Norah's Cafe in Taubman Museum of Art: A Great Cup of Coffee Over Art in Downtown Roanoke, Virginia

The Taubman Museum of Art adds distinct, unforgettable, unmistakable flair to the spatial and temporal skyline of Roanoke, Virginia. The building can be considered as much a footprint of the city's future as a monument of modernity. Perhaps less obviously so it nevertheless constitutes a concurrent portal to the past. 

The future beckons from every aspect of the building's design. The building's appearance is the creation of Randall Stout (born 1966?). Randall makes his living as a California architect based in Los Angeles. But he remains true to his Southern States heritage, what with:

• His native homeland being Tennessee, Virginia's neighbor on the west;
• His B.A. degree being from the University of Tennessee;
• His M.A. degree being from Rice University.

Randall's implemented design of the Taubman Museum accounts for 75,000 square feet total space. Total construction costs amount to $66 million. That averages to $880 per square foot.

More than one-quarter of the total building costs are covered by a $15+ million contribution from Roanoke residents Nicholas and Eugenia Taubman. The Taubman donation is honored in the museum's name. It reflects Nick's enduring belief in, and Jenny's long-standing committed actions to, the visual arts in Virginia.

Modern challenges and comforts abound inside the museum. For example, interactive learning assumes the hands-on forms of: 

• Conversational dialogues and lectures by guest artists and scholars;
• Drawing, painting and printmaking programming through Art Venture for children and youth;
• Studio classes and workshops with visiting artists through the Museum School.

Additionally, there is the skills-building environment of the Gentry Locke Rakes & Moore Resource Lounge to advance and guide educational, personal and professional interests in collecting, curating and researching art. Also, the Advance Auto Parts Auditorium, City of Roanoke Atrium, and Taubman Theater serve as venues for performing and visual arts-related events.

Past and present blend in the museum's permanent collection and temporary exhibits. Specifically, the Taubman Museum claims over 2,000 items within its permanent collections of:

• Art handbags by Judith Leiber;
• Folk, nineteenth and twentieth-century, regional, southeast contemporary, and visionary art of the United States of America.

It also hosts such changing exhibits as:

• Blue-eyed and Japanese friendship dolls of the 1920s;
• Depression Era photographs by Dorothea Lange (May 26, 1895-October 11, 1965;
• Earthly and earthy photographs by twentieth and twenty-first artist, author and scientist Alan Cohen (born 1943);
• Fabergé jewlery of pre-revolutionary nineteenth and twentieth-century imperial Russia.

Nicholas Frank Taubman (born March 18, 1935) is a native of Roanoke, Virginia. He is the son of Arthur Taubman (July 15, 1901-March 15, 1994) and Grace Ann Weber Taubman (September 18, 1906-August 27, 2002). But his higher education predominantly links with Pennsylvania.

Nick attended the Mercersburg Academy in Mercersburg, Pennsylvania. He graduated from the private college preparatory boarding school in 1953. He then started undergraduate studies at the University of Pennsylvania, which culminated in his Bachelor of Science degree in economics from the University's highly competitive, prestigious Wharton School of Finance and Commerce.

Upon completing his undergraduate studies in Philadelphia, Nick became a military man. His nevertheless brief military career involved service in the U.S. Army. His tenure ran from 1957 to 1958 and from 1960 to 1961.

After his military service, Nick advanced concurrent careers in business and politics. In 1969, Nick became President and Chief Executive Officer of the Advance Auto Parts store chain that his father founded in 1932. He remained in the position for 36 years, until 2005.

In November 2005, 43rd U.S. President George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) appointed Nick to the U.S. Embassy in Bucharest (Municipiul Bucureşti), Romania (România). Nick had prepared for his diplomatic, political and statesmanly career as:

• Republican Party supporter;
• Roanoke City Council member, 1976-1978.

He served as U.S. Ambassador to Romania from December 2, 2005 to December 3, 2008. At the end of Nick's exemplary ambassadorship, President Traian Băsescu (born November 4th, 1951) awarded him with the highest civilian honor, the Star of Romania.

Eugenia Lev Taubman (born December 2, 1939) is Nick's wife. Jenny is a native of Sofia, Bulgaria. She left her homeland to settle in Israel in 1953. She served in the Israeli Military from 1959 until 1961.

In 1966, Jenny became a citizen of the United States. She can be considered a native speaker of Bulgarian. But she also is fluent in five pivotal world languages:

• English;
• French;
• Hebrew;
• Russian;
• Spanish.

Additionally, Jenny can be considered as adept and energetic at business and diplomacy as her husband. Specifically, she developed careers relating to communications and image. Her professional life therefore has ranged from interpreting to:

• Fashion design;
• Fashion modeling;
• Image consulting;
• Public relations consulting.

At the same time, Jenny always has demonstrated great interest in community development. She therefore has participated on the boards of such institutions and organizations as:

• Virginia Israel Advisory Board for the Commonwealth of Virginia;
• Virginia Museum of Fine Arts;
• Western Virginia Foundation for the Arts and Sciences.

She is on the Capital Campaign Committee of the Taubman Museum of Art.

Roanoke indeed can be described as a big city, but one that is made up of distinct, diverse neighborhoods. For example, movement through Roanoke is referenced in terms of different city sectors. Specifically, downtown Roanokers may speak of the historic Elmwood Park, Gainsboro and Market Square neighborhoods.

Downtown Roanoke can be accessed by the Elm Street and Orange Avenue exits from Exit 143 (I-581) of Interstate Highway 81. The Taubman Museum is located downtown, between the two above-mentioned Roanoke exits and therefore between Elmwood Park and Gainsboro. Specifically, it will be found within the Market Square neighborhood of: 

• Center in the Square history and science museums and planetarium;
• Galleries;
• Restaurants;
• Shops;
• Street festivals.

The Taubman indeed cannot be missed. It constitutes Market Square's most futuristic, modern and unique building. In contrast, Market Square gives a timeless impression, what with:

• Narrow streets;
• Norfolk-Southern railroad tracks;
• Old-fashioned coffee and soft drink building façade advertising;
• Sidewalk seating options for diners.

Additionally, the Taubman's Market Square location is a refreshingly short walk to:

• English Tudor-styled Hotel Roanoke, for a great cup of coffee;
• Gainsboro branch of Roanoke City Public Library, on National Register of Historic Places;
• Roanoke Civic Center, across from McDonald's coffee;
• Saint Andrew's Catholic Church and National/State Landmark.