Meet the Executive Director
Q and A with David Mickenberg:
What is your vision for the museum?
The Taubman will be a community based, collaborative museum and art center with broad connections to the primary, secondary and higher educational systems in this region. Its exhibitions and collections, educational initiatives, family programs, performances, courses and classes will form the foundation for one of the most active, visited and valued cultural facilities in this area. The museum will have partnerships with other regional arts organizations and will actively pursue the establishment of an art school within the museum.
How do you plan to get there?
The changes in the museum’s programs, organization and perspectives dramatically alter the museum’s place in the cultural landscape of Roanoke. These changes have already begun. Unfolding over the course of the new year: collaborations with other cultural institutions including county and city public schools, as well as the Community High School of Art and Academics; the future creation of a museum school; the reformulation of Saturdays as a destination point for families; and more focused discussions and concentration on aspects of regional culture. Exhibitions that circulate nationally and have deep ties to education will represent new scholarship and discourse on the arts. These exhibitions and scholarships will ensure that all sections of the community have access to the programs within the museum. A more aggressive and programmatic approach to fundraising, one that expands our membership base, involves more corporate and business sponsorships and partnerships, and develops more of a base of support throughout the community is being planned. Finally, the museum will take advantage of more social networking and communication opportunities to develop broader support and programmatic development with younger audiences.
What is the biggest challenge facing the museum?
As with most non-profit institutions, life changed radically with the collapse of financial systems in late 2008. Developing a broader donor constituency for the museum will be of paramount importance. At the same time, being able to build confidence in the museum as a permanent fixture of the regional cultural landscape will be crucial.
How do you plan to overcome these challenges?
- By being more transparent as an organization
- By communicating with our constituents on an ongoing basis
- By creating excitement about programs and opportunities
- By providing opportunities for our constituents to support the museum in many ways
- By removing participation deterrents by reducing admission and membership costs
- By seeking support from our capital contributors
- By seeking support from a broad array of the community that is now participating in the museum’s offerings.
What can people do to help?
Support for the museum can take many forms. Visiting the galleries and attending special events at the museum shows that people in the community care about the new exhibitions and programs. The museum always welcomes people willing to donate their time and talents to helping with the museum’s operations. There are also some unique forums that are being built into the museum’s endeavors, such as focus group meetings and community dinners. These are intended as opportunities for continued discussions about the museum’s future, with the museum. And as always, membership is one of the best ways to help because it creates a solid foundation of support. The success of the museum is directly related to the support and interest that people in the surrounding region offer.
The museum cannot achieve its vision without support.
How and when will you know if you’ve succeeded?
We will know when we have succeeded when the museum’s programs are well attended, when our finances have stabilized and when our donor base has expanded throughout the community.
