Taubman Museum of Art facts for kids
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| Established | 1951 |
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| Location | 110 Salem Avenue SE Roanoke, Virginia, 24011 United States |
| Type | Art museum |
The Taubman Museum of Art is a cool place to see art in downtown Roanoke, Virginia. It used to be called the Art Museum of Western Virginia. This museum officially started in 1951. It moved to a few different spots in Roanoke before finding its current home in 2008. The building itself is a modern art piece, designed by Randall Stout. The museum mainly shows American art. The best part is that general admission is free every day!
Contents
The Museum's Journey: A Look at Its History
The Taubman Museum of Art has a long and interesting history. It started small and grew over many years.
Early Beginnings: How the Museum Started
In 1947, a group of women from the American Association of University Women in Roanoke wanted to bring more art to their city. They asked the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts to send some of its art. Part of the Virginia Museum's collection and staff even moved to the Hotel Roanoke for a while!
Because of this interest, the Roanoke Fine Arts Center was created in 1951. It was an independent group focused on art. In its first few years, the center used Roanoke's main library to show art.
Finding a Home: Moving Around Roanoke
The art center kept looking for its own space.
- In 1954, it rented a building on Franklin Road.
- In 1955, it moved into a new building in South Roanoke. This building was a gift from Mr. and Mrs. J. Meade Harris.
In 1965, the Roanoke Fine Arts Center and the Junior League of Roanoke Valley bought a house called Cherry Hill. The owner sold it to the art center for much less than it was worth. The first art show at Cherry Hill featured works by Thomas Eakins. His relatives in Roanoke lent the art. In 1979, the museum changed its name to the Roanoke Museum of Fine Arts.
A New Downtown Location and a New Name
In 1983, the museum moved again. This time, it went to the new Center in the Square building in downtown Roanoke. This new spot was bigger and had more space for art. It was also meant to be a place where "art happens."
In 1992, the museum changed its name once more. It became the Art Museum of Western Virginia. In 2001, the museum received a special gift from Peggy Macdowell Thomas. This gift included 27 artworks connected to Thomas Eakins and his friends. It also came with money to create a special gallery named after her.
Building the Modern Taubman Museum
By the late 1990s, the museum needed even more space. It had outgrown its home in Center in the Square. In 2000, the city of Roanoke offered land and $4 million for a brand new museum building.
In 2002, Randall Stout was chosen to design the new building. Construction started in May 2006. Stout's design was very modern and different. Some people didn't like it at first, but it has since won awards from all over the world.
In February 2008, the museum's leaders announced the new building would be named after Nicholas F. Taubman and his wife Eugenia Taubman. Nicholas F. Taubman was a former CEO of Advance Auto Parts and later an ambassador. The couple gave over $15 million to the project. The total cost was $66 million. The Taubman Museum of Art opened its doors to the public on November 8, 2008.
What You'll Find Inside
The museum building is about 75,000 square feet. It has twelve galleries that show 12 to 15 different art exhibitions each year. There's also a tall space called the City of Roanoke Atrium. It's 77 feet high and used for large, temporary art installations. Another cool spot is Art Venture, an interactive gallery designed just for younger visitors.
Since 2012, many companies have helped the museum offer free admission to its main galleries. This means more people can enjoy the art!
Art Collections and Exhibitions
The Taubman Museum of Art has a permanent collection of over 2,000 artworks. This collection includes many different types of art.
What Kind of Art Can You See?
The museum's collection features:
- Important American art from the 1800s and early 1900s.
- Modern and contemporary art.
- Photography.
- Design and decorative arts.
- Smaller collections, like Southern folk art.
The American art collection covers different art styles. These include the Hudson River school, American Realism, American Impressionism, and Arts and Crafts movements.
Famous Artists in the Collection
You can see works by many well-known American artists at the Taubman Museum.
- Some famous American artists include Thomas Eakins, Winslow Homer, Childe Hassam, and Norman Rockwell.
- Modern and contemporary artists in the collection include Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, Jacob Lawrence, and Romare Bearden.
Images for kids
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Gentleman and a Dog (1878) by Susan Macdowell Eakins
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Two Sisters (Mary & Elizabeth Macdowell) (1879) by Susan Macdowell Eakins
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William H. Macdowell (1891) by Thomas Eakins
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Alfred Reynolds (1902) by Thomas Eakins
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Walter Macdowell (1904) by Thomas Eakins
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Happy Days (c. 1910-20) by Edward Henry Potthast
