Taubman Museum of Art

Decent art museum located at the Roanoke downtown, artifacts are on display on 2nd floor only, not too many paintings to be honest. I have seen far better art museum in Charlotte or DC.

I enjoyed the mix of periods, the lighting and the very managble size for a 90 minute visit before dinner and theatre during our annual autumn visit to Folly Beach.

The Taubman Museum is home to some of the most beautiful and important works of art from Virginia, as well as American artists, spanning from 1800 to the present day. Here, you can see many important art schools and spend a pleasant time viewing the most important works of art, including paintings, and sculptures.

The Taubman is a small, but lovely art museum. Their special exhibitions are always interesting and above average. Their permanent collection has recognizable names (Singer Sargent, Rockwell, Betty Branch, Eakins, etc.), as well as lesser known artists. Admission is free, always. Go...you won't be sorry!

Really nice exhibit -- especially for a free museum it's really incredible, with a large selection of organized and interesting artwork. Mostly paintings but also some sculpture. There were also some children's activities/exhibits while we were there, though we didn't look at them ourselves. I especially liked this watercolor, which gives a very 3d effect when viewed from a distance.

My artististic family loves attending the museum to learn from other artists styles and techniques. The staff are always friendly when approached yet allow space for individual, undisterbed observation. There are changes to displays to keep return interest too.

This museum is lovely. They are free to the public and also offer a paid exhibit. They won available when we visited was $10 a person the art is varied and the building a work of art on its own! I highly recommend spending some time at Taubman Museum of Art

I went here on a date and we loved it! I've lived in Roanoke my whole life and never gone, but I will definitely go back! We enjoyed the Shakespeare Garden exhibit, the ecology exhibit, and the experience art section the most. There's also free general admission, but you do have to leave any drinks up front.

One of the required elements of a great city is to have a quality Art Museum. Here in the Star City of Roanoke that quality Art Museum is the Taubman Museum of Art. Art is what makes our lives ritcher and Art appreciation brings great joy to an otherwise boring life. For this reason is the important role that this Art Museum plays in our community. A couple of days ago I decided to become a member of the Museum, go visit it once more, and write this review for people to read, view my photographs and decide for themselves whether it's worth it to put aside some time to go visit it and what they could get out of it. First of all I would like to mention that the award-winning architectural design of the building by the internationally renowned architect Randall Stout is in of itself a Masterpiece work of art. At first sight it might look like a modern rendition of Noah's Ark. But if you look closer you can see that the architect took special care to honor naturalistic elements of the Roanoke region, such as its beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains and the Mill Mountain Star. The building itself is something to admire and visually enjoy. Expensive gems come in small sizes. I consider this as one of the most beautiful and valuable assets of the City of Roanoke. As I entered its doors and introduced myself at the guest station in the entrance, simply as a new member who had just joined, I was warmly welcomed and given a ticket for the Special exhibition of Eternally New: The Art Nouveau World of Alphonse Mucha. The general admission to the public is free, but to see the Special exhibition there is a modest fee, unless you're a member. On the first floor they had everything set up for a wedding reception dinner. The area looked so elegant and inviting. I was amazed at how this Museum used some of its space for private or public gatherings and activities to involve members of the community. They also had a nice Museum Shop and a Cafe and patio on this floor. On the second floor they have eleven galleries to exhibit artworks from their respected permanent collection as well as a special space for rotating special annual exhibitions showcasing the best of the best. On the third floor they have the City of Roanoke Atrium and a wonderful Auditorium and other meeting and activities rooms. Besides all these spaces for exhibition and social events, the Museum has excellent programs for the community as well as hosts a yearly Sidewalk Art Show that is very popular to meet local artists, see their work, and be able to purchase some quality original art pieces. Art is wonderful, I remember the joy I had the time I purchased my most valuable painting by Mary K. Trotter, an American woman artist who studied in Philadelphia before moving to Paris. I highly recommend this wonder of an Art Museum in all aspects. Go visit it, appreciate its masterpieces, attend one of its tours, take one of its classes, get involved in one of its programs, learn to love and enjoy art. For art is a wonderful and splendid thing, that brings joy and flavor into our lives.

