Docent-led tours

School groups are invited to schedule interactive docent-led tours of current exhibitions. Designed to increase visual literacy on an age-appropriate level, these tours can be customized to address classroom topics or specific interests.

For more information, contact the tour coordinator >

Tour booking forms are writable PDF files. Please be sure to write in the active blue field and save as a PDF file before returning the form to the Museum. Acrobat Reader (freeware) should be used to write on these forms. If you do not have the software, download Acrobat Reader >

Tour booking forms may also be filled out on line.

School group tour booking form (online) >
Adult group tour booking form (online) >
School group tour booking form (pdf) >
Adult group tour booking form (pdf) >
Directions for unloading, parking, and loading buses (pdf) >
General car parking map (not for school or bus groups) (pdf) >
Visitation guidelines (pdf) >

Early Visions

Each spring the Museum offers this six-week program in partnership with the Boys and Girls Club of Charlottesville. U.Va. students and Club members are paired in mentoring relationships and embark on creative activities that encourage children to explore the Museum's exhibitions and relate their discoveries to their own lives.

Family Art JAMs

This popular series of programs combines age-appropriate tours with hands-on art activities that make the Museum's exhibitions accessible to young children. Introducing new art materials and techniques challenges children to think in new ways, and interactive tours help them develop the confidence to talk about art. By asking parents or other adult family members to serve as assistants, models, and collaborators, Family Art JAMs create an enriching experience for the whole family.

Reservations are required; drop-ins are permitted only if space is available. Family Art JAMs are offered on both Saturdays and Sundays at the following times:

1-3 pm: 5-7 year olds and their grownups
3-5 pm: 8-12 year olds and their grownups

Schedule

January 26 & 27
Compelling Contours from Corot to Cézanne
Children will discuss the beautiful use of contour drawings on loan from the VMFA, and use a variety of drawing materials as they learn to look carefully at the contours of the objects they draw.

February 16 & 17
Creating Compositions from Corot to Cézanne
Children will discuss the compositional choices made by the artists in Corot to Cézanne, and use these same methods to achieve compositional balance in their own works.

March 16 & 17
Making Marks Inspired by McClelland

April 20 & 21
PLEASE NOTE: The April Family Art JAM has been canceled due to scheduling conflicts.

May 11 & 12
The Sublime Equine: The Art of the Horse

July 20 & 21
Artful Animals

To register, please email >

For a schedule of upcoming sessions, please see the Museum's calendar.

Kid's College

During Reunions Weekend, children are invited to take part in exciting hands-on art programs while their parents are free to enjoy other events across Grounds. Children participate in fun activities designed to introduce them to the Museum, expand their understanding of the visual arts, and engage them with current exhibitions.

Teachers' pARTy

Tuesday, August 28
5 pm
In the Museum

At the beginning of each fall academic semester, all educators from area public and independent schools are invited to join us for an introduction to the Museum's educational programs. The evening will include a preview of the art selected for Writer's Eye, a lecture on teaching creative writing, and a light supper. Please RSVP > by August 24.

Writer's Eye

Monday, September 10 - Friday, November 9, 2012

Please Note: The Writer's Eye Awards Ceremony originally scheduled for March 24 has been rescheduled for April 28, 2–4 pm, in the Newcomb Hall Ballroom.

2012 Writer's Eye Winners (pdf) >

Now in its 26th year, Writer's Eye is an annual writing competition that challenges writers of all ages to use selected artworks in the Museum as inspiration for original poetry and prose. Educators are invited to bring their students to the Museum for docent-led tours that incorporate both English and art SOLs (Standards of Learning), and then submit their writings to the competition. Submissions are evaluated by a distinguished panel of judges, and winning entries are published in the annual Writer's Eye Anthology.

Writer's Eye entry forms and the Museum's tour booking forms are writable PDF files. Please be sure to write in the active blue field and save as a PDF file before returning the form to the Museum. Acrobat Reader (freeware) should be used to write on these forms. If you do not have the software, download Acrobat Reader >

Writer's Eye tour booking forms may also be filled out on line.

WE tour booking form (online) >
WE tour booking form (pdf) >
WE competition guidelines and entry form (pdf) >
WE selections (pdf) >
WE writing tips (pdf) >
Directions for unloading, parking, and loading buses (pdf) >
Parking map for cars and small buses (pdf) >
Tour visitation guidelines (pdf) >

For more information about any of these programs, please contact the education department at 434.243.2050 or email >