Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts with the label Florida Museums

Imagine Museum of Studio Glass

Located at 191 Central Avenue in St. Petersburg, Florida, the 48,000 square foot  Imagine Museum  exhibits approximately 500 pieces of glass from their 1500 piece collection. The focus of the collection centers around the studio glass movement from the 1960s to the present time. Opening in January of 2018, the museum is the newest edition to the ever-growing and changing art scene in St Petersburg, Florida. Artwork from master glass artists like Dale Chihuly, Harvey Littleton, Sidney Hutter, William Morris, Dominick Labino, along with many others. In all, there is approximately 55 artist represented in the museum. The benefactors of the museum sought out the expertise of Corey Hampton to select the work from artists who best represent the history of the studio glass movement. Harvey Littleton and Dominick Labino are considered the founders of the studio glass movent of the 1960s that inspired many future glass artists. The movement began in twp workshops led by Littleton and Labino t

David Bowie and the Modernism Museum

The Modernism Museum located in Mount Dora Florida is dedicated to the Memphis Group founded by Ettore Sottsass in 1980. The Memphis group was comprised of Italian designers and architects and focused on creating bright highly stylized lighting, furniture, glass, and textiles. The group was very unconventional and at times viewed their work as more artistic than functional. Key to their design was the use of bright colors, unusual textures, and materials inspired by the Art Deco movement of the 1950s. Memphis sought to counter the mid-century modern design of the 1950s and 1960s and the minimalism of the 1970s. The group was made up of approximately 20 designers and exhibited annually from 1981 to 1988. David Bowie was a major collector of the objects designed by the Memphis group. In 2016 after Davids Bowie's passing the Modernism Museum purchased a large number of his pieces at the Sotheby auction. The museum has 75+ examples from the Memphis group works many of which were p

James Museum of Western and Wildlife Art

James Museum of Western and Wildlife Art Opening in April 2018 the James Museum of Western Art is the latest addition to the vibrant art scene of St Petersburg Florida.  The collection occupies more the 30,000 square feet of space in the renovated downtown building. On display are more than 400 pieces of art including paintings, sculpture, and jewelry selected from over 3000 pieces of art from the personal collection of Tom and Mary James. Very early in their life, they began to collect pieces they liked with a concentration on supporting living artists.  As time went on the collection grew to encompass a wide range of artist including contemporary, and past artists. The themed gallery space is arranged by Early West(1890 to 1940) gallery consists of older artists to include Fredrick Remington and Charles Russell. Native Life gallery concentrates on American Indiana Life in the 1800s. Native Artists gallery is dedicated to 20th and 21st century American Indiana Artists.

Leepa- Rattner Museum of Art

Leepa-Ratner Museum of Art Located on the Campus of St Petersburg College in Tarpon Springs Florida, the Leepa-Ratner Museum of Art opened in 2002. The focus of the museum is contemporary and modern art with approximately 6000 items in their collection. Established from gifts of Dr. Allen Leepa and his wife Isabella along with the State of Florida, St Petersburg College, and St Petersburg College Foundation Inc. Dr. Leepa Donated works by his stepfather the well-known expressionist artist Abraham Rattner and his second work Ester Gentle who was a painter, sculpture, and print-maker. In addition to the Rattner and Gentle collection, the museum displays work by such artists as Marc Chagall, Pablo Picasso, and Henry Moore. The museum is continually expanding its collection and provides Art Classes, (Adult, Family, and School) programs throughout the year. This is an excellent museum, especially if you are interested in the artwork of Leepa/Gentle/Rattner.  Check the Leepa-Rattner Mu

Dali Museum Frida Kahlo

Frida Kaho at the Dali Museu If you are a fan of  Frida Kahlo, then a visit to the Dali Museum to view the Kalo exhibit of more than 60 pieces of her work is worth a trip to St Petersburg, Florida. The exhibit runs through April 17th, 2017, and provides insight into her struggles as an artist and in her personal life. Frida was born on July 6th, 1907 in Coyoacan, Mexico City, Mexico. Primarily part of the Surrealist movement, Frida painted many self-portraits reflecting her struggles through life as a result of her tragic accident when she was 18.  Self-taught, Frida painted during her long months of recovery using a specially made easel that allowed her to paint in bed. She married muralist Diego Rivera on August 21st, 1929. She continued to paint throughout her life, but due to numerous surgeries and failing health, she died at a very young age of 47 on July 13th, 1954. The Dali museum did a great job organizing the exhibit so that you get a real understanding of her work and l

Cici and Hyatt Brown Museum of Florida Art

Cici and Hyatt Museum If you love Florida art, then you will be amazed at the amount and quality on exhibit at the Cici and Hyatt Brown Museum in Daytona Beach, Florida. The collection of about 2600 pieces of Florida-themed art was generously donated to the Museum of Arts and Sciences by Cici and Hyatt Brown along with $14.3 million for a new 26,000 square foot building. The city of Daytona Beach is lucky to have such generous patrons of the arts to share their extensive collection with the public. When you see glimpses of gold frames and the 30 ft wide mural titled "Everglades Panorama"  by James F. Hutchinson in the entry hall, your curiosity begins to build in anticipation of what is beyond the large wall. But it is not until you walk around the 7 galleries and view works of art that you are confronted with many emotions about what you are witnessing. Several words come to mind, "Overwhelming," "Spectacular," "Amazing," and "Unbelieva