The Taubman Museum of Art, formerly the Art Museum of Western Virginia, is an art museum located in Downtown Roanoke, Virginia, U.S.A., designed by architect Randall Stout.
History
The Art Museum of Western Virginia began in 1947 as an offshoot of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, with an exhibition in the Hotel Roanoke. In 1951 this "Roanoke Fine Arts Center" was incorporated as an independent organization. Renamed in 1980 as "Roanoke Museum of Fine Arts," the museum moved to downtown Roanoke's Center in the Square in 1983. In 1992, the Museum was renamed as the "Art Museum of Western Virginia".
A new design for the museum was unveiled on March 20, 2005 by architect Randall Stout with unique design that inspired debate in the local media with some people saying the design looks like the "wreck of the Flying Nun." The building was initially intended to include space for an IMAX theater but this plan was dropped due to concerns that it might lose money for the museum. Ground was broken on the new museum building in September, 2005. The new art museum president, Heywood Fralin, remarked that the museum would "lead Roanoke and Western Virginia into the future and shape our destiny." Unexpected increases in the cost of building materials led to an increase of the cost of the building from $46 million to $66 million. Looking for other sources of investment to help cover the costs of construction, the museum was renamed the Taubman Museum of Art after receiving a generous donation of $12.5 million from Nicholas Taubman, who is the former chairman and chief executive of Advance Auto Parts. On November 8, 2008, the Taubman Museum of Art opened to the public in the newly completed building.
The underfunded museum has been plagued by financial difficulties.
Gallery Hours
Tuesday - Saturday: 10:00 am â€" 5:00 pm
Every Thursday & First Fridays: 5:00 pm â€" 9:00 pm
Closed Sunday and Monday
Admission
Free general admission is sponsored by Advance Auto Parts
Location
The Museum was formerly located in Roanoke's Center in the Square, but as of November 2008 has relocated to a new $66-million, 81,000-square-foot (7,500Â m2) building designed by Los Angeles, California architect Randall Stout. The new museum is named the Taubman Museum of Art, in honor of Ambassador Nicholas F. Taubman and his wife Jenny, who have been its largest donors.
Collection and exhibits
The Museum's permanent collection focuses on American art, with an emphasis on the artistic expressions of the Western Virginia and the Appalachian region. The collection has included works by Thomas Eakins, Winslow Homer and Childe Hassam.
External links
- Taubman Museum of Art official site
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