Pancake portrait by Steve Hedberg
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts’ director since 2006, Alex Nyerges actually does sleep, but only about half as much as most of us. Maybe that helps account for the heightened activity at the VMFA, where the number of visitors rose from 330,000 in 2010, when the museum reopened after a $150 million renovation and expansion, to more than 550,000 last year. As he answered our questions, the Rochester, New York, native was preparing for the opening of the Yves Saint Laurent fashion design exhibition on May 6 and curating a 2019 exhibition on the legacy of Hungarian-American photographers in the 20th century that will also go on an international tour.
For me, the ideal breakfast is scrambled eggs and biscuits — fresh, homemade biscuits.
My favorite thing about Richmond is the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, of course.
When someone visits me, I have to take them to the VMFA first. Then to the river, L’Opossum, Church Hill … and the list goes on!
One thing that drives me crazy about Richmond is that [so many] people in the world don’t know that it’s a progressive and artistic city full of vibrant and exceptional people.
If you’re having me over for dinner, I hope you’re serving a great Virginia, Italian or French wine, and great conversation, too.
I never get tired of listening to Elvis.
My biggest pet peeve is pessimists.
If my friends had to use one word to describe me, it would be energetic. I sleep four to five hours a night; there’s never enough time to do it all.
My all-time favorite work of art is the “Mona Lisa”— what a smile.
The book I’m reading now: Two, actually. The first is “Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With the Wind: A Bestseller’s Odyssey from Atlanta to Hollywood” [by Richmonders Ellen Brown and John Wiley Jr.]; the second is a book on the photography of André Kertész.
I can’t live without art.
If I had the chance, I would like to meet Martin Luther King Jr.
Something people should know about me: I’m a rabid Orioles fan. I live and breathe baseball.
When I was growing up, I thought I would be a major-league baseball player.
The best day of my life: [It’s] a tie: the day my son, Robert, was born; my wedding day to Kathryn.
The worst job I’ve ever had: I’ve never had [a bad] one.
One thing I wish I could change about myself: I could be better at being more empathetic.
When all else fails, open a good bottle of wine, open a good book and take a nap.
In 2017, I will be looking forward to another great year. To 2018 — and beyond!
Flip to the Back is the monthly back-page feature in Richmond magazine's print edition, where we interview intriguing Richmonders and capture their likeness via pancake portrait. Because ... why not?
