VMFA’s summer of Mughal splendor: Inside the events tied to the museum’s blockbuster new exhibition

For the next four months, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is turning its attention east. India’s Great Mughals: Art, Power, and Opulence opens Saturday, May 9, and runs through August 23, bringing 200 objects from one of history’s wealthiest courts to Richmond. Paintings and illuminated manuscripts, textiles, jeweled arms, architectural fragments, metalwork, and precious stones trace a century of imperial taste under three emperors, Akbar, Jahangir, and Shah Jahan, who ruled from 1556 to 1658.

The show was organized by London’s Victoria and Albert Museum. At VMFA, it’s coordinated by Dr. John Henry Rice, the museum’s E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Curator of South Asian and Islamic Art.

“This summer, visitors to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts will be transported to India during the time of the great Mughal empire,” said Director and CEO Alex Nyerges.

Rather than rely on the exhibition alone to do the work, the museum has built out a calendar of programs across all four months. Here’s how it shapes up.

Throughout the run

Groups of six or fewer can book a 50-minute guided tour of the exhibition for the cost of admission. Reservations are first-come, first-served through VMFA.museum.

May

The opening curator’s talk on May 7, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., is already sold out. Emily Hannam, curator of South Asian art at the V&A, will trace the evolution of Mughal art across the three reigns. A free livestream will be available on the museum’s website for anyone who didn’t get a ticket.

On May 22, Art of Wine takes the Mughal theme into the bar. From 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., guests 21 and over can sample dishes from Lehja, the Indian restaurant that’s been one of Richmond’s most decorated for years, paired with wines selected to match the exhibition’s themes of luxury and cultural fusion. Tickets are $65 and include a souvenir wine glass, food ticket, unlimited tasting, two pours, and 20% off an exhibition ticket.

June

Dr. Mika Natif, associate professor of art history at George Washington University, will give a talk titled Women in Mughal Art: Visibility, Power, and the Politics of Representation on June 12, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Natif’s work situates Mughal images of women within court culture, Indo-Persian literary tradition, and the broader transcultural exchanges that shaped the period. Tickets are $8, or $5 for members.

July

Sarod Trilogy performs July 9, from 6 to 8 p.m. The lineup is serious: sarod grand master Amjad Ali Khan, joined by Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash, with Amit Kavthekar on tabla. Tickets are $20, or $15 for members.

The free Dance After Work program on July 17, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., turns the focus to Kathak. Bharati Khopkar and her students will lead participants through the classical form’s footwork, gesture, and storytelling, the kind of dance that would have unfolded in a Mughal palace.

Art After Hours gets a Mughal edition on July 25, from 7 to 11 p.m. Kelli Lemon hosts, with DJ Lonnie B and the Legacy Band performing live. Standard tickets are $65, or $55 for members. An enhanced version, which adds a Bollywood set from DJ Jasbir and a talk from Dr. Rice, runs $175 per pair, or $160 for members.

August

Open Studio Sunday on August 2, from noon to 3 p.m., invites visitors to create watercolor designs based on motifs from Mughal paintings and decorative arts. It’s free, and children under 13 need to come with an adult.

The “3 in 30” program Mughal Fascinations runs August 4, from 11 to 11:30 a.m., with Dr. Rice walking visitors through objects in the permanent galleries. His angle: the Mughals were as fascinated by their adopted Indian home as we are by them. A virtual version follows on August 6.

The series closes on August 21 with another Dance After Work, this one from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Members of the Richmond Bollywood Dance Academy will lead a session in the high-energy fusion style that blends classical Indian, folk, and modern movement. The program is free.

Tickets and admission

Exhibition tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors 65 and over, and $8 for youth ages 7 to 17 and college students with ID. Admission is free for members, children 6 and under, Commonwealth of Virginia employees, and preschool and K-12 teachers, public or private.

Through Museums for All, visitors with an EBT card can buy tickets for $2, with a limit of four per card. Through Blue Star Museums, active-duty, National Guard, and Reserve military personnel and their immediate families get in free.

Tickets and the full program calendar are at VMFA.museum.