The Taubman Museum of Art Board of Trustees is sad to share the news that former Executive Director Georganne Coble Bingham has passed away.

Georganne led the Museum from 2003 to 2009, overseeing a number of achievements that transformed the Museum and its collection. “Georganne’s love of art and enthusiasm for Roanoke fueled her,” said Leon Harris, chairman of the Board of Trustees. “She worked tirelessly to raise funds for a new building that could showcase the permanent collection and host major national exhibitions. Thanks in large part to her hard work and dedication, the Taubman Museum of Art is now a world-class arts institution. She will be missed by many in our community and beyond. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family at this time.”

Memorials may be made to Hospice of Davidson County, 200 Hospice Way, Lexington, N.C. 27292, or to Grace Episcopal Church, 419 S. Main St., Lexington, N.C. 27292.

ROANOKE, Va. (Aug. 22, 2017) — The Taubman Museum of Art is pleased to present the special banner exhibition, Play: Toys Reimagined as Art highlighting artists who use toys to create delightfully transformative experiences for “the kid in all of us.” This ticketed exhibition is on view Sept. 10, 2017-Feb. 18, 2018, with a member-exclusive preview day Saturday, Sept. 9.

Play features site-specific installations and sculptures by six artists working in diverse media from crayons to building blocks and inflatables.

“With its highly interactive and engaging artworks and related activities created especially for families, Play focuses on the similarities between how children and adults experience various playful habits of invention, such as curiosity, imagination and problem solving,” said Amy Moorefield, deputy director of exhibitions and collections.

Artistic processes tied to notions of play have historically attracted various 20th-century artists such as avant-garde artist Marcel Duchamp, surrealist Salvador Dali, and Fluxus group artists such as Yoko Ono.

Harkening back to those artist traditions revolving around gaming and play activities, the artists in Play use toys as a medium to continue to explore how play helps us engage with the world around us by inviting us to be playful, a constant and lifelong activity.

About the Artists

Florida artist Jason Hackenwerth, known for his organic and biomorphic forms made from latex balloons, is inspired by the iconic sculptures and mobiles of past artists such as Alexander Calder, yet made playful by his use of balloons as a medium. “Balloons are accessible and they seem to have a magic ability for people to feel joy,” said Hackenwerth.

Miami-based sculptor Billie Grace Lynn’s interactive inflatable sculptures spark discussion and raise awareness about environmental and conservation issues through her depiction of life-size elephants. She models her large inflatables on white elephants, considered sacred animals in Asia where possession of one was considered a display of massive wealth and spiritual blessing, but also required expensive upkeep. Lynn compares this dilemma to our current environmental predicament, commenting that our practices are “too expensive to sustain, yet too precious to surrender.”

Artist and chemist John V. Muntean experiments with LEGO® sculptures that play with light and shadow. Made with thousands of LEGO® bricks and illuminated with a light, the sculptures—which at first glance look like bulky distorted shapes—turn on a spinning axle and produce different shadow figures such as an elephant, unicorn, and triceratops.

LEGO® toys inspired British artist Jon Rolph to make stop-animation films using LEGO® blocks such as in “Paint,” in which Rolph paints an iconic Piet Mondrian painting with LEGO®-made paint, paintbrushes, and a palette, all on a LEGO® canvas.

The nostalgic sculptures created by Lexington, Kentucky-based artist and architect Jason Scroggin are reminiscent of multiple generations’ favorite toy, wooden building blocks. They engage visitors by creating recognizable objects out of the blocks such as life-sized bears. Visitors also can lounge on his Cloud Garden featuring yoga balls as clouds and green carpeting as grass.

Nashville-based sculptor Herb Williams is one of the only independent buyers in the world who maintains an account with Crayola®. He melts the colorful wax sticks into fantastically large sculptures using up to several hundred thousand crayons. Bizarre and yet familiarly nostalgic, Williams’s massive sculptural installations present exotic animals and birds in their native environments.

Play: Toys Reimagined as Art explores the work of artists who borrow from play and games to reveal social, environmental, and cultural issues. From playfulness to mathematical strategy, the artists in Play create experiences that often involve the viewer and reflect on the nature of participation in art.

Play: Toys Reimagined as Art is curated by Amy G. Moorefield, Taubman Museum of Art deputy director of exhibitions and collections, with assistance by Eva Thornton, Taubman Museum of Art curatorial coordinator.

