The Assistant Facilities Manager helps the Facilities Manager oversee the maintenance, safety, and security of the museum’s facilities and grounds, and maintains the day-to-day operation, upkeep, and appearance of the spaces. The role involves assisting in managing a team of maintenance staff, contractors, and vendors to ensure the museum’s facilities are well-maintained and meet operational needs.
The Assistant Facilities Manager also helps with light maintenance, building support, event setup, and custodial assistance. The goal is to keep galleries, offices, and public areas safe, functional, and ready for visitors and staff.
This position suits someone who enjoys hands-on work, such as small repairs, general upkeep, and preparing spaces for exhibitions and events.
Schedule Requirements
This role will be part-time, Thursday to Sunday, 7:30 am to 2:30 pm (28 hours per week). The actual hours may vary for special event coverage.
Key Responsibilities
Facilities Maintenance
Perform minor repairs and routine maintenance such as tightening fixtures, patching small wall damage, and basic paint touch-ups
Replace light bulbs and assist with routine building maintenance
Support the Facilities Manager with preventative maintenance tasks
Move furniture, equipment, and supplies as needed
Check facility conditions and report maintenance issues
Building & Operations Support
Assist with event setup and breakdown, including tables, chairs, staging, and equipment
Help prepare galleries and event spaces for programs and special events
Support daily building operations across museum facilities
Custodial Support
Assist with cleaning galleries, restrooms, offices, and public areas when needed
Sweep, mop, and vacuum floors
Empty trash and recycling containers
Keep the facilities and workspace clean and organized
Safety & Facility Standards
Follow museum safety procedures and building protocols
Ensure maintenance and cleaning activities protect artwork and exhibits
Safely use and store tools, equipment, and cleaning supplies
Report on safety concerns or facility issues to the Facilities Manager
Performs other duties as assigned.
Qualifications
Technical knowledge of building systems and infrastructure, including HVAC, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical systems.
Experience in facilities support, building maintenance, handyman work, or custodial services.
Ability to use basic hand tools.
Attention to detail and a commitment to maintaining high standards of cleanliness, safety, and aesthetic appeal in museum facilities.
Education & Experience:
Bachelor’s degree or five (5) years of relevant work experience in Facilities Management, Engineering, Business Administration, or related field required.
Professional certifications such as Certified Facility Manager (CFM) or Facility Management Professional (FMP) are preferred.
A minimum of five (5) years of HR, project management, and supervisory experience is required.
Familiarity with regulatory compliance requirements related to building codes, ADA accessibility, and environmental health and safety regulations.
Physical Requirements:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that an employee must meet to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
Ability to occasionally lift fifty (50) pounds or less of supplies or equipment.
Ability to stand and walk in the museum spaces.
Ability to bend, climb, and occasionally work on ladders or lifts.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear to be able to give verbal instructions
The employee must frequently use their hands to operate equipment and reach with their hands and arms.
Additional Information:
This part-time position is for on-site work at the Tampa Museum of Art in downtown Tampa, Florida.
Benefits include:
Monthly stipend for parking.
A 401(k) Retirement Plan with up to a 4% company match after completing a qualification period of time as an employee.
Access to an employee wellness package.
Access to museums across North America with TMA staff membership.
The Tampa Museum of Art announced today that its board has engaged global leadership advisory and executive search firm Russell Reynolds Associates to lead the international search for the Museum’s next Executive Director. The search comes as Dr. Michael Tomor prepares to retire at the end of March after over a decade serving as the Penny and Jeff Vinik Executive Director for a decade, a period marked by major institutional growth and the launch of the Museum’s Centennial Campaign for Renovation and Expansion.
The search will be led by Russell Reynolds’ arts and culture practice leaders Katherine Armstrong and Olivia Stam. The Museum welcomes applications from a wide array of candidates. Nominations, applications, or any other inquiries should be sent to TMAExecutiveDirector@russellreynolds.com.
