EXHIBITIONS¬

MAIN GALLERY

A leading artist of her generation, Kara Walker (b. 1969) works in a range of mediums, including prints, drawings, paintings, sculpture, film, and the large-scale silhouette cutouts for which she is perhaps most recognized. Her powerful and provocative images employ contradictions to critique the painful legacies of slavery, sexism, violence, imperialism, and other power structures, including those in the history and hierarchies of art and contemporary culture.

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MAIN GALLERY

LaToya M. Hobbs creates large-scale portraits of women from her community. Her portraits challenge entrenched assumptions of beauty and identity about Black women and turns them inside out. The artist deconstructs these ideas and reframes them from a place of love and celebration. Hobbs is an artist, professor, mother, wife, daughter, colleague, and friend. She connects to a wide community of women who serve as a source of inspiration and creation.

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COMMUNITY GALLERY

This exhibition features the work of Amber Pierce, Poetry Jackson, and Nadd Harvin, who have been invited to participate in the 2023 Atrium Artist in Residence Program. The residency aims to support and amplify the work of regional artists while creating another entry point for Museum visitors to engage with contemporary art and ideas in connection with the main gallery exhibitions, Kara Walker: Cut to the Quick and LaToya Hobbs: Flourish. This group exhibition complements the residency program and celebrates the work of these talented artists.

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ARTlab is our interactive space for all ages located off of our main galleries. Explore the main themes and ideas found in our current exhibitions Kara Walker: Cut to the Quick and LaToya M. Hobbs: Flourish through making, sharing, and personal connections.

SATELLITE GALLERY (OFF-SITE)

Color, shape, line, form, and texture are the foundation for the language of visual art. Abstract artists use this language to investigate memory, emotion, and art itself. They move away from the expectations of creating a visual reality in their painting practice. There are few rules for this approach to painting; it exists in many different forms.

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RODRIGUEZ PAVILION

Translating to “1,000 Colors,” Mille Colori certainly lives up to its name. This breathtaking 14-foot glass sculpture by renowned artist, Dale Chihuly, is made up of 520 separate blown-glass pieces and hangs as a permanent fixture in our sunlit Rodriguez Pavilion, which was built specifically to showcase the modern masterwork. As our only permanent work of art on view, Mille Colori can be experienced year-round and has been seen by thousands of visitors throughout the years.

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FLEMING GALLERY

Through the ongoing partnership between Virginia MOCA and Virginia Beach City Public Schools, the annual Teaching Artists Exhibition is on view in Fleming Gallery every spring. Our institutions are committed to the professionalization and visibility of teachers as artists, in addition to their role as educators. A teaching artist fuses the skills, practices, and awareness of an artist into their instructional practice. This exhibition provides an opportunity to celebrate the teacher as the artist.