You can't miss Roanoke's centrally located and architecturally distinctive art museum. It is free to enter, though they were working on a paid exhibit when I stopped in. The actual art was mostly on the second of three floors, while the first floor was a cafe and gift shop. The third floor was administrative space and a balcony overlooking the city. I found the utilization of space strange; you'd think a building this size could fit more exhibits, and the other facets of the building didn't seem busy. There was some good variety in the art that was there, and some kid-friendly interactive bits as well. One important positive was that they are open until 9 PM on the first Friday of each month. Art museums are often tough to get to for people who work normal hours, so I appreciate any evening hours I see.

This museum admits visitors free thanks to special arrangements made possible by another agency. The friendly staff greets visitors thoroughly explaining this uniquely designed museum and the artwork displayed there. You are even given a floor map as a guide. More parking is available on Salem Avenue behind the building. Do enjoy your visit there!

Taubman Museum of Art is a beautiful building hearkening to the Guggenheim in NYC or any Gehry building. They have interesting local displays and great curated shows (like the Auto as Art a few years back). Part of Roanoke's Museum Row, this is definitely worth a stop - but make sure you check what they'll be exhibiting before you head out.

Price (5/5): We went to the free part of the museum. There was about 5 rooms with art, jewelry, and pictures of the Natural Bridge. There were some paid exhibits that we didn't go to, but from the outside, it looked like the other exhibits... just more artwork. Exhibits (3/5): The majority of the exhibits were about the Natural Bridge so it was a bit repetitive. One of the Natural Bridge rooms had a plate that someone clearly tried to take the price tag off. It was pretty funny; we had to take a photo of it! The free part and the shop took about 40 mins to walk around. Overall, if you're looking to spend some time walking around to see some cool things, you should give this a shot.

Stopped in while visiting the Downtown Roanoke area. This museum has a cool exterior design which initially reminded me of the Louvre. I came to find out that its large glass peak in the atrium is actually to recall the point of the Roanoke Star. Admission to the museum is actually free, but they of course accept donations. The staff was very friendly and helpful. I was actually surprised by the number of staff they had as it's a smaller museum. However, they were mostly making sure to enforce social distancing and masks coverings. They were limiting the number of people inside each exhibit and I even saw someone on staff asking a couple to wear their mask correctly, which I applauded. The exhibits were on the 2nd floor. I think there was around 10 exhibitions from a wide range of categories. There was contemporary Israeli art, African American art, Flemish tapestry, a George Washington spotlight, and more. You also could go to the observation patio on the 3rd floor for a nice overlook of Downtown Roanoke. We were probably in and out in an hour or so. I will be honest; I am not a huge art person but enjoyed the opportunity to look around and see these collections at my own pace.

Great museum in a really cool building. We attended during the "Swoon" exhibit and had a great time. The staff are very friendly. It was also great to see some local art work at the time of our visit. Great experience!

Great art museums in off-the-beaten-path cities. That's my jam. I was not expecting the level of great art that I found here in Roanoke and I once again had my expectations exceeded. The Taubman has done a great job with COVID precautions by limiting the number of guests at a time, ensuring masks for all staff and visitors, hand sanitizing stations throughout, posting "one family per elevator" notices and most importantly, setting up a one-way browsing experience through the galleries. The interactive exhibits and the kids painting experience are temporarily shut down. What remains is a grouping of top notch exhibits. "The Subtle Power of Photographs" includes a span of over 100 years of street scenes, portraits and even Civil Rights era sit-ins. Striking images and detail of fascinating humans. Dorothy Gillespie's three dimensional arts are clever and unusual, sculptures of twisted abstract metal pieces. Colorful and evocative. My favorite was the "Outside Eyes: New Perspectives on the Collection" exhibit that included works from American artists including Normal Rockwell, George Inness and William Bradford. The artwork that caught me up is the John Singer Sargent "Portrait of Norah Gribble" because you can see such detail in her eyes. She looks so confident and comfortable in front of the artist. The museum's gift shop is small and they don't have much for reproductions of the art on display, but I did find at least a postcard of Ms. Gribble that will go home with me. Don't miss the patio on the third floor with the view of Roanoke and the rail yards. [Round number review 13800 overall, 1121 of 2020, number 1234 in Virginia.]

