leader in the museum field. 

The museum strives to make significant contributions to Virginia's economy and to its students and schools by making a world-class art collection available to visitors from throughout Virginia, the United States, and the world. VMFA will reach this vision by continuously reflecting on and progressing our artistic and organizational practices. These include the museum’s collection and care for the objects that are acquired, teaching and research, collaboration with people and communities, programs and facilities, and the culture that is created among museum staff and volunteers.

A commitment to art, accessibility and inclusion, relevance, joy and fun, collaboration, and impact.  

The privilege of serving the public statewide, nationally, and internationally.

In the midst of the Great Depression, on January 16, 1936, Virginia's political and business leaders demonstrated their faith in the future and their belief in the value of art by opening the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond. The museum serves as the state's flagship art museum and as the headquarters for an educational network that brings the best of world art, past and present, to every corner of the Commonwealth. 

In 2010, the museum completed its fifth expansion with a historic redesign that features the McGlothlin Wing that knits together additional new elements: the E. Claiborne and Lora Robins Sculpture Garden, the Mary Morton Parsons Plaza, and a landscaped parking deck with the original museum and three other historic buildings on the museum’s grounds. VMFA’s permanent collection encompasses nearly 50,000 works of art spanning 6,000 years of world history. 

The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts' enabling legislation is found in the Code of Virginia, Title 23, Chapter 32, Article 6.

VMFA strives to offer a portfolio of exhibitions and programs that attract an audience of at least 800,000 visitors to Richmond and statewide combined, and to attract a membership to exceed 30,000.

The museum has launched a major expansion and renovation project that is designed to create approx. 170,000 square ft. for special exhibitions, American Art, 21st Century Art, African Art and Native American Art. A 65,000 square ft. renovation will offer updates for the European, East Asian, Photography galleries, Works on Paper, and education spaces. The Sculpture Garden and other special aspects of VMFA’s campus will continue to feature prominently. A comprehensive fundraising campaign has been launched to support this initiative. 

Major information technology initiatives will include developing an overall digital technology strategy, including setting priorities for visitor-facing digital engagement, creating a framework for an integrated information strategy to support organizational learning and communications. Distance learning with a focus on K-12 students will be sustained to support accessibility for all Virginians. 

Increased VITA fees have been an ongoing issue for the museum as we continue to digitize our collections, and improve our website to comply with state requirements. 

As of July 1, 2024, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts’ employment level is authorized at 353.5 full-time positions with 259 salaried positions currently filled. The largest employee populations are in law enforcement, housekeeping, buildings and grounds, and food service. The average age of the museum’s workforce is 47 years old, with an average state service of 7.8 years. As part of an ongoing initiative to diversify, the museum is creating new professional development opportunities for existing staff, holding job fairs for veterans, and working to recruit people with disabilities, among other strategies.

It is important for the museum to support the development of its less senior staff. For succession planning, the VMFA must have both sufficient staffing and competitive pay to attract qualified candidates and retain existing staff. To address these issues, a task force has been formed to develop a museum-wide orientation program to expand educational opportunities for both hands-on and online training. Several departments have also started to develop business plans that outline specific goals and career paths for new hires. 

The museum has launched a major expansion and renovation project that is designed to create approx. 170,000 square ft. for special exhibitions, American Art, 21st Century Art, African Art and Native American Art. A 65,000 square ft. renovation will offer updates for the European, East Asian, Photography galleries, Works on Paper, and education spaces. The Sculpture Garden and other special aspects of VMFA’s campus will continue to feature prominently. A comprehensive fundraising campaign has been launched to support this initiative. 

The 2025 Strategic Plan involves strategic and operational risks. The museum’s investment strategy addresses these risks, tying new investment to revenue targets. In addition, the Museum faces ongoing environmental risks which could also impact the Plan. The museum will monitor these risks and adjust strategy as needed. 

Strategic risks 

• The plan assumes Commonwealth support at historically comparable levels. The Commonwealth is the indispensable foundation for the VMFA as a state agency, providing the core annual operating budget and facility expenses. 

• The plan will require financial support from those closest to the museum. Over time, increased major donor support, which includes members of the Boards, is integral. 

• The plan also assumes the visitor response to the engagement strategy will increase earned revenue. The plan calls for managing attendance risk by building visitor data, continually improving engagement strategies, analyzing attendance returns against marketing investments, and attracting new audiences.

Operational risks 

• As a top ten museum that attracts tourists to the central Virginia region and shares resources with schools and museums around the Commonwealth, VMFA seeks to hire and retain staff in a highly competitive environment. It is challenging to hire appropriately trained staff within certain categories of positions and salary ranges. 

