The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts will temporarily close galleries displaying African art, Indigenous American art and Pre-Columbian art beginning July 7 as it prepares for its largest expansion and renovation project.

The museum announced Thursday that affected collections will be removed from view while construction areas are prepared. Most of the permanent collection will remain accessible to visitors.

“There’s always something to see at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, and most of the permanent collection will stay open,” Director and CEO Alex Nyerges said in a statement.

The museum will maintain its 365-day annual schedule and continue hosting programs, events and exhibitions during construction.

Site preparation begins this fall, with groundbreaking expected in spring 2026. Select works from the closed collections will return in September in a gallery dedicated to the Virginia Standards of Learning program.

Galleries featuring American, Ancient, East Asian, European, Photography, South Asian and 21st-century art will remain open. The museum’s current exhibition, “Frida: Beyond the Myth” runs through Sept. 28.

The expansion will add the 173,000-square-foot McGlothlin Wing II, featuring new gallery spaces for American and Indigenous American art, contemporary art, African art and special exhibitions. The addition will include a 500-seat events space, meeting rooms and a café.

The project will also renovate 45,000 square feet of existing gallery space across the museum’s 1936, 1970 and 2010 wings, including expanded areas for photography and European art.

Upon completion in late 2028, the museum will house the nation’s second-largest space for African art, fourth-largest space for American art and fourth-largest photography gallery suite.

Updates on the project are available at VMFA.museum.