Categories
News

Tampa Museum of Art Announces Acquisition of New Haitian Art Collection and Accompanying $1,000,000 Gift

Andre Pierre (Haitian, b. 1914), Erzulie, 1973. Oil on canvas. 37 x 26 inches. Tampa Museum of Art, Gift of the Arthur Albrecht Revocable Trust.
Andre Pierre (Haitian, b. 1914), Erzulie, 1973. Oil on canvas. 37 x 26 inches. Tampa Museum of Art, Gift of the Arthur Albrecht Revocable Trust.

TAMPA, Fla. (October 18, 2022) – The Tampa Museum of Art announced today that it has closed on a gift of 88 pieces of Haitian art and a $1 million gift in support of the collection.

The paintings, sculptures, and framed maps, along with the cash gift, were bequeathed to the Tampa Museum of Art by the Arthur R. Albrecht Revocable Trust. Albrecht was a devoted collector of Haitian art and was also active in philanthropy on behalf of the country.

“Florida is home to one of the largest Haitian diaspora communities in the world, and we are thrilled to make this distinctive collection available to our visitors,” said Michael Tomor, Ph.D., the Penny and Jeff Vinik Executive Director at the Tampa Museum of Art. “Mr. Albrecht built a superb collection surveying the rich cultural themes, landscapes, and communities on the island, and this exhibit will add to the increasingly global and dynamic exhibitions we have available for viewing.”

The Albrecht Collection includes artworks from Haiti’s most prominent painters, including Rigaud Benoit, Wilson Bigaud, Prefete Duffaut, and Philome Obin. The paintings, rarely seen by the public until now, present an overview of the major developments in Haitian painting from the 1960s-80s. The holdings of the Albrecht Collection further augment the Tampa Museum of Art’s collection of Haitian art which includes one of the largest American museum collections of drapo vodou or Haitian vodou flags.

The $1 million gift accompanying the collection complements ongoing fundraising efforts by the Museum’s Centennial Campaign for Renovation and Expansion. The Museum recently completed renovations of the Vinik Family Education Center, growing the education space from 1,400 to 8,000 square feet, including four classrooms, a lobby, orientation spaces, and a secure entrance. With these improvements in place, the Museum anticipates quadrupling the number of students it serves per year, and the school tour program alone can grow from 6,000 to 24,000 students each year.  

In 2021, the Museum announced it was embarking on its $100 million+ Centennial Renovation and Expansion to expand the Museum’s gross area from 69,000 to 125,000 sq. ft. New galleries are scheduled to open beginning in November 2022, and the groundbreaking for the expansion portion of the project is expected to take place next year.  

Future programming at the Tampa Museum of Art for the Albrecht Collection includes a dedicated exhibition in spring 2024. The exhibition will provide a springboard for educational and scholarly opportunities, including collaborations with universities on Florida’s west coast and Miami, as well lectures and symposia with renowned artists and scholars of Haitian art and the Diaspora. A publication with today’s foremost Haitian artists and writers will accompany the exhibition and related programming.

Prefete Duffaut (Haitian, 1923-2012), Magician, c. mid. 1960s. Oil on Masonite. 46 x 24 inches. Tampa Museum of Art, Gift of the Arthur Albrecht Revocable Trust.
Prefete Duffaut (Haitian, 1923-2012), Magician, c. mid. 1960s. Oil on Masonite. 46 x 24 inches. Tampa Museum of Art, Gift of the Arthur Albrecht Revocable Trust.
Rigaud Benoit (Haitian, 1911-1986), Les Oiseaux, 1973. Oil on Masonite painting. 37 x 25 inches. Tampa Museum of Art, Gift of the Arthur Albrecht Revocable Trust
Rigaud Benoit (Haitian, 1911-1986), Les Oiseaux, 1973. Oil on Masonite painting. 37 x 25 inches. Tampa Museum of Art, Gift of the Arthur Albrecht Revocable Trust
Philome Obin (Haitian, 1892-1986), Revolutionary Leaders, late 1960s. Oil on Masonite. 16 x 20 inches. Tampa Museum of Art, Gift of the Arthur Albrecht Revocable Trust.
Philome Obin (Haitian, 1892-1986), Revolutionary Leaders, late 1960s. Oil on Masonite. 16 x 20 inches. Tampa Museum of Art, Gift of the Arthur Albrecht Revocable Trust.
Wilson Bigaud (Haitian, 1931-2010), Wedding Scene, 1973. Oil on Masonite. 24 x 24 inches. Tampa Museum of Art, Gift of the Arthur Albrecht Revocable Trust.
Wilson Bigaud (Haitian, 1931-2010), Wedding Scene, 1973. Oil on Masonite. 24 x 24 inches. Tampa Museum of Art, Gift of the Arthur Albrecht Revocable Trust.

###