PMoA Designated A Smithsonian Affiliate

Friday, September 17, 2010  • News

Polk Museum of Art in fall 2010 was accepted into the Smithsonian Affiliations Program. This prestigious program will allow the Museum to benefit from loans of collections items from Smithsonian institutions, as well as access to resources and training programs.

“For more than 40 years,” said Harold A. Closter, director of Smithsonian Affiliations, “Polk Museum of Art has served the communities of Central Florida with its impressive collections, engaging exhibitions, expert staff and a deep commitment to education and public service, becoming truly worthy of its motto, ‘More Than An Art Museum.’  The Smithsonian Institution welcomes the Polk Museum of Art into our affiliations program and looks forward to new collaborations that will bring together the strengths of both organizations, to benefit audiences both locally and nationally.”

“We are excited about this new partnership with the Smithsonian Institution,” said Daniel E. Stetson, executive director of Polk Museum of Art. “Becoming a Smithsonian Affiliate will give Polk Museum of Art access to some of the great artwork owned by the Smithsonian and will enable us to gain knowledge from their long experience. We’re hoping to begin taking advantage of this program within the next few months.”

“It is an honor for the Polk Museum of Art to be accepted to the Smithsonian Affiliations program,” said Dr. Anne Kerr, immediate past president of Polk Museum of Art’s Board of Trustees. ”This places our Museum in a special category of prestigious art institutions that are approved to exhibit marvelous works of art from the Smithsonian collection. Polk County residents will now have the grand opportunity to view selected works from our vast national collection all within easy driving distance. This program will augment the Museum’s exhibitions in a powerful way and enable our community to see works of art that before would not have been possible.”

Acceptance into the Smithsonian Affiliations program enables Polk Museum of Art to borrow artwork from the Smithsonian for negotiable periods of time. Museum staff also will be able to go to Washington, D.C., for training on topics related to Museum best-practices, and will be given access to Smithsonian educational outreach programs and expertise.

According to the Smithsonian’s Web site: The goal of Smithsonian Affiliations is to establish long-term relationships with Affiliate Partners to maximize the cultural and educational benefits that both the Smithsonian and the Affiliate can bring to a community. There are currently 13 museums in the state of Florida that participate in the program, including Polk Museum of Art.