Simply an amazing experience to see Ruth Carter's work in person. Her work is there until April 3rd. I attached the pictures of the costumes form Black Panther, but there are many more, Dolomite is my Name, Do The Right Thing, Malcolm X, Amistad, and several others.

I stopped in since I had a free hour, I wish that I had more time. Since I was short on time, I asked a very pleasant docent what I should make certain to see. He directed me to the David Ramey exhibit. Wow, I am so glad that I had the chance to see this amazing collection of drawings and their journal entries. This exhibit perfectly captures a moment in time regarding an old neighborhood as it navigates urban development. There was so much more to see, I will be back when I am in the area again. If you are a fan of designer bags, don't miss the purse exhibit.

Well worth your time for a free experience. A diverse collection of art, coming from different voices.

The Taubman feels like a world class museum in a relatively small town. I've come in during both my visits to Roanoke. During this visit there was also an art show in town and we decided to get a couple of pieces for home - so bringing home a piece of Virginia!

We have been through the museum before. The permanent collection always leaves something to return for, then the rotating collections are changed often enough that it would be impossible to tire. This trip through was for the Art Go Bloom Tour and Tea that is partnered with the Hotel Roanoke. If ever around in May and that is happening it is worth the time and money. The private tour and intimate connections with the art pieces is nice, coupled with inspired floral arrangements. There is a gift shop and a cafe as a part of it, which makes it easy to comfortably spend the day.

This deconstructed modern industrial architecture is hard to miss. It's located downtown right by the neon t-pot sign. For the region, this is a spectacular museum and is worth a visit. I've visited a few times and mainly view the travelling exhibits. It's free except for some of their temporary exhibits. The last one I went to earlier this year was Norman Rockwell's Saturday Evening Post. It was extensive and impressive. It was worth every cent. It's not very big and easily can tour in 1/2 hour - 2 hours. There are several floors and the staff are friendly. It is impressive to find such a museum and dedication of Roanoke for culture. I hear Roanoke is the next Asheville but I hope not. Best place to take photo of the t-pot ;-).

Great local musuem! Had a blast on our anniversary going through and seeing all the exhibits. They also had live classical music.

I'm not sure all of the people in Roanoke realize what an iconic and gorgeous building this is. And the museum, though modest in collection, is great. The photo exhibit on Civil Rights was amazing. The rest of the collections were small and if you're used to the big museums in NYC or DC, you might be disappointed, but to have a museum like this in a smaller city in rural Virginia is a benefit, especially to the kids who are exposed to it. I hope people come to appreciate what this brings to the area.

I wasn't sold on checking out the Taubman Museum of Art until I heard it was free. I had planned a day to explore downtown Roanoke and when I saw the building I was even more intrigued and had to check it out. The museum itself is not that big. The collection isn't very extensive. But I did like how it focused on local artists. I found two of the current exhibits (a photo exhibit on the opioid epidemic and another regarding the lives of Native Americans living in North Dakota) very moving and educational. There is a cafe inside and I saw advertisements for classes offered at the museum. The staff at the info desk was very friendly and helpful. And didn't hesitate at all when I asked if they could take my picture since I was by myself. Definitely worth checking out if you're in downtown Roanoke. Get some culture for free and won't take up your whole day. Make sure you go to the balcony upstairs for a good view of the city.

First time here since the admission is free. Wanted to come years ago but it was too costly. Excellent exhibits. My 9yr old niece had a great time and looked at the art with great interest and asked questions. This trip may have sparked a budding future artist! Really enjoyed our morning here and just a quick walk over to the market.

A gem of an art institution. Beautiful building, inside and out. Admission is free and there's a nice variety of exhibits on the floor. A must visit for everyone who comes through Roanoke.

I really enjoy this art museum. We've gone a few times now, and I see something new every time. In addition to the galleries, there's both a gift shop and a coffee shop. The coffee shop has an outdoor patio with tables and chairs. It's a good place to sit and read or sketch or even just watch people walk by. I like that it's located downtown, so it's an easy walk from lots of different shops and restaurants.