“We are grateful for Michael’s extraordinary leadership and the vision he cast for the Tampa Museum of Art during a transformative period in its history,” said Ron Christaldi, Chair of the Tampa Museum of Art Board of Trustees and who is chairing the executive search committee. “Our committee is conducting a thorough global search for a successor who can build on this strong foundation, inspire our community, and continue elevating Tampa’s cultural landscape. This partnership with Russell Reynolds will aid us in identifying a dynamic leader who can guide the Museum through its next century of growth and impact.”
Tomor’s retirement, announced in December, comes after a 40-year career working at and leading art museums, including just over a decade at the helm of the Tampa Museum of Art. During his tenure in Tampa, Tomor has boldly led the Tampa Museum of Art into the future by acquiring 1,500 new objects for the museum’s permanent collection, dramatically increasing student and community outreach programs, including the introduction of the art and mental health program Connections. A major highlight of his tenure was the completion of a massive renovation that added over 17,500 square feet of exhibition space in two new promenades and 8 new galleries, plus the opening of the new 8,000-square-foot Vinik Family Education Center, which introduced three new classrooms with the capacity to offer ceramics, multi-media, and digital art classes for children, teens and adults.
During the last five years, Tomor has led the Museum through an ongoing $100 million capital campaign to renovate and expand the museum. The renovation is complete and has already transformed the museum experience. The expansion and fundraising efforts remain fully underway and unchanged, creating an iconic riverfront museum designed by New York-based architects Weiss/Manfredi.
“Michael has been the right leader at the right time for the Tampa Museum of Art,” said Cornelia Corbett, Director Emerita and co-chair of the Centennial Capital Campaign. “Thanks to his leadership, our museum is well-positioned as a striking community asset for future generations.”
TAMPA, FL — March 10, 2026 — The Tampa Museum of Art (TMA) and the Baruj Salinas Legacy Estate (BSLE) are proud to announce the donation and formal acceptance of Penca, a significant original work by the late Baruj Salinas (1935–2024), into the Museum’s permanent collection. Drawn from the artist’s personal collection, the 30 x 46-inch acrylic on canvas work was executed just a year after Salinas returned to the United States from Europe, and captures several profound themes, with poignant symbolism through color and form. The donation marks a pivotal addition to TMA’s holdings and a defining moment in the continued stewardship of Salinas’ international legacy.
Widely regarded as one of the most significant Cuban and Latin American artists of the 20th and 21st centuries, Salinas achieved international prominence for his singular approach to abstraction, pioneered with his Language of the Clouds series, and would transcend geographic and cultural boundaries. A renowned and award-winning contemporary artist, Salinas held more than 100 solo exhibitions across over 20 countries during a career spanning more than six decades. He decisively contributed to Miami’s rise as an international art hub and influenced multiple generations of artists.
The acceptance of Penca is especially notable as it marks Salinas’ first entry into a museum’s permanent collection since his passing in 2024. This milestone signals a new chapter in the flourishing of his legacy.
Joanna Robotham, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Tampa Museum of Art, notes that Salinas’ painting reflects the institution’s growing collection of art from the Caribbean, particularly Cuba. “Penca reflects the emotional depth and poetic symbolism that define his work, while also speaking to larger themes of migration, memory, and identity that resonate across cultures. Adding this work to the Tampa Museum of Art’s permanent collection strengthens our ability to share the story of the Cuban diaspora and the global impact of artists who have shaped the visual language of contemporary art.”
Baruj Salinas (1935–2024), Penca, 1993. Acrylic on canvas, 30 x 46 inches. Tampa Museum of Art. Gift of the Baruj Salinas Legacy Estate, in commemoration of the artistic contributions of Baruj Salinas.
A Pivotal Work from a Defining Series
Penca belongs to Salinas’ celebrated Penca de Palma Triste (Leaf of a Sad Palm) series, one of the most notable bodies of work exhibited and published in his oeuvre. Initiated in the late 1980s, during the final years of Salinas’ Barcelona period, the series explores exile, diaspora, and memory. It reflects both a political lament for Cuba and a deeply personal meditation on displacement and longing.
