R&B icon Alicia Keys and her husband, Swizz Beatz, arrived in Richmond to almost a thousand people lined up around the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

Fans were eager to catch a glimpse of the couple and their new exhibit, “Giants: Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys,” which was going on view a few days later. It brings 130 works from 40 renowned Black artists, including Jean-Michel Basquiat, Kwame Brathwaite, Gordon Parks, Jamel Shabazz, Amy Sherald and Kehinde Wiley.

Interest in the exhibit has been high, with $100 tickets to the Nov. 18 preview party, capped at 900, selling out in less than 10 minutes. The VMFA is only the fourth museum in the country to host the couple’s personal collection, which made its debut at The Brooklyn Museum.

Keys and Beatz arrived with a fleet of security cars and posed for photos in front of Kehinde Wiley’s “Rumors of War” statue. From there they made their way inside for a photo op before meeting with museum donors and exploring the museum.

The night buzzed with high fashion, DJs spinning hip-hop and R&B tracks, and guests eagerly waiting for the Deans to address the crowd.

“What we’re so excited about is that these doors are open for everybody,” Keys told the crowd packed into the atrium. “That is the purpose of ‘Giants,’ to remind us that we are the giants. The giants are inside of us. We definitely deserve to see the reflections of ourselves hanging on the walls.”

On display in the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts’ exhibit “Giants: Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys,” through March 1: “The Gloves Are Off,” 2018, Deborah Roberts (American, born 1962). Acrylic paint, ink, found photograph and gouache on paper. From the Dean Collection, courtesy of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys. Copyright Deborah Roberts. (Courtesy of the artist and Stephen Friedman Gallery, London and New York)

Beatz, whose real name is Kasseem Dean, added, “We wanted to bring our home to Virginia and make these works available for people to see, (so that) people can learn, people can be inspired” from it.

The preview party saw an engaging mix of Richmonders, Black and white, young and old, representing the wide interest in the exhibit.

“The Deans and their collection is one of the great collections of contemporary art, not just in America, but in the world,” Alex Nyerges, director and CEO of the museum, said. “And the parallel between the collection here at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and that of the Deans is amazing. About 20 or more of the artists in their collection and in ours are the same. The very best artists in the world today.”

The exhibition’s title, “Giants,” refers to the well-known artists featured in the exhibit, as well as the monumental scale of the work.

On display at the VMFA: “Portrait of Alicia Keys Dean,” 2024, Kehinde Wiley (American, born 1977), oil on linen. Copyright Kehinde Wiley. (The Dean Collection, courtesy of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys)

Highlights include a candid photo of Muhammad Ali by legendary photographer Gordon Parks; Jamel Shabazz’s striking photos of breakdancers in 1980s New York; and larger-than-life portraits of the famous couple by Kehinde Wiley. The exhibit also features personal items from the couple, such as her piano and his turntables.

On Wednesday, the Deans returned to the museum to meet with students from area high schools and colleges. The couple emphasized the importance of Black people’s being able to see themselves represented in the artwork.

The couple took questions from the crowd, such as:

“At what age did you know that music was your life?”

“Would you share a challenge or obstacle you ran through early on and how you overcame it?”

“When you are creating and get stuck, what are some ways you get unstuck?”

On display at the VMFA: “Portrait of Kasseem Daoud Dean,” 2024, Kehinde Wiley (American, born 1977), oil on linen. Copyright Kehinde Wiley. (The Dean Collection, courtesy of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys)

Beatz spoke about being immersed in music while growing up in Brooklyn. He had his first hit at age 17, when he was producing, DJing and even cutting hair. He said he first met Keys at age 15 while attending Truman High School.

“Don’t underestimate yourself,” Keys said. “Every dream you ever had is absolutely possible, and when we look at you, we see ourselves. You are a reflection of us, and we are a reflection of you. And you are giants, no question about it.”

If you go

When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday through Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Friday. 10 to 5 on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Through March 1

Where: 200 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd.

Tickets: $8, ages 7 through 17, and students with ID; $12, adults; $10, 65 and older; members and kids under 6, free. Reserve online or buy on site.

Details: vmfa.museum, 804-340-1400
On display at the VMFA: “Rude Boy, Brooklyn, NYC,” 1981, Jamel Shabazz (American, born 1960), chromogenic print. Copyright Jamel Shabazz. (The Dean Collection, courtesy of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys)

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