ROANOKE, Va. – You can now add visits to the Taubman Museum of Art back to your weekend plans.
The museum opened Friday, July 3.
When you enter for the first time since they’ve reopened, you’ll see quite a few changes, including safety measures to limit the spread of coronavirus, as well as new exhibitions and activities.
Taubman Museum will now require guests 10 or older to wear a mask. You’ll also notice new floor markers, hand sanitizing stations, a limit on how many people can be in a gallery at once and only one person in the elevator at a time.
Executive director, Cindy Petersen says while there are a few changes, reopening gives people a chance to once again be inspired and comforted by art.
“As you can imagine we are very excited to welcome back our community, our visitors, into the building on-site to really make that connection to the art as you know the people are really the heart and the soul of the museum,” said Petersen.
Visitors can enjoy some traditional Taubman Museum favorites as well as the new Celestial Centennial exhibition featuring art by Roanoke native, Dorothy Gillespie. The museum also has a downloadable map to find her sculptures across the region on your own.
Taubman Museum is constantly coming up with new ways people can experience art, touchless.
“You can tour the galleries, audio tours are available, QR codes you can read on your tablet or on your phone about each exhibition in this touchless world, but also art-making kits for families to come and enjoy,” Petersen said.
Those art kits are inspired by exhibitions in the museum.
While closed, Taubman Museum did community outreach like delivering art cards to hospital workers, patients and to those living in retirement homes. Petersen said it’s something they will continue now that they are back open.
The museum is open Friday through Sunday and admission is free.