Florida

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The Sporking Life

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Ruth Funk Center for Textile Arts

The sign for the Ruth Funk Center off Babcock Rd.

Cross the covered bridge and the Center is on your left


Ruth Funk Center for Textile Arts
150 W University
Melbourne, FL  32901




AT A GLANCE:  Ruth Funk Center for Textile Arts
Parking
Plentiful and free, in a good-sized Florida Institute of Technology (FIT) parking lot

Amount of time needed to peruse exhibits:
15-30 minutes

Amount of time needed for gift shop
5 minutes

Dress code
The Ruth Funk (RF) Center for Textile Arts is located on the Florida Tech University campus; the dress code reflects the student population.


Be sure to…..
Stroll through the FIT gardens, if time and weather permit,   As you leave the Center, look for it on the left.  It is approximately ½ city block away from the Center entrance.  The gardens are free of charge and offers wonderful shade and an opportunity for quiet reflection.  The gardens are modestly sized, and have several sitting areas.

Nearby/other establishments to visit
Historic Downtown Melbourne for lunch and more shopping.

Walkability, general downtown area / amount of traffic
FIT and Historic Downtown Melbourne are 2 miles apart.  Don’t try to walk between the two, because this area of town is not designed for pedestrians.  Parking in Historic Downtown Melbourne is plentiful and usually free, unless you are there for Friday Fest.

Safety, in terms of type and number of crimes committed in general area
The parking lot is busy with students coming to campus.  It is generally safe, yet it doesn’t hurt to lock your car and put valuables out of sight.



You have to pass right by the gift shop in order to visit the exhibits, so it stands up to the Florida “law” of having people exit or pass through the gift shop  The Center that takes around a half hour to visit, and the exhibits are usually vibrant and unique.  Remember that this is a textile museum, so the focus is on the components of the art, as opposed to the normal visual aspects.  

 
The entrance to the Ruth Funk Center. 
They keep the really cool jewelry in the glass case.

A gift shop should offer merchandise that reminds the visitor of the time spent in the museum.  The RF Center is an example of how a gift shop supports the mission of the museum.  This is a small gift shop.  It occupies one corner of the main lobby, and is no bigger than 4 feet in length.  This proves that larger gift shops don’t always mean better quality, and has handmade jewelry and miscellaneous fabric pieces by local artists for sale.  I absolutely love the jewelry here, because it is bold, one-of-a-kind, and it makes a statement.  If you are looking for something demur, you will need to go elsewhere.  I realize that the RF gift shop offers quality over quantity, which could lead to pent up shopping frustration.  I recommend the shops of Historic Downtown Melbourne (http://www.downtownmelbourne.com/) located 2 miles east of the FIT campus.  













Hungry?  Try Mustard’s Last Stand (http://www.mustardslaststand.us/), a hot dog nirvana that also sells beer.  Meg O’Malley’s Restaurant and Irish Pub (http://www.megomalleys.com/) is a few blocks east of Mustard’s Last Stand.  It offers standard bar fare in addition to traditional Irish food.  NOTE:  Meg O’Malley’s is not a quiet place.  Wander around to find a place that suits your mood, as there are plenty to choose from.  Many small, local, unique sops line both sides of the street in this downtown area.  Here it’s ok to walk through this area, because the speed limit for cars is 25 MPH.  In general, this area offers shade, a slower pace, and 2-3 blocks of shopping opportunities that are popular with visitors.  Historic Downtown Melbourne celebrates “Friday Fest” on the 2nd Friday of the month, so parking may be a bit tight.  It’s as if residents found a good excuse for having a street fair year round
Spend your morning here, have lunch in Historic Downtown Melbourne, and spend your afternoon at the Foosaner Museum (http://www.foosanerartmuseum.org/).  This can easily be accomplished in one day.


HEAT WARNING
Don’t plan evening activities if you visit this area fromJune through September.  Even though you aren’t doing that much walking, the Florida heat will wipe you out and drain your energy.  It is perfectly normal to return to your place of lodging to take a nap.