Tampa Museum of Art facts for kids
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| Established | 1920 |
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| Location | Tampa, Florida |
| Type | Art museum |
| Accreditation | American Alliance of Museums |
| Collections | Ancient Greek and Roman antiquities, 18th and 19th Century Photography, Modern and contemporary decorative arts and sculpture, Contemporary works on paper, Modern and Contemporary Painting, New media, video and contemporary installation art |
| Collection size | 8,000 objects |
| Public transit access | Cass St at Gasparilla Plaza (HART Buses 7 and 10) |
| Nearest parking | The nearest garage is the William F. Poe Parking Garage. Additional parking is available at City of Tampa street parking or nearby city lots and garages. |
The Tampa Museum of Art is a cool place to visit in downtown Tampa, Florida. It shows off amazing modern and contemporary art. You can also see really old treasures from Ancient Greece, Rome, and the Etruscans.
The museum first opened its doors on November 22, 1920. Back then, it was called the Tampa Museum of Fine Arts. After moving around a few times, the museum found its forever home in 2010. This award-winning new building is right along Tampa's Riverwalk, next to the Hillsborough River.
Contents
A New Home for Art
For many years, people knew the museum's first building was too small. Everyone wanted a bigger space for all the wonderful art!
Planning the New Museum
After lots of ideas and discussions, a plan finally came together in 2006. The museum and the city of Tampa decided to build a brand new museum. It cost $33 million and was designed to be 66,000 square feet. This new building was placed just a short walk from the old one.
It became part of the city's Riverwalk project in Curtis Hixon Park. A new home for the Tampa Children's Museum (now called the Glazer Children's Museum) was also built right next door.
Building and Opening Day
The old museum building had to be taken down to make space for the new one. While the new building was being built, the Tampa Museum of Art moved temporarily. It stayed in the historic Centro Español building in West Tampa.
Construction for the new museum began on April 18, 2008. The grand opening of the amazing new Tampa Museum of Art happened on February 6, 2010.
Recent Updates and Future Plans
The museum got a big makeover in 2023, costing $15 million. This added seven new gallery spaces and a special education center. There are also plans for even more exciting additions. These include a 150-seat auditorium, an art lounge, and a rooftop event area. A café and a sculpture park are also in the works!
The Museum's Cool Design
The museum building itself is a work of art! The architect, Stanley Saitowitz, designed it to look like a "jewel box." It uses shiny aluminum, clear glass, and special lights that change colors on the outside walls. This makes the building glow and sparkle.
Inside, the museum is mostly white with soft lighting. This helps the art stand out. The architect wanted it to be like an "empty canvas" ready to be filled with beautiful paintings and sculptures. There's also a gift shop where you can find unique souvenirs.
In 2010, the Tampa Museum of Art won an American Architecture Award. This award came from The Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design.
What You Can See Inside
The Tampa Museum of Art has two floors. On the first floor, you'll find two entrances and help desks. There's also a gift shop on the west side of the building.
The second floor is where you'll discover the main art galleries. The museum has a permanent collection of ancient pottery and tools. These come from civilizations even older than Ancient Greece! You can also see special exhibits, like "Purvis Young: Redux," which shows many works by Purvis Young.
The museum also has a new, expanded space just for learning. This area can be separate from the main galleries. It's designed to host art classes, even for digital art and photography. It also has a special gallery to show off art made by children who take these classes.
Amazing Art Collections
The museum's permanent collection has both fine art and very old artifacts.
Modern and Contemporary Art
The fine arts collection includes paintings, photographs, and sculptures. You can see works by famous artists like Alexander Calder, Andy Warhol, and Cindy Sherman. The sculpture collection features pieces by Dale Chihuly and Jaume Plensa.
The museum also has a great collection of Latin American art. This includes works by artists such as Diego Rivera and Rufino Tamayo. In 2022, the museum received a donation of the Fernando Botero sculpture Mujer Vestida. More recently, in 2024, it received donations of The Pact by Josignacio and Lagrimas de la Habana by AGalban.
Ancient Treasures
The museum's collection of ancient artifacts is truly special. It has over 660 items! These pieces were made between about 3000 BC and AD 500. They come from Ancient Greek, Roman, Egyptian, and Etruscan civilizations.
Museum Friends and Partners
The Tampa Museum of Art works with many groups to bring art to everyone.
University Partnerships
It partners with the University of South Florida, especially the Tampa campus. They share materials for exhibits, like ancient pottery and drinking vessels. The museum also offers a special course for university students. This course helps students learn about artists with dementia. Their works are shown in the "Outsider Art Gallery."
You can even see many of these ancient works online! The USF Special Collections and the Tampa Museum of Art website have digital versions. They include descriptions and information about the history of each piece.
Community Connections
The museum also works with many local community centers and organizations. These include the Firehouse Cultural Center and the Parks and Recreation City of Tampa. They also partner with groups like Pace Center for Girls and The Spring of Tampa Bay. These partnerships help bring art to more people in the community.
The museum also offers guided tours for school groups from Hillsborough and Pinellas County. This helps students learn about art and history.
In April 2022, the museum received a huge gift of $25 million from Dick Corbett. This money helps support the museum's plans for renovation and expansion.
Images for kids
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Roman grave altar, Grave of Caltilus Diadumenus, A.D. 140–170
