TAMPA, Fla. – The Tampa Museum of Art today announced a transformative gift from longtime Museum leaders and supporters Maureen and Doug Cohn, establishing the Maureen and Doug Cohn Gallery. The Cohns’ generous contribution is the latest in a history of investment in the Tampa Museum of Art and represents yet another milestone in the Museum’s Centennial Campaign for Renovation and Expansion.
“Maureen and Doug’s dedication to this Museum is extraordinary, and this gift speaks volumes about their belief in what the Tampa Museum of Art means to our community,” said Tom Hochhausler, Penny and Jeff Vinik Interim Executive Director of the Tampa Museum of Art. “The Maureen and Doug Cohn Gallery will be an essential part of our Museum where Tampa audiences can experience contemporary art at the highest level.” The Maureen and Doug Cohn Gallery will provide an important venue to showcase works from the Museum’s distinguished contemporary art collection, as well as major loans from artists, collections, and institutions around the world. By offering a combination of permanent and rotating exhibitions, the gallery will offer Tampa Bay audiences new ways to encounter and interpret contemporary art. The Museum’s permanent collection is comprised of over 8,000 objects with over 7,000 comprising modern and contemporary art in a variety of media.
The Maureen and Doug Cohn Gallery reflects the vision and ambition of the Museum’s Centennial Campaign for Renovation and Expansion. The Museum’s 2023 renovation added seven new gallery spaces, a redesigned lobby and museum store, and the 8,000-square-foot Vinik Family Education Center. This reinvention of the Museum’s existing building laid the foundation for the ambitious 51,000-square-foot expansion that will further transform the Museum into a vibrant hub of art and culture for generations to come.
“Contemporary art has the power to change how we see the world, and sharing that experience with others is important to us,” said Maureen Cohn. “We hope the Maureen and Doug Cohn Gallery will serve as a space where people come to discover, to be challenged, and to be inspired by the contemporary art of our time.”
“The Tampa Museum of Art has always been committed to bringing meaningful works to this community, and we are honored to be a part of it,” said Doug Cohn. “The Maureen and Doug Cohn Gallery is our commitment to ensuring that contemporary art has a permanent, prominent home as the Museum moves forward with its next chapter.”
The Centennial Campaign for Renovation and Expansion, launched in November 2021, has raised more than $100 million to fund the Museum’s renovation and upcoming expansion, managed by The Beck Group. The campaign is 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. The $1 million gift from Maureen and Doug Cohn is the latest contribution to the Centennial Campaign, further strengthening the foundation of community support that is making the Museum’s expansion possible.
With the Maureen and Doug Cohn Gallery, the Tampa Museum of Art gains a dedicated home for contemporary exhibitions that push boundaries, spark conversation, and reflect the world we live in. The gift reaffirms the Museum’s commitment to presenting contemporary art at the highest level.
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