Environmental risks 

Environmental risk comes from external changes, such as the economic markets, tax policy, and the political environment. These risks are typically outside an institution’s control, and therefore best mitigated by building operating reserves and strengthening financial management systems. Any significant economic downturn or changes in inflation potentially would reduce earned revenue, philanthropic gifts and Commonwealth support. Poor market conditions could affect the museum’s investments, depressing the capacity of acquisition funds, creating pressure on the operating budget and threatening the museum’s ability to repay the debt. 

The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts operates with support from both the public and private sectors. State support represents approximately 28 percent of the museum’s operating revenue in FY 2024. Therefore, the museum also relies heavily on earned income from its operations, its two enterprise operations (the Gift Shop and Food Services/Special Events), and on private support from the Museum Foundation. Federal grants provide limited support. The museum is careful to ensure that its expenses, which may vary somewhat from year to year depending on the exhibition schedule, do not exceed the total funding available to support its operations and programs.

Recent trends with these revenue streams include:

State Support: 

• Continued support from the general fund is critical for maintaining the quality of the exhibitions, the breadth of the educational and exhibition related outreach programs across the state and the accessibility of the permanent collection, which is free to the public and open 365 days a year. The projected percentage of Commonwealth support is projected at approximately 28 percent for FY 2024 as compared to 50 percent of the museum’s operating budget in FY 2006. 

Earned Income: 

• The museum has sought ways to generate revenue through various mission-related services. In FY 2024, earned income represents about 10 percent of the operating budget. Support may vary in future years based on the popularity of the exhibition schedule. 

• The biggest driver of earned income is membership dues and ticket sales for special exhibitions. The success of both of these revenue streams is driven by the popularity of the special exhibitions and can therefore vary significantly from year to year.

• Other sources of earned income for the museum include: fees for lectures, movies and classes offered at the museum for visitors from preschoolers through adults, fees for off-site programs offered all across the state, parking fees, sales of catalogs produced by the museum and photographic rights for artworks.

Enterprise Operations: 

• The museum also manages two enterprise operations: the Gift Shop and Food Services/Special Events. These enterprises are intended to provide important amenities to museum visitors and all net profits support operating expenses. Revenue from the gift shop correlates to the number of visitors to the museum. Special exhibitions, in particular, drive sales. Food Service/Special Events has two components to its business: Best Café and the restaurant, Amuse. The restaurants, like the gift shop, are largely dependent upon museum visitors for their revenue. These operations do a brisk business in hosting special events that can range from small private lunches to large, lavish parties for weddings, corporate events and fundraising galas. The special events business continues to trend closer to pre-pandemic numbers.

• The total gross revenue generated by the enterprise operations represents about 18 percent of the museum’s revenue. 

Contributed Support: 

Contributed income supports approximately 43 percent of the operating budget in FY 2024. This revenue source is a combination of income from the endowments held by the Museum Foundation, annual giving, and special fundraising projects. Common donor choices targeted for support include: educational programs, conservation projects and exhibition support. It is assumed that the museum will need to continue to rely heavily on gifts, grants and the income from the endowment to support its operating budget for the foreseeable future. Consequently, the Museum Foundation has raised its fundraising goals to support museum operations and exhibitions. The museum intends to build steady increases in its annual giving totals each year as these funds are unrestricted and can be used to support top strategic priorities. 

Several macroeconomic factors may have an impact on the contributed support revenue streams over the next few years. For example, status of economic growth, inflation concerns, and any type of recession or high volatility in the stock market are all likely to affect a donor’s ability to make gifts to annual giving or special fundraising projects. 

• In compliance with the best practices of non-profit organizations nationwide and in accordance with prudent fiscal management, the museum draws 4.5 to 5 percent of its endowment income based on a rolling three-year average of the endowment’s value. Market conditions in recent years have increased the value of the foundation’s endowment, and, in turn, the funds drawn from the endowment earnings have also increased. Although market conditions have improved, market risk and the ongoing geopolitical atmosphere may negatively affect the desired investment returns of the museum foundation’s portfolio. 

Some endowments provide unrestricted support for the museum, but more commonly, the use of endowment income is designated to support specific exhibitions, programs or staff positions. In recent years, endowment income has often not been sufficient to cover the costs of staffing. The gap between the need and the availability of funds will continue to grow for the foreseeable future, forcing the museum to supplement endowment funds with earned income to cover the staffing needs. 

Federal Grants: 

Federal grants support approximately 1 percent of the operating budget in FY 2024. Nearly all federal grants have been project restricted (ie. conservation and exhibitions)—historically in the range of $150,000 to $350,000 annually. The museum will seek to expand this type of support in the future.

