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Nestled halfway involving Orlando and Tampa, Lakeland has generally been a magnet for tradition.
Fueled by revenue from households associated with Anheuser-Busch, Publix, and Barnett Bank, the precursor to Lender of America’s eventual introduction to Florida, Lakeland served as a noncoastal retreat for some of Florida’s wealthiest people very long before Disney brought notice to the location. When nearby Polk County communities targeted intensely on tourism with spots like Cypress Gardens and Bok Tower Gardens, Lakeland as an alternative concentrated on expanding offerings that its citizens and people could take pleasure in. Today it is residence to three regionally substantial universities with a downtown that’s among the best in a condition far better known for its uninspiring strip malls.
In between the college and downtown sits the Polk Museum of Art. Its imposing brick façade dominates the compact surface parking great deal it shares with the Lakeland Community Library. In 2017, next the fiftieth anniversary of its founding, the Polk Museum of Art joined forces with Florida Southern. Now recognized as the Polk Museum of Artwork at Florida Southern Higher education, the regional art museum has noticed rising use thanks, in component, to the partnership. Housing art from Florida Southern’s collection has also contributed to the require for a larger room.
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Right after a long time of organizing, the museum announced a enormous enlargement that is slated to open in just two a long time. Adding much more than 10,000 square toes to the 38,000 sq. foot museum, the enlargement will incorporate new gallery, academic, and laboratory areas in a style that lets for much more of the museum’s long lasting selection to be exhibited. Also included in the update is a modernizing of the façade and current community and private areas. In overall, the venture will additional than triple the Museum’s present important exhibition areas.
“Since the affiliation amongst the Museum and Florida Southern in 2017, the Museum has aspired to turn into a leading-tier tutorial and local community museum for learners of all ages,” mentioned Dr. H. Alexander Abundant, government director and chief curator of the museum. “Now with this enjoyable growth, our whole group will profit. The new spaces will showcase artwork from across time and cultures, and the Museum can keep on to increase as an revolutionary website for learning for its full art-loving neighborhood, such as our students.”
The museum’s enlargement news will come just as Lakeland readies to open its Florida Children’s Museum in the 168-acre award-winning Bonnett Springs Park this summer time that bookends downtown with the Frances Langford Promenade.
Significant museum projects are also underway in Tampa, Winter season Park, and Orlando. Regardless of these organizations combating for many of the exact site visitors as the Polk Museum of Artwork, the Lakeland landmark will play a part in Lakeland’s positioning in remaining considerable in the region’s cultural choices.
The Museum’s expansion announcement also concentrated on the partnership among the Florida Southern College and Museum, with the undertaking anticipated to boost their presence in the tutorial high-quality artwork community. The substantial update should also aid the Museum, and downtown Lakeland, grow to be even additional competitive in a region beginning to staff with outstanding cultural institutions.
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