POLK MUSEUM OF ART RECEIVES A TRANSFORMATIONAL DONATION AND IS RENAMED THE ASHLEY GIBSON BARNETT MUSEUM OF ART

POLK MUSEUM OF ART RECEIVES A TRANSFORMATIONAL DONATION AND IS RENAMED THE ASHLEY GIBSON BARNETT MUSEUM OF ART

Dr. Anne B. Kerr, President of Florida Southern College, is proud to announce a historic transformational gift to the Polk Museum of Art, through a generous donation from the Nicholas and Ashley Barnett Foundation at GiveWell.

In tribute to Florida Southern College and Museum Trustee Ashley Gibson Barnett's deep commitment to the arts, the Smithsonian-Affiliate museum will be renamed The Ashley Gibson Barnett Museum of Art (The AGB) at Florida Southern College, effective July 13, 2024. This generous gift establishes an endowment to support world-class exhibitions, operations, community art and educational programs, expanding the Museum's engagement, accessibility, and influence.

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Polk Museum of Art Announces 52nd Mayfaire by-the-Lake Art Festival

Polk Museum of Art Announces 52nd Mayfaire by-the-Lake Art Festival

The Polk Museum of Art is excited to announce its 52nd annual Mayfaire by-the-Lake Art Festival, presented by Citizens Bank & Trust and The Ruthvens and to be held along the shores of Lake Morton May 11 and 12, 2024, from 9 am to 4 pm. Showcasing over 150 artists from nine states working in a variety of media, from painting and sculpture to woodworking, hand-crafted jewelry, and more, this free two-day fine art festival promises to offer something for every art enthusiast, collector, and visitor to enjoy. The festival is excited to welcome 39 new exhibiting artists to this year’s festivities.

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Rockwell and Wyeth's Visions of Nostalgia Take Over the Polk Museum of Art

Rockwell and Wyeth's Visions of Nostalgia Take Over the Polk Museum of Art

The Polk Museum of Art is thrilled to announce its newest exhibition, “Rockwell/Wyeth: Icons of Americana,” opening on January 27, 2024. Featuring 40 paintings by Norman Rockwell and N.C. Wyeth – along with the complete set of 321 covers of “The Saturday Evening Post” illustrated by Rockwell – this loan-based exhibition showcases the work of two of the most celebrated figures in American art, whose vivid illustrations captured the imaginations of Americans throughout the 20th century and are still admired for their nostalgic qualities to this day.  This exhibition, exclusive to Polk Museum of Art audiences and developed in partnership with the National Museum of American Illustration, offers a rare juxtaposition of Rockwell and Wyeth examined side by side as a principal scholarly focus.

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Rodin Bronzes Return Long-Term to the Polk Museum of Art

Rodin Bronzes Return Long-Term to the Polk Museum of Art

In the lead up to its major expansion opening in Fall 2024, the Polk Museum of Art at Florida Southern College is excited to announce a multi-year partnership with the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Foundation to display a suite of 14 bronzes by French master sculptor Auguste Rodin. The Museum first brought Rodin’s work to Central Florida in late 2022 with “Rodin: Contemplation and Dreams/Selections from the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Collections.” The exhibition was one of the Museum’s most popular and highest attended to date.

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Art of Holocaust Survivor Samuel Bak On Display at Polk Museum of Art

Art of Holocaust Survivor Samuel Bak On Display at Polk Museum of Art

The Polk Museum of Art is pleased to announce the opening of its latest exhibition, “Remembering Vilna: The Holocaust and the Art of Samuel Bak” on view July 29, 2023, through January 7, 2024. Featuring nearly 30 paintings in the Museum’s Dorothy Jenkins Gallery, this powerful exhibition uses Bak’s personal history as a child of the Holocaust as a jumping off point to explore universal themes of conflict, resilience, and hope, the consequences of prejudice and persecution, and the necessity of preserving historical memory for future generations.

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Black Experience Threaded Through the Quilts of Lauren Austin at the Polk Museum Of Art

Black Experience Threaded Through the Quilts of Lauren Austin at the Polk Museum Of Art

Smithsonian-affiliated Polk Museum of Art at Florida Southern College opened its newest exhibit, “Lauren Austin: Life in Quilts,” on November 12. The former civil rights attorney turned full-time artist creates large-scale figurative art quilts incorporating her family photos, artist dyed fabric, stone lithography, printmaking, and beading to develop and describe her memories, experiences, and thoughts in a visual story. This original Polk Museum of Art exhibition showcases Austin’s unique vision.

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