The Shadow
CLIFTON FORGE, Va. (VR) – Mountain Gateway Community College (MGCC) is proud to host the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts’ (VMFA) exhibition, Love, Laughter, Tears: An Artist’s Guide to Emotions, from April 9-11, 2025. This exhibition explores the deep and complex relationship between art
and emotion, showcasing how artists from various cultures and historical periods have used their work to express and communicate the full range of human emotions.
The exhibition highlights how color, shape, symbolism, and text are used by artists to convey feelings, offering visitors a chance to reflect on both personal and collective emotions. Each artwork in the exhibition reveals how significant cultural and historical moments have influenced
emotional landscapes, allowing visitors to engage with the emotional power of art.
“Art, in any discipline, is part of what makes us human. It’s important that we never get too far away from that ideal, and this is an opportunity to connect with the arts in a way that allows us to remember who we are and who we can be,” said Josh Hagy, MGCC Humanities and
Communications program head.
The redesigned VMFA on the Road Artmobile will also be part of the event, offering an interactive, hands-on experience for people of all ages. This dynamic mobile art space brings works from VMFA’s collection directly to communities across Virginia, particularly underserved areas. The Artmobile features immersive digital activities and educational programming to help engage visitors with art in a personal and meaningful way.
The mission of VMFA on the Road is to foster intergenerational learning by providing opportunities for hands-on interaction with authentic art objects and offering digital experiences that spark creativity and conversation. By bringing art directly to communities, VMFA on the Road ensures that people across the Commonwealth have access to meaningful, interactive art experiences.
The exhibition will take place at the main campus of Mountain Gateway Community College, located at 1000 College Drive in Clifton Forge, VA, and will be located in the parking lot behind McCarthy Hall (the back parking lot on MGCC’s Main Campus). Admission to the event is free, and all members of the community are encouraged to attend. The exhibit will be open to the public April 9 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., April 10 from 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., and on April 11 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. This is a unique opportunity to engage with art in a way that promotes dialogue, reflection, and connection.
The visit is sponsored in partnership with the Clifton Forge School of the Arts and The Red Lantern Inn.
“I’m sincerely thankful for our partners who helped us bring this exhibit to the community,” Hagy said. “It would not have been possible without them.”
For more information, please contact Josh Hagy, Communications and Humanities Program Head, at jdhagy@mgcc.edu.
