By Kiran Sabharwal
One of the largest health concerns in summer months, especially when temperature rise above 86 degrees, is heat-related illness. July temperatures can bring the risk of heat exhaustion or even heat stroke, so it’s important to take breaks from the heat in air-conditioned spots and drink lots of water. What better spot than the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts?
With air-conditioning, plenty of spots of sit, and breathtaking public art, the VMFA is a great spot to beat the heat on hot summer days. The museum is free, open 365 days a year, and features almost 50,000 works of art. The VMFA is also open until 9pm on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, making it a great resource for when temperatures stay warm into the evening. You can even use the CDC’s HeatRisk dashboard, which helps you look at heat conditions for the week ahead, to decide when to plan your visit!
This week, we visited the VMFA, one of our favorite undercover public health resources with Virginia Department of Health interns from across the state! Wondering what to check out while you cool down? Read on for some amazing recommendations.
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Leah Loveday says her favorite spot was the Art Deco exhibit. Leah worked on the Central Shenandoah Community Health team.
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Ateeqa Ijaz, a Health Data intern from Western Tidewater Health District, recommends the Egyptian Art Wing!
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Olivia Mangini, who worked in Central Office for VDH, suggests a visit to the VMFA’s Asian Art.
Looking for some more public health and art overlap? Grab a comfy seat in the VMFA’s first floor library and ask to see their zine collection. Featuring works created in Richmond by Virginia artists, many of the zines also focus on public health!
And, whether you are an art fanatic or not, there are lots of free spots to cool off across our region when the HeatRisk dashboard predicts extreme heat:
- Richmond Department of Social Services Marshall Plaza: 900 E. Marshall St., Suite 160, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
- Richmond Department of Social Services – Southside Plaza: 4100 Hull Street Road, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
- Richmond Public Libraries (check individual locations for hours)
- Henrico County Public Libraries (check individual locations for hours)
- Henrico County Recreation facilities (call individual locations for hours)
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