Tampa's new art museum opens, hopes to dazzle

Gerline Atibel got her first taste of abstract art this morning, and she came away amazed.

Standing at the top of the stairs in the newly christened Tampa Museum of Art, Atibel studied "Blowing" by Sam Gilliam. Her brother, graphic artist Evens Morival, explained the concept of Gilliam's art, a trio of colored canvases attached directly to the museum wall.

"What I thought art was is something you have to frame up," Atibel said with wide eyes and a grin. "This is one whole piece."

Supporters of Tampa's newest cultural landmark hope thousands of people like Atibel and Morival make a habit of visiting the museum on Ashley Drive to learn something new.

"We're more than a repository of objects here," museum director Todd Smith said. "We've rethought every aspect of what an art museum can be."

The opening exhibits include drawings by French impressionist Henri Matisse, an enormous mobile by Alexander Calder hanging in the lobby and pieces from the museum's collection of ancient Greek art.

The museum is the centerpiece of a multiyear project by city leaders to breathe life into Tampa's riverfront.

The museum's south face overlooks a revamped Curtis Hixon Park, complete with a playground, a dog park and the Riverwalk. The Glazer Children's Museum is under construction next to the art museum.

"This belongs to you," Mayor Pam Iorio told the several hundred people gathered for the opening ceremony. "This is your museum. This is your park. I hope you have many great memories here for years to come."

Tampa residents Lynn Pham and Shomarr Malone welcomed the chance to have more to do downtown. Pham owns Bamboozle Café and displays local artists' work for sale. She also lives downtown.

"This is fantastic that this is in my backyard," Pham said.

Malone agreed.

"I'm always critical of downtown because there's nothing to do," Malone said. "Between the park and the two new museums, this is great."