I came across the greetings from Roanoke mural as we were exploring downtown Roanoke. It was an…read moreexperience that we enjoyed seeing different welcome to insert city names every time we go to places like this.

One of the required elements of a great city is to have a quality Art Museum. Here in the Star City…read moreof 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…read moreto 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.

Located in downtown Roanoke opposite the courthouse and near some municipal offices, this monument…read morecommemorates local residents who gave their lives in conflicts from World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam and though to the Iraq Conflict. Three large tablets are engraved with names and quotes. There are 755 names listed. The tablets were erected in 1982 updated and cleaned recently to remove staining and corrosion. There has been some controversy and in July 2020, the marker to General Robert E. Lee is in the process of being removed. I would imagine that "Lee Plaza" will be officially renamed as well. Stop by and pay tribute to those who made it possible for us to have our freedoms. There are metered street parking and parking decks nearby. [Review 13793 overall, 1114 of 2020, number 1227 in Virginia.]

We were walking around and we came across the golden angle statue. We really enjoyed all the public…read moreart and statues. We saw them in the city.

This is a unique piece of public art that we found in Virginia what we are walking around. It's…read morejust a bunch of random colors that is on the side of a brick wall. Not much really saying, but I like five different public pieces of art.

I was walking around explore and I came across this Terrapin Station of a turtle, swimming and…read moredoing what they do best. It's a nice little piece public art go find when you're in the area.

This is a cool looking statue that we found while we were down exploring in the city. My buddy and…read moreI love adding public are in finding statues and things so this was one of many that we found that it was pretty cool.

This bronze sculpture is located across from The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center, a hotel…read moreproperty that is now under the Hilton Curio umbrella. The artwork is located in a semi-circular plaza that has several panels mounted that tell the story of the Gainsboro neighborhood and the freed blacks who lived here seeking work with the railroad. The statue is an abstract of a woman in a yoga pose. It's quite striking. There is some limited street parking nearby and a paid lot operated by the hotel. [Review 13777 overall, 1098 of 2020, number 1212 in Virginia.]