In 1953, the VMFA (Virginia Museum of Fine Arts) was among the first museums in the world to create a mobile exhibit bus, then called “the Artmobile.” During its lifetime, the Artmobile circulated 60 exhibitions and served more than 2.5 million people.

The program was abandoned in the early 1990’s in favor of developing stronger partnerships with schools, community centers, and museums around the state, but in 2017 RWD brought the Artmobile back to life. The inaugural exhibit, How Far Can Creativity Take You? asks this question through works by twelve fellows who are represented in the museum’s permanent collection and have achieved acclaim in the art world. The artists’ journeys were fueled by passion and hard work, and made possible by the VMFA Fellowship Program.

How Far Can Creativity Take You? illustrates the rich fusion of inspiration, creativity, and opportunity that the VMFA has to offer. The range of artwork chosen represents the diverse backgrounds of the artists and demonstrates how their creativity manifests. While their approaches vary widely, each artist emphasized a strong sense of place felt in Virginia. It is fitting that the VMFA On the Road’s debut exhibition embodies the multitude of experiences shared by Virginians from the Atlantic Coast to the Appalachians, and from the Beltway to rural Southside.