Admission Receipts 

Approximately 15 percent of the admissions revenue comes from ticket sales for special exhibitions.  This number can change dramatically from year to year depending on the composition and timing of our exhibitions.

Memberships

Approximately 47 percent of the earned revenue comes from memberships that cost $175 or less.

Parking Fees 

The revenue in this category represents the total amount collected from fees for parking. Visitor parking fees account for 7 percent of earned revenue.

Sales-Miscellaneous 

Sales for traveling exhibitions (shared costs and loan fees), classes in the Studio School or for other educational programs. Sales of books and photographic rights make up the remainder.  These account for 31% of the earned revenue.

Gifts & Grants 

This figure reflects the total value of funds received from the museum’s independent foundation. It includes annual giving as well as designated gifts to support exhibitions, educational programs and new initiatives. It also includes the income from endowments that support museum operations, exhibitions and select staff positions. 

Miscellaneous Revenue 

The revenue earned by the museum’s two enterprise operations, the gift shop and food services/special events, is reflected here. These revenues must cover all operating expenses for the two businesses, and then the net profits support other museum needs. 

Proceeds from Sale of Surplus & Refund Expenditures 

These small revenue streams reflect any income from the sale of surplus property and any money.

As stewards of the Commonwealth’s art collection, care and preservation of the art and accessibility to the collections, are key priorities. The museum hopes that Virginians will not only experience art moments in the communities that we serve through our statewide outreach, but be inspired to visit the Richmond campus and engage with original artworks at the museum. 

The following statistics offer some insight to the permanent collections at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts:

No data

The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is open 365 days a year and general admission is always free. The museum ranks as one of the top ten comprehensive art museums in the United States with a permanent collection that encompasses nearly 50,000 works of art spanning 6,000 years of world history. The VMFA actively supplements its permanent collections with special exhibitions that place the permanent collection in a larger context and brings unfamiliar artists or cultures to Virginia. The McGlothlin Wing includes a 12,000-square-foot gallery space for special exhibitions and can accommodate as many as three exhibitions at a time. 

The Art and Education Division provides programs to museums, arts centers, library galleries, schools and universities throughout the Commonwealth. Programs include educational activities and studio classes for all ages, plus fun after-hours events. From gallery talks to art classes, seminars, teacher programs and family fun, learning is a colorful and compelling experience. The museum also offers free walk-in guided, self-guided and audio tours. Since 1940, the endowed Fellowship Program has been a vital source of funding for the visual arts and art history in Virginia. The VMFA is committed to supporting professional artists as well as art students who demonstrate exceptional creative ability in their chosen discipline.

Museum members play a part in the mission by providing crucial support for educational programs, exhibitions, art conservation and daily operating expenses. 

The museum is also supported by its enterprise operations, the gift shop and two restaurants. The museum shop searches the world to provide a diverse selection of unique jewelry, home accessories, toys, stationery, and books, focusing on merchandise related to the museum’s collections and exhibitions as well as educational items and work from Virginia artists. Amuse Restaurant is a lively, contemporary fine dining restaurant. An innovative menu featuring regionally sourced Virginia products is served daily. The Best Café offers casual dining and light fare. Net profits from all enterprises support museum operational and mission-related needs.

Tsherin Sherpa: Spirits, 2022 

Tsherin Sherpa: Spirits is an exhibition featuring paintings and sculptures by Nepalese-born Tibetan American artist Tsherin Sherpa. This thought-provoking, participatory art experience is presented in the form of a narrative, telling a story of loss, struggle, and re-empowerment. This focused, mid-career retrospective of 36 paintings and sculptures is the global artist’s first solo museum exhibition.  

Approximately 35,208 visitors viewed the exhibition, which closed on October 16, 2022. 

Whistler to Cassatt: American Painters in France, 2022 

Organized in cooperation with the Denver Art Museum, this exhibition highlights late 19th and early 20th century painters who left the United States as expatriates and returned to share the course of American art. In Paris, they trained under the influence of the Ecole des Beaux-Arts and studied the “old master” works at the Louvre and then went beyond traditional practices to experiment with ideas and techniques. The exhibition examined the rich variety and complexity of American painting in the advent of modernism, as French avant-garde philosophies and styles melded with American individualism. Assembled from international collections, the exhibition featured more than 100 paintings by James Abbott McNeil Whistler, Mary Casssatt, John Singer Sargent, Childe Hassam, Theodore Robinson, Henry Ossama Tanner, Elizabeth Nourse, and many others.  

More than 58,551 visitors viewed the exhibition, which closed on July 31, 2022. 

