Above photo: St. Pete Design Group’s rendition of how the James Museum will look once it is finished. Courtesy of the James Museum
By James Bennett
Over the course of roughly 18 months, St. Petersburg residents have watched the building at 100 Central Ave. transform.
A towering sandstone mesa has been erected in the center of the building, with patina bronze panels installed along the perimeter. This marks St. Petersburg’s newest cultural attraction: The James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art.
The James Museum, which shares architects with the Dalí museum, is expected to open its doors to the public next month, with an opening date yet to be officially announced.
Tom and Mary James’ museum will feature roughly 400 pieces of art, including sculptures, paintings and Native American jewelry depicting life in the Wild West.
An astonishing 98 percent of artists to be featured in the new museum are currently alive. Tom and Mary chose to support living artists so that they could make their earnings solely from their creative works, developing personal relationships with many of the artists along the way.
Bernice Chu, interim director at the museum, spoke of the relevance the museum has to offer in our current political sphere.
“Pioneers and immigrants had this tenacious spirit of survival and forging ahead,” Chu said. “Immigrants are part of what makes this country great, and that goes back to immigration of the old west and the beginning of the country.”
Chu also warns of the impact humans have had on the environment.
“Animals will become extinct, and the natural beauty of our country will be destroyed. If we keep up with global warming, we won’t have any images to create art from,” Chu said.
Tom and Mary James’ passion for art collecting began when they were students in the Boston area, as well as St. Petersburg.
Later, the couple began collecting Western art while vacationing on skiing expeditions. Tom spent portions of the vacation getting to know the artists and galleries that displayed Western art.
The couple had grown up fascinated with Western films and had always had an affinity for wildlife, so it seemed perfectly natural for the two to begin collecting Western and wildlife art.
Fifty years later, their collection has surpassed 3,000 pieces and is being groomed to feature in St. Petersburg’s newest museum.
In an interview with the Tampa Bay Times, Tom said that having the James Museum in his hometown of St. Petersburg was a primary objective.
“We want to complement the Dalí, the St. Petersburg Museum of Fine Arts, the Chihuly and the planned arts and crafts museum to establish St. Petersburg as an arts destination,” he said
In addition to its extensive collection of artwork, the James Museum aims to educate visitors on American history. There will be youth and adult education programs focusing on the lives of Native Americans and pioneers, as well as cowboys and cowgirls.
The museum hopes that the education programs, in tandem with their art collection, will revitalize a passion for the old West among children.
Chu compared the current interests of children to the interests of Andy from Disney Pixar movie “Toy Story.” Buzz was favored for his savvy technology and space-age science, while Woody was thrown aside with his miniature gun and lasso.
“The interest has shifted from the Wild West,” Chu said. “But it’s so much more, it tells the story of the country.”
The James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art plans to have their educational programs up and running around May.
Tickets to the museum will be priced as follows:
$18 for General Admission
$15 for Students/Military/Seniors 65+
$10 for Youth (7-18)
FREE for Children (6 & under)
Memberships will also be available:
$55 for Individuals
$75 for Dual (two adults)
$100 for Family (two adults and children under 18)
$150 Premium (additional Family membership benefits)
