artists.” The NPR research goes on to say that “because art by
women is valued for less, museums buy less of it. And that is how
less artwork by women ends up on display in museums.” When
you look at national museum leadership, according to the 2019 Art
Museum Staff Demographic Survey, “Women … still lag behind men
in earnings (75 cents for every dollar earned by men) and remain
underrepresented in leadership positions.”
However, here in Tampa Bay, we may boast of being a heartening
anomaly, and perhaps the shining vanguard of a sea change. If
you look at the leadership of our arts and cultural organizations,
alliances, and associations, an overwhelming majority of the leaders
are women. In the plethora of area museums, the Museum of Fine
Arts, St. Petersburg; The James Museum, the Henry B. Plant Museum,
MARCH/APRIL 2020 | TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE 53
Margaret Miller of the University of South Florida’s Contemporary Art Museum
Stephanie Gularte of American Stage in
St. Petersburg
Women lead the majority
of museums and arts
organizations in the
Tampa Bay area.
PEZZ PHOTO