Elegance and Wonder: Masterpieces of European Art from the Jordan and Thomas A. Saunders III Collection, 2022 

This stunning collection of art loaned by Jordan and Thomas A. Saunders III features more than 8- works, spanning the 16th through early 19th centuries, including paintings by “Old World masters” such as Jan Bruegel the Younger, Canaletto, Francesco Guardi, Peter Paul Rubens, Hubert Robert, Pierre-Jacques Volaire, and others. The collection features paintings and decorative art objects from the Baroque and Rococo periods and remains on view.  

Storied Strings: The Guitar in American Art, 2022-2023 

Storied Strings: The Guitar in American Art is the first exhibition to explore the instrument’s symbolism in American art from the early 19th century to the present day. Featuring 125 works of art, as well as 35 musical instruments, the exhibition demonstrates that guitars figure prominently in the visual stories Americans tell themselves about themselves—their histories, identities, and aspirations. The guitar—portable, affordable, and ubiquitous—appears in American art more than any other instrument, and this exhibition explores those depictions as well as the human ambitions, intentions, and connections facilitated by the instrument—a powerful tool and elastic emblem.   

50,256 visitors viewed the exhibition. 

 

Benjamin Wigfall and Communications Village, 2023 

Benjamin Wigfall and Communications Village showcases Wigfall’s artistic development, from abstract painting, to printmaking, to his pioneering work in social-practice art and his founding of Communications Village. He was a VMFA Fellowship recipient who art educators and museum leaders regarded highly for his artistry and personal character. Wigfall was also the youngest artist to have his work acquired by VMFA. From Richmond, where his passion for artmaking began, to his pursuit of higher education at Hampton University and Yale, to his professorship at State University of New York (SUNY), New Paltz, Wigfall recognized inequities and dedicated his life to providing access and opportunity. 

16,431 visitors viewed the exhibition.  

Willie Anne Wright: Artist and Alchemist, 2023-2024 

Groundbreaking, internationally renowned photographer and painter whose remarkable Richmond-based career spans over six decades. Presenting 63 photographs and 9 paintings by the Richmond native, born in 1924, this is the first major exhibition to explore the trajectory of her impressive 60-year career. From playful and irreverent scenes of everyday life to ethereal evocations of the past, Willie Anne Wright’s experimental paintings and photographs examine pop-culture, feminine identity, the pull of history and the shifting cultural landscape of the South. With a focus on photography’s role in shaping collective understandings of history, place, and gender, the exhibition draws from VMFA’s recent acquisition of Wright’s work, including more than 230 photographs and 10 paintings, as well as a comprehensive artist archive.   

Approximately 50,187 visitors viewed the exhibition. 

 

Dawoud Bey: Elegy, 2023-2024 

Mesmerizing and evocative, these 42 photographs and two film installations by contemporary American artist Dawoud Bey contemplate the harrowing journeys and human realities of the Virginia slave trail, Louisiana plantations, and Ohio’s Underground Railroad. Dawoud Bey: Elegy premieres a trilogy that includes Bey’s most recent series of never-before-seen photographs taken in Richmond and commissioned by VMFA. Internationally renowned for his Harlem street scenes and expressive portraits, Bey, in these landscapes, meditates on place as profound repository of memory and witness to American history. In this immersive and transportive exhibition, his works poetically imply a human presence, deepening our understanding of African American experiences rarely represented in collective US history. 

Approximately 24,868 visitors viewed the exhibit.  

Samurai Armor from the Collection of Ann and Gabriel Barbier-Mueller, 2024 

From the Ann and Gabriel Barbier-Mueller collection—one of the largest and finest collections in the world—the assembled works offer a glimpse of samurai history with a focus on ceremonial adornments created within the flourishing artistic culture of the Edo period. Offering a rare personal encounter with these stunning works of art, the exhibition of more than 140 objects features full suits of armor and an array of weapons, helmets, masks, horse accessories, woodblock prints, and textiles. As a worldwide fascination with and reverence for samurai warriors persists today, VMFA’s immersive exhibition delves into the storied world of this elite military class, tracing the evolution and artistic legacy of its famed armor.   

Approximately 107,048 visitors viewed the exhibition. 

