It had been a long week, and Friday came well-deserved. We wanted to relax, have fun, be out, be with family. Turns out that we designed an evening of design.
Thankfully, Kim knew it was a late night at the Taubman Museum of Art, and E and Kim went to check out exhibits while G finished her nap. Friday nights at the Taubman=An absolutely outstanding atmosphere of art and fun relaxation, in this case including live music. We parked in a free-for-Friday-evening garage, took a brisk walk to the museum, and smelled delicious things wafting from the restaurants downtown. We delighted in the look of the Taubman at night with its lit staircase. E made me smile so broadly as he enjoyed the live jazz. Check the online schedule--late nights happen about twice a month.
Our main purpose in visiting was to check out Follicular: The Hair Stories of Sonya Clark, an exhibit of hair-related art including unique hair braiding. E adored the comb sculptures, and strong signage made reflecting on the artist's purpose highly accessible. Importantly, this exhibit makers for a unique way to reflect during Black History Month. There are themes of conformity, resistance, change, personal struggle, community, and more, and thanks to the solid curation, these can be explored by even more casual visitors.
We also dashed into a more expansive exhibit of the folk art of Reverend Howard Finster (closed 2.5.17). This exhibit drew you in with its color and made you think about community, arts education, religious notes in art, and more.
After picking up Justin and G, we headed off to Tanglewood Mall's American Association of University Women's biannual used book sale, a great place to find gently-used academic, travel, and children's books. Favorite finds this time included a 1970s illustrated children's Bible, classics like Robin Hood adapted to elementary reading levels, and a set of encyclopedia-looking books full of children's stories. Find out more about the AAUW sale here. Ignore the worn carpet in the former Dollar Tree and enjoy.
If we haven't told you, we just enjoy Tanglewood. It's Roanoke's less-bustling indoor mall. We expect it to be redeveloped, but for now, go and enjoy lighter crowds, special events, and Roanoke's easier-to-shop, typically-better-stocked JCPenney and Belk locations. Plus, Tanglewood is home to my favorite biannual kids' consignment sale, Back on the Rack, which is next open on March 18.
And then dinner... One of J's Christmas gifts to K was a Mellow Mushroom gift card to help us finally try out Roanoke's new location. We were delighted by the modern, spunky, and cozy atmosphere as well as by the pretzel bites with dipping cheese. Go Mellow when you have time to relax. Making your pizza may take 30 minutes, but it is worth it. There's outdoor dining in season, but this time of the year, enjoy the "living room" fireplace instead.