This exhibition is generously supported in part by the City of Roanoke through its Arts Commission; Member One Federal Credit Union; Arkay Packaging; WDBJ7; the Virginia Tourism Corporation and Virginia Is For Lovers™; the National Endowment for the Arts; and the Virginia Commission for the Arts.

The Member-exclusive Preview Day is sponsored by The Roanoke Times.

ROANOKE, Va. (Aug. 7, 2017) — The Taubman Museum of Art is pleased to present Tangled: Fiber Art Now! featuring the work of 11contemporary artists who are redefining how we perceive fiber arts such as knitting, quilting, crocheting and felting. The exhibition is on view now through Feb. 11, 2018, and is free and open to the public.

“Tangled features sculptures, installations, video and performance work using fiber-based materials. It offers an eclectic mix highlighting our connections to nature, the richness and diversity of our culture, our body and our environment through artists who are revolutionizing the use of textiles and fiber,” said Amy Moorefield, exhibition curator and deputy director of exhibitions and collections at the Taubman Museum of Art.

Textile art, which encompasses embroidery, fiber art, knitting, crochet and carpet design, has its roots in the invention of weaving some 27,000 years ago. It is one of the oldest forms of human technology. Artists throughout the ages explored innovations with the medium, and the term “fiber art” began to be used to describe the medium after World War II.

Historically regulated to “women’s work,” fiber art was embraced by the feminist art movement in the 1970s. Since the 1980s, artists have pushed the boundaries of fiber art through the exploration of the materials and techniques.

“Now artists are using fiber art to both define and challenge current social/political issues such as gender, notions of family and women’s work as well as experimentation with materials that may not necessarily be defined under the rubric of fiber such as terra cotta, pearled pins, and dirt,” said Moorefield.

Arizona-based artist Angela Ellsworth’s embroidered Seer Bonnets navigates issues of the body in relation to gender, sexuality and cultural histories of the western United States. Exploring the history of her Mormon grandfather and his polygamist relationships, the project re-imagines a community of women pioneering an alternative history.

West Coast-based artists Ben Venom and Jimmy McBride riff off of traditional quilting practices to create large-scale work based on the mysticism behind heavy metal music and science fiction stories.

Virginia-based artist Kristin Skees’ work combines portraiture, knitting and a love of DIY culture in her Cozy Portrait series, in which she creates a custom knit cozy for each person in the project. While the final form is a photographic portrait, for her, the piece begins with the first conversation, and the first question: “Can I cozy you?”

Emerging fiber artist Meg Arsenovic explores societal boundaries with her vibrantly colored faux fur sculptures.

Mexico City-based artist Xawery Wolski creates dresses out of thousands of handmade terra cotta beads. Each piece is hand-constructed, fired and then meticulously painted, all strung together by sturdy thread to create a sculptural piece in the shape of a dress.

Michigan-based fiber artist Mark Newport challenges stereotypes of men by hand-knitting acrylic super hero costumes, which he then wears.

“Knitting is very slow. That contradicts the idea of a superhero as a man or woman of action. The superheroes that I make are generally male superheroes,” said Newport. “I like the contradiction that most people think about knitting as related to women.”

Both Oklahoma-based Rena Detrixhe and Los Angles-based Megan Whitmarsh have created site-specific installations for the exhibition.

Detrixhe’s contemplative work combines repetitive process with collected or scavenged materials to produce large-scale objects and installations. For Tangled, she created a rug from harvested red clay gathered in the Midwest, stamped with oriental patterns.

Whitmarsh’s soft sculptural installations reference contemporary pop culture and the 1970s and 1980s eras of her childhood. For the exhibition, she created the impression of a 1970s artist studio.

Alice Beasley tackles politically charged events with her fabric portraits that touch on difficult memories such as the death of Trayvon Martin. Beasley said of her inspiration, “One of the great things about being an artist is that even if I can’t change the world, I still have an unfettered opportunity to express my opinions.”

Philadelphia-based artist Caitlin McCormick creates skeletal bodies out of crocheted cotton thread and glue that allude to bird species. She pins them to velvet backings in antique specimen tables as homage to her departed grandmother who crocheted and her grandfather who carved bird sculptures.

Pairing established artists with emerging figures, artists in Tangled explore new horizons being developed at this very moment in fiber art while redefining how we perceive this ancient art form.

Tangled: Fiber Art Now! is on view in the Medical Facilities of America Gallery and the Temporary Exhibition Gallery.

