My Photography Blog: An Art Museum's Revival

As quoted from a 2009 Saint Petersburg Times News Article - "Struggling with low attendance, the Gulf Coast Museum abruptly closed its doors for good Monday, "a sad and disappointing end," according to a statement sent to its members." The campus of the Gulf Coast Museum of Art, on the Grounds of the beautiful Florida Botanical Gardens and the historic Heritage Village, has been abandoned for these last three years.

Now under the care of a dedicated local, the campus will be re-opened a serve a goal both educational and artistic. The Florida Gulf Coast Center For Fishing will call the old museum its home and feature educational programs, artistic opportunities and attractions to area enthusiasts and visitors.

The New Museum's founders have published - "The mission is to establish a multipurpose Center for fishing activity, dedicated to introducing and teaching children about life through fishing, and a training center for adults, in conjunction with an Interactive Museum commemorating the past, present and future of fishing on Florida's Gulf Coast... The Florida Gulf Coast Center for Fishing and Interactive Museum is housed in an architecturally award winning 30,000 square foot educational complex complete with an auditorium, classrooms, historical and marine art galleries, seafood cafe’, marine store and fishing lake."

The gallery, truly museum sized, will house the work of local artists, some of them, like myself, from the Pinellas Park Art Society and other local groups and well as private artists. As of now, I have eight works due to be installed. It will be a pleasure to see this Museum take shape again and it's already a great honor to be among the first artists offered this opportunity.