Arts and culture in the Sunshine State

Tampa

The Tampa Museum of Art has a large collection of ancient Greek and Roman antiquities, such as the Greek black-figure column krater, circa 510 B.C. (below). [Photo: James Borchuck/St. Petersburg Times]

» The Tampa Museum of Art, which reopened downtown in 2010 with a $33-million price tag, has been awarded the prestigious American Architecture Award. The sleek museum with a view of the Hillsborough River, displays everything from antiquities from the permanent collection to visiting national exhibitions. Robin Nigh, manager of the arts program division for the city of Tampa, says the museum's strength is its ancient Greek and Roman antiquities. "There's no place in state that has as big a collection."

Tallahassee

The Mary Brogan Museum of Art was granted custodial care of the painting titled "Christ Carrying the Cross Dragged by a Rogue." The painting is believed to have been stolen by Nazis.

» The Mary Brogan Museum of Art and Science, a Smithsonian affiliate, beefed up its mission in 2009 to reflect the role of humanities education in its offerings, allowing it to provide a wider array of offerings. The museum recently made national news over a 16th-century painting on loan from an Italian gallery. Federal officials ordered the Brogan not to return the painting because it was believed to have been stolen by Nazis during World War II. The museum had been granted custodial care of the painting by the Italian government until Nov. 20, but in early November, U.S. officials seized it. In September, the museum lured "Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition," a traveling exhibit that chronicles the construction of the Titanic, as well as its sinking, nearly 100 years ago.

Florida's Museums By-The-Numbers
Enhanced list of 158 museums now available for download

Purchase this collective list of Florida's Top Museums, including data for all four list categories [Art, History, Science and Children's Museums] published in the December 2011 issue of Florida Trend. Excel download includes data not published in the magazine, including 158 museums, attendance, admission fees, number of full-time paid staffers, description of the museum's collection, phone, fax, website, and full mailing address. Available in Excel ($49) and PDF ($29). For a full list of fields included in the Excel version, click here.