ROANOKE, Va. (Aug. 7, 2017) — The Taubman Museum of Art is pleased to present Jared Soares: Hip Hop Roanoke, a photography exhibition documenting the personal, behind-the-scenes moments of Hip Hop artists working on their craft while aspiring to move from a local to national stage.

The exhibition is on view now through Feb. 25, 2018, and is free and open to the public.

The community is invited to meet Soares Oct. 6, 2017, when he delivers an artist talk about his work. The talk is $8 for the general public and free for members. A special, free performance by celebrated Hip Hop artist Poe Mack, who is featured in the exhibition, will follow Soares’ talk.

In 2008, Soares began photographing the Hip Hop music scene in Roanoke, Va. DIY CDs in corner stores provided him with the contact information of local musicians, who initially regarded him with suspicion. He was slowly invited into the everyday lives of these artists, some with dreams of hitting it big, some grinding away in their free hours for sheer love of the craft. Taking candid shots in musicians’ self-built studios and local venues, Soares documented the artists at work, exploring their transition from musical process to performance.

In the exhibition Hip Hop Roanoke, Soares reunites with the community he still holds dear, revisiting the musicians he now knows as friends and whose musical evolution mirrors Soares’s own artistic journey.

“When I began this project, I was interested in photographing in a specific type of light and color palette. As I’ve progressed, I’ve expanded my approach,” said Soares. “Additionally, I’ve realized how my presence can influence a situation and I’ve become comfortable with being a participant during a scene. Right now, portraiture is a significant interest for me, with both photographer and the individual sitting for the portrait having to participate, so the process becomes collaborative. Transparency is a crucial aspect of the process — it’s important to explain to everyone what the purpose of this whole thing is and to make sure they want to participate. Also, it helps that I knew most of the people in the room, too.”

Soares is a photojournalist living in Washington, D.C., with a special interest in documenting community and identity in America. Beginning his career as a photographer at The Roanoke Times, he collaborated on a series of articles with writer Beth Macy on what would become her bestselling book “Factory Man,” now slated to be an HBO miniseries.

Soares has worked with editorial clients such as AARP, Bloomberg Businessweek, The Fader, Fast Company, Monocle, The New Yorker, Smithsonian, and WIRED, among others. Additionally, he collaborates with brands such as Microsoft, NIKE, VSCO, VICE, The New York Times, and Whole Foods Market.

His prints and artist books are held in the permanent collections of the Portland Art Museum, Sloane Art Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University.

Jared Soares: Hip Hop Roanoke is curated by Eva Thornton, curatorial coordinator for the Taubman Museum of Art.

ROANOKE, Va. (July 31, 2017) — The Taubman Museum of Art Board of Trustees announced today the resignation of Executive Director Della Watkins, effective Sept. 8, 2017.

“The Board is thankful to Della for her leadership, dedication and hard work,” said Leon Harris, chairman of the Board of Trustees. “She represents everything you’d want in a great leader, from savvy business acumen to a kind, caring management style. While we’ll certainly miss her at the helm, we’re fortunate to have a very strong leadership team who will see the Museum through to its next chapter.”

Watkins joined the Taubman Museum of Art in 2013. Under her leadership, the Museum earned reaccreditation from the American Alliance of Museums; completed build-out of the last remaining gallery space that now hosts major national traveling exhibitions; reclaimed financial stability through steady fundraising and aggressive budgeting; and forged new collegial partnerships in Roanoke and beyond to champion the region’s arts and culture community.

“It has been such an honor to serve the Board, staff and our community,” said Watkins. “I am so proud of the steady, positive growth we’ve seen over the past several years. While I’m looking forward to my next position as executive director for the Columbia Museum of Art in South Carolina, a piece of my heart will always be in Roanoke.”

The Taubman Museum of Art Board of Trustees has started the recruitment process for the next executive director. In the interim, the Board has appointed Cindy Petersen, deputy director of education and visitor engagement, as the interim director to ensure continuity and a seamless transition.

ROANOKE, Va. (June 19, 2017) — The Taubman Museum of Art is pleased to present two major projects by New York-based sculptor Paul Villinski (American, born 1960), an artist known for his site-specific installations and transformative use of found materials: the large-scale sculpture titled Passage and the solo retrospective Farther, highlighting several new works made specifically for the Taubman Museum of Art.

