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Florida Art Museums Survive the Storm

As the state of Florida was ravaged by the devastating Hurricane Ian, most of the focus was on protecting the people and their homes. Those aren’t the only things facing damage from such a horrifying storm. Many of the public spaces, including libraries, city buildings and even beloved museums also face peril. Now that the storm has passed, it’s time to reopen the doors to these beloved places and assess the damage that has been done.

The Tampa Museum of Art, in Tampa Bay Florida, was lucky enough not to suffer any serious damage during the storm. It was one of the first to reopen and even offered shelter to its neighbors who were without power. The Orlando Museum of Art, and the Norton Museum of Art, both had more damage to their buildings, were able to get their doors opened as quickly as possible. The Mable Ringling Museum of Art, located in the city of Sarasota had it the worst, yet they were still able to get repairs done enough to reopen shortly after all the others. It was unfortunately directly in the path of the storm.

When it is in danger of severe weather, most museums have disaster relief plans to follow. They often include things such as sandbag the loading docks and put protective plastic over the works in the galleries. They might even uninstall large exhibits to me moved to safer locations inside the building if needed. Outdoor exhibits are also moved indoors and the staff is often evacuated quickly for their own protection once the art is secure.

We are all so grateful that these museums were able to weather the storm and are now open again to the public. If you are not able to get to one of them to see the beautiful works they hold, you can have a piece to hang in your own home. Just browse our bestsellers gallery for wonderful reproductions of some of the finest works in the world.