Online Learning Engagement 

VMFA supports education in the Commonwealth with online engagement, classroom activities, videos, and other digital resources through Learn, Collections and Distance Learning. Collections search gives users digital access to VMFA’s permanent collection, as well as the rare book collection, and portions of the museum’s archives, a users the ability to browse via collection area, genre, material, origin, and more. In FY24, Collections site had nearly 554,600 views.  VMFA’s Learn site serves as the hub for all the museum’s digital education initiatives, including educational content such as videos, activities, and teaching materials,  In FY24 the Learn site had 127,434 views.  In FY24, The Lettie Pate Evans Distance Learning Program reached 15,155 learners through virtual sessions, online resources, and teacher participation in VMFA’s Virtual Virginia online teacher course, Creative and Critical Thinking with Art. Virtual sessions included students and teachers from grades 3 through 12 as well as colleges and universities across the Commonwealth, serving a total of 17 planning districts.  

VMFA on the Road: An Artmobile for the 21st Century 

In 1953, VMFA became one of the first museums in the world to have an Artmobile. For four decades, as many as four Artmobiles toured 59 exhibitions and served more than 2.5 million Virginians. Due to conservation concerns and the fragility of traveling works of art, VMFA replaced the program in the early 1990s with a strategy to develop stronger partnerships with schools, community centers, and museums around the state. 

Since that time, museums around the country, and throughout the world, have embraced new adaptations of a mobile museum in engaging ways. As the originator of this concept, VMFA will now offer its own, 21st-century version of the famed traveling exhibition vehicle. Working with a robust network of more than 1,600 statewide partner organizations, VMFA on the Road is poised to equal and surpass the impact of its predecessor. 

VMFA relaunched its state-of-the-art traveling museum and art studio called VMFA on the Road in October 2018. The climate-controlled 53-foot Volvo trailer includes Wi-Fi to connect visitors with VMFA educators and interactive components to meet their 21st-century expectations. The main attraction of VMFA on the Road, however, is the opportunity for residents of the Commonwealth to see and experience authentic works of art from VMFA’s collection up close. VMFA on the Road is traveling to remote corners of Virginia by way of the museum’s Statewide Partners program, which includes 1,600 locations — from community centers and small museums to colleges and universities. 

Both a mobile museum and art studio, the VMFA on the Road vehicle is outfitted with a themed exhibition based on Virginia Standards of Learning. It displays original works of art created by VMFA Fellowship winners alongside digital interactives featuring selections from VMFA’s permanent collection; this incorporation of both physical and digital objects will allow educational exploration between and among these works of art. In-depth interviews with artists, VMFA curators, and educators, are included in the interactive experience. In addition, visitors have an opportunity to experiment with hands-on activities in the exhibition studio. 

Since relaunching on October 30, 2018, exhibitions have included How Far Can Creativity Take You: VMFA Fellowship Artists, which explored the history and impact of this unique program, including the role these fellowships have played in the lives of Virginia artists, and the influence it has had on Virginia communities; A View from Home: Landscapes of Virginia, featuring paintings, photographs, and prints from the permanent collection which depict the wide range of landscapes in Virginia between 1837 and 2019; and currently, Revealing and Obscuring Identity: Portraits from the Permanent Collection, and Love, Laughter, Tears: An Artist’s Guide to Emotions. This exciting exhibition of paintings, photographs, and prints explores portraiture through a variety of periods, cultures, and styles. Many of the works in this exhibition explore themes about the way in which artists convey emotions through art and how the viewer responds to each work. VMFA on the Road has served 952,001 Virginians through FY24. 

Statewide Fellowship Program  

For over 75 years, VMFA has contributed to the evolution of the visual arts in Virginia through its Statewide Fellowship Program. Since 1940, the museum has given away more than $6 million in annual fellowships to more than 1,500 undergraduate, graduate, and professional artist residents of the Commonwealth. In FY24, 23 new artists received approximately $145,000 in fellowship support including the Cy Twombly Fellowship funded by the J. Warwick McClintic Jr. Fellowship Fund. Throughout its history, the program has identified Virginia artists of the highest caliber, and VMFA Fellows include world-famous artists such as painters Cy Twombly and Benjamin Wigfall, photographers Sally Mann and Emmet Gowin, and television writer and director, Vince Gilligan. 

Statewide Partnerships 

The museum provides exhibitions, loans, speakers, workshops, and technical assistance to more than 1,600 statewide partners including museums, K-12 schools, colleges and universities, community organizations, libraries, hospitals and retirement homes. 

Education Programs 

VMFA’s Education public programs serve audiences of all ages with a wide-range of offerings from performing arts to large-scale family and teen events, artist talks, films, and symposia. VMFA is committed to making our programs accessible to all Virginians through livestream and recorded videos. In FY24, 81,153 attendees were reached through in person and virtual programs, including a record breaking 13,000 people for ChinaFest Family Day and 53,364 for Performing Arts Programs. 

