Judith Lisi of the Straz Center for the
Performing Arts in Tampa
the Glazer Children’s Museum, the USF Contemporary Art Museum, the
Florida Museum of Photographic Arts, the Imagine Museum, the Dr. Carter
G. Woodson African American Museum, the Dunedin Fine Art Center, the
Leepa-Rattner Museum, Florida CraftArt and the HCC Gallery 221, HCC
Ybor Gallery 114, University of Tampa Scarfone Hartley Gallery – ALL are
headed by women. Many, if not most, of their curators are women. Of the
area arts alliances, arts councils, and businesses for culture and the arts, which
provide support for Tampa Bay arts and cultural organizations, almost all are
led by women, as are theatrical venues such as American Stage, Stageworks,
the Straz Center for the Performing Arts and Ruth Eckerd Hall.
The year 2020 marks the 100th anniversary of the federal passage of
the 19th Amendment, and many are calling it “The Year of the Woman.”
And with that title comes the promise of a revolution for women in art. In
museums and galleries across Tampa Bay, there will be many exhibitions
by and of women artists, and with increased representation of women. Not
coincidentally, the leaders and curators of these museums and galleries are
the main protagonists in this planning.
Arts and culture help drive our economy, enhance our quality of life,
provide inspiration and joy to residents, and strengthen the social fabric of
our communities.
In all of this success, you could say women arts leaders are the unsung
heroes of Tampa Bay. 9
EDITOR’S NOTE: Susana Weymouth is executive director of the Tampa Bay
Businesses for Culture & the Arts.
MARCH/APRIL 2020 | TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE 55
Jane Buckman of the Imagine Museum in
St. Petersburg
NORAA
GRAM
The year 2020
marks the 100th
anniversary of the
federal passage
of the 19th
Amendment, and
many are calling it
“The Year of the
Woman.” And with
that title comes
the promise of
a revolution for
women in art.