Mary Brogan Museum of Art and Science facts for kids
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| Established | 1998 |
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| Location | (former) 350 South Duval Street Tallahassee, Florida |
| Type | Art, Science center |
The Mary Brogan Museum of Art and Science, often called the Brogan Museum or MOAS, was a special place in Tallahassee, Florida, where you could explore both art and science. It was located at 350 South Duval Street.
Contents
Museum History
The museum was in downtown Tallahassee, at Kleman Plaza. It was created by joining two smaller museums: The Museum of Art/Tallahassee and the Odyssey Science Center. These two groups started separately in the early 1990s.
They decided to share a building and opened to the public in 1998. By 2000, they officially merged into one museum. The building was on land owned by the City of Tallahassee.
The museum was named after Mary Brogan, the wife of Frank Brogan, who was a Lt. Governor of Florida. Mrs. Brogan was an educational consultant and cared a lot about art and learning. She passed away in 1997.
Exhibitions and Programs
The Brogan Museum was connected to big organizations like the Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC) and was a Smithsonian Affiliate. Its main goal was to make people excited about how art, science, math, and technology all connect.
The museum had two floors filled with fun, hands-on science exhibits. It also had an art gallery that showed many different kinds of artworks. There were classrooms for learning and spaces for special events.
Some cool exhibitions included Bodies: The Exhibition in 2009 and Dale Chihuly's amazing glass sculptures called Seaforms in 2003. They also showed animatronic dinosaurs from Sanrio multiple times.
The museum offered a summer day-camp called "Camp All That!" which focused on art and science. Other programs included StarLab, a portable planetarium, and EcoLab, which had aquatic life tanks. For many years, a beloved guinea pig named George lived at the museum.
Florida's World War II Memorial
In 2004, the museum worked with the Florida Department of Education and other groups. They created educational materials on CDs about World War II for American History classes. These CDs included historical facts and personal stories.
Selected Science Exhibitions
- 2003: Seeing the Unseen: Photographs by Harold Edgerton
- 2010: Videotopia
- 2008: The Roswell Exhibit
Selected Art Exhibitions
- 2001: Hello Cuba. Braking Barriers Contemporary Cuban Contemporary Art
- 2005: Art and Ecology Triennial
- 2006: Transitory Patterns: Florida Women Artists
- 2009: The Kinsey Collection
- 2011: Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition
Museum Discussions
Sometimes, the museum hosted exhibits that sparked a lot of discussion.
In 2007, an art piece called "The Proper Way to Hang a Confederate Flag" by artist John Sims caused some debate. The museum's director explained that art can help people think differently and start important conversations.
In 2008, "The Roswell Exhibit" led to discussions among local scientists. They wondered if a science museum should feature topics like UFOs.
In 2009, the "Bodies: The Exhibition" show raised questions about how the human remains were obtained. This led to new rules in Florida to make sure such exhibits were ethical.
In 2011, the museum was asked to hold onto a painting called “Christ Carrying the Cross Dragged by a Rogue” by Girolamo Romano. This artwork was believed to have been taken from a Jewish family during the Holocaust. It was later returned to the family's heirs.
Museum Closure
In January 2012, the museum announced it would close "indefinitely." Staff continued to run some programs, like "Camp All That!", through the summer. The museum tried to find ways to get more money, even selling some of its art collection.
However, in early 2013, the museum closed permanently. The main reasons were financial difficulties and not being able to bring in very popular exhibits.
What Happened to the Building?
After the museum closed, there were plans to use the building for other purposes. By 2017, Tallahassee Community College (TCC) had completely changed the building. It became a center for non-profit organizations and innovation.
The building was renovated and now has offices, meeting rooms, and training spaces. It also houses groups like the Institute for Nonprofit Innovation and Excellence and even a Starbucks coffee shop. The Starbucks was run by TCC to help students get job experience.
In early 2020, TCC announced they were closing the Starbucks.