Salinas described the series as “a way for me to remember and express my feelings about what has been happening in Cuba,” noting that it symbolized “the tragedy and suffering of Cuba.” By isolating the branch of the palm—the penca—rather than depicting the entire tree, he invoked one of Cuba’s most archetypal symbols, while rendering it fragmented, echoing the ruptures of exile.
“In Miami,” Salinas once recalled, “I experienced a deeper sense of nostalgia.” In this transitional body of work, he shifted from the grays and atmospheric mists of his Barcelona period toward a renewed embrace of saturated, emotive color upon his return to the United States in 1992. The palm leaf becomes both image and metaphor—at once discernible and abstracted, suggestive of waterfalls, exotic plumage, or pure gesture. As Salinas observed, “The interpretation falls in the hands of the observer.”
The theme of diaspora carried layered meaning for Salinas, as both a Cuban exile and a member of the Jewish faith. His family’s migration—from Turkey to Marseilles, and eventually to Cuba—placed them within a longer history of Jewish displacement. “Being a Cuban Jew only emphasized my feeling of displacement,” he reflected, underscoring the series’ universal resonance to all diasporic communities.
Works from Penca de Palma Triste have been sold at Christie’s New York and acquired by major institutions, most notably the Art Institute of Chicago, which holds an early work from the series dating to 1988 in its permanent collection. The series has also been exhibited internationally, including at the Musée d’art contemporain de Baie-Saint-Paul in Quebec, as well as referenced by Salinas in interviews, and analyzed in several books, including Identity, Memory, and Diaspora (2008), Cuban-American Literature and Art (2009), and Cuban Artists Across the Diaspora (2011).
A Singular Institution, A Touchstone Collection
The Tampa Museum of Art represented a compelling and formidable opportunity to serve as the Estate’s first museum recipient.
Established in 1920, TMA stands among the foremost cultural institutions in Florida, serving the rapidly expanding Tampa Bay economic and arts corridor. Guided by its Centennial Campaign for Renovation and Expansion, the Museum plans to more than double its building and expand galleries and learning spaces. This growth makes it a fitting steward for the work.
In recent years, TMA has strengthened its holdings of contemporary Cuban art, including the acquisition of Josignacio’s The Pact, 2015, commemorating the historic “Cuban Thaw” between the United States and Cuba—an acquisition that also acknowledges Tampa’s deep links to Cuban heritage, particularly in nearby Ybor City, which had been visited by Cuban national hero José Martí during the lead-up to Cuban independence from Spain.
With the addition of Penca, Salinas now joins a distinguished roster of artists represented in the Tampa Museum of Art’s Latin American collection, including Diego Rivera, Fernando Botero, Josignacio, José Bedia, AGalban, and contemporary American art giants such as Andy Warhol, James Rosenquist, Robert Rauschenberg, Cindy Sherman, as well as Salinas’ contemporaries and close acquaintances Alexander Calder and Rufino Tamayo.
“We’re honored to welcome Penca into the permanent collection. Baruj Salinas’ work represents an important chapter in the story of modern and contemporary art in the Americas, and this generous gift allows us to preserve and share that legacy with our community,” said Dr. Michael Tomor, the Penny and Jeff Vinik Executive Director of the Tampa Museum of Art. “As I prepare to conclude my tenure at the Museum, I am especially proud to see our collection continue to grow in ways that reflect both the richness of our region’s cultural heritage and the global conversations that shape the future of art.”
Salinas Enduring Global Legacy
Salinas’ work is held in the permanent collections of leading cultural institutions, including the Art Institute of Chicago; the Art Museum of the Americas in Washington, D.C.; El Museo del Barrio in New York City; and the Joan Miró Foundation Centre in Barcelona.
As the co-founder of the Grupo GALA—the first documented association of Latin American artists in Florida—and a contributor to the earliest Cuban art galleries in the United States, including the Permuy Gallery and Bacardi Gallery, Salinas was a key figure in the establishment of the now-renowned Miami art scene. He was also closely affiliated with major figures of international Modernism, including Joan Miró, Marc Chagall, Alexander Calder, Rufino Tamayo, and Wifredo Lam.
