Tampa Museum of Art Completes First Phase of its Centennial Renovation Project

Credits: The Tampa Museum of Art

The Tampa Museum of Art has recently undergone a significant expansion in 2023. The museum’s new façade, expanded museum store, atrium galleries and renovated west lobby are part of the Centennial Renovation project to increase artists’ visibility and accessibility. 

The project, which began construction in mid-2021, added seven new exhibition spaces and the Vinik Family Education Center to the museum’s portfolio. As a result, the museum’s renovation project has increased the museum’s exhibition and collection space from 14,800 square feet to over 43,000 square feet. The new exhibition spaces were officially announced during the museum’s Centennial Renovation Celebration, attended by Tampa Bay’s leaders, museum benefactors and members.

Credits: Tampa Museum of Art

The museum’s newest features include a 150-seat auditorium, an art lounge, and event and rooftop event spaces. Sculpture atriums were remodeled in the existing lobby, making art the first thing visitors experience at the museum. Outdoor sculpture areas will also be added to Curtis Hixon Park and the Tampa Riverwalk. The renovated Vinik Family Education Center, which began offering classes in May 2022, includes four classrooms, a lobby, an orientation space and a ceramics kiln.

“The Tampa Museum of Art has been growing its programming rapidly in recent years, and our existing space could no longer accommodate our growing collection and programming and keep up with the increased demand from the growing Tampa Bay region,” said Michael Tomor, the Penny and Jeff Vinik executive director of the Tampa Museum of Art, in an interview with Tampa Bay Living Magazine. “The expansion will allow us to display more of our collection, host larger and more complex exhibitions, and offer more educational and community programs.”

The next phase of the museum’s renovation includes a 55,000-square-foot area designed as a four-story, glass-fronted pier toward the Hillsborough River. The total cost of the project stands at $110 million, with 80 percent privately funded and the rest provided by Hillsborough County and a Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) grant.

“With the completed renovation portion of the Centennial Campaign for Renovation and Expansion, we now look forward to beginning the groundbreaking for the building expansion in 2024,” said Tomor. “The total renovation and expansion project will expand the Museum’s gross area from 69,000 to 125,000 sq. ft. It will continue to position the Tampa Museum of Art as a leader in the local cultural landscape, and it will continue to bolster the economic development of the Tampa Bay region.”

Credits: The Tampa Museum of Art

According to Tomor, the museum has seen a significant increase in visitor engagement and attendance since the newly renovated galleries fully opened in April 2023, citing an increase in positive comments and reviews from visitors who publicly stated that they enjoy the number of diverse exhibitions that the museum now offers.

“By doubling our exhibition gallery spaces during the renovation, we have already seen strong growth in general museum attendance, and we will also be able to offer four times more school tours,” said Tomor. “We will be able to host school tours for 24,000 Hillsborough County students each year, which is up from our 6,000 student annual visits before the renovation.”

Additionally, Tomor noted that this expansion has boosted the museum’s ability to engage with the Tampa Bay community.

“The expanded gallery spaces allow us to reach a wider audience by increasing our commitment to representing cultural, racial, ethnic, and gender diversity through the artists highlighted in its programs,” said Tomor. “Half of the Museum’s exhibition spaces are now dedicated to year-round artwork exhibitions by Black and African American, Latin American, and women artists.”

Information about the museum’s latest exhibitions, upcoming classes and more is available on the museum’s website.

Credits: The Tampa Museum of Art