February 15, 2010 — The University of Virginia Art Museum will host a Final Friday reception Feb. 26 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Guests will enjoy refreshments and the special exhibitions "Treasures Rediscovered: Chinese Stone Sculpture from the Sackler Collections at Columbia University" and "Expressions of the Buddhist Faith," on view through March 14.

"Treasures Rediscovered" includes 21 monumental Chinese stone sculptures that provide a comprehensive view of how art manifests ritual practice and reveals, through iconography, the transmission and transformation of culture from the Han (206 B.C.-A.D. 220) through the Tang dynasties (A.D. 617-907). The exhibition also reveals the dissemination of Chinese Buddhist culture along the famed Silk Road.

As a counter to the colossal objects found in "Treasures Rediscovered," "Expressions of the Buddhist Faith" features woodblock printed texts, ceramic tiles, miniature stupas and pagodas, paintings, and sculptures in different medium, demonstrating the broad range of religious expressions inspired by the Buddhist faith.

Admission to Final Friday is free for museum members and U.Va. students, thanks to Arts$. A $3 admission fee is charged to non-members.

Free parking is available at Culbreth Road Garage and in the A6 parking lot, next to Madison Bowl on Rugby Road.

The U.Va. Art Museum is open to the public Tuesdays through Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. Admission is free. For information, visit the Web site.