In 2017, he reached a historic milestone when he was commissioned to create original works for The Torah Project book, later presented ceremonially to heads of state, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, and the monarchs of Spain and Sweden. On February 23, 2017, the first copy of the book was presented to Pope Francis at the Vatican. In an unprecedented moment, Francis undertook the first-ever blessing of a Jewish text by a Pope, and accepted five original works by Salinas into the Vatican’s permanent collection, with Salinas in attendance during the ceremony.
Since his passing, his legacy has continued to grow with major recognitions. The City of Coral Gables declared “Baruj Salinas Day” during its centennial year in 2025, honoring him as one of its greatest cultural treasures and citing his enduring global impact. His work was also recently added to the permanent collection of the Nova Southeastern University Alvin Sherman Library, one of the largest libraries in the state of Florida, whose collection includes original works by Salvador Dalí, Peter Max, and Dale Chihuly.
“Penca exemplifies Baruj Salinas’ distinctive approach to abstraction — defined by nuance, subtlety, ambiguity, and a refined, atmospheric use of color. As such, the work moves fluidly between figuration and abstraction, using shifting focus and graduated clarity to invite sustained viewing. While the palm leaf is discernible, its rendering remains open enough to allow for interpretation — a hallmark of Salinas’ work, where image and atmosphere coexist in elegant yet dynamic tension.
“This piece also marks a pivotal moment in his life and career: his return to Miami, a homecoming layered with personal and cultural resonance. From that point forward, he would continue shaping and transforming the artistic landscape around him and achieve new heights with his work. So it’s only fitting that this piece would go on to mark a new era for his legacy as well. We are thrilled at the BSLE to see it join the Tampa Museum of Art’s prestigious collection, and recognize that the donation clearly affirms Salinas’ longevity as an impactful force in the arts even in death.”
— Antonio Permuy, Curator, Baruj Salinas Legacy Estate (BSLE)
With the donation of Penca, the Tampa Museum of Art expands its permanent collection with a seminal work by a defining artist of the Cuban diaspora, reinforces its position as one of Florida’s leading art institutions, and reaffirms its commitment to acquiring works of enduring historical, aesthetic, and cultural significance.
Artwork Image and Credit Line:
Baruj Salinas (1935–2024), Penca, 1993. Acrylic on canvas, 30 x 46 inches. Tampa Museum of Art. Gift of the Baruj Salinas Legacy Estate, in commemoration of the artistic contributions of Baruj Salinas.
Wendy Babcox (British, 1963 – 2024), Untitled from the series Anthem, 1998/2019. Archival inkjet print. Tampa Museum of Art, Gift of Katherine Gibson and José Gelats, 2024.425
The Tampa Museum of Art’s permanent collection of art continues to grow at a feverish pace. Many recent acquisitions highlight art made by women who are celebrated both nationally and locally for their creative achievements. The exhibition Avant Garde: Remarkable Women in the Permanent Collection features recent additions to the collection with works by Selina Román, Ya La’Ford, Nneka Jones, Wendy Babcox, and Lorraine Genovar—all artists with roots in the Tampa Bay area. Avant Garde also features artists new to the museum’s holdings, including Tao Lewis, Mika Rottenberg, Hannah van Bart, Kirsten Hassenfeld, and Quisqueya Henriquez, alongside artists such as Alma Thomas, Niki de Saint Phalle, Marisol, Mernet Larsen, and Elisabeth Condon. Viewed together, Avant Garde: Remarkable Women in Permanent Collection will highlight the artists’ explorations of home, self, history, and womanhood through figuration and abstraction.
Aerial rendering of the Tampa Museum of Art’s future campus. The new museum expansion and dual dog parks are designed to coexist as active and accessible public spaces.
