The Museum of Florida Art has a visual arts history that goes back over 60 years. It was originally founded in DeLand by a group of community leaders in April of 1951 with an opening bank account balance of only $13. At the time it was located in the old LL Jacobs Building on Woodland Boulevard and operated as DeLand's Children's Museum. Dorothy Johnson was hired as the organization's first director in 1956 and two years later the facility moved to 126 South Florida Avenue. In 1964 the museum moved again to the old DeLand Library location on East New York Avenue. It was at this time that the organization decided to expand the focus from primarily youth-oriented programming to a broader visual arts center concept which would serve the entire community. In 1965 this not-for-profit corporation changed its name to the DeLand Museum in order to reflect this expanded role. In 1983 the name was upgraded to the DeLand Museum of Art.
In 1985 a community-based campaign was initiated to build a visual arts & performing arts center - the Cultural Arts Center (CAC). In 1991, the DeLand Museum of Art joined in a partnership with the Sands Theater Center to open the completed CAC facility. The center was located in the heart of the Stetson University campus and on the major thoroughfare in the center of the city. Attendance at the museum immediately tripled. In 2006 the museum made a final name change to the Museum of Florida Art. This name change reflected more clearly the intensified commitment of the museum to the financial support and promotion of Florida artists and their works that had been developing since the late 1990s.
Over the last decade, it was becoming apparent that the museum needed more space in order to continue with its expanded national and state partnerships, programs and exhibits. Although the CAC building was completely paid for in 1985, the property it is located on was leased from Stetson University. In 2009, with the assistance of the Volusia County ECHO Grant program and matching funds, the property was purchased from the University. Shortly thereafter, The Sands Theater Center relocated to the Athens Theater, which left the Museum of Florida Art as the sole occupant of the entire facility. In 2010 the Evans C. & Betty Drees Johnson Children's Art Center was also completed and opened. This newly acquired additional square footage in the main facility coupled with the addition of the new children's center resolved the growing space concerns. The Museum of Florida Art, with its extensive programming expertise, focused exhibit criteria and museum management experience, will continue to provide an ever- growing and exciting visual arts campus to the Central Florida area.
Additional Historical Highlights
1988 - The Museum of Florida Art Guild is formed and continues to be an instrumental factor in the growth and success of the organization.
1992 - The DeLand Fall Festival of the Arts is founded by the Museum of Florida Art in partnership with the Sands Theater Center and the MainStreet DeLand Association. This annual festival is held every November in downtown DeLand with 200 artists and 40,000 attendees.
2005 - The Dorothy Johnson Gallery on the upper floor is dedicated.
2005 - The Legendary Florida Collection is purchased from Florida artist, Jackson Walker. The purchase agreement included a future collection expansion plan through the purchase and unveiling of a new Jackson Walker historical work each year.
2006 - The Museum of Florida Art Permanent Collection policy is changed to reflect its future focus on, and collection growth in, art works by Florida artists.
2006 - The Legendary Florida Educational Program with the Volusia County School System and the Art-On-Loan program with national, state, county and city governments is finalized and instituted.
2006 - The Libby West and Ann West Hall Gallery on the upper floor is dedicated.
2007 - The Chris Harris Permanent Collection Gallery on the lower level is dedicated.
2010 - The DeLand Sculpture Walk is founded by architect Ray Johnson for the Museum of Florida Art in partnership with the City of DeLand. This program features outdoor sculptures located in the downtown DeLand area by artists from across Florida. The exhibit remains accessible year-round and the sculptures are changed annually.
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