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

LAKELAND, Fla. (December 19, 2023) – 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.

“It’s like we are welcoming an old friend — and his sculptures — back to the Museum, but this time we and our visitors will get to enjoy Rodin’s company for years,” said Dr. H. Alexander Rich, executive director and chief curator. “We are honored to partner with the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Foundation, especially in this time of exponential growth for the Museum, both with regard to our physical size and our ambitions to continue to present incredible, world-class art experiences for all our audiences from near and far.”

This long-term installation of the bronzes, entitled “Rodin at the Polk: Selections from the Cantor Collections,” begins this week and will roll out in phases over the next year, with the intention of leading visitors through the Museum’s Hollis and Perkins Galleries and in select spaces in the new expanded building. The works on display showcase Rodin’s astonishing craftsmanship and his affinity for capturing the beauty and drama of human movement in a manner true to life. A trio of visitor favorites — and some of Rodin’s most immediately recognizable works — including his “Three Shades” are on view now.

“I am thrilled that our community has an opportunity to experience these world-acclaimed works of legendary artist Auguste Rodin,” said Dr. Anne B. Kerr, president of Florida Southern College and member of the Museum’s Board of Trustees. “The longer-term residency of these works is a major benefit to our community and is a testament to the quality of leadership of the Polk Museum of Art at Florida Southern College and the combination of serving as both a community and academic art museum of the highest caliber.”

Once fully installed, the complete set of 14 bronzes will remain on view at the Polk Museum of Art through mid-January 2026. “Rodin at the Polk:  Selections from the Cantor Collections” has been organized and made possible by the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Foundation and is sponsored by Florida Southern College. For more information, visit PolkMuseumofArt.org/RodinAtThePolk.

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About the Polk Museum of Art at Florida Southern College

The Polk Museum of Art at Florida Southern College is a not-for-profit academic and community museum that seeks to enhance lives through inspirational and engaging art experiences for all. It is the largest and only nationally accredited visual arts organization in Polk County and the only Smithsonian Affiliate art museum in Central Florida. In Summer 2023, the Museum began construction on its $8 million expansion and renovation project, an initiative that will add more than 14,000 sq. ft. of education and exhibition space to the current Museum building. The addition will include six new galleries and multi-functional classroom and event spaces, with anticipated completion in Fall 2024. The Museum is open Tuesdays–Saturdays 10 am to 4 pm and on Sundays 1 pm to 5 pm. The Museum is closed on Mondays and major holidays. The facility is handicap accessible, and special needs assistance is available. Admission to the Museum is always free, thanks to our Strategic Partners, the Ting Tsung and Wei Fong Chao Foundation and CORE Wealth Advisors.

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