Piedmont Arts Field Trip Takes Students, Educators to Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

Twenty-eight local students and educators took part in a Piedmont Arts field trip to Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond on Monday to view the exhibition, Forbidden City. Front row (left – right): Leah Lavinder, JaVonta Younger, Victoria Truman, Mercedes Fleagler, Karlee Lewis, Cassie Maroon, Melissa Denning, Anne Stultz, Barbara Stanley, Kathy Campbell, Carla powers; Back row (left – right): Pam Allen, Debbie Easley, Drew Lowery, Greg Morrison, Ashley Cox, Kylee Graham, Jacob Salas, Sarah Whitlow, Jack Warner, Bonnie Xue, Danee Simmons,  Emilee Aaron, Sidney McClure, Lanita Gravely, Becki Williams Vasquez, Sue Harrison

Members of Piedmont Arts' Teen Arts Council, local educators and museum staff took a field trip to Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) in Richmond on Monday to view the exhibit, Forbidden City, featuring imperial treasures from the Palace Museum, Beijing. The exhibition is the first of its kind at VMFA, showcasing ancient Chinese art on loan directly from China. Guests were treated to a tour of Forbidden City and the museum's permanent exhibitions of American, European and Asian art.

"It is exciting for Piedmont Arts to be able to bring students and educators to see an exhibition of such magnitude," said Heidi Pinkston, Piedmont Arts director of exhibitions. "Nowhere else in the U.S. can you experience these treasures from ancient China. It is really a remarkable exhibit that we will remember for years to come."

Emilee Aaron, a sophomore at Carlisle School and a member of Piedmont Arts' Teen Arts Council said, "As a member of TAC, I believe it is very important to learn about and experience all forms of art and appreciate art from other cultures. The Piedmont Arts trip to VMFA provided the perfect opportunity to see art from multiple cultures. My favorite exhibit was the modern art because it is up to each individual's perspective and interpretation.

Piedmont Arts' field trip to VMFA was made possible by a grant from the Peggy Johnson Hope for Children Fund through the Martinsville Area Community Foundation.