About Lazare Gallery

At Lazare, we set out to create more than a gallery, but a true art destination. Purposefully situated away from the distractions of major urban centers, our home in historic Charles City County, Virginia, just upriver from Colonial Williamsburg, offers a pastoral setting as timeless as the works we exhibit. Nestled along the banks of the James River, our 8,200-square-foot gallery evokes the spirit of pre-Revolutionary Russian patron estates, where artists found both inspiration and sanctuary.

What sets Lazare truly apart is our direct access to the most exceptional works of Russian and Soviet realism. This privilege stems from a deeply personal connection: our son, John Wurdeman, was the first American to graduate from the renowned Surikov Institute in Moscow. Through him, we were welcomed into a close-knit circle of esteemed professors, accomplished contemporary artists, and the heirs of celebrated masters—a community that continues to shape our curatorial vision.