Tampa Museum of Art — The Blonde Woman

The Tampa Museum of Art is small, but packs a punch. When I say small I’m comparing it to the greats - the MOMA in New York City, the National Gallery of London, the Louvre. That being said, when it comes to Florida’s Gulf Coast, the Tampa Museum of Art was the perfect way to spend our Saturday.

We woke up this morning and it was hot. That’s pretty much how it is every day here during the summer months. Hot. Some days are hotter than others. But hot is a pretty good way to describe Florida in July. And I just wasn’t in the mood to sweat profusely for hours so I decided we needed to do something that involved air conditioning. After googling the different museum options we settled on the Tampa Museum of Art. Why you ask? The pictures of the exterior looked beautiful (see image below). I had a gut feeling and I always go with my gut feeling. And the idea of strapping Kroy down in the car for the hour drive was an added bonus.

Also, it was $14. Total. Children under 6 are free and Shane is still in Connecticut, so we only had to pay for me. This $14 price tag was titillating. So I plugged the address into my GPS and off we went. Upon pulling into the area where the parking lot was it became noticeable that the location where the museum is… is much more than just a randomly placed museum. It’s part of a new development in Tampa called Tampa Riverwalk, which is a 2.6 mile stretch that runs along the Hillsborough River. I have no idea what the Hillsborough River is… but the beautiful waterfront views, vibrant restaurants, museums, and shops definitely make this a place we are going to return to. Preferably at night when it’s all lit up. But also during the day.

We parked on the fourth floor, which is covered, and took the elevator down to the ground level, walked outside and there we were. Super easy and I love an indoor parking lot. Tampa Museum of Art is directly next to Glazer Children’s Museum, which I didn’t even know existed until today… another day another excursion.

First impression. Architecturally it was beautiful (see image below). The lobby is an open atrium with glass and stone and tons of natural light. Aesthetically it does not disappoint. There’s also a restroom you can use before purchasing your ticket so that’s super convenient. And the first floor has a sweet little cafe that serves pastries and specialty coffees. And a gift shop that was more like a carefully curated collection of artifacts, necklaces, and other interesting objects. I’d love to return and really browse without the kids but it was too small to push our stroller wagon through and Kroy would have attempted to grab everything off the shelves. Because that’s what he does.

In the middle of the lobby stairs hung this gorgeous art installation. But we popped in the elevator which brought us to the upper level (also the only level). Upon walking out we were able to view the art installation from the top of the glass and metal staircase (see image below).

We then walked into the first of several rooms which held sculptures, paintings, and objects from and inspired by Ancient Greece. I’m not going to go into detail, but I love sculptures and this massive one of Poseidon with a dolphin did not disappoint.

I was also obsessed with the below series of glazed earthenware created by Betty Woodman in the year 2000. Titled Sensuous Triptych and inspired by etruscan and greek antiquities, I would love to have one of these vases displayed in my home… if it weren’t for my Tarzan toddler boy. The terrible twos are real and this stroller wagon is the only thing preventing an expensive Etruscan disaster of smashed pottery on the museum floor. Could you imagine?

Fast-forward to the Herstory Room and this enormous sculpture of Aphrodite. She had me at hello… Feel free to read a very detailed description of Aphrodite Reimagined (the title of this powerful piece created by Patricia Cronin in 2018) by clicking here. She was massive and gorgeous and I walked in circles around her enormous presence for as long as my children would behave.

Next to it resides the marble Torso of Aphrodite, discovered outside of Rome in 1771.

And this is a prime example of why I said this small museum “packs a powerful punch”. Placing important historical pieces next to dynamic contemporary pieces… juxtaposing the past and the present… both Aphrodite… both powerful in their own right. A focus on women. On herstory and female artists. Even my 6 year old daughter was impressed. And nothing impresses her. Except maybe a delicious chocolate cake or sequins.

Here are a few of my favorite pieces from the rest of the museum… Feel free to scroll through. Kroy especially enjoyed the bright orange “bow wow”.

Experiencing a museum with two small children is an entirely different animal. You don’t have the luxury of lingering… of winding down halls and halls and floors and floors. The Tampa Museum of Art was the perfect pint-sized treat on a hot summer Saturday. And I can’t wait to go back to Tampa Riverwalk to sample the rest of their offerings.