The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts was established to "collect, preserve, exhibit, and interpret art, to encourage the study of the arts, and thus to enrich the lives of all." By making its world-class collections, exhibitions, and programs accessible throughout the Commonwealth, it contributes both to Virginia's tourism economy and to the education of students and citizens.

The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts was created to serve the citizens of the entire Commonwealth of Virginia. On campus, the museum strives to increase attendance through visitors to the permanent collection, temporary exhibitions, and programming like lectures or performances. Attendance is largely driven by exhibitions, so high quality and popular exhibitions will contribute to this goal significantly. Statewide, the museum provides lectures, workshops, exhibitions, loaned artwork, and other resources to statewide partners. It is VMFA’s highest priority to reach as many Virginians as possible, especially underserved populations. The museum can expand its reach across the state by increasing the number of statewide partners and by providing additional resources and support to existing partners.

• Develop a portfolio of exhibitions and lectures for statewide partners.

• Maintain a strong exhibition portfolio on campus, with a balance of popularity and scholarship.

• Enhance the museum’s standing both in the museum field and with the public through marketing and public relations initiatives.

• Sustain VMFA on the Road: An Artmobile for the 21st Century.

The museum’s K-12 curriculum is based on the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs) and skill building. This goal is two-fold, to increase the number of materials available and to extend their reach. There are a number of options for achieving this objective, including improving and advertising the educational resources available online and launching a distance learning program. The museum aims to cover as many subjects as possible, including math, science, history, and English.

• Provide free and open access to VMFA’s collection digitally and online educational resources, including streaming video, activities, and lesson concepts.

• Sustain distance learning program.

On-site, the museum’s attendance is bolstered by the popularity of the temporary exhibitions hosted on campus. The VMFA continues to actively develop exhibitions of varying scale internally rather than solely relying on borrowed exhibitions from other institutions. Statewide, the museum lends exhibitions to partners like galleries, museums, and universities, including a number of museum-level partners who have the appropriate security and climate control to borrow pieces from the permanent collection. VMFA aims to continue this service at the highest level possible to support its statewide partners and enrich the lives of all citizens of the Commonwealth.

• Sustain the number of exhibitions created by VMFA’s curatorial staff based on the museum’s collection, decreasing exhibition costs and increasing revenue.

• Partner with other institutions to create joint exhibitions.

• Continue to build VMFA’s reputation in the field to attract top opportunities for high-quality exhibitions and loans.

The museum’s collection represents the entirety of art history, with strengths in Decorative Arts, African, South Asian, and American Art. These strengths are entirely due to the generosity of donors and investment in acquisitions. To sustain this success, the curatorial staff will continue to cultivate relationships with collectors in each collection area and actively monitor the art market. Based on collecting plans aligned with strategic priorities, VMFA will maintain a commitment to building a comprehensive collection that reflects Virginia’s diversity and under-represented artists and communities.

• Steward relationships with major art collectors, dealers, and galleries.

• Develop focused collection plans for each area, establishing priority artists and movements for future acquisitions.

• Monitor art market for ideal timing and prices.

• Attract top experts in the field to join the curatorial staff.

The membership base provides crucial revenue for operating costs of the museum. Furthermore, members are our most engaged and involved constituents. Growing this group creates a larger community of advocates, volunteers, donors, and repeat visitors.

• Leverage the exhibition portfolio to attract new members and increase member retention.

• Expand awareness of the museum through advertising and press.

• Demonstrate membership value through free tickets, access to members-only programming, and discounts.

The museum’s priority in programming is to bring the collection to life. Through educational programming, visitors can engage with a new part of the permanent collection. This goal extends throughout the Commonwealth through programs provided to statewide partners. Educational programs reach not only the hundreds of statewide partners through the Commonwealth, but also teachers who attend workshops provided in a number of locations. These teachers return to their classrooms with SOL-centered resources to enrich their curricula.

• Sustain a leading distance learning platform to broadcast tours from the galleries to educational institutions.

• Provide high-quality lecturers and exhibitions to statewide partners.

• Lend artwork to museum-level partners with appropriate security and climate control.

• Sustain VMFA on the Road: An Artmobile for the 21st Century.

As the steward of the majority of the state's art collection, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts seeks to manage the Commonwealth's resources effectively so that they can be enjoyed by all citizens. The museum is dedicated to the preservation of its collections from damage and theft, to fiscal responsibility, and to assuring the safety and enjoyment of its visitors and staff.

As a non-profit and a state agency, the VMFA is a steward of the Commonwealth’s funds and property. The staff and board aim to keep the collection, visitors, and staff safe above all else. The museum’s top financial priorities are judicious use of funds for mission-centered needs and transparency to donors and constituents.