TAMPA Fla. – The Tampa Museum of Art, alongside the City of Tampa, welcomed city leaders and downtown stakeholders today to celebrate the first visible steps toward its Centennial Expansion project, as construction crews have completed relocating the Tampa Dog Run at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park to make room for the museum’s new footprint.
Museum Executive Director Michael Tomor speaks at a press conference at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park highlighting progress on the Tampa Museum of Art Centennial Expansion.
“Seeing the open footprint for the expansion fills our whole team with renewed excitement for what this project will bring,” said Michael Tomor, the Penny and Jeff Vinik Executive Director of the Tampa Museum of Art. “We are so pleased that the dog park relocation project was able to achieve two important outcomes: making the park a more accessible amenity for downtown residents, and laying the groundwork for a future where an expanded Tampa Museum of Art can serve more people, present more ambitious programming, and strengthen Tampa’s position as a leading arts destination.”
The New York-based design team of WEISS/MANFREDI Architecture/Landscape/Urbanism, which is designing the Museum’s expansion, was also responsible for the design of another urban dog park, Hunter’s Point South Waterfront Park in New York City.
“We are one step closer to building a Museum that reflects the creativity, energy, and generosity that can be found in Tampa,” said Cornelia Corbett, Campaign Co-Chairwoman. “The newly cleared footprint is an exciting milestone because it turns years of planning and collective commitment into reality. We are determined to build a world-class Museum that will be accessible, welcoming, and vibrant for generations of visitors to come.”
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor speaks at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park during a press conference marking progress on the Tampa Museum of Art Centennial Expansion.
The Tampa Museum of Art’s expansion plans were announced in November 2021. The Museum is funding the ambitious 77,904-square-foot expansion project through its ongoing Centennial Campaign, a comprehensive construction and endowment effort anchored by a $28 million lead gift from Dick Corbett, a Tampa real estate developer and philanthropist who has been a Museum patron for decades. His lead gift is the single largest private donation ever made to a public art museum in Florida.
To date, more than $100 million in generous support has been provided by individuals, families and corporations, as well as the City of Tampa, Hillsborough County, and the State of Florida.
The Tampa Museum of Art’s Centennial Expansion is moving forward as a phased project. The Museum is now focused on site preparations, fundraising, and construction planning before announcing a groundbreaking celebration. The campaign’s fundraising efforts will continue during construction.
The expansion will transform the Museum into a vibrant hub of art and culture. Designed as a crystalline pier extending the museum to the edge of the river, the new expansion will create a series of interconnected multifunctional spaces. The new addition will include a 150-seat auditorium, an art lounge, food services and dining space, a large event space, and a proposed rooftop space, all of which will provide flexible settings for a wide range of art and cultural programming. The expansion will also feature new outdoor sculpture areas, bringing art to the redeveloped public spaces along Curtis Hixon Park and the Tampa Riverwalk. The project is managed by Ellison Advisors. The construction manager is the Beck Group.
Pepe Mar, b. 1977. The Deep End, 2022.Mixed media on wood panel in artist’s plexi box. 60 x 48 x 10 in. Tampa Museum of Art, Gift of Stanton Storer, 2024.428.
The artists featured in the 2026 presentation of Here and Now use everyday objects as a representation of self, home, and community. Two significant paintings by Los Angeles-based artist Mark Bradford, on loan from outside collections, anchor this iteration of Here and Now. Bradford makes abstract collages from paper, such as flyers and beauty salon end papers, to highlight identity, art history, and his neighborhood in LA. Collection artists Pepe Mar and Richard Stankiewicz create human-like forms from found objects to reference themselves and specific places. Additionally, Esterio Segura’s Hybrid of a Chrysler (installed outside on the Breta Sullivan Terrace) and the Date Farmer’s Star Rider (featured in the hallway adjacent to the Ed and Ann Gessen Corridor) address migration in large-scale installations rendered from unique sources. Viewed together, the artworks exhibited in Here and Now offer intimate glimpses into the artists’s lives and personal journeys.
The Youth Council welcomes you to CTRL+Art+Create,a collection of artwork from middle and high school students across Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco Counties.
