With exhibitions from a galaxy far, far away and from our own backyard, the MFA offers
the region’s widest range of art in 2018
St. Petersburg, Fla. (Feb. 5, 2018) – From the iconic “Star Wars” franchise to the romanticism of renowned French jewelry designer Jean Schlumberger, the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg will host a wide array of engaging art exhibitions in 2018. This year, 11 temporary exhibitions bring exciting and diverse works of art to the region and complement the museum’s vast and impressive permanent collection.
Residents and visitors in the Tampa Bay region will have the opportunity to view exhibitions that present a wide range of contemporary works, explore the intersection of art and science, examine the changing skyline of St. Petersburg, delve into “selfies” as a subset of the self-portrait, and more.
“The MFA inspires creativity, emotion, and conversation, while providing context and connections for artists and visitors alike,” said Kristen A. Shepherd, Executive Director, Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg. “We are excited to provide our community with the opportunity to experience and be inspired by art from across time and cultures. From the elegance of mid-century jewelry design to a new conversation about abstraction by women artists of color, the MFA is able to present the widest view of the art world in the Tampa Bay area.”
The 2018 exhibition schedule:
Star Wars™ and the Power of Costume
Now – April 1, 2018 | Hazel Hough Galleries
From C-3PO to X-Wing Pilots, this traveling exhibition takes visitors on a unique journey into the “Star Wars” universe as characters are brought to life through a dramatic presentation of more than 60 original costumes. Star Wars™ and the Power of Costume closely examines the captivating design process for iconic outfits featured in the first seven films of the “Star Wars” saga.
Moon Museum: Art and Outer Space
February 3 – May 20, 2018 | Minck Gallery
Moon Museum explores the history of Experiments in Art and Technology (E.A.T.), the influential non-profit organization founded in 1967 to promote collaboration between artists and engineers. The title work, Moon Museum, is a small tile, less than an inch in diameter, created by John Chamberlain, David Norvos, Claes Oldenburg, Robert Rauschenberg, and Andy Warhol. The original tile was affixed to the landing module of Apollo 12, and left on the moon’s surface after the spacecraft returned to Earth. Moon Museum also includes a series of lithographs by Lowell Nesbitt which are inspired by the moon and its surface.
Gregg Perkins: Sunshine City
February 10 – May 27, 2018 | Lee Malone Gallery
Gregg Perkins uses the mediums of film, video and photography to explore the history of the built environment in St. Petersburg. For this exhibition, Perkins was inspired by a 1930s postcard depicting the skyline of St. Petersburg, with the now-demolished Hotel Soreno standing at center. The postcard was created by E.G. Barnhill who was known for his atmospheric, hand-colored photographs that established a unique type of tourist art celebrating the luscious colors of Florida. Sunshine City includes the original Barnhill postcard, as well as a photograph by Perkins depicting the same vista of St. Petersburg in the present day. Perkins uses animation and digital photography programs to update the tourist postcard to reflect the changing skyline of our city as well as developments in technology.
Gallery Takeover: European Masterpieces from the Mellon Collection at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
March 1, 2018 – March 1, 2020 | Hannahs Gallery
Eleven works from Paul and Rachel Lambert “Bunny” Mellon’s collection of 19th and 20th century European paintings will be on view for the first time in the Tampa Bay area. Works by Eugène Delacroix, Eugène Boudin, Raoul Dufy, Georges Braque, and Kees van Dongen, covering more than 100 years of art history, will be on view. The Mellon’s personal interests, such as sporting scenes, still lifes, and landscapes, are represented in the exhibition. The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is loaning the works to the MFA for an unprecedented two-year gallery takeover.
Can I Get a Witness: Photographs by Herb Snitzer
May 5 – August 5, 2018 | Hazel Hough Galleries
The photographic exhibition from the award-winning Herb Snitzer focuses on human diversity, with works ranging from urban street scenes of New York in the 1950s to spirited shots of the St. Petersburg Pride celebrations in recent decades. Snitzer, internationally famous for his iconic photographs of jazz musicians, has captured images of people from all walks of life for over 60 years. It will also showcase selections from the portfolio Such Sweet Thunder, recently acquired by the MFA, which focuses on musicians committed to social justice such as Nina Simone, a musical storyteller who used her voice for empowerment. Snitzer received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the NAACP in 2005 for his work with social justice causes.
