The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts recently awarded nearly $160,000 to 24 recipients of 2025-26 Visual Arts Fellowships. Among them was film and video artist Benjamin Rinehardt, whose family has longtime ties to Mathews County.

Rinehardt, the son of Mathews native Betty Richardson Rinehardt and her husband, Rich Rinehardt, was one of 12 artists who received professional-level fellowships of $8,000 each.

Additionally, five graduate students were awarded $6,000 each, and six undergraduate students were awarded $4,000 each.

According to Rinehardt’s award letter, he and the other 23 award recipients were selected from a pool of 469 candidates. They will be honored at a reception at the museum on March 14.

All recipients for this award must live in Virginia and may use the money they receive as desired, including for education and studio investments.

VMFA’s Visual Arts Fellowship Program marks its 85th anniversary this year, said a press release. Since it was established in 1940 by John Lee Pratt of Fredericksburg, it has provided more than $6 million in fellowship awards to Virginians. According to VMFA Director and CEO Alex Nyerges, the program is “one of the largest fellowship programs of its kind in the United States.”

For more information, visit vmfa.museum.