The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) in Richmond, Virginia, is preparing for a significant expansion and renovation project. As part of this initiative, some art collections affected by or near the construction area will be temporarily removed from view, and select galleries will close starting July 7, 2025.
“There’s always something to see at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, and most of the permanent collection will stay open,” stated Director and CEO Alex Nyerges. He emphasized that the museum will remain open every day of the year with ongoing programs, events, performances, and exhibitions despite the renovations.
Construction preparation is set to begin this fall with groundbreaking expected in spring 2026. Galleries currently showcasing African art, Indigenous American art, and Pre-Columbian art will be de-installed. However, select works from these collections are planned to return in September 2025 within a gallery dedicated to the Virginia Standards of Learning program. Other galleries such as American, Ancient, East Asian, European, Photography, South Asian and 21st-century art will continue to be accessible along with special exhibitions like “Frida: Beyond the Myth” on display until September 28, 2025.
Artistic Director and Chief Curator Dr. Michael Taylor remarked that visitors can anticipate expanded gallery spaces for African, Indigenous American and Pre-Columbian art once the project concludes.
Currently one of the top ten comprehensive art museums in the U.S., VMFA spans 718,831 square feet. The new McGlothlin Wing II is planned to add approximately 173,000 square feet for various art forms including American and Indigenous American art (30,000 square feet), contemporary art (12,400 square feet), African art (8,600 square feet), alongside a special exhibition gallery suite (12,000 square feet). This wing will also feature a special events space seating up to 500 people as well as meeting rooms and an additional café and bar.
Renovations include about 45,000 square feet of existing gallery space across different wings built in previous years. Notable expansions include new areas for photography (5,500 square feet) and works on paper at the Raysor Center (7,000 square feet). Expanded galleries for European artworks ranging from Medieval times to Impressionism are also planned.
Post-renovation projections indicate VMFA will house the second largest space for African art in addition to ranking fourth nationwide for both American art space and photography galleries.
The expansion project is supported by public and private funding sources with completion anticipated by late 2028. Design plans and timelines may adjust over time; updates are available on VMFA’s website at www.VMFA.museum.
The VMFA opened its doors in 1936 as a state agency combined with private endowment aiming to collect preserve exhibit interpret arts while promoting their study through various programs statewide partnerships offering curated exhibitions audiovisual content symposia lectures conferences workshops visual performing artists featuring more than fifty thousand artworks global collection spanning six millennia Fabergé Art Nouveau among others noteworthy collections Chinese English French Impressionist Post-Impressionist British sporting modern contemporary South Asian Himalayan renowned pieces May2010 James W Frances G McGlothlin Wing I transformative previously largest history upcoming McGlothlin Wing II scheduled become largest making fourth largest comprehensive United States recently named eleventh best Washington Post only country open free general admission information telephone visit