“Undercurrents of loss and rebirth are present in much of Villinski’s work,” said Amy Moorefield, the Museum’s deputy director of exhibitions and collections. “Creating work with materials harvested from found sources, the artist evokes magic and wonder for our visitors.”

Passage, suspended in the Museum’s three-story atrium, is a wooden glider reminiscent of the balsawood gliders of the artist’s youth, but scaled up to a wingspan of 33 feet and inhabited by 1,000 black butterflies.

Modeled after the 1950’s Slingsby Skylark Glider made in Yorkshire, England, Passage is inspired by Villinski’s desire to fly as a boy. The son of an Air Force navigator and Vietnam veteran, Villinski has been fascinated with flight since he was a boy. Much of his childhood was spent incessantly reading histories of flight while building and crashing balsawood airplane models and staring longingly at the sky.

In his 30’s, he became a passionate pilot of sailplanes, paragliders and single-engine airplanes. For the artist, flight connotes mankind’s desire to leave our earthly concerns behind.

“Now and then, I have the extraordinary luck to spend a few hours floating along on currents of warm air, the earth’s surface slipping silently by, the mundane anxieties of daily life thousands of feet below the long, white wings of my glider,” said Villinski. “Back in the studio, I wish I could bring everyone I’ve ever met along in the tiny cockpit of my sailplane.”

In addition to flight, butterflies have a special significance for Villinski as they globally symbolize transformation and rebirth.

“Butterflies are impossibly beautiful…these ridiculously delicate creatures fly many thousands of miles each year,” said Villinski.

The butterflies are made from discarded aluminum cans collected from the streets of New York, which are then meticously cut and shaped by hand to represent more than fifty species of Lepidoptera, the order of than 112,000 species worldwide of butterflies and moths.

Circling the fuselage, wings and tail of Passage, the butterflies appear to assist in the levitation of the glider while also being emblematic of hope and liberation.

Paul Villinski: Farther surveys developments in Villinski’s practice over the past decade, as well as publicly debuts multiple new works direct from the artist’s New York studio. In this first major solo retrospective of his work, Villinski’s sculptures and installations engage with subjects both sublime and neglected.

Influenced by a life-long concern for environmental issues, his work transforms seemingly useless and discarded materials — often trash found on the streets of New York City — into uplifting and humanizing works of art.

Flocks of aluminum-can butterflies, wings feathered with gleaming knives, and fantastical flying machines evoke motifs of flight, metamorphosis and rebirth. These themes inform a visual language which Villinski uses to explore the many contradictions of human experience.

“I’m fascinated by the simple alchemy of transforming humble, discarded materials into things of beauty and layered meaning,” says Villinski. “This speaks to the idea of potential, of the surprising things that can be done with imagination, commitment, risk, and hard work — with enough love. My work is an exploration of the possible, at the heart of which is hope.”

Villinski has created studio and large-scale artworks for more than three decades. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in 1984.

His work has been included in numerous exhibitions nationally, recently including the McNay Art Museum in San Antonio, Texas; the Blanton Museum, University of Texas in Austin; and the Museum of Arts and Design in New York, N.Y.

His work is widely collected by institutions including the Museum of Arts and Design, New York; the New Orleans Museum of Art, Louisiana; and the Virginia Museum of Fine Art, Richmond, Va.

He has been a recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts grant and has been an Artist-in-Residence at the Serenbe Institute in Georgia; Socrates Sculpture Park, New York; the Millay Colony, New York; the Ucross Foundation, Wyoming; the Djerassi Foundation, California; and the Villa Montalvo Arts Center, California.

He is represented in New York by Morgan Lehman Gallery; in New Orleans by Jonathan Ferrara Gallery; in Jackson Hole, Wyo., by Tayloe Piggot Gallery; and in Palm Desert, Calif., by Austin Art Projects.

Paul Villinski: Passage and Farther are both curated by Amy Moorefield, deputy director of exhibitions and collections at the Taubman Museum of Art, and will be on view through January 21, 2018. Passage is on loan from the Blanton Museum of Art at the University of Austin, Texas, and is on view in the Taubman’s City of Roanoke Atrium. Farther is on view in the Carilion Clinic Gallery. Both exhibitions are supported in part by the Foundation for Roanoke Valley.

ROANOKE, Va. (June 3, 2017) — The Taubman Museum of Art is pleased to announce the 59th Annual Sidewalk Art Show award winners.

