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[0] => america-250
[1] => festival
[2] => festival-activities
[3] => museum
[4] => special-events
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DATES
For school visits:
For drop-in visitors and Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion festival goers:
Scroll down for schedule
Location: Cumberland Square Park parking lot, corner of Cumberland & Moore Streets
(directly across from the Birthplace of Country Music Museum)
VMFA on the Road provides visitors the opportunity to see and experience authentic works of art from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. This state-of-the-art experience is an Artmobile for the 21st century. By way of VMFA’s Statewide Partners program, which includes 1,000 community centers, small museums, colleges, and universities, VMFA on the Road brings enriching art experiences to thousands—literally meeting people where they are. This state-of-the-art mobile museum and education studio will be at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum and open to school groups, drop-in visitors, and Bristol Rhythm festivalgoers for several days in September.
Exhibit Description: Brought to you from the collection of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Virginia as America: Navigating Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness explores the American ideal that was first expressed in the Declaration of Independence. Fourteen works of art—paintings, prints, and decorative objects—provide an alternative lens by which to understand our past, encouraging us to consider the hopes and challenges of those founding principles and their persistent relevance for realizing a “more perfect union.”
You can learn more about the artwork on display here.
This VMFA exhibition is in recognition of VA250, the Commonwealth of Virginia’s commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, the Revolutionary War, and the Independence of the United States.
Family Visit Guide: A Family Visit Guide is available online, and paper copies will be available at the Artmobile for visitors to use and take with them.
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DROP-IN VISITORS
Drop-in visitors can view the Artmobile for free on Wednesday, September 9 and Thursday, September 10, 2026 at times when school groups are not booked, see below (BOOKED and OPEN FOR DROP-IN VISITORS times will be marked as such).
Drop-ins are also welcome Friday, September 11–Sunday, September 13 (see open times below) because the Artmobile will be just outside the Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion festival gates, but entry into the festival footprint requires a BRRR 2026 wristband.
Take an art break! Bring your friends, family, kids, grandma, or whoever you know would enjoy a wonderful art experience and drop-in on the VMFA on the Road Artmobile. This is a FREE opportunity!
The Artmobile will be closed Wednesday and Thursday 11:50am–12:50pm for lunch.
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School Information
School groups can visit the Artmobile on Wednesday, September 9 and Thursday, September 10, 2026. This is a FREE visit!
The VMFA on the Road Artmobile will be open to middle school, high school, and college groups on September 9–10, 2026. A field trip to the Artmobile exposes students to multiple art mediums and concepts using visual thinking, sketching, and writing. Admission is free to the Artmobile.
Several time slots are available for school group visits, and schools can book multiple/consecutive time slots if needed (please get in touch if you need another time than the ones shown below, e.g. later in the day):
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10
Educators can pick from a variety of learning activities for their student visit.
You can access Artmobile educational resources here.
A tour of the Artmobile is a 30-minute experience. An optimum visit has 10–12 students (with one adult); larger groups will be divided into groups of 20 (with two adults). Teachers can also add a FREE guided tour of the Birthplace of Country Music Museum’s special exhibit Charles Vess: The Book of Ballads (also a 30-minute experience) to your visit to the Artmobile. This exhibit is a wonderful companion to the Artmobile experience, giving students and teachers the chance to learn about regional artist and illustrator Charles Vess and explore his beautiful fantasy-style artwork inspired by Appalachian ballads. If you would like to also book a tour of the museum’s permanent exhibits, our usual student group admission applies.
For further information about a VMFA on the Road Artmobile experience for your students and to book a tour, please contact Tobias Gosfield at tours@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org, providing the following information: Date of tour, preferred time of tour, name of school, teacher’s name, grade level, and size of group. Please also put VMFA tour in the subject line.
Bookings must be made by September 2, 2026.
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Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion Information
Festivalgoers can visit the Artmobile on Friday, September 11– Sunday, September 13, 2026
The VMFA on the Road Artmobile will be free and open to festivalgoers on September 11—13, 2026, just one more way to make your Bristol Rhythm experience even more special! A fun arts & crafts table will also be set up outside the Artmobile for anyone who needs a creativity break!
The Artmobile will be open at the following times:
Friday, September, 11: 1:00–7:00pm
Saturday, September 12: 9:00am–6:00pm (closed 1:00–2:00pm for lunch)
Sunday, September 13: 10:00am–5:00pm (closed 1:00–2:00pm for lunch)
