Director’s Message

Summer 2026

This June and July, our studios and galleries are abuzz with the sounds and artistic explorations of Summer Art Camp. The camp continues to grow in reputation and size, and this year we reached a noteworthy 1,000+ registrations, our largest group of campers yet.

The entirety of the 2025–2026 season was transformational, punctuated by a spectacular schedule of original and touring exhibitions, signature events, educational programs, and celebratory occasions. We broke ground on our new Museum in the Garden in November and marked 40 years of service in January. Over the course of the season, we welcomed guests from 49 of the United States—if you have a friend or relative visiting from Wyoming, please let me know—the District of Columbia, and 16 foreign countries.

Over the past 12 months, we reflected on the Museum’s beginnings as the Center for the Arts while experiencing historic investment in our future. With the support of more than 180 donors, including a first-of-its-kind major grant from the Indian River Community Foundation, the capital campaign for the future VBMA building and transformed campus reached a critical milestone (see page 22).

In talking to so many people about our future home, we noted their keen interest in our current impact on the community. That has prompted the addition of a “Mission-Inspired” feature section to our Quarterly magazine. Turn to page 16 to learn more about programs and activities that make VBMA a place where people of all ages and abilities can explore creativity in many dimensions.

And as construction crews fortified the site of our new building outside, we strengthened the Museum’s collection of modern and contemporary art inside. Notable acquisitions included Wind Sculpture in Bronze VI (2025) by artist Yinka Shonibare, purchased in April with the generous support of Athena Society Members. The more than six-foot-tall hand-painted bronze statue is currently on view in the Stark Rotunda and will be featured prominently in a sculpture courtyard in our future Museum.

As we move into the summer months, we are delighted to present a robust schedule of exhibitions, beginning with James Prosek: At Work (July 11–October 25), more than 70 artworks that highlight the range of Prosek’s practice from on-site field studies to studio-based painting, watercolor, and sculpture; Jill Nathanson: Chromatic Phrases (July 25, 2026–February 7, 2027), an original exhibition organized by Chief Curator Caitlin Swindell that, through more than 20 of Nathanson’s works, explores color as an experiential phenomenon; and the United States premiere of the touring Hokusai, Hiroshige, Hasui: Japanese Landscapes in Print (November 21, 2026–February 7, 2027), which features more than 100 works that trace the evolution of the Japanese landscape print tradition, organized by MFABoston. These shows will inform and inspire this season’s special events, art education programs, community access experiences, and more.

There’s a great summer ahead at VBMA, and we look forward to seeing you often.