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Museums at Washington and Lee University

Name: Museums at Washington and Lee University
Address: 204 W Washington Street, Lexington, VA, 24450, US
Telephone: +15404588768
Price range: Not applicable

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Museums at Washington and Lee University

We advance learning through direct engagement with the collections. Free admission and all are welcome.

The Museums at W&L advance learning through direct engagement with the collections and facilitate an interdisciplinary appreciation of art, history, and culture. The Museums at W&L consist of the Reeves Museum of Ceramics, University Chapel & Galleries, and Watson Galleries. Sign up for our monthly newsletter at http://eepurl.com/immQK6

08/31/2026

What a great week of festivals! Last Monday, the W&L Art Museum participated in Connect BV in Buena Vista, and on Saturday, we took part in the Rockbridge Community Festival in Lexington.

It was wonderful talking with everyone and sharing some of the exciting things we're doing. Folks were able to hold 3D prints of collection pieces on display, learn about upcoming exhibits and programs, peruse some of our recent publications, and pick up lots and lots of stickers!

Thank you so much to Main Street Buena Vista, the Lexington Rotary Club, and the Lexington-Rockbridge Jaycees for putting on these amazing community events! We can't wait to come back next year!

08/28/2026

Celebrate the start of Fall Term with an Art Museum block party from the northern end of the Colonnade to Watson Galleries. Join us for lawn games, museum swag, complimentary refreshments, and a seal carving workshop led by artist Zhang Xiaoli.

This event is open to the W&L campus community.

This program is supported by the Center for International Education and Student Affairs.

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Friday, September 4, 2026 @ 12 - 3 PM
Front Lawn of Watson Galleries & Colonnade Block

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Graphic Design by Aya Krisht

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08/21/2026

🎉 Join the W&L Art Museum for an exhibition marking a truly historic milestone!

In 1875, Washington and Lee University received its first gift of art through the bequest of Dr. William Newton Mercer (1790-1874), alongside a collection of one thousand books for its library. This initial art gift included six portraits, including paintings of such American figures as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Chief Justice John Marshall. Through subsequent gifts, purchases, and artist-in-residence programs, the art collection has since grown to over 15,000 objects!

"150 Years: A Collection Begins" is presented in partnership with the University Library and is the first in a series of exhibitions marking the 150th anniversary of the art collection.

Learn more and register for the upcoming 150th anniversary lecture and reception at tiny.cc/150opening.

🗓️ Sep 2, 2026 - May 29, 2027
🎈 University Library Gallery
✨️ 150th Anniversary Lecture and Reception: Oct 15, 5:30 - 7:30 PM

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Chester Harding, Portrait of Chief Justice John Marshall, 1829-1830, oil on canvas. Art Museum at Washington and Lee University, Bequest of Dr. William Newton Mercer, U1875.1.2.

Graphic Design by Aya Krisht

08/19/2026

This year and next, we are excited to celebrate over a century and a half of art stewardship, from 1875 to the present day! Stay tuned for exciting programs.

08/18/2026

This morning, we're highlighting another student worker and their summer break adventures!

Lydia Ruffin '29 is a gallery assistant at the W&L Art Museum, and this summer, she joined the team at George Washington's Mount Vernon as an historic trades intern, working the demonstration farm portion of the estate.

Like Mount Vernon interns before her, Lydia spent much of her time teaching visitors about 18th-century trades and farming practices, but with it being the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, she was also able to participate in the historic landmark's major festivities, which she describes as "a very special experience."

08/14/2026

Class may have been out of session, but that didn't stop our student workers from getting the most out of this summer!

Viseth Meng '29 is a gallery assistant at the W&L Art Museum, and this summer, he served as a program advisor for the Advanced Immersion and Mentoring (AIM) Program, mentoring 22 incoming first-year students on campus while they participated in summer research and academic immersion. Part of this included adventures at local landmarks like Panther Falls, Lake Robertson, and Little House Mountain.

When he wasn't stewarding W&L's rising generation, Viseth worked as an intern with the Student Engagement and Leadership office, helping to coordinate the AIM Program and various aspects of the upcoming academic year.

08/10/2026

Last week, our colleagues at W&L's Integrative and Quantitative (IQ) Center came over to laser 3D scan a number of pieces from the Art Museum's permanent collection. These scans, combined with photogrammetry taken at the IQ Center's lab, will allow us to create full-color 3D models for virtual display, as well as to 3D print art reproductions for classes and members of the public to handle!

08/07/2026

The W&L Art Museum exhibition "Block Party!" highlights the work of Chinese artist Zhang Xiaoli (b. 1989), a contemporary ink painter who transforms classical Chinese painting traditions to create playful yet contemplative landscapes that bridge past and future.

In 2025, Zhang served as the Art Museum’s second Artist-in-Residence. As part of the residency, Zhang took on student apprentices Katie Lawson ’26 and Sylvia Churchill ’27 while engaging with the Art Museum’s collection of works by I-Hsiung Ju (American, b. China, 1923–2012), a master of Chinese Brush Painting and beloved professor of art at W&L. This Fall Term, she returns as the I-Hsiung Ju and Chow-Soon Chuang Ju Visiting Artist to co-teach two W&L courses in Chinese painting and calligraphy.

Learn more about the artist and exhibition at linktr.ee/block.party and stop by the Watson Galleries to visit “Block Party!” Free and open to the public Wednesdays through Saturdays from 10AM – 5PM.

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Image courtesy of Fu Qiumeng Fine Art and the artist.

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08/05/2026

✨️ Announcing the W&L Art Museum's next major exhibition.

Opening on September 2, "Zhang Xiaoli | Block Party!" invites visitors to delve into imaginary worlds inspired by Chinese landscape painting, printed books, and historical ceramics. Rooted in the classical "gongbi" style, Zhang Xiaoli's work uses interlocking toy blocks and minifigs to explore how painting can make invented worlds feel believable and how images move across cultures, materials, and history.

"Block Party!" is the culmination of Zhang's 2025 artist-in-residence at the W&L Art Museum. The resulting series draws on the museum's collection of works by W&L art professor I-Hsiung Ju (1923-2012), Chinese art, and the Virginian landscapes of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Learn more and register for the upcoming artist talk and reception using the links in our bio.

🗓️ Sep 2 - Dec 12, 2026
🎈 Watson Galleries
🎉 Artist Talk and Reception: Sep 18, 5:30 - 7:30 PM

"Block Party!" is made possible through the generous support of the Center for International Education at Washington and Lee University and the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation.

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Zhang Xiaoli, Le Garden Manual - Staffage Figures (detail), 2025, ink and color on silky paper. Image courtesy of the artist.

Graphic Design by Aya Krisht

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07/29/2026

It's just a couple of weeks before local schools reopen their doors, and we are so excited to soon be welcoming K-12 classes back into our spaces!

This last year, a particularly fun visit was when 5th graders from Enderly Heights Elementary School got to look closely at "Edward Burtynsky: Taking Place" and then create their own Burtynsky-inspired chalk art on the sidewalks by the Colonnade!

Address

204 W Washington Street
Lexington, VA
24450

Opening Hours

Wednesday	10am - 5pm
Thursday	10am - 5pm
Friday	10am - 5pm
Saturday	10am - 5pm

Telephone

+15404588768

Website

https://museums.wlu.edu/

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