I'm not much of a museum goer, but I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Taubman. It's free and it's right by the farmers market, so there should be no excuses on why you shouldn't include this on your trip to Roanoke. The first floor is a large lobby, kids area, gift shop, and a cute cafe on the side. We saw people getting work done and it's a really nice atmosphere. On the second floor, the exhibits are housed. When we went there was about 4 free exhibits, and one paid exhibit which was about pop art - think Andy Warhol Esque. My favorite was the purse collection. All the crystals WERE SPAAAARKLING, ugh if only I could afford one. The third floor is a nice balcony view of the city! If you're looking to kill time in Roanoke, I think this a great place to start and then go deeper into the city.

Quirky, fun, and absolutely kid friendly. Within walking distance of all that downtown Roanoke has to offer. In addition to the interesting and free exhibits, they have a fantastic children's creative space that is well worth the five dollars per child for nonmembers. Lego stations, craft activities, art education, theater space, it's all there. Highly recommended.

This place neverrrr gets old! I have always loved coming here and so do my kids. Amazing amazing place.

Although smaller than many art museums, the Taubman is one of my favorite art museums of all time. The exterior is an obvious draw, but I also love the lobby and the stairs up to the exhibit halls. The exhibits themselves are wonderful. I have seen an installation on the history of Roanoke done by a set designer who worked on Pee-Wee's Playhouse, Fabergé eggs, Civil Rights Movement photography, an exhibit on jeweled purses that I really didn't think I'd be half so excited about, and an absolutely brilliant exhibit on forms and contrast that I cannot hope to adequately describe. There is also a small but well-chosen permanent collection and a little lounging area with art books to browse if you are so inclined. I am not local to the area, but I have been here often for work and always try to visit. This is a gem of a museum.

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.

Nice art pieces, nothing extreme as in "this is art"? Friendly staff and well kept building! Free admission too!

Saturdays are free and well worth the visit. There is a great section in the bottom level for kids to explore and learn. Today they were working in pottery. There are also areas for puzzles, drawing, a stage with props/costumes and fun things for kids all around. Upstairs is the gallery. While there are a lot of open areas, the museum is still relatively new. There was a gallery with local artists, which was the best. An early American exhibit and the "showcase" exhibit at this time was Faberge. I was not impressed by glittery things, but my wife and daughter liked it. They were preparing for a wedding reception, which was the only down fall. The staff was friendly and abundant. Seems their biggest liability each month has to be labor, but I will never complain about a business giving people jobs. Hope to go back in a month or two.

The building is fantastic- the collection on display was disappointingly limited- for my $9.50 can I have more please? Very impressively knowledgeable and friendly staff

The content is good, but its definitely not kid friendly, which is a shame for a museum. You can't touch anything - literally - as an example my 10 year old boy was admonished simply for leaning against a wall. I am not making that up. Overall a very disappointing experience due to the overall unfriendly atmosphere imparted by the staff toward children.

The Taubman is now free. No admission fee, for general admission. You now have absolutely no excuse not to patronize the museum. They're still building a collection, and trying to find new and interesting things to display, but there's still plenty enough already there to merit a visit. Don't let this be another case of Roanoke ignoring something until it's gone, and then complaining that we can't get anything cool.

We just attended an event at the Taubman Museum of Art that was part of the Roanoke Marginal Arts Festival. The Museum atrium with its soaring space was just the place for this intricate, audience participation piece that wended its way through every gallery. Kudos to the museum for championing not only traditional art but groundbreaking performance art and for its support of the Marginal Arts Festival. The museum is worth a visit (and has a good cafe to boot)

I would suggest the visitor view the museum first by walking around the structure and noticing the slanted roof, angular and contemporary design. I am reminded of a space ship in downtown Roanoke with Florentine paintings inside. I love the lighted walkway to the second floor galleries. The museum cafe serves up unique dishes on interesting design-inspired tableware. You can't miss this place if you visit downtown!

I recently moved to the area and had the opportunity to visit the museum for the first time yesterday. The building is absolutely stunning and the staff is very knowledgable and friendly. While the collection is still somewhat limited, my fiancée and I spent a good hour in there on an absolutely beautiful day and it was well worth our time. And now that admission is free, what better way to spend an afternoon? Highly recommended.

I agree with the above posts, but also want to mention they have a great children's art program.