Magnetic Fields: Expanding American Abstraction, 1960s to Today
May 5 – August 5, 2018 | Hazel Hough Galleries
Magnetic Fields is the first American exhibition dedicated exclusively to female artists of color working in abstraction. Organized by the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, this exhibition brings together 45 abstract paintings, sculptures and works on paper by 21 accomplished female artists. Magnetic Fields reframes the formal and historical dialogue of abstraction to convey a more complete presentation of American abstraction.
Benny Andrews: Mix Master – Paintings and Drawings from the Dr. Edward J. Littlejohn Collection
May 26 – August 26, 2018 | Works on Paper Gallery
Benny Andrews was a master of mixing styles and mediums, known particularly for his innovative use of collage in his paintings and works on paper. Mix Master brings together works by Andrews from the Dr. Edward J. Littlejohn Collection of African American Art in Sarasota, as well as some select loans. Andrews was adept at portraying the struggles and triumphs of everyday life. He was an activist and a founding member of the Black Emergency Cultural Coalition (BECC), a watchdog group founded in New York City in 1969 with a mission to bring greater representation of African-American artists and their work to major museums.
We Do Not Work Alone: Contemporary Japanese Ceramics
Summer 2018 | Lee Malone Gallery
We Do Not Work Alone explores how artists continue to make bold statements and technological advancements in ceramic work, while also drawing on traditional methods and materials. Works for this exhibition have been generously loaned from the collection of Carol and Jeffrey Horvitz, one of the finest and most extensive collections of contemporary Japanese ceramics in the United States.
This is Not a Selfie: Photographic Self-Portraits from the Audrey and Sydney Irmas Collection
August 25 – November 25, 2018 | Hazel Hough Galleries
At a time when self-portraits have become ubiquitious in our current “Age of the Selfie,” this exhibition explores the “selfie” as a subset of the self-portrait genre. Artists expand the domains of self-portraiture with themes of self-reflection, performance, and identity. This Is Not a Selfie includes over 80 photographic self-portraits by some of the most famous photographers of the 20th and 21st centuries, including Cindy Sherman, Robert Frank, Nan Goldin, and Alfred Stieglitz. The entire exhibition is drawn from the Audrey and Sydney Irmas Collection at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
Recent Acquisitions
September 1 – November 11, 2018 | Works on Paper Gallery
Thanks to the generosity of new and established donors, the MFA’s collection continues to grow, providing new opportunities to interpret the history of art through a comprehensive collection of prints, paintings, photographs, drawings, decorative arts and sculpture. This exhibition celebrates some of these wonderful gifts by highlighting a selection of the MFA’s acquisitions over the past few years.
The Rachel Lambert Mellon Collection of Jean Schlumberger
December 15, 2018 – March 31, 2019 | Hazel Hough Galleries
The glittering jewelry designs of Jean Schlumberger were the epitome of mid-century elegance. Inspired by nature, his creations graced such notable style icons as Jacqueline Kennedy and Audrey Hepburn. The work of this innovative artist is highlighted by his jewelry and objets d’art. The exhibition is on loan from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, which holds the world’s largest, most comprehensive public collection of Schlumberger’s work.
ABOUT THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA
The MFA at 255 Beach Drive N.E. has a world-class collection, with works by Monet, Morisot, Rodin, O’Keeffe, Willem de Kooning, and many other great artists. Also displayed are ancient Greek and Roman, Egyptian, Asian, African, pre-Columbian, and Native American art. Selections from the photography collection, one of the largest and finest in the Southeast, are now on view in a gallery dedicated to the medium. Kristen A. Shepherd is the Executive Director.
Hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, until 8 p.m. on Thursday, and noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is only $5 after 5 p.m. on Thursday. Regular admission is $17 for adults, $15 for those 65 and older, and $10 for students seven and older, including college students with current I.D. Children under seven and Museum members are admitted free. Groups of 10 or more adults pay only $12 per person and children $4 each with prior reservations. The MFA Café is open from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday. Special ticket prices apply for entrance to Star Wars™ and the Power of Costume. For more information, please call 727.896.2667 or visit mfastpete.org.