(With apologies to Saturday Night Live and its long time show opening). One of the (many) criticisms hurled at the Taubman Museum of Art by some after it opened was that it didn’t stay open late enough during the week for visitors to stop by after their busy day at work.
That changed somewhat when the Taubman started to participate in Art By Night on the first Friday of every month. Now new executive director Della Watkins has taken it a step further by introducing Thursday Night Live.
The Taubman is now open from 5-9 pm every Thursday night; visitors can hear live music in Nora’s Café (or sit on the adjacent patio outside), have a glass of wine or something to eat prepared by Blue Ridge Catering which took over operation of Norah’s last month. Watkins said recently that Blue Ridge was cutting its teeth at the Taubman by preparing small dishes during Thursday Night Live, but should be ready to offer a full menu during the regular café hours soon.
There was even a movie shown during Thursday Night Live recently (the political comedy, Dave), so who knows what Watkins has up her sleeve. The crowd there to see The Funk Cousins band recently was less than hoped for, but Watkins said Thursday Night Live is here for the long haul. She expects the crowds to pick up once Party in the Park at Elmwood Park ends its summer run. “This is going to be the place to be,” proclaimed Watkins, who came to the Taubman from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, taking over in February.
Watkins has also instituted a policy that the galleries upstairs will change on a rotating basis and at staggered starting dates. It’s all part of a plan to get visitors to return on a regular basis. “We want there to be something new on exhibit all the time, so people come back,” noted Watkins. Also on the way: Watkins wants more art on the ground floor of the museum, so people are immediately immersed and stimulated. An installation by Roanoke artist Ann Glover is in the works.
Admission is still free at the Taubman and that will remain the policy in place said Watkins, who has been making the rounds, getting to know corporate sponsors and potential new partners since she assumed the reins from David Mickenberg. She also wants people to know that despite the free admission policy, membership is still an essential.
Besides raising more money for operating expenses at the Taubman, membership privileges still include perks like special sneak preview nights, when artists associated with new exhibits are often on hand for a lecture and invitation-only reception. “Memberships are still important for the Taubman,” said Watkins, who has also been busy tweaking the staff, making sure people are in the right places and in well-defined roles. The change at Norah’s Café, where the long time cook there had taken over operations just last year, was another example where she thought new management might be in order.
Thursday Night Live should help draw the Taubman closer to Roanokers in part by just being open later in to the evening. “We want this place to be a community center,” said Watkins, a theme she returns to often – as did Mickenberg. Being open when most people are done working during the week should help. (See Taubmanmuseum.org for more on Thursday Night Live.)
By Gene Marrano
