The Tampa Museum of Art turned 100 years old last fall, and a press conference on Jan. 14 unveiled plans for a birthday gift to local Bay-area arts enthusiasts. TMA’s extensive upcoming Centennial Renovation project will convert unused space into capacious multimedia exhibit areas and and an expanded education center.
Renovations will begin in May. Executive Director Michael Tomor said that most of funding will come from private donors by way of the museum’s trustees. The museum will remain open without interruption during the upcoming three phases of renovation. During that time, builders will work from blueprints by award-winning New York architecture firm Weiss/Manfredi and the engineers of Skanska USA.
Currently, the museum’s 3,500-square-foot education space includes the Dickey Family Lecture Hall, Golding-Scher Classroom and a corridor. After renovations, including a separate lobby and entrance available after hours, the education space will grow to 8,772 square feet.
That’s not all. Plans are in the works for new exhibition space too. While existing galleries encompass 18,835 square feet. The estimated total square feet after renovation will be as large as 31,820 square feet. Tomor said the space will be used for multimedia, kinetic exhibitions.
“By reallocating the existing back-of-house space to create new additional classrooms, we anticipate being able to offer multiple programs simultaneously, without having to depend on the museum hours dictated by the exhibition viewing space,” explained Nina Womeldurf, the museum’s marketing and communications director.
With additional hours of operation for the Education Center, evening studio art classes for teens and adults will be possible on a regular basis, she added.
Over the past 20 years, the museum has been rebuilt and experienced exponential growth while presenting world-class exhibitions and incorporating local artists, including a USF Graphic studio collaboration. The museum also hosted a centennial exhibition that displayed works from world-famous artists like Chagall and notable Florida artists such as James Rosenquist, Bruce Marsh, Theo Wujcik and Mernet Larsen.
Additionally, the additional classroom spaces will allow TMA’s Education Department to coordinate more community outreach programs to offer more art education and art therapy interventions options. Plans include programs for children and teens in foster care, children in domestic violence shelters, children of migrant communities, adults living with dementia, HIV/AIDs and substance use disorders.
The museum’s press conference included a video presentation of Mayor Jane Castor sharing her enthusiasm about the project and how it will accommodate the needs of a rapidly growing city. She emphasized that she anticipates more change and growth in the next 10 years than she’s witnessed over the course of her lifetime, adding substantiated wisdom that other growing metros too often neglect:
“Our arts and culture scene is critical to that growth.”
