Vision

VLAF VISION

Velvet Foundation for the Arts envisions a future in which privately held art collections contribute meaningfully to public understanding, cultural dialogue, and the ongoing study of artistic traditions. Drawing on a multigenerational artistic heritage that includes connections to the 19th-century Austrian painter, Wilhelm August Rieder, the Foundation approaches its work with a deep respect for the continuity of artistic practice across time.

VLAF is committed to preserving collections as coherent, well-documented bodies of work that support the efforts of museums, universities, scholars, and curators who study and interpret the artists and movements represented.

The Foundation seeks to foster opportunities for exhibitions, research, and publication that illuminate the artistic, historical, and cultural significance of the works in its care. Through collaboration with institutions and the development of thoughtful curatorial and educational initiatives, VLAF aims to expand access, deepen understanding, and strengthen the relationship between these collections and the audiences they serve.

Over time, VLAF plans to broaden its activities through additional research projects, thoughtful acquisitions, and partnerships that reflect its commitment to stewardship, scholarship, and culturally meaningful engagement.

Alice Rieder Wilkerson — Deltona Morning (Watercolor)

Painted during Alice’s years in Florida, Deltona Morning captures the quiet intensity of early light breaking across a lakeside landscape. Instead of the fiery drama of sunset, this is the soft-but-powerful glow of sunrise—an expanding burst of warm color emerging from low mist behind a stand of pines. The watercolor demonstrates Alice’s exceptional control of atmosphere: the blurred tree line, the layered smoke-like haze, and the delicate reflections on the water all show her ability to blend pigment while preserving clarity and depth.

A subtle, introspective work, it reflects her gift for translating memory, place, and morning light into a scene that feels both real and dreamlike.

View the Collection of Alice Rieder Wilkerson

Serpentine carving by Chaim Gross titled ‘Head of a Woman,’ featuring a stylized female face emerging from a roughly hewn block of green and amber-toned serpentine stone

Chaim Gross — Head of a Woman (1968) Carved Serpentine (“African Jade”)

Carved from a richly veined block of serpentine, Head of a Woman reflects Chaim Gross’s refined, contemplative style of the late 1960s. The gently closed eyes, softened planes, and subtle tilt of the head convey a calm, introspective presence. Natural variations within the stone—deep greens, pale tones, and delicate inclusions—enhance the quiet elegance of the carving. This work exemplifies Gross’s mature focus on distilling portraiture into pure form and emotion, using the stone’s natural beauty to heighten the sculpture’s serene, almost timeless quality.

View the Collection of Chaim Gross