• Complete all actions planned to achieve full compliance with Virginia's Public Procurement Act and eVA, Virginia's online, electronic procurement system.

• Continue to adhere to state and federal laws and regulations in the museum's ongoing operations and ensure that internal policies and procedures and the training of staff are consistent with and supportive of the application of those laws and regulations.

• Ensure full funding for utilities and adequate housekeeping staff to maintain collection and visitor safety.

Aside from enterprise revenue, the museum is supported by ticket revenue and contributions from the VMFA Foundation. The popular appeal of the exhibitions will drive revenue from ticket sales, increased by the number of people attending, the cost per ticket, and the number of non-members visiting the exhibition. The Foundation contributes revenue based on fundraising and revenue from investments.

• Maintain earned and contributed income to support the costs associated with exhibitions and educational programs.

• Maintain the total funds donated by individuals, corporations, and foundations to support exhibitions, educational programs, and ongoing evaluation and research.

The business goal of the gift shop is to provide a solid stream of earned revenue to support museum exhibitions, educational programs and base operations. The gift shop is a self-sustaining enterprise, so the money that is earned is used first to cover the shop's expenses, and then the net profits are used to support other museum operations. The museum offers two different restaurant options as amenities to visitors. Amuse restaurant is an upscale restaurant while Best Cafe offers a more casual, self-serve option for light meals and snacks. The special events side of the business caters events for external organizations and private individuals as well as for museum groups. Food Service/Special Events is also a self-sustaining enterprise, so the money earned is used first to cover expenses and then the net profits are used to support other museum operations.

• Provide the highest quality product in dining services, special events, and the gift shop.

• Hire and retain a professional and well-trained work force to ensure customer satisfaction.

• Increase gift shop sales through e-commerce.

• Develop exhibition gift shops for major exhibitions with relevant merchandise.

This service area protects, conserves, interprets, and wisely develops the art collection of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, a state agency. These rapidly growing holdings, one of the Commonwealth’s greatest cultural assets, currently consist of more than 40,000 artworks from many periods and cultures. The museum is an internationally recognized educational and cultural resource as well as a popular tourist destination. The collections and their support areas enhance visitors' knowledge and understanding of the history and diversity of world cultures. In addition, special thematic exhibitions explore aspects of these cultures in depth.

This service area lies at the heart of the museum's mission to "collect, preserve, exhibit, and interpret art, to encourage the study of the arts, and thus to enrich the lives of all (Trustee Mission Statement, revised May 18, 2000)."

The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is governed by Title 23.1, Chapter 32, Article 6 of the Code of Virginia.

The current products, services, and mission-based activities of the Collections Management and Curatorial Services service area are tightly focused upon the development, preservation, and effective use of the Commonwealth’s art collection.



The nature and growth of the collections are managed by museum curators who recommend judicious art purchases, seek appropriate gifts, and maintain files on all collection holdings.  Curators also interpret objects in the collection and enhance the educational value of these objects through research, publications, installations, exhibitions, didactic gallery labels, and public lectures.



The location and status of each work in the collection is tracked and documented electronically and manually by museum registrars. Registrars also maintain art storage areas and supervise the transportation and installation of objects from the collection inside and outside the museum headquarters.



Each work in the collection is safely handled, both inside and outside the museum headquarters, by highly trained museum art handlers, who are part of the Registration Department. Art handlers also construct specialized crates for artworks and install works from the collection in the museum and around the world.



The physical condition of each work in the collection and the exhibition/storage space in which it is housed are assessed and monitored by museum conservators.  Conservators also oversee the treatment of damaged or problematic works of art in the collection; ensure safe handling, lighting, and environmental conditions for the collection; and recommend preventative conservation standards.



Each work in the collection is documented by museum photographers for permanent record as well as for research and publication purposes.  Photographers also take pictures of gallery installations, special exhibits, the current museum construction project, special museum events in Richmond and at other locations in Virginia, and other institutional activities.



Images of works in the collection are catalogued, documented and managed by the museum's Photographic Resources Department. Photographic Resources also administers the museum’s rights and reproductions policies, facilitates outside requests for images, and serves as an archival repository of photographs detailing the collection, exhibitions, and institutional history.



The professional staff's decisions about the collections are based, in large part, upon information provided by the museum’s 150,000-volume Art Research Library (art reference books, periodicals, rare books, archival records, and electronic databases). The library is open to the public Monday - Friday 12-5 pm.



The Exhibitions Department identifies, researches, and contracts special loan exhibitions that complement or expand upon the museum's permanent collections.  These exhibitions present a balanced portfolio, representing the full range of human artistic creativity that serves the interests of first-time visitors and knowledgeable museum-goers alike. The department also organizes and circulates exhibitions to museum partners throughout Virginia.