Organized entirely by the Tampa Museum of Art’s Youth Council, this exhibition was created to provide a professional and inclusive space for the next generation of artists to display their work. Less than a third of the almost 200 works submitted were accepted by the Youth Council. The Youth Council prioritized openness and accessibility, encouraging students to express their unique perspectives through a variety of mediums and themes. The works on view were created by artists in grades 6 to 12 working in mediums ranging from painting and sculpture to jewelry and fiber arts. The artists addressed themes like materiality, self-discovery, environmentalism, trauma, love, and current events.
CTRL+Art+Create invites visitors to view a diverse array of artwork from students around Tampa Bay.
The Youth Council and their Programs are supported by Tampa Museum of Art’s NextGen members and Art & Aces.
TAMPA Fla. – After 40 years working at and leading art museums, including just over a decade at the helm of the Tampa Museum of Art, Michael Tomor has made the decision to retire as the Penny and Jeff Vinik Executive Director effective March 31, 2026. Tomor will continue to serve fully in his role through that date.
During his tenure in Tampa, Tomor has boldly led the Tampa Museum of Art into the future by acquiring 1,500 new objects for the museum’s permanent collection, dramatically increasing student and community outreach, and completing a massive renovation which added 32,000 square feet of exhibition spaces in four promenades and 12 new galleries.
“It has been my great honor to serve as the Penny & Jeff Vinik Executive Director of the Tampa Museum of Art since 2015,” said Tomor. “This last decade has been one of great advancements for the institution, and I’m proud of the incredible work we have accomplished as a team and as a community.”
Tomor has been in the museum business for 40 years, the last 25 years as a museum director. He says the time has come to embrace retirement, and while Tomor and his husband will remain in Tampa, they plan to spend additional time with family in Texas and Pennsylvania.
“Michael leaves a tremendous legacy behind here at the Tampa Museum of Art, with a staggering list of accomplishments in this past decade,” said Ron Christaldi, Chair of the Tampa Museum of Art Board of Trustees. “His impact can be felt throughout our museum – he has expanded our art collections, strengthened our financial foundation, grown the museum’s reach in the community, and advanced the bold vision for our expansion.”
Over the last five years, Tomor has led the museum through an ongoing $100 million capital campaign to renovate and expand the museum. The renovation is complete and has already transformed the museum experience. The expansion and fundraising efforts remain fully underway and unchanged, creating an iconic riverfront museum designed by New York-based architects Weiss/Manfredi.
“Michael has been the right leader at the right time for the Tampa Museum of Art,” said Cornelia Corbett, Director Emerita and co-chair of the Centennial Capital Campaign. “Thanks to his leadership, our museum is well-positioned as a striking community asset for future generations.”
The museum board is establishing a search committee to lead a national search for the Museum’s next Executive Director. The committee will be led by Ron Christaldi and Christine Phillips, president of the Tampa Museum of Art Foundation Board. A professional search firm will be engaged to support the process.
“As we search for our new director, we are looking for someone who can build on the momentum we have here at the Tampa Museum of Art,” said Phillips. “We are committed to finding another visionary leader for our museum who can lead us into our next chapter.”
Jun Kaneko in Studio with Mirage, 2016. Acrylic on canvas 9’ x 66’ x 2.5”. Copyright Jun Kaneko Studio LLC.
The exhibition Jun Kaneko: Silence Before Sound celebrates the Tampa Museum of Art’s recent acquisition of Jun Kaneko’s (Japanese-American, b. 1942) monumental sculpture Untitled (Dango). Jun Kaneko: Silence Before Sound represents the first major exhibition of Kaneko’s oeuvre in Florida and will present an overview of the artist’s prolific career—from the early sculptures he made as a member of the influential California Clay Movement in the 1960s to the groundbreaking projects that blurred the boundaries of painting, ceramics, and sculpture. The title Jun Kaneko: Silence Before Sound, serves as a metaphor for the artist’s creative process and the Japanese concept of Ma, an idea defined as a pause in time. Each application of glaze and paint is carefully considered with the appropriate space between the mark or gesture. This negative space, or silence, is equally important to the overall balance, harmony, and pattern in Kaneko’s artworks. TMA’s new acquisition of Kaneko’s Dango will anchor the exhibition.
