The Roanoker - February 2014 - 79

percent in that period and there are now both auto and
airplane exhibitions, in addition to the trains that made
the museum noteworthy.
Despite his own museum's success, Fitzpatrick believes "arts and culture are tremendously challenged
and terribly underfunded. We work with each other
but don't often operate with a unified vision for the
valley. This region and its citizens have been forgotten
by the state, which provides wonderful opportunities
in other regions through its substantial funding of arts
and culture in Central and Tidewater Virginia." Still, he
says, "We have incredible cultural assets for a region of
our size and an incredible breadth of offerings."
John Long, director of the Salem Museum, oversaw a
10,000-square-foot expansion a couple of years ago because "Salem is a close community and it's easy to raise
money [for local institutions] here." Still, he remains
vigilant: "Even for profit-making businesses - not to
mention the arts - it only takes a year or two of [bad
bottom lines] to wipe you out." Arts organizations "are
the red-headed step children of the non-profit world,
but you gotta work with that at a time when there is
less money and most of the non-profit money is understandably going to food banks, children's welfare
and things like that."

What you do on the

is

Jim Rollings just oversaw the massive renovation
of the Science Museum of Western Virginia at Center
in the Square and says those upgrades "have had the
desired effect for us." He is philosophical about the
smaller staff and reduced funding.
"We have no needs," he says. "The need rests with
the people and we have to understand what those needs
are" in order to be successful. The outlook among those
supporting the arts in the Roanoke Valley these days
is "skeptical, if I had to find one word for it. People
are paying attention to the many millions of dollars
being invested and the jury is still out on whether that
was wise."
The Harrison Museum of African American Culture
recently moved into Center in the Square in a space
vacated by what became the Taubman Museum of Art.
The museum is "an educational and cultural institution
committed to promoting, showcasing, and celebrating
the art and history of African Americans" in the region,
according to its statement.
The overall picture of the arts is not quite as clear
as one of Winston Link's photos, but no longer is it an
abstract, either. The arts community seems to know
what needs to be done, and accomplishing a significant
portion of it against tall funding odds. I

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