The new gallery will be located across the street from the Morean Arts Center, on the 700 block of Central Avenue. The 11,000-square-foot space is expected to showcase Chihuly’s work with more flexibility than the current location, according to executive director Andy Schlauch.
The Morean Arts Center’s permanent collection of work by internationally recognized glass artist Dale Chihuly will move from Beach Drive to a new and larger space on the 700 block of Central Avenue.
Construction of the new building is underway, with completion expected by fall 2016.
In its current location at 400 Beach Drive, the collection holds a TripAdvisor “Certificate of Excellence.” It is ranked No. 3 out of 102 things to do in St. Petersburg.
It is in a 9,800-square-foot space designed by Tampa architect Albert Alphonso, specifically to highlight the glass art on display. It will close next summer for six weeks to move the pieces to the new site. That will include the outdoor pink sculpture known locally as the “rock candy,” which marks the entrance to the collection.
At the official announcement on Oct. 20, the Chihuly Collection’s executive director, Andy Schlauch, told the Tampa Tribune that the new space will provide “a chance to showcase Chihuly’s artwork with more flexibility than the current location offers.”
The new spot will occupy the first level of a complex that will include a Publix supermarket and three levels of parking. The exhibit will occupy an 11,000-square-foot space, as well as a 4,000- square-foot outdoor garden.
The Wright family commissioned the original Chihuly Garden in Seattle, which is TripAdvisor’s No. 1 of 370 things to do in Seattle. This new garden, as commissioned by the Morean Arts Center, will host a similar collection of plants and sculptures. It will serve a double purpose as an art attraction as well as a backdrop for weddings, parties and corporate events.
The new location is across the street from the Morean Arts Center’s main building at 719 Central Avenue. The center houses a gallery of rotating artists, who are often students, and also offers educational programs related to various visual and literary arts.
This is where the nonprofit “Keep St. Pete LIT” holds free writing workshops. Behind the gallery is a glassblowing hot shop where demonstrations of live glassblowing are given several times a day, seven days a week. Glassblowing classes and workshops are also offered at beginning and intermediate levels.
Schlauch told the Tampa Bay Times that the move “helps create a more unified campus. The parking will be easier, much easier for the tour buses. And we’ll be part of the redevelopment of the Central Avenue area.”
When asked what USFSP students should know about this project, marketing manager William Darnall said, “Student memberships! They’re only $25 a year, and look at what they get.”
He handed over a brochure that explains that membership includes a year of free admission to the Chihuly Collection, the Morean Glass Studio and the hot shop. He added that members also have the opportunity to display and sell their art in the gallery during the annual members exhibition and the annual holiday show.
In addition, members get discounts in all the Morean Arts Center’s retail stores, including the Center for Clay and the Morean Gallery Store. Student members also get advance registration and discounts on the classes and workshops.
For more information visit www.moreanartscenter.org
