Mike C.
Yelp
The Taubman Museum of Art (a/k/a Art Museum of Western Virginia) not only houses works of art but is itself a work of art. The striking contemporary building, which was designed by LA-based Randall Stout Architects (RSA) and features Frank Gehry-esque, deconstructivist architectural elements (Stout was a protégé of Gehry), opened to the public last November and combines permanent and temporary exhibition galleries, an auditorium and other educational areas, a multi-purpose atrium area, café and gift shop.
Head-turning does not begin to tell the story about the boldness of the structure: try screeching tires as drivers slam on their brakes to get a look. RSA describes the Taubman as "Cataclysmic Calm", an oxymoronic reference to the violent tectonic shifts that created the beauty and tranquility we associate with the collusion of clouds and sky against the peaks, valleys and streams of the surrounding Blue Ridge and Appalachian Mountains. These images are reinterpreted in the structure by the various stainless steel dips and curves that contrast with the sharp, angular glass shapes that, combined, comprise the building's exterior. Inside, visitors are greeted by light-filled open spaces, limestone floors and an illuminated glass stairway that beckons visitors to the second floor exhibit areas with blonde hardwood floors and where bold-colored walls provide the backdrop for the artwork on display.
Because the building itself is so impressive, the museum is displaying through May a series of sketches and model renderings as well as a time-lapse film that documents the actual construction of the project over its two and a half year span.
The permanent collection of 19th and early 20th century American art is found in the red and blue galleries and includes works by John Singer Sargent, Thomas Eakins, Susan MacDowell Eakins, Winslow Homer, Maria Oakley Dewing, Robert Henri, Childe Hassam, John H. Twachtman, and others. It should be noted that the Eakins works - a bequest from the artist's last living heir - were the impetus behind building the museum.
A current exhibit (ending March 31) is that of Devorah Sperber, a pop-artist whose works include objects like shower curtains, spools of thread and marker caps that, when viewed up-close, appear to be abstract but, when viewed from a distance, reveal the image. Sperber's reworking of Warhol's Campbell's Soup Can and Marilyn Monroe are at-once whimsical and thought-provoking.
Speaking of whimsical, the permanent display of Judith Leiber handbags is similarly spectacular. Leiber designs haute couture handbags that look anything like handbags. Rather, these bejeweled works of art resemble ornaments. And the manner in which the exhibit is staged, it's like walking through a jewelery box
Through June 7, an exhibit called "In Life I was Silent, In Death I Sing" combines photographs that document the stories and building processes of regional instrument makers (guitars, fiddles, double-bass) as well as their finished products. And not just any instrument makers. Craftsman like Wayne Henderson, a guitar maker sought after by performers like Eric Clapton. The exhibit serves as a reminder that not only is music a work of art, but so are the instruments on which it is played. Check out the axe fiddle - the artist comments that a good musician should be able to coax music out of anything, even an old axe.
Due to its stunning design, the Taubman Museum has received national press coverage from publications including USA Today and Fortune. Should potential visitors require any more coaxing, there are also musical performances and an on-site gourmet café from which to enjoy this impressive building.