Jun Kaneko (Japanese-American, b. 1942), Untitled, 2018, Hand built and glazed ceramics, 104 ¼ x 40 ½ x 21 ½ inches. Tampa Museum of Art, Museum Purchase with Funds Provided by The Brabson and Bierley Families, 2024.460
Jun Kaneko (Japanese-American, b. 1942), Untitled, Head, 2019, Hand glazed cast raku ceramics, stainless steel, 69 x 20 x 24.5 inches. Jun Kaneko Studio.
Introduction
For the past six decades, Jun Kaneko has defied what is possible with clay. Admired across the globe for his creative achievements, Kaneko is described as a pioneer—a trailblazing artist who continues to experiment in a range of media. His story begins in Nagoya, Japan, where Kaneko’s mother recognized his artistic talents. In the early 1960s, his desire to be an artist led him to Southern California. Through serendipitous encounters, Kaneko befriended the artists who collectively forged new directions in ceramics and were described as the California Clay Movement. After this influential time in Los Angeles, Kaneko traveled extensively, teaching and making art, before laying roots in Omaha, Nebraska.
Kaneko is revered for his innovative ability to push the boundaries of scale and form—blurring the lines of ceramics, sculpture, and painting. He continues to build the largest freestanding ceramic sculptures that exist today. Time is not rushed in his studio; however, each project is carefully planned, as large-scale works may take up to three years to make from start to finish. This includes phases of building, drying, sanding, glazing, and a 30-day continuous firing in the kiln. Built to his specifications, Kaneko’s kiln reigns as one of the biggest private kilns in the world.
The exhibition Jun Kaneko: Silence Before Sound surveys the artist’s prolific career. With nearly fifty works spanning Kaneko’s sixty-year career, the exhibition presents a mere snapshot of his extensive catalog that has expanded to glass and opera set designs. Here, his large-scale ceramics are placed in dialogue with his paintings and drawings to highlight the unifying relationship between pattern, color, and brushwork. The title of the exhibition, Silence Before Sound, refers to the Japanese concept of Ma, a principle inherent to Kaneko’s practice that emphasizes the importance of space, quiet—even stillness—between gestures and objects.
About the Artist
Jun Kaneko in Omaha Studio glazing 2015. Copyright Jun Kaneko Studio 2025.
Born in 1942, Kaneko studied painting and drawing with Satoshi Ogawa in Nagoya, Japan. After his arrival in California in 1963, the artist enrolled at the Chouinard Art Institute. Kaneko taught at Rhode Island School of Design, Scripps College, and Cranbrook Academy of Art. The artist has received invitations to participate in renowned international residencies including the European Ceramic Work Centre, The Netherlands; Otsuka Ohmi Ceramics Company, Shigaraki, Japan; The Fabric Workshop, Philadelphia; and Aguacate, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. He is the recipient of numerous awards and accolades, and his art resides in prestigious public and private collections across the globe. Today, Kaneko continues to work every day in his studios in Omaha, Nebraska. Learn more about Jun Kaneko.
Jun Kaneko: Silence Before Sound is organized by the Tampa Museum of Art in close collaboration with the artist, his studio, and the Ree & Jun Kaneko Foundation.
The Tampa Museum of Art highlighted Studio 55, a creative aging initiative that supports adults age fifty-five and older through hands-on artmaking and social connection. As part of the museum’s commitment to accessible and meaningful lifelong learning, Studio 55 offers classes, workshops, and open studio hours that encourage creative exploration while supporting cognitive and social well-being. Made possible through the support of E.A. Michelson Philanthropy, the program is offered both at the museum and in partnership with public libraries across Tampa Bay, expanding access to welcoming, low-pressure art experiences throughout the region. Information on upcoming Studio 55 opportunities is available on the museum’s website.
