This 17th century pietre dure of hard stone cut into thin sheets
is on a panel depicting a vase of flowers. It was commissioned
by the Medici family for a villa outside of Florence, Italy, and is
one of six panels of the original eleven that are known to exist.
PANEL DEPICTING A VASE OF FLOWERS, CIRCA 1625
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 | TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE 45
display in addition to painting and sculpture. The museum’s
curators have selected pieces in part for their relevance to other
nearby items. Galleries have been carefully curated to transport
the viewer into a magical tour of the cultural treasures of the
time and place that the museum has selected for each gallery’s
theme. CEO Shepherd says the renovation allows visitors to
engage in new ways, giving them a deeper context of both
art and history to make connections across times and cultures
around the globe.
At the entrance, one wall display tells the history of the
museum, while the opposing wall has a timeline of the history
of art. In the center is a visual guide to the gallery layout,
serving to direct visitors to particular areas in which they may
have a special interest. There are also printed brochures for selfguided
tours based on special fields of interest, such as “Form
and Function,” which explores the importance of design and
aesthetics on objects for practical use, and “Flower Power,”
which includes artworks that feature flowers or plants.
The museum’s transformation focuses on both scholarship
and in creating an enjoyable experience for visitors. Works for
display were chosen from the museum’s 19,000-piece collection
as well as from some extraordinary loans and world-class
donations from noted collectors such as Dr. Bob and Ranee
Drapkin, along with items acquired or conservation projects by
the museum’s Collectors Circle, its premier financial support
group.