Made in Florida: The Art of Giving
Made in Florida Gallery
Ongoing
A museum’s identity is distinguished by its collection and shaped by its mission through related exhibitions, educational programs, and research. To maintain this identity, support is essential to a museum’s survival, and it must be nurtured through long-lasting relationships with members and donors. This creates a sustainable future through memberships, monetary gifts, in-kind contributions, and donations of art.
Many museums have been established and defined by the donation of a substantial collection. As part of its mission, the Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art focuses on collecting and preserving contemporary Florida artists. Cultivating donations of art that complement a core collection provides a deeper understanding and well-rounded perspective. This enables the museum to remain relevant and to grow.
Made in Florida: The Art of Giving highlights recent donations of art as well as the important role donors have played in supporting the museum through these gifts. This exhibition also tells a visual story of these donors, who are part of the richly diverse cultural community in which we live and work.
Entrusted with the permanent care and stewardship of these donated objects, the museum shares them with the public through exhibitions and programs where they may be appreciated by a new audience. This process also reveals their stories of passage from makers to collectors to the Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art’s permanent collection. Preserved, researched, and interpreted, these objects are shown in relation to others in exhibitions, providing different perspectives and fresh contexts. In essence, they are revived and acquire new meanings.
The Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art embraces and supports Tampa Bay’s cultural community by celebrating important artists, collectors and institutions in the area who have enriched this museum with donations of art. As the caretaker of these gifts, we are committed to elevating the creative forces that thrive in this region through thoughtful exhibitions, educational programs, and research.
(Image: Installation view)