See Agency Financial Resources Summary Section.



NOTE: Changes in the General Fund base budget in the table below were calculated by the Virginia Department of Planning and Budget.

The service area's goal is to provide opportunities for museum audiences to engage with authentic objects, exchange knowledge, and stimulate creativity. To achieve this goal, this service area generates educational programs, studio classes, interpretation tools and strategies, and other experiences relating to the visual arts onsite, statewide, and online. By evaluating and understanding the VMFA visitor’s needs, motivations, and actions while engaging with the museum, VMFA will be able to provide services and programs that meet audiences where they are.

This service area directly aligns with the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts' mission to "interpret art, to encourage the study of art, and thus to enrich the lives of all,” as well as to the Council on Virginia's Future objectives to "elevate the levels of educational preparedness and attainment of our citizens"; "protect, conserve, and wisely develop our natural, historical and cultural resources"; and "be a national leader in the preservation and enhancement of our economy."

The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is governed by Title 23.1, Chapter 32, Article 6 of the Code of Virginia.

In gallery interactive components, including digital interpretation and hands-on activities.

Use data and research to learn about visitors and continually improve their experiences



Limited-security exhibitions for statewide community and educational partners



Technical assistance



Fellowship awards for artists



Workshops, lectures, gallery programs, art history classes, and films.



Teacher programs and training.

Studio art classes for kids, teens, and adults

Early Childhood Programs



Guided and audio tours



Performing arts programs and events

Large scale Family Events



Web site content, including streaming video, online resources and collection information



Publications

Public programs are offered at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts campus in Richmond; in greater metropolitan Richmond; statewide in collaboration with partner museums, schools, art centers, libraries, and retirement communities; in other museums nationally and internationally; and online.  Some programs are targeted to general audiences, while others are targeted to the interests of specific groups such as students, teachers, scholars, families, members and support groups, community organizations, artists, and collectors.  The content of public programs parallels the cultural range of the Museum's permanent collections of art from throughout the world and of its temporary loan exhibitions.  The Museum also initiates and/or participates in collaborative programs with other institutions when such collaborations enhance understanding of the visual arts, broaden the museum's audience base, and are in accordance with the museum's overall mission.  Given the Museum's diverse constituencies and its responsibilities as a state agency and public institution, it will promote its programs using descriptive language that clarifies program content so that the public can make informed choices about participation.

See Agency Strategic Plan Financial Summary.



NOTE: Changes in the General Fund base budget in the table below were calculated by the Virginia Department of Planning and Budget.

This service area provides overall direction and management of museum in keeping with applicable state laws and procedures; manages the financial and human resources; operates, protects, maintains, and improves state facilities; and accomplishes the museum’s capital outlay and maintenance reserve projects.  It provides information to the public on museum programs and services; engages new audiences in museum programs; supports museum revenue-generating programs; and cares for or protects the permanent collections, facilities, visitors, and staff.

This service area directly supports the achievement of museum's mission to "interpret art, to encourage the study of art, and thus to enrich the lives of all."

This service area aligns with Strategic Goal #1: Contribute significantly to Virginia’s educational excellence and economic development by establishing the museum as a nationally prominent and internationally recognized cultural resource and destination; and Goal #2: Strengthen the museum’s security, business practices, and operational effectiveness and efficiency.

The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is governed by Title 23.1, Chapter 32, Article 6 of the Code of Virginia.

Renovation of Cheek Theater underway in FY25. 

Repairs to E. Claiborne and Lora Robins Sculpture Garden underway in FY25. 

Redesign of Motor Court for safety reasons. 

Undertake a comprehensive space study to determine the space needs for the next 10 to 20 years as well as identifying more efficient use of space. 

Improvement of the museum's security system by updating equipment necessary to implement actions related to the nation's and to Virginia's alert systems. 

Care and upkeep of the museum's facilities. 

 

A comprehensive communications and marketing plan for the expanded museum. 

 

Basic administrative functions including budgeting and accounting, human resource and benefits management, and purchasing. 

 

Audience development initiatives for individuals and groups to increase their participation in the museum and its programs. 

 

Risk management and protective services. 

 

Visitor services and community outreach. 

 

Management of special events?and enterprises to enhance visitor experience in support of the mission. 

 

Technical assistance. 

 

Agency information technology support. 

See Agency Strategic Plan Financial Resources Summary Section.



NOTE: Changes in the General Fund base budget in the table below were calculated by the Virginia Department of Planning and Budget.