Where Gumbo Was #426
What a gem! Three one-day visits and I only scratched the surface of this museum full of beautiful artifacts like many other city fine arts museums. And, it was recognized by Professor Abe and PortMoresby as where in the world Gumbo was!
Earlier on TravelGumbo, I did a piece on the VMFA outdoor sculpture garden and I’ve added two other sculptures, one of which was controversial. The ‘Arches with Column’ sculpture by Lee Kelly sits on the lawn in front of the museum.
The sculpture with a bit of controversy was out front at the entrance and entitled the “Rumors of War” by Kehinde Wiley done in 2019. The bronze statue on a stone pedestal is the figure of a young African American dressed in urban street wear on a horse, lost to the social and political battles of the nation.
The statue was inspired by a similar statue of Confederate J.E.B. Stuart created in 1907 who strikes a heroic pose on a muscular horse that was erected on Monument Avenue in Richmond but has since been taken down after the death of George Floyd. The VMFA opened in 1936 and sits on property that once was the site for institutionalized Confederate Veterans.
My favorite museum gallery is the Art Nouveau and Art Deco gallery. The Teremok Armchair was designed in 1903 by Sergei Maliutin at the celebrated Abramtsevo artist colony of Russian folk crafts.
And then the four chairs from one of my mystery photos, followed by a stunning bed and a suite of furniture by Felix Del Marle. I always was a big admirer of Art Nouveau and Art Deco architecture and hope it will revive again.
The Jean Goulden clock is known as an icon of Art Deco and made was one of his 150 works made with silver, enamel and bronze. And the famous Voysey-designed, Coote-built 1895 clock with the inscription “Time and Tide Wait for No Man.” I thought it would be more like “Time and Wife Would Make No Man Wait.”
The last Art Nouveau items are the 1937 tea service of rosewood and silver by the leading French Art Deco silversmith Puiforcat, and an unusual dresser and table.
And a spectacular 1920 lacquer bird cage by Jacque Doucet that was displayed in Studio Saint James.
I had birds as pets in my earlier years and really liked this item. I remember having one of my parakeets named Amiss who I would let out of the cage each night and he would perch on my chest and watch Monday Night Football with me and chirp loudly when the crowd would roar.
Next up is some of the modern sculpture. Some I assume is for your interpretation and some I’m perplexed by, like the Red Rover, above.
Then there is the Likeness of Francis B. sculpture by Robert Arneson in 1981 which I am guessing is of Francis Bacon. Then there is Red Groom’s bronze painted eagle which is a cowboy portrayal completed in 1980.
The 2007 Projection Screen with black onyx dots didn’t raise many onlookers but reminded me of the game called GO. However, this next piece, a 2011 work by Nick Cave, drew a number of onlookers. It’s called Unsuited but Untitled.
Here are some more of the modern sculptures; you’ll have to decide for yourself what they mean to convey.
There’s also a nice café where you can sit overlooking the sculpture pond and a few glimpses of the architecture.
The museum is free and open 365 days a year. Parking next door at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture is also free.
The hours are Daily: 10 am – 5 pm, Wed, Thu, and Fri until 9 pm. The address for your GPS is200 North Arthur Ashe Boulevard, Richmond, VA 23220. Some GPS systems will show the older street name of North Boulevard.
