Craft Museum St Petersburg Fl

First Museum Dedicated To American Arts And Crafts Movement Opens In Florida

Proponents of the artistic philosophy pushed back against industrial production and embraced handcraftsmanship

The worlds only museum dedicated to the late 19th- and early 20th-century American Arts and Crafts movement opened today in St. Petersburg, Florida. Fittingly named the Museum of the American Arts and Crafts Movement , the venue celebrates a creative philosophy that embraced fine artisanship and rejected the impersonal nature of industrialization.

As Maggie Duffy reports for the Tampa Bay Times, the museum is the brainchild of Rudy Ciccarello, a local businessman, philanthropist and collector. In addition to the 800 or so items in its permanent collection, the cultural institution displays items from the Two Red Roses FoundationCiccarellos private collection of Arts and Crafts objects.

This museum will be the epicenter for the study of the American Arts and Crafts movement, says Ciccarello in a statement. Our mission is to preserve and share these beautiful works of art with the public and to teach future generations to appreciate hand craftsmanship and honest design.

Ciccarello bought the land for the museum in 2014. It was originally slated to open in 2016, but the project hit delays along the way, and construction only began in 2017, reports Matt Hickman for the Architects Newspaper. The opening was further delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

MAACM will be open to guests Tuesdays through Sundays. Its website features a video introduction to the museum.

Museum Of The American Arts And Crafts Movement November 2017

• The Museum of the American Arts and Crafts Movement is starting to take shape in downtown St. Pete.

• Signage for the museum.

• Construction on the passion project of art collector Rudy Ciccarello of the American Craftsman Museum began May 28.

• One of approximately 60 construction workers at the museum site.

• Much of the work now is being devoted to the second deck of the five-story museum.

• The wood throughout the building is handpicked, radial-sawn, American white oak, in which only one in 1,000 logs gets selected.

• Gilbane Construction is the contractor on the museum.

• The adjacent parking garage is already complete and the final structure will cover approximately 137,000 square feet.

• Only when Alfonso approved the grain and color could the construction team move ahead and pour the concrete into the final casts to create the columns.

• Overall look at construction of the museum.

Gregory Ritter, senior general superintendent at Gilbane Construction, the contractor on the museum, pointed to several dark concrete columns are already up. They have a special wood grain texture that Alfonso wanted.

This architect is big on the concrete appearance, Ritter said of Alfonso.

At a cost of at least $70 million to build, the museum is projected to generate more than 18,000 hotel room nights and up to 175,000 visitors annually. That price tag doesnt include the cash investment made so far of $16 million for land acquisition, parking garage construction, and architectural and consulting fees.

Worlds First Arts And Crafts Movement Museum Opens In St Petersburg

Arts and Crafts Movement Museum opens

The first Arts and Crafts Movement Museum in the world is now open in St. Petersburg.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The worlds first museum dedicated to the arts and crafts movement is now open in St. Petersburg.

“The museum houses the collection of the Two Red Roses Foundation, which included about 2,000 objects and currently we have 800 objects on view,” explained, Andrea Morgan, director of operations at the Museum of the American Arts and Crafts Movement.

The 137,000 square-foot museum has five stories of exhibits ranging from furniture to ceramics to lighting. It was designed to pay homage to the movement by being in an open-air space like a craftsman’s home.

“The American Arts and Crafts Movement was sort of a rebellion against the industrial revolution,” stated Morgan. “The idea was that artist and artisans wanted to create things that were handmade, and handcrafted, made with beautiful materials and that were decorative and functional as well.”

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The variety of objects on display offers a little bit of something for everyone and the layout reflects the different handmade items.

The museum is organized by collections. The fifth floor contains the furniture collection, which is full of functional hand-crafted pieces.

Ceramics are on the fourth floor, but it goes beyond vases and tableware. There’s a fully installed bathroom with nearly 1,200 glazed tiles.

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Museum Of The American Arts And Crafts Movement

Museum of the American Arts and Crafts Movement is a 137,000-square-foot museum in St. Petersburg, Florida. Designed by Alfonso Architects, the museum is five stories and features a grand atrium, skylights, a spiral staircase, more than 40,000 square feet of gallery space, a library, theater, graphic studio, and park. The Two Red Roses Foundation, endowed by art collector, businessman and philanthropist Rodolfo Ciccarello is funding the Museum, which will display the Foundation’s collection of fine and decorative arts of the Arts and Crafts Movement period. The building is reported to cost at least $90 million.