This year’s judge, Adam Justice, assistant curator of modern and contemporary art at the Mint Museum in Charlotte, N.C., selected the winners.

“Judging a show of this caliber and with this history is never easy, but always rewarding,” said Justice. “I like to think all museum curators appreciate the opportunity to get beyond the gallery walls to see and experience the true creative essence of a specific region and community — I know I do. It has been a great experience to meet all of the artists and work with the Taubman staff to make some tough decisions as judge. Despite whether they received an award, all of these artists should be proud of their work. Likewise, this community should be proud to call this festival and the Taubman Museum of Art their own. Today, I got the distinct impression that is most certainly the case.”

Awards

Grand Home Furnishings Best in Show

Z.L. Feng, Radford, Va. 

Second Prize

James Barnes, Woolwine, Va.

Third Prize

Charity Hall, Blacksburg, Va.

Memorial Awards

Paul Ostaseski Memorial Award, sponsored by the family of Paul Ostaseski:
Susan Lockwood, Radford, Va.

Allen Ingles Palmer Memorial Watercolor Award, sponsored by the Palmer family:
Mary Vessey, Staunton, Va.

Merit Awards

Drawing/Original Printmaking Award sponsored by LinDor Arts
Brian Kuehn, Pisgah Forest, N.C.

Fine Craft Award sponsored by LinDor Arts
Randie Felts, Clarksville, Va.

Mixed Media Award sponsored by LinDor Arts
Julia Bollinger, Copper Hill, Va.

Painting Award sponsored by LinDor Arts
Amelie Grooscors, Buena Vista, Va

Photography Award sponsored by LinDor Arts
Chris Coffey, Akron, Ohio

Sculpture Award sponsored by LinDor Arts
Paula Brown-Steedly, Charlottesville, Va.

Mickie Kagey Watercolor Award sponsored by the friends and family of Mickie Kagey
John Obolewicz, Powhatan, Va.

Art of Mobility Award sponsored by Ride Solutions
“Browsing Around,” Parvin Pejman, Roanoke, Va.

The Sidewalk Art Show is one of southwest Virginia’s most anticipated summer traditions. The show infuses downtown Roanoke with energy, excitement and creativity. This annual event, which occurs the weekend after Memorial Day, is a premier destination for fine art shopping that offers visitors the opportunity to meet and talk with exhibiting artists. All of the works exhibited are for sale, including original paintings, prints, watercolors, etchings, mixed media, fine art photographs, fine crafts, and sculpture.

ROANOKE, Va. (May 12, 2017) – The Taubman Museum of Art is pleased to announce the 59th Annual Sidewalk Art Show June 3-4 in downtown Roanoke. The show runs 10 a.m.–5 p.m. each day.

The annual event, which occurs the weekend after Memorial Day on the streets surrounding the Taubman, is a premier destination for fine art shopping that offers visitors the opportunity to meet and talk with exhibiting artists.

This year, more than 100 artists from across the country will display and sell original artwork including paintings, prints, watercolors, etchings, mixed media, fine art photographs, fine crafts and sculpture.

The event will feature artists from as far away as California and Canada, with a strong representation of local and regional artists who are known and loved in the community.

Awards will be given in categories including the highly coveted Best in Show, which is sponsored by Grand Home Furnishings, and the Merit Awards, which are sponsored by LinDor Arts.

Adam Justice, assistant curator of modern and contemporary art for the Mint Museum in Charlotte, N.C., will serve as the guest juror.

Inside the Museum, guests are invited to visit the galleries to enjoy the works on view, including the Taubman’s first juried triennial, Homeward Bound, featuring the work of more than 50 Virginia artists in all media.

The Rescue Mission also will host a children’s drawing contest in the Museum atrium to select the t-shirt design for its 2017 Drumstick Dash.

The event is free and open to the public.

ROANOKE, Va. (April 5, 2017) – Part rally, part performance, and part auction, the Taubman Museum of Art’s third annual Monster Art Rally Thursday, April 20, is a fun night out to discover talented local artists in Virginia’s Blue Ridge. The event is free and open to the public.

More than 30 artists will gather at the Museum to create original drawings as guests watch. Guests can get a close-up look at the artists’ creative process and learn more about what inspires their work. At the end of the evening, all of the works will be put up for auction for only $50 each. The work goes to the “bidder” who draws the highest card from a deck of cards.

