$1.5M In Matching Grant Funds Given To Museum Of Art From County

Tampa FL

07 March, 2022

2:36 PM

Description

TAMPA, FL — The Tampa Museum of Art is the latest beneficiary of a program in which the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners offers matching grants to local nonprofit groups that promote economic development by enhancing tourism, arts and culture, entertainment and community education. On March 2, the commission allocated $1.5 million to the museum to renovate 25,000 square feet of existing interior space, allowing the attraction to accommodate an additional 74,000 visitors and program participants annually. The project includes expanding existing education spaces and adding another 7,000 square feet for gallery exhibitions, doubling current exhibition capacity. The funding also will help pay for four unisex bathrooms, renovations to the third-floor air-conditioning system and fire prevention systems. The museum is the latest addition to a lineup of Hillsborough facilities and attractions that receive county funding through the recently renamed Cultural Facilities Matching Grant Program, which is administered by the Economic Development department. See related story: Architectural Plans Released For Tampa Museum Of Art Expansion The other program partners are ZooTampa at Lowry Park, Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Museum of Science & Industry, Glazer Children's Museum, Tampa Bay History Center, Florida Aquarium and Tampa Theatre. ZooTampa, Straz Center and Tampa Museum of Art have received matching grants this year. The Florida Aquarium is slated to get a matching grant this spring. "The receipt of public funds is a message from the county that they see the impact the art museum is having on the community and believe in our mission to provide for a more balanced quality of life for residents and tourists alike," said Michael Tomor, the museum's executive director. "It is a great honor to partner with Hillsborough County to further those efforts." Tomor said he is glad to see the museum included among other nonprofit entities eligible for the matching grants. "It is fitting that the art museum should be included among the other great cultural assets of the county, recognizing that the Tampa Museum of Art offers a significant contribution to the cultural landscape of our region," he said. The museum, under varying names, has been in existence for 102 years. It moved into its current location at 120 W. Gasparilla Plaza, along the Hillsborough River in downtown Tampa, in 2010. It presents modern and contemporary works of art and antiquities. The county's matching grant, which will be allocated over three years, will bolster the museum's significant renovation and program expansion.