Pensacola Museum of Art
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The Pensacola Museum of Art is the only art museum in the city of Pensacola, Florida, and is one of the only art museum in Northwest Florida Accredited by the American Association of Museums.
[edit] History
In 1954, a group of determined women combined their efforts to create an Art Center for the City of Pensacola. Members of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) wanted a place to exhibit traveling shows, offer art classes for both children and adults, provide meeting space for members of the community as well as having a forum for lectures, films and other cultural presentations. They joined forces with others in the community who shared this same vision and formed the Pensacola Art Association (PAA).
When the City of Pensacola decided to replace it's city jail in 1954, the Pensacola Art Association made a bid for the building. The Spanish Revival structure was a an ideal location for an Arts Center. The jail was already fireproof, secure and centrally located in Pensacola's Historic Downtown District. When the City allowed the group to lease the old jail for $1 per year, the PAA's Board members pulled together to turn the jail cells into exhibition spaces. Initially, the City leased the building to the Pensacola Art Association, which became the Pensacola Museum in 1982 and, in 1988, the Museum purchased the building that is known to this day as the Pensacola Museum of Art.
Establishment of the Museum's permanent collection began soon after incorporation in 1954. The primary focus of the PMA Permanent Collection is to acquire and preserve works of art from the 20th and 21st century, with an emphasis on modern and contemporary art including painting, sculpture, and works on paper. Some of the artists represented in the permanent collection are Alexander Calder, Leonard Baskin, Philip Pearlstein, Miriam Schapiro, Clementine Hunter, Louis Comfort Tiffany and John Marin.
Since 1954, the PMA has presented hundreds of exhibitions and thousands of educational opportunities, becoming the foundation for the visual arts the greater Pensacola community.
[edit] Funding
The majority of funding for the Pensacola Museum of Art is received from the State of Florida, Department of State, the Division of Cultural Affairs, through the Florida Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services. [1] Additional funding for the PMA is provided by the Escambia County Tourist Development Council and benefactors of the United Arts Fund of the Arts Council of Northwest Florida.
The Pensacola Museum of Art is also Member supported.