“Monster Art Rally is one of my favorite events of the year since it features original artwork at an affordable price from local artists we love and love to support!” said Stephanie Fallon, adult education manager. “All purchase funds from the event will directly support adult education programs at the Museum, so it’s a great event for a great cause.”

The event timeline for the evening is as follows:

5 p.m. – Live drawing event begins with local artists working side-by-side to make unique works of art while guests watch

7 p.m. – All art goes on view while guests peruse the works up for auction and chat with artists and fellow art-lovers

7:30 p.m. – “Luck-of-the-Draw” art auction begins where all original drawings sell for $50; the work goes not to the highest bidder, but to the highest card!

The Museum’s galleries will be open for viewing, adult and other beverages will be available for purchase, and Will Sellari and Wellz Jackson will DJ throughout the evening.

Originally developed by the Southern Exposure Gallery in San Francisco, Monster Art Rally events are becoming increasingly popular across the country as a fun, approachable way to promote local artists.

ROANOKE, Va. (March 8, 2017) — Everything’s coming up roses (and peonies and sweet peas!) at the Taubman Museum of Art this spring with Art Go Bloom, a special four-day fundraiser featuring an exhibition of fresh floral arrangements inspired by works on view in the galleries.

Expert gardeners and floral designers from the Roanoke Council of Garden Clubs will create and display one-of-a-kind floral creations that reflect the beauty and creativity of 20 works of art on view.

Participating garden clubs include Designer’s Atelier, Hunting Hills Garden Club, Mill Mountain Garden Club, Roanoke Valley Garden Club, Sugarloaf Garden Club and Westchester Garden Club.

“With the fine art and fresh flowers paired side by side, guests will be delighted by the creative floral interpretations of art throughout the Museum,” said Della Watkins, Taubman Museum of Art executive director. “We’re honored to work with the Roanoke Council of Garden Clubs to present this event, with proceeds benefiting the Museum’s education, exhibition and event programming for the upcoming year.”

During this special four-day fundraiser, daily general admission to the Museum is $10 for adults and $5 for youth who are 17 and under. This includes admission to Art Go Bloom and the ticketed exhibition, American Impressionism in the Garden, featuring works by artists such as John Singer Sargent and Frederick Childe Hassam on view together for the first time.

Guests also can enjoy Art Go Bloom “a la carte” floral-themed activities such as workshops, demonstrations, tastings, afternoon tea, and tours. Daily general admission is included in the price of these a la carte tickets.

Tickets to Art Go Bloom and the related “a la carte” activities are available by calling (540) 342-5760.

Art Go Bloom activities include the following:

Fresh Floral Topiary Workshop
Join floral and event designer Mary Jo Thompson for a hands-on workshop and create a topiary centerpiece with fresh blossoms to take home! The workshop is appropriate for all flower arranging skill levels. All materials will be provided including oasis, flowers and container. Advance registration is required since space is limited.
Date: March 23, 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m.
Tickets: $45 each

“Tussie Mussie” Tour
Paint and petals, sculpture and stems—this special guided tour highlights select floral arrangements inspired by the Museum’s works on view. The gorgeous, fresh floral masterpieces created by talented members of the Roanoke Council of Garden Clubs are paired side-by-side with the artworks that inspired them. Learn the history of the works, the meanings of the flowers, and what brought about the beautiful pairing.
Dates:
March 23, 11-11:30 a.m.
March 24, 11-11:30 a.m. and 3-3:30 p.m.
March 25, 11-11:30 a.m.
March 26, 3-3:30 p.m.
Tickets: $15 each

Flower Power: A Curatorial Floral Inspirations Tour
Taubman Museum of Art Deputy Director of Exhibitions and Collection Amy Moorefield will provide an hour long, guided tour of her chosen works of the day and the Art Go Bloom floral creations inspired by them. As the person who oversees the Museum’s exhibition programming and permanent collection, Moorefield has deep insights into the history, inspiration and meaningfulness of the works on view. Paired with her knowledge about the birth of America’s garden movement and the growth of our nation’s gardening culture, this is an arts, history and culture lesson not to be missed!
Dates: March 23, 24, and 25, 1-2 p.m. each day
Tickets: $20 each

