Art Museum has the big mo

By Jay Warren
WSLS10 Anchor
Published: February 6, 2008

We’ve been talking a lot about momentum lately and it’s been in a political context. Today, we saw momentum in a different venue: art.

Wednesday, the Art Museum of Western Virginia announced it would be changing its name to the Taubman Museum of Art. Nicholas and Jenny Taubman have been the largest donors to the museum ($15 million) and the leading voices behind it. A lot of people have pushed the museum, but none any harder than Jenny Taubman and she’s been doing it for decades.

Today’s announcement ceremony was packed with people, both dignitaries and ordinary folks including the entire third grade of Crystal Spring Elementary. You could feel the electricity. Jenny Taubman was on hand to help make the announcement and her enthusiasm for the museum and Roanoke was infectious. This was a huge day for a project that is on a role.

Including the Taubman’s gift, the Art Museum has now raised $52 million dollars, well on its way of meeting its $66 million dollar goal.

That’s momentum.