WELCOME¬
Monster Drawing Rally is a high-energy, live art-making event and fundraiser hosted by Generation MOCA, Virginia MOCA’s young leaders advisory council. Throughout the evening, 70+ local artists will create original drawings in one-hour shifts, each available for purchase for just $50. Enjoy music, food, drinks, and take home some new artwork!
The Pursuit of Happiness brings together monumental paintings, collages, sculpture, and an immersive installation that confront how we imagine joy, struggle, and survival in a time of global uncertainty.
Seamless: Art and Design brings together artists who are also designers, many of whom are widely recognized for shaping contemporary visual culture. The exhibition focuses on the art they create when their design background is no longer tied to a final, functional outcome. Graphic imagery, street culture, and design practices act as a starting point. Their art then reshapes these familiar forms into something more open, expressive, and personal.
Now on view¬
Nina Chanel Abney: The Pursuit of Happiness
April 18, 2026-August 16, 2026
Virginia MOCA opens its new home with a landmark solo exhibition by Nina Chanel Abney, one of the most incisive voices in contemporary art. The Pursuit of Happiness brings together monumental paintings, collages, sculpture, and an immersive installation that confront how we imagine joy, struggle, and survival in a time of global uncertainty.
Seamless: Art and Design
April 18, 2026-August 16, 2026
Seamless: Art and Design brings together artists who are also designers, many of whom are widely recognized for shaping contemporary visual culture.
Upcoming¬
Made in VA Biennial 2026
September 11, 2026-March 21, 2027
Since 1994, Virginia MOCA has celebrated the extraordinary talent of artists living and working across the Commonwealth through this juried exhibition. What began as an annual tradition has grown into one of the Museum’s most anticipated and defining programs. Now presented in Virginia MOCA’s new purpose-built home, the Made in VA Biennial enters its next chapter. As a biennial exhibition, it features work created within the past two years and reflects the breadth, rigor, and vitality of contemporary art in Virginia today.
Vivian Chiu: From Here
September 11, 2026-March 21, 2027
Through reconstructed reclaimed wood vessels and intricate images made from wood veneer, Vivian Chiu layers personal narratives with histories of craft and Chinese ceramic traditions. She examines how place, culture, […]
PROGRAMS + SPECIAL EVENTS¬
Monster Drawing Rally Presented By Generation MOCA
Friday, August 14, 2026 | 6:00 pm-10:00 pm
Steve “ESPO” Powers Live Screen Printing Event
Sunday, August 16, 2026 | 10:00 am-4:00 pm
STUDIO ART CLASSES¬
Saturday in the Studio: Ages 6–8 (FALL)
Saturday, September 12, 2026 | 10:00 am-12:00 pm
Explore printmaking, painting, drawing, and mixed media across several sessions! Learn foundational techniques in each medium while creating your own projects and drawing inspiration from contemporary artists and exhibitions on view at Virginia MOCA. All materials provided.
Saturday in the Studio: Ages 9–12 (FALL)
Saturday, September 12, 2026 | 1:30 pm-3:30 pm
Explore printmaking, painting, drawing, and mixed media across several sessions! Learn foundational techniques in each medium while creating your own projects and drawing inspiration from contemporary artists and exhibitions on view at Virginia MOCA. All materials provided.
Ceramics: Wheel-thrown Vessels
Sunday, September 27, 2026 | 12:30 pm-3:00 pm
Get inspired by the art in our galleries, and learn to throw vessel forms on the pottery wheel with guidance from an expert instructor.
Explore More¬
STUDIO ART CLASSES
COME MAKE ART WITH US
Virginia MOCA offers art classes for all ages and skill levels! From one-day workshops to multi-session classes, there is a creative offering for everyone. We can’t wait to see you in our new studios.
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Membership has its perks. Join our tight-knit community that supports living artists and their work.