The $70 Million Museum Of The American Arts And Crafts Movement Will Feature Five Stories And 137000 Square Feet

PROJECT INFORMATION

The $70 million Museum of the American Arts and Crafts Movement is located in St. Petersburg, Florida. The five-story museum features 137,000 square feet, and houses Ciccarellos vast collection of furniture, pottery, tile, metalwork, lighting, photography and other decorative arts from the American Arts and Crafts Movement

SURFACES PROJECT SCOPE

MG McGrath worked with Gilbane Building Company and Alfonso Architects on the new museums exterior and interior facades. On the exterior of the building, we fabricated and installed VM Zinc quartz panels, cypress wood soffits, and metal-clad ovoids utilizing weathered steel with a clear coat. We are also provided and installed the exterior granite façade utilizing a lightweight stone panel system. On the interior, our team built and clad a custom atrium staircase utilizing Venetian plaster, and an aluminum coffered ceiling

GLASS & GLAZING PROJECT SCOPE

MG McGraths Glass & Glazing team provided and installed the exterior and interior glass systems for the new museum. On the exterior of the building, we installed an aluminum glazed curtain wall system and skylights. On the interior, our team provided and installed glazed decorative glass handrails and storefront systems

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Museum Of American Arts And Crafts Movement Builds On St Pete Floridas Reputation As Arts Destination

Exterior Museum of American Arts and Crafts Movement in St. Petersburg, FL.

An investment must be continually supported to fulfill its ultimate potential. Early in the 2000s, St. Petersburg, Florida, began making a major investment in the arts. That investment has seen the Gulf Coast neighbor of Tampa quickly evolve from a sleepy haven for budget-conscious retirees into one of the most vibrant, livable mid-sized cities in America with a flourishing downtown waterfront and cultural calendar.

Opened on September 7, 2021, The Museum of the American Arts and Crafts Movement ups the ante in a big way on St. Peterburgs claim as a rising national destination for the arts. Founded and funded by local businessman, philanthropist and collector Rudy Ciccarello, MAACM is the only museum dedicated to the movement which swept the country between roughly 1890 and 1930 as a reaction against the mass production of the Industrial Revolution.

The stunning 137,000-square-foot building showcases over 800 works. Furniture, pottery, tiles, metalwork, lighting, leaded glass, woodblock prints, paintings and photographs are all on display along with MAACMs one-of-a-kind period installations including a complete wood paneled room designed by the architectural firm of Greene and Greene, a custom-tiled bathroom and boathouse floor by Grueby Faience & Tile Company, and a 600-tile mural from Rookwood Pottery.

Staircase inside Museum of American Arts and Crafts Movement.

Chadd Scott

Imagine Museum Invites All Ages To Experience The Beauty Of Glass Art

Imagine Museum features cutting edge art

See glass artwork from around the world at the Imagine Museum in St. Petersburg.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. St. Petersburg has many opportunities to see fine art, from the murals along Central Avenue to the Bending Arc at the Pier. Among the museums showing specialized works of art, the Imagine Museum stands out as unique.

We are a museum that showcases contemporary glass from around the world, stated Jane Buckman, the executive director of Imagine Museum.

The museum is full of creative works all with the common element of being made of glass, but glass art is not an old art form such as drawing and painting.

Really, this is an American movement actually, it started in the 1960S and then it exploded, Buckman explained. The artists said, We want to create with this material and we want to make fine art.’

Like other creative people, artists around the world saw what the Americans were doing and followed suit.

So when you come to Imagine Museum, what youre able to see is artists from around the world, inspired by Americans to take this material of glass and to create the beautiful sculpture you see in this museum, said Buckman.

But glass art, thats just for responsible adults and hands-off types, right? Not so, said Buckman. The Imagine Museum in St. Petersburg loves when children attend.

People, for not very much money, can come in and have a wonderful experience, Buckman shared.

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The Museum Of The American Arts And Crafts Museum In Downtown St Petersburg Is Expected To Open This Spring

• A rendering shows the northeast facade of the new museum.
• A rendering shows the northeast facade of the new museum.
• The collection includes more than 2,000 pieces.
• “The Rug Weaver” is a circa 1910-14 woodblock print by Gustave Baumann.
• This circa 1905 tile from the Grueby Faience and Tile Co. was designed by Addison B. LeBoutillier.
• This vase was designed by Mazie T. Ryan for the Newcomb College.
• This 1909-12 copper desk set was designed by Gustav Stickley.
• Roycroft Shops created this oak and iron cellarette between 1905 and 1908.
• A bungalow for sale 240 9th Ave. N. in St. Petersburg is typical of Arts and Crafts architecture in Florida.
• An artist’s rendering shows the library of the museum.
• An artist’s rendering shows the restaurant in the museum.

ST. PETERSBURG, FL With the installation of copper sheeting, granite panels and stories-high glass windows, the final stage of construction on the Museum of the American Arts and Crafts Museum in downtown St. Petersburg is underway.

