LAKELAND, Fla., Jan. 15,
2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Ashley Gibson Barnett Museum
of Art (The AGB) at Florida Southern
College (FSC) is excited to announce the grand opening of
its highly anticipated 14,000-square-foot expansion on Thursday, January 16, 2025, for Museum members
and Saturday, January 18, for the
community.
The completion of the expansion project fulfills a three-decade
dream to expand upon the Museum's 1988 building, adding seven new
galleries, new educational spaces, a new creativity lab, and
renovations to the original building. The expansion seamlessly
connects with the existing space, nearly tripling the Museum's main
exhibition area. This increased capacity allows for the display of
more works from its 3,400-piece permanent collection in addition to
hosting a broader range of diverse, world-class exhibitions.
"This project reflects the realization of the dreams of many
individuals in our community and at Florida
Southern College to establish a world-class museum," Dr.
Anne Kerr, FSC President Emerita
said. "We are especially proud of being a Smithsonian Affiliate
that provides notable exhibition opportunities, and we are
gratified to be one of only a few such museums in the nation that
serves as both a community and academic art museum. We anticipate
that this model will inspire many other such visual arts projects
in the future to benefit countless individuals."
Visitors to the new expansion will discover two buildings of
exhibitions, with the aim to appeal to broad audiences, while
showcasing both the breadth of the Museum's collection and of human
experience. Among the highlights are exhibitions like "Hair
& Newton: The Rise of the Highwaymen," the first in a
continuing, rotating series of shows featuring and celebrating the
story of Florida's homegrown landscape artists; "Rodin at The AGB,"
featuring 14 sculptures by the most-famous sculptor in modern
history, on long-term loan to the Museum; "American Art Since the 1960s," featuring six decades of
post-war American works from the permanent collection; and "Warhol
Condensed: From Marilyn to Soup and Back Again," featuring five
iconic Warhol works on long-term loan to the Museum.
"Every museum awaits a once-in-a-generation moment like this,
and we are thrilled that the moment has finally arrived to share
this incredible expansion with our art-loving community," Dr. H.
Alexander Rich, Executive Director
and Chief Curator said. "From our donors and members to the
construction crews and our expert Museum staff, this was a massive,
collaborative effort that propels our mission to be recognized as a
site for exceptional accessible learning and a top academic and
community museum in the region, state, and nation."
The addition, with its bold modern façade and innovative gallery
designs, is designed by Straughn Trout Architects, the same firm
that designed the Museum's 1988 structure, and built by Rodda
Construction. Additional exhibitions on view in the expanded AGB
include "Above All, Enjoy The Music: Photographs by Herman Leonard," "Before & After: Giulio
Carpioni's Four Seasons of Man," "Matters of Scale: On the Intimate
and the Sublime," "Surface, Service, and Splendor: Decorating
History in Clay,"
Matisse to Gehry: Works on Paper, 1938-2022," and the continuing
"Dutch Impressionism: The Hague School, 1860-1930."
"This expansion has been a dream for many years, and it will
allow us to better serve our community and share our love of art
with a wider audience," added Lynda
Buck, Board of Trustees President.
The Museum, which affiliated with Florida
Southern College in 2017, recently evolved from the Polk
Museum of Art to the Ashley Gibson Barnett Museum of Art at
Florida Southern College, initiating an
optimistic and fresh chapter in its nearly 60-year history.
"We're excited to celebrate with all those who supported this
marvelous expansion of the arts in Lakeland," Dr. Jeremy
Martin, Florida Southern College President said. "By
doubling the exhibition space, we extend The AGB's ability to serve
free-admission visitors, including countless schoolchildren every
year, as well as Florida Southern
College students in Art History and Museum Studies — all of
whom learn at Central Florida's
only Smithsonian-affiliated art museum. Thanks to our donors,
patrons and members, the entire community may now explore art and
culture on a grander scale at The AGB."
About the Ashley Gibson Barnett Museum of Art at Florida Southern College
The Ashley Gibson Barnett Museum of Art is a not-for-profit,
academic and community museum whose enduring mission is to engage
audiences of all ages with world-class exhibitions, programs, and
experiences and to offer avenues for lifelong learning and
reflection on our shared world through art and visual culture. It
is the largest and only nationally accredited visual arts
organization in Polk County and
the only Smithsonian Affiliate art museum in Central Florida. The Museum is nearing
completion on its $8 million
expansion and renovation project, adding an additional 14,000 sq.
ft. of education and exhibition space, including six new galleries,
as well as multi-functional classroom and event spaces. The
expansion and renovation project is projected to be completed in
January 2025. The Museum's hours are
Tuesdays–Saturdays 10 am to 4 pm,
Sunday 1 pm to 5 pm, and closed
Mondays and major holidays. The facility is handicap-accessible and
special needs assistance is available. Admission is free, thanks to
our Strategic Partner, the Ting Tsung and Wei Fong Chao
Foundation.
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SOURCE Florida Southern College
