Ashley Gibson Barnett Museum of Art facts for kids
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| Former name | Polk Museum of Art |
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| Established | 1966 |
| Location | Lakeland, Florida |
| Type | Art museum |
The Ashley Gibson Barnett Museum of Art at Florida Southern College, also known as The AGB, is a special art museum in Lakeland, Florida. It used to be called the Polk Museum of Art. This museum is a non-profit place, which means it uses its money to help the community, not to make a profit. It is also a "Smithsonian Affiliate," which means it works with the famous Smithsonian museums in Washington, D.C. The museum is considered one of the best art museums in Florida. You can visit for free! In 2017, the Polk Museum of Art teamed up with Florida Southern College. This partnership helps both the museum and the college serve the community even better.
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Museum History
The museum first opened in 1966. It was started by a group called the Junior Welfare League. Back then, it was known as the Imperial Youth Museum. In 1969, its name changed to Polk Public Museum. This new name showed that it was focusing on more than just art. It also included history and science.
In 1970, the museum's leaders bought an empty Publix Super Market building. This new space was much bigger. It gave the museum twice as much room for art shows and classes. The museum staff also worked with the School Board of Polk County. Together, they created art education programs for students.
The museum's name changed again in the 1980s to Polk Museum of Art. This happened when they were building a new home. The new building was designed by an architect named Ernie Straughn. It was finished in 1988. In 2024, the museum was renamed the Ashley Gibson Barnett Museum. This new name came after a big donation from the Nicholas and Ashley Barnett Foundation. Nicholas is the grandson of George W. Jenkins, who started the Publix supermarkets. Ashley is a member of the Florida Council on Arts and Culture.
Art Collections and Shows
The Ashley Gibson Barnett Museum of Art has many different kinds of art. You can see art from ancient times all the way to today. Each year, the museum shows hundreds of artworks. These are often part of special exhibits that have a main idea or theme.
The museum has a permanent collection of over 2,500 artworks. This includes art made by students. It also features art from ancient cultures before Columbus. You can find modern and contemporary art, and art from Asia and Africa. There are also European and American decorative arts. Outside, you can explore sculptures in the museum's gardens.
The museum also has many temporary exhibitions. These shows feature art from local artists. They also bring in traveling exhibits from other places. These shows offer a wide variety of art. You might see American folk art, works by famous modern artists, or Japanese prints. There are also exhibits of African art and African American art. The museum even had a special exhibit about the Moon Museum.
The museum created its first online exhibit too. It is called "Hindsight 2020." You can see artworks from March 2020 through August 2020 on their website. The museum also keeps some of Florida Southern College's art collection.
Modern and Contemporary Art
The museum's collection of modern and contemporary art first focused on art from Florida. Now, it includes works by artists from many different backgrounds. This includes Latino, African-American, and Asian-American artists.
European Decorative Arts
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This part of the collection has European ceramics from the 1400s to the 1800s. It also includes English silver and American silver from the 1700s and 1800s.
African Art
The African art collection started in 2004. This was after a gift of 56 traditional artworks. The collection shows many different types of art. It includes works from various African cultures.
Learning and Education
The museum's main goal is to "enhance the lives of our varied communities by bringing people and art together." Because of this, the museum puts a lot of effort into its Education Department. They offer many learning programs for both kids and adults.
Some of these programs include tours of the museum. There are also art camps for children and families. You can take classes and workshops on topics like photography, drawing, and painting. The museum also has a special program called "Meet Me at PMoA: Making Art Accessible to People with Dementia." In this program, people with dementia meet each month to create and talk about art.
"Changing Lives Through Art" is another important program. This outreach program helps people in the community who need extra support. This includes teenage mothers and children living in homeless shelters.
Lakeland Montessori Middle, a free public charter school, used to be located on the second floor of the museum.
