Florida Museum Of Photographic Arts To Move To Historic Ybor City

TAMPA, FL — The Florida Museum of Photographic Arts will be moving to the heart of Tampa’s historic Ybor City. The new location will provide visitors with an accessible and immersive experience, and allow the museum to showcase a broader range and frequency of photographic art, said FMoPA Interim Executive Director Deirdre Powell.

The new location at 1630 E. 7th Ave. will feature more than 3,000 square feet of exhibition space, including a dedicated area for the museum’s permanent collection as well as rotating exhibitions of contemporary and historic photography. Additionally, the new space at the historic Kress Building will offer visitors a ground-floor entrance from the historic 7th Avenue Ybor Citywalk, a gift shop and space for lectures and artist talks.

“Our new space will not only provide great access and a new look but also allow us to offer a wider range of educational and community programming,” said Powell. “We will now have an opportunity to serve a greater number of people in our state-of-the-art home.”

See related stories:

• $25,000 Donation Given To Photographic Museum By iGas Founder Ben Meng
• Photographic Arts Museum Presents 10th Emerging Artists Exhibit
• Tampa Photo Exhibit Presents World Through Eyes Of Disadvantaged Kids

Ybor City developer and visionary Darryl Shaw owns the historic building, and FMoPA’s new location is expected to be a cornerstone of the evolving arts scene in Ybor City.

"Our new space sits in the heart of a growing creative cluster in Ybor City right at ground level on 7th Avenue,” said FMoPA Board Vice Co-Chairman Gregory Morgan. “With more than 20 years of history as a cultural jewel of Tampa Bay, this move will allow the museum to up its game when it comes to world-class photographic exhibitions, and in its role as a meeting point for photography lovers far and wide.”

The renovated historic Kress Building is home to a growing arts scene.

It currently houses the Tampa Museum of Art's Parachute Gallery, Tempus Projects’ Tempus Volta (satellite project space) and Drift (independent curators’ space), QUAID Gallery, the Department of Contemporary Art Tampa and Screen Door micro-cinema.

Museum members, donors and sponsors who value the positive economic and educational impact that a vibrant arts community brings to Tampa Bay made the move possible, said Powell.

“We look forward to continuing to serve as a cultural hub for our community in our new home,” she said.

Photography is no longer the stuff of niche clubs for enthusiasts, said board Chairman Alexis Muellner. "It has become ubiquitous in our daily lives and this move heightens FMoPA’s potential impact," he said.

“FMoPA’s outreach in visual literacy through photography changes life trajectories for under-resourced kids in Tampa Bay,” he said. “As one of a handful of museums in the United States dedicated to photography, this move heightens the opportunity for the museum to grow skillsets that one day will benefit a future Tampa Bay workforce.”

The Florida Museum of Photographic Arts will be closed during the move beginning on Jan. 19, until the new space is fully renovated. Upon reopening, the community is invited to come and see the new FMoPA and experience the art of photography.

The nonprofit Florida Museum of Photographic Arts is dedicated to exhibiting influential photographic art and enriching the community by operating outreach programs to educate children and adults.

FMoPA is one of fewer than 10 museums in the United States dedicated exclusively to photography and one of two such museums in Florida.

In addition, the museum is home to high-impact community programs, such as the Children's Literacy Through Photography program for at-risk children and adult photography classes, workshops and children's summer camps.

Tampa business owner Cynthia L. Flowers put forward the idea of starting a photography museum in Tampa in the spring of 2001. Shortly after, attorney Charles J. Levin, art dealer Vincent Sorrentino and Flowers established the Tampa Gallery of Photographic Arts.

Working in close cooperation with Madison Marquette, the owner of Hyde Park Village, hosted its first exhibition titled, “Masters of Black & White,” consisting of 50 iconic black and white images borrowed from private collections.

That fall, Flowers also launched the museum’s first children’s outreach program involving under-served children at the USF/Patel Partnership Elementary School at the University of South Florida in Tampa.

From this first program, the museum developed its free Children’s Literacy Through Photography Program for at-risk children, and its fee-based adult photography classes, workshops and children’s summer camps.

In the summer of 2006, the museum was renamed the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts and relocated to downtown Tampa. It then moved to its current location in the Waterfront Arts District in Rivergate Plaza’s architecturally significant Cube in downtown Tampa.

Memberships are $25 for students and active-duty members of the military, $50 for individuals and $85 for families and include free entrance to the museum for exhibitions, openings, docent tours and lectures; discounts on all classes, safaris and workshops; a 10 percent discount in the Museum Store, the opportunity to enter one photograph in the Annual Members Show; and the opportunity to participate in FMoPA’s Member Advisory Panel.

Sponsor-level memberships include the $125 Educator's Circle, the $250 Collector's Circle and the $500 Director's Circle.

Click here for memberships.

Ongoing exhibits at the museum include:

• Transformations: A Gender Exploration by Mariette Pathy Allen through March
• Shane Brown: In the Territories and Reservation Dogs through February
• 11th Annual International Photography Exhibition online
• Veterans Exhibition in partnership with the Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library, giving veterans an opportunity to share their unique perspective on returning to civilian life after many years in the armed forces.
• The museum will open a call for entries Dec. 12 to Jan. 15 for the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts Benefit Sale, which will be on view beginning Jan. 27 in the community gallery. To participate in the benefit sale, photographers must become or already be a member of FMoPA. Prices of photographic artwork start at $50.

Admission is free for museum members, $10 for adults and $8 for students, members of the military and seniors.