The Museum of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg is one of the area’s leading museums.
In 1975, there were only two art institutions
that actually had any influence outside of
the Tampa Bay area: Graphicstudio at the
University of South Florida and The John
and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in
Sarasota.
Graphicstudio is a nationally-known
experimental print studio established in
1968 by Donald Saff. It brought leading
contemporary artists, as well as the best
master printers and technicians, to Tampa.
Through a commitment to innovation
and technology, Graphicstudio redefined
contemporary prints as multiples and
advanced new printmaking techniques like
heliorelief and waxtypes, while advancing
new approaches for 19th century processes.
The importance of Graphicstudio is
viewed through the collaborative prints
created by artists like Roy Lichtenstein,
Philip Pearlstein, Robert Mapplethorpe,
Richard Anuszkiewicz, William Wegman,
the Cuban collaborative Los Carpentieros
and over a hundred other major American,
European and Latin American artists.
Because of Graphicstudio, some
internationally known artists moved their
operations here, giving the West Coast
of Florida greater artistic recognition;
Robert Rauschenberg set up on the island
of Captiva; James Rosenquist moved north
to the Gulf Coast village of Aripeka; and
others, such as sculptor John Chamberlain,
settled in Sarasota. Lastly, it is important
to appreciate that the publications of
Graphicstudio are archived into the
collection of the National Gallery of Art
in Washington, DC, which is a great honor
and distinction.
The John and Mable Ringling Museum
of Art has also had an illustrative history
over the past 40 years. It was and is the
state art museum of Florida and has
offered important programs and services
over the years to assist in the promotion of
the arts. The Ringling, while known for its
stellar Baroque art collection, also made a
commitment to exhibiting contemporary
art and, particularly in the 1980s, organized
and brought groundbreaking national and
international exhibitions. In 2000, the
State legislature transferred management
of the Ringling Museums (art, circus,
gardens and Ca’ d’Zan home) to Florida
State University and allocated $43M in
restoration funds. From the private sector,
another $56M was raised; and the Ringling
went through a massive expansion and
restructuring over the next five years. It is
recognized as one of the major museums
in the United States.
Back to 1975 – at that time, a cohesive
art scene was just beginning to emerge in
the Tampa Bay area. The only other art
museum was the Museum of Fine Arts in
St. Petersburg. It had a small, encyclopedic
collection housed in a classically designed
building that opened in 1965. Typical of
museums at that time, it was not the
institution it is today. I remember going
there and being greeted by a volunteer at
the desk. I said I wanted to join, and she
noted that I lived in Tampa. “Why would
you want to be a member here if you live
in Tampa?” I said that I was a community
college teacher and I would want to know
what exhibits they were showing so I
could send my students. She promptly
said, “You would not send students here
unaccompanied, we don’t want them just
roaming around the museum.” I tell this
story not to deride the MFA, but that it was
typical of art museums at the time – they
were often societal and elitist and not often
really public institutions.
That would all change, I believe, because
of two national developments. In 1976,
the United States Bicentennial Committee
invited the public to go and see the rich
national treasures that were on view in
museums all across this country; and, the
second was a philosophical change by the
American Association of Museums (AAM)
requesting that museums rewrite their
mission statement, so as to be viewed as
public educational institutions. Prior to
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