Pictured above: (Left to right) Caryn Nesmith, director of Community Relations at USF St. Petersburg, Chris Garvin, dean of the College of the Arts, Stephanie Owens, deputy mayor and chief of policy for the city of St. Petersburg and Margaret Miller, director of the USF Contemporary Art Museum and Graphic studio attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony for Generator.
Courtesy of USF
By Sophia George
The consolidation of the University of South Florida is opening the door to more opportunities for students interested in fine arts with the expansion of the USF Contemporary Art Museum into St. Petersburg.
The new gallery, “Generator: USF Contemporary Art Museum,” located at The Factory, 2622 Fairfield Ave. S., is expected to open in the fall of 2022.
Like the museum on the USF Tampa campus, “Generator” will be free and open to the public.
“Generator” was made possible due to a partnership between the USF College of the Arts, the USF St. Petersburg campus, the St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership and the City of St. Petersburg, according to a press release.
On Feb. 20, officials from both USF and the City of St. Petersburg gathered at The Factory for a ribbon cutting ceremony and to discuss plans for the new museum.
“The expansion of the USF Contemporary Art Museum across the bay to St. Petersburg points to a new future for this university with an unparalleled socio-economic impact on the region and state,” USF College of the Arts Dean Chris Garvin said. “‘Generator’ will add to the constellation of arts venues across the city with a uniquely progressive vision.”
The 3,100 square-foot space will feature engaging digital installations, public programs and special projects as well as art from national, international and local artists.
With a primary focus on “the moving image and time-based contemporary art,” the gallery will tell stories through digital media, film and advanced visualization technologies, a USF College of the Arts press release said.
This extension plans to offer more internship and specialized study opportunities to art students, as well as artist and curatorial talks about environmental, social and political issues.
“‘Generator: USF Contemporary Art Museum’ will enable us to better connect with the students at USF’s St. Petersburg campus, as well as the St. Petersburg community, in an unconventional arts venue,” Margaret Miller, director of the USF Contemporary Art Museum and Graphicstudio, said.
“Our curatorial team will present installations by a diverse selection of leading and emerging artists using cutting-edge digital technologies.”
With St. Petersburg already being an established cultural community and home to several distinguished museums such as The Dalí and The James Museum, the USF Contemporary Art Museum hopes to bring even more dimension and diversity.
“Our organization believes in this project, and we were proud to be the first to offer a financial contribution to support this work,” said Jason Mathis, CEO of the St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership. “The intersection of technology and art in this district with this project is exactly the kind of leading-edge urban development work we hope to support and nurture.”