The Language of Flowers Tour
Though flowers and other plants have held significance for centuries, it was during the Victorian Era (1837-1901) that a large list of meanings was assigned to flowers, and the language of flowers—floriography—came into being. While nearly every flower has multiple associations, this tour will discuss meaning for common blooms most often based on the appearance or behavior of the plant itself. Guests will get to know many plants, from “ambitious” hollyhocks to “bashful” peonies to “faithful” ivy, on this “scent-sational” 45-minute flower hunt led by the Museum’s executive director, Della Watkins.
Dates: March 23, 3-4 p.m. and March 26, 1-2 p.m.
Tickets: $20 each

Tap Go Bloom Takeover
Tap Go Bloom is the official opening celebration for Art Go Bloom and will celebrate the members of Designer’s Atelier, Hunting Hills Garden Club, Mill Mountain Garden Club, Roanoke Valley Garden Club, Sugarloaf Garden Club, and Westchester Garden Club, whom contributed their immense talents to create the fresh floral arrangements on view in the galleries.

Guests will enjoy live music, a live floral demonstration by noted horticulturist David Pippin, and meet the Art Go Bloom floral designers. Tap Go Bloom Takeover also will feature a bouquet of fine wines and craft beers alongside delicious tapas-style plates by noted restaurants including River & Rail, Fork in the Alley and Rock & Roll Diner Food Truck. The galleries will be open throughout the event, giving guests their first opportunity to experience the artworks and floral creations on view together.

Tap Go Bloom is sponsored by River & Rail, Fork in the Alley, Rock & Roll Diner Food Truck, and Blue Ridge Beverage.
Date: March 23, 4-7 p.m.
Tickets: $45 in advance, $55 day of event

Party Flowers with David Pippin
Richmond horticultural extraordinaire David Pippin is a sought-after designer of inspired floral
arrangements, a popular consultant on garden design, a provider of garden-themed hands-on programs for children, and an educator with a wide range of horticultural knowledge and experience. Using the garden for inspiration, Pippin will create a variety of arrangements to excite guests’ palette for spring. He will show some of the various techniques he uses to create larger arrangements for parties and weddings.
Date: March 24, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Tickets: $40 each

Art for Inspiration Workshop with David Pippin
This hands-on workshop with noted floral designer David Pippin will draw inspiration from works of art in the Taubman Museum of Art collection. Pippin will help guests create their very own interpretive floral arrangement to take home. Participants should bring their own floral clippers and a vase or vessel for their arrangement. Garden gloves and aprons are optional. All floral material will be provided.
Date: March 24, 2-4 p.m.
Tickets: $80 each

Afternoon Sparkling Tea
Featuring the fine teas of White Oak Tea Tavern, guests will enjoy a sampling of premium tea and sparkling wines along with a generous selection of cakes, pastries, and baklava. The Afternoon Sparkling Tea is sponsored by White Oak Tea Tavern, Viva la Cupcake, Athens Grill, Fresh Market, Hollywood’s Restaurant & Bakery, Caspari and Blue Ridge Beverage.
Date: March 25, 2-3 p.m.
Tickets: $30 for adults, $12.50 for youth or $15 for youth with admission to Art Venture, the Museum’s interactive children’s gallery

Floral Demonstration with Matilda Bradshaw
Using a dozen roses from a local supermarket’s flower department, noted floral designer Matilda Bradshaw will share how to use the same roses for a buffet table, then make a few changes to “recycle” the design for a seated dinner party. Guests also will learn how to make a Pave design and then add plant materials to change it into a Phoenix design.
Date: March 25, 3-4 p.m.
Tickets: $20 each

Chocolate + Wine Pairing
Few things in life are better than chocolate, wine and flowers. Put all three together for an afternoon of pure enjoyment! This seated dining experience will explore the differences between artisan South American and European chocolates as well as how pairings with wine pull forward their rich complexities. Guests will enjoy coursed pairings led by chocolatepaper and Blue Ridge Beverage.
Date: March 26, 2-3:30 p.m.
Tickets: $45

Creative Floral Design Demonstration with Brenda McManaway
Brenda McManaway, a master flower judge for the National Garden Clubs and a regular instructor on floral design for the Roanoke Council of Garden Clubs, will demonstrate the creation of five floral designs, both traditional and abstract. Creative floral design was first introduced in the late 1950’s as flower shows flourished throughout the United States and as the garden club members’ talents expanded. Many members studied art during this time and applied their knowledge of international art history and its creative movements to floral designing. Today, creative floral design is an acknowledged art form in which creativity, imagination and originality are essential ingredients.
Date: March 26, 3:30-4:30 p.m.
Tickets: $20 each