Florida Museum of Photographic Arts facts for kids
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| Former name | Tampa Gallery of Photographic Arts |
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| Established | 2001 |
| Location | 1630 E 7th Avenue Ybor, Tampa FL, 33605 |
| Type | Photography Museum |
The Florida Museum of Photographic Arts (FMoPA) is a special place where you can see amazing photographs. It shows how photography is important in our daily lives and culture. FMoPA also helps people learn about photography through programs for kids and adults. It's one of only a few museums in the United States that focuses only on photography.
The museum has cool programs like "Children's Literacy Through Photography" for kids who need extra help. They also offer photography classes and summer camps for children. In 2023, the museum moved to historic Ybor City in Tampa, Florida. This new spot helps them show off their large collection and host exciting exhibits from famous photographers.
Before 2006, the museum was known as the Tampa Gallery of Photographic Arts.
Contents
Discovering the Permanent Collection
The museum has a growing collection of photographs. These include unique works by Harold Edgerton. He invented the strobe light, which lets photographers capture super-fast moments. You can also see celebrity pictures by Len Prince.
The collection also features a notable photo by Dorothea Lange. There's a portrait of famous photographer Ansel Adams by Judy Dater. Pictures of Pittsburgh by Charles "Teenie" Harris are also part of the collection. You can find works by Dianora Niccolini, known for her unique style of photography. Ruth Bernhard's work also features in the collection.
Important moments in American history are shown through photos. These include Burk Uzzle's famous Woodstock scenes. Bud Lee's pictures of the 1960s and 1970s counterculture are also there. The museum also has old panoramic photos from the early 1900s. These show things like the building of the Panama Canal and early Tampa history.
Museum Partnerships
The Florida Museum of Photographic Arts works with several groups. They partner with the Arts Council of Hillsborough County. This council helps promote the museum and gives money to support its work.
FMoPA also works with the University of Tampa. They have a program that lets university students visit the museum for free. This helps students enjoy and learn about the art.
Museum Accreditation
The museum is officially recognized by the American Alliance of Museums. This means it meets high standards for how museums are run.
Exciting Exhibitions
The museum hosts many different photography exhibitions. Here are some examples of past shows:
- Masters of Black & White Exhibition (2001)
- Faces and Places: One Man Show by Herb Snitzer (2001)
- War and Peace: World War II (2001–2002)
- The Photography of Peter B. Kaplan (2002)
- Clyde Butcher Retrospective (2002–2003)
- Berenice Abbott: American Photographer: A Fantastic Passion (2003)
- Stopping Time: Photographs of Harold Edgerton (2003)
- Hard Won Dreams: the American Southwest: Photographs of Bruce Dale (2003–2004)
- One Shot Harris: The Photographs of Charles "Teenie" Harris (2005–2006)
- Eyes of A Child: Images from Our Children’s Literacy through Photography Program (2006, 2008, 2009)
- Aaron Siskind: A Harlem Document (1932–1940) (2006)
- Tom Abercrombie: National Geographic Photographer (2007)
- Face to Face: Judy Dater’s Portraits from Italy and California (2007)
- Cuba: Selected Works of Clyde Butcher and Maria Martinez-Canas (2007)
- The Magic Box of Abelardo Morell (2008)
- Graciela Iturbide: The Spirits of the Earth (2008)
- Burk Uzzle’s Woodstock and Other Americana (2009)
- Andrea Modica: Flights of the Soul (2009, 2018)
- Ansel Adams: Classic Images (2011)
- Life and Death by Duane Michals (2011)
- Bud Lee's America (2011–2012)
- Andy Warhol & Friends (2012)
- The Secret Paris of the 1930s: Vintage Photographs by Brassaï (2012)
- Portraits of Power: Photographs by Platon (2012)
- Mario Algaze: Cuba 1999–2000 (2012–2013)
- Dorothea Lange’s America (2012–2013)
- Chuck Close: A Couple Ways of Doing Something (2013)
- Vivian Maier: Out of the Shadows (2013)
- Edward S. Curtis Photogravures (2013)
- Frida & Friends: The Life and Times of Frida Kahlo (2013)
- Gangsters, Pirates, & Cigars: A Photographic History of Tampa (2013–2014)
- Ruth Bernhard: Body and Form (2014)
- Elger Esser: Combray (2014–2015)
- Gohar Dashti: Iran Untitled and Stateless (2016)
- Danny Lyon: People (2016)
- Jerry Uelsmann: Undiscovered Self (2016)
- Linda Connor: Gravity (2017)
- The Boomer List: Photographs by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders (2017)
- Under the Cuban Sun (2017)
- Chris Buck: Magnificent Hurt (2018)
- Roger Steffens: The Family Acid (2018)
- Jean Pagliuso: Poultry, Raptors, Places of Ritual (2018)
- Bruce Dale: Beyond the Lens (2018)
- Day by Day: 1968 (2018)
- North and South: Berenice Abbott’s U.S. Route 1. (2018–2019)
- Olivia Parker: Vanishing in Plain Sight (2019)
- Bruce Davidson: New York (2020)
- Garry Winogrand: Women are Beautiful (2019–2020)
- Stephen Wilkes: Day to Night (2019–2020)
- Roger Ballen: In Retrospect (2020)
- Jeff Whetstone: Batture Ritual (2021)
- Noelle Mason: X-Ray Vision vs Invisibility (2021)
- Sea to Shining Sea: Photographs from the Permanent Collection (2021–2022)
- Astrid Reischwitz: The Fabric of Memory (2021–2022)
- Suzanne Williamson: The Language of Light (2022)
- The Company We Keep: Photographs of Our Complex Relationships with Animals (2022)
- Suzanne Camp Crosby: The Art of Life (2022)
- Through the Lens of Conflict: Vietnam Press Photographs from the Dr. Robert L. Drapkin Collection (2022)
- Shane Brown: In the Territories and Reservation Dogs (2022–2023)
- Transformations: A Gender Exploration by Mariette Pathy Allen (2022–2023)
- Icons of Black and White (2023)
- Carlton Ward Jr: Path of the Panther (2023)
Museum Blog
The Florida Museum of Photographic Arts has a blog on its website. You can read articles there about museum exhibitions, upcoming events, and different photographers. The blog also talks about why photography is so important.
Community Outreach Programs
The museum has many programs to help the community. They work with groups like the Girl Scouts. They also team up with the Little Kids, Big Minds children's program. The museum has worked with the Tampa Bay Businesses for Culture and the Arts. They also partner with the Hillsborough County Public Library and the Smithsonian.
FMoPA offers many classes on different types of photography. You can learn about old-fashioned analog photography. There are classes for basic photography, creative photography, and taking pictures of people and places. You can even learn how to take great product photos or use your smartphone for social media pictures.
Online Exhibitions
The museum also has online exhibitions you can explore from home. One is the Veterans Exhibition. For this, the museum worked with the Hillsborough County Public Library. It shows photos about veterans returning to everyday life. This exhibition helps veterans in their healing journey.
Another online exhibition is the 10th Annual International Photography Competition. This show features many different kinds of art. A competition was held to pick winners in categories like still life, people/portraits, places/landscapes/drones, and abstract photography.
