VMFA history

In 1947, the VMFA was given the Lillian Thomas Pratt Collection of some 150 jeweled objects created by Peter Carl Fabergé and other Russian workshops, including the largest public collection of Fabergé eggs outside of Russia.

During his tenure, Cheek oversaw construction of the first addition, built in 1954 by Merrill C. Lee, Architects, of Richmond, and supported financially by Paul Mellon.

Built in 1955 as a 500-seat theatre within the art museum, it started as a community theater and also hosted special programs in dance, film, and music.

Cheek retired from the museum in 1968 but was an adviser to the VMFA trustees about the next director of the theater arts division.

In 1969 Keith Fowler was appointed as artistic director of VMT. Under Fowler, VMT continued to serve as the headquarters for the Dance, Film and Music societies.

The second addition, the South Wing, was designed by Baskervill & Son Architects of Richmond and completed in 1970.

A gift of funds from Sydney and Frances Lewis of Richmond in 1971, provided for the acquisition of Art Nouveau objects and furniture.

In 1973 its production of Maxim Gorky's play Our Father transferred to New York, to the Manhattan Theater Club.

A third addition, known as the North Wing, was designed by Hardwicke Associates, Inc. of Richmond and completed in 1976.

Fowler resigned in 1977 after a dispute with VMFA administration over the content in VMT's premiere of Romulus Linney's Childe Byron.

In December 1985, the museum opened its fourth addition, the 90,000 square feet (8,400 m) square foot West Wing.

In 1993, the Commonwealth of Virginia transferred the care of the Robinson House from the Department of General Services to VMFA. The nearly fourteen acre property of Robinson House, a former veterans camp, was transferred between state agencies to the museum.

In 1999, the former home was adapted for use as the Center for Education and Outreach (now the Pauley Center), housing the museum's Office of Statewide Partnerships.

Beginning in 2001, the VMFA created a master plan for development of this land in what was otherwise a built-out residential part of the city.

Because of continuing financial problems, the non-profit theater closed in 2002.

The theater was expected to relocate in 2003, and was projected to be an anchor tenant in a new Virginia Performing Arts Center.

He later became a co-founder in 2004 of the Ohio Shakespeare Festival.

In 2008 the museum received a $200,000 grant from the Luce Foundation to support the installation and interpretation of its American collections.

Unfortunately this building was poo-pooed for it kidney-like shape and was demolished and rebuilt in 2010.