The Expansion
With this exciting expansion, our whole community will benefit. The new spaces will showcase art from across time and cultures, and the Museum can continue to grow as an innovative site for learning for its entire art-loving community.

H. Alexander Rich
Executive Director & Chief Curator
Ashley Gibson Museum of Art at Florida Southern College
This expansion sets the stage for the Museum’s status as a world-class academic museum, a community institution that serves students and our citizens.


Lynda L. Buck
Chair, Board of Trustees
Ashley Gibson Museum of Art at Florida Southern College
The expansion of the Museum will result in a dynamic arts venue that will greatly enrich the cultural offerings in our community.


Dr. Anne B. Kerr
President
Florida Southern College

On February 22, 2022, the Ashley Gibson Museum of Art at Florida Southern College announced plans for a $6 million expansion and renovation project of the Museum. The new changes to the Museum will allow for a number of new spaces, both for exhibitions and new educational experiences for our community and students. The expansion, scheduled to begin in Summer 2023, will include:

  • A $8,000,000 expansion upon the Polk Museum of Art’s 34-year-old primary building, adding over 14,000 square feet of gallery, classroom, and art laboratory space to the current 38,000 square foot building.

  • Renovations to the existing 1988 structure, including to the Museum’s current entrance, along with new flooring throughout the first level and updated second floor galleries, classrooms, and office spaces.

  • New galleries, tripling the Museum's current major exhibition spaces, enabling the Museum to display more of its permanent collection and to expand its collections storage. Currently, only a small fraction of the Museum’s 2,800 pieces of art are able to be displayed at any time.

  • New, innovative, multi-use gallery, education, and archival spaces in which to study, learn from, and appreciate art across time and cultures., special events spaces, classrooms, and additional storage and restoration areas.

  • Continued partnership between the Museum and Florida Southern College in their trajectory toward becoming home to one of the nation’s leading academic fine art museums and scholarly centers for the study of the arts and visual culture. The expansion will provide additional hands-on experiences for students, including internships, volunteer opportunities, and pre-professional development programs.

The expansion and renovations are scheduled to be completed in the Summer of 2024. If you would like to support the expansion and renovation project, please continue to scroll to the bottom of the page.

Support the Project

If you are considering a contribution to the Museum’s expansion and renovation project, please know that gifts in any amount help!

If you are interested in discussing your potential gift further, learning more about different gift levels and naming opportunities, or how your gift will support the project, please feel free to email or call Dr. Alex Rich, Executive Director and Chief Curator, at (863) 688-7743 x234.

If you would like to contribute via our online portal, please click the link below. You will be re-directed to Florida Southern College’s donation site, where you can select Other and enter AGB Expansion Fund.

  1. Click Link

  2. Select Donate Now

  3. Insert the amount you would like to donate

  4. In the area of giving, select AGB Expansion

  5. Complete the requested information

  6. Click submit

For any additional questions or information, please contact Pal Powell, Deputy Director at PPowell@PolkMuseumofArt.org or 863-688-7743 x240.