The new museum, located on 3.2 acres at 355 4th St. N., is expected to open in early spring 2020.

“Although the initial completion date of the museum has been moved again, we are working diligently to ensure that construction of this complex, multi-phase project wraps up early spring 2020 and we look forward to the grand opening,” said Rudy Ciccarello, president and founder of the MAACM.

Museum Of Applied Art

This is one of St. Petersburgs best-kept secrets! Located only a block away from the Mikhailovsky Castle and the Field of Mars, the Applied Art Museum is little known and rarely included in tourist itineraries. Yet the museum, which was established to provide education and stimuli to future generations of Russian artists and designers, is a real treasure for anyone interested in the fine arts and antiques. Its collection of over 30 thousand exhibits includes various decorative arts and crafts, including furniture, porcelain, chandeliers, tiled stoves, artistic metalwork, bass relieves and carvings.

The museum was established in 1878 as a part of the Baron Stieglitz School of Technical Drawing, which in the 20th century evolved into the Artistic Industrial Academy.

The museums building is a masterpiece in its own right and was built in eclectic style by the architect Maximilian Mesmacher, specifically to house the museums collection. The buildings huge Grand Hall, incorporating an impressive glass roof, recently underwent an extensive program of restoration. Some of the museums elegant smaller halls, including the Antique, Medieval and Ancient Russian rooms are definitely worth a look even if you dont plan on staying to browse through the museums main collections.

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“We are anxiously awaiting the opening and are excited to show this iconic museum to local residents and the international arts community,” said Tom Magoulis, executive director of the MAACM.

Ciccarello is funding the bulk of the $90 million museum construction project. The Pinellas County Commission is also kicking in $6 million in bed tax funds over the next three years. The city is providing another $500,000 for streetscape improvements including new sidewalks on 3rd and 4th avenues north, a curb extension at the intersection and landscaping.

Spend The Day In St Petes Newest Museum

The MAACMs 137,000 square feet of exquisitely designed space is a work of art unto itself. Designed by celebrated Tampa architect Alberto Alfonso in collaboration with museum founder Rudy Ciccarello, the five-story museum promises hours of captivating experiences, from the beautiful grand atrium to the seashell-esque spiral staircase not to mention over 40,000 square feet of gallery space. Youll also find a theater, an education studio and a gift shop within the museum.

Outside, you can stroll through a tranquil garden with fountains and tiles inspired by the American Arts and Crafts Movement.

If youve worked up an appetite during your visit, the museums restaurant, Ambrosia Bar and Restaurant is a full-service facility with a menu offering chef-driven American and Italian Fare.

The seashell-like spiral staircase is a signature feature of the Museum of the American Arts & Crafts Museum you have to see it in person to truly appreciate it.

Ambrosia, the restaurant at the Museum of the American Arts & Crafts Movement, immerses you in the era via period furniture and decor.

Even the bar at the Museum of the American Arts & Crafts Movement is a over century old.

At the Museum of the American Arts & Crafts Movement, you’ll find exquisite mementos from your experience of the museum.

The spire that tops the entrance to the Museum of the American Arts & Crafts Movement in St. Pete’s Waterfront Museum District is a key feature of the facility’s impressive design.

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Museum Of The American Arts And Crafts Movement Dazzles In St Petersburg

ST. PETERSBURG For years, residents of St. Petersburg and beyond have been waiting for the Museum of the American Arts and Crafts Movement to open. On Sept. 7, it was revealed to the public and it is stunning.

Founded by collector Rudy Ciccarello, the museum is the worlds first dedicated to the Arts and Crafts movement, which happened between about 1890 and 1930 and revived and elevated handcraft in the wake of the Industrial Revolution.

More than 800 works collected personally by Ciccarello are showcased, culled in part from the Two Red Roses Foundation, of which he is the president and founder.

Designed by Tampa-based architect Alberto Alfonso in close collaboration with Ciccarello, the five-story, 137,000-square-foot museum is a triumph. While the design is modern, it was built in keeping with the movements ideals of high-quality craftsmanship.

When you approach the museum through a courtyard featuring fountains and tiles from the period, then enter the vast Grand Atrium, unique architectural details reveal themselves.

Wood walls recall joinery found in the collections furniture. Ships, a 600-tile mural from Rookwood Pottery circa 1914, is an introduction to more impressive installations. A grand spiral staircase clad in Venetian plaster and outfitted with rich wood, metal and lighting offers an easy climb with photo-worthy views.

Imagination Museum St Petersburg Fl

Wonderful brand new museum . Some very unique pieces, put together well. Gives history onStudio art- since the 1960s, and what the future will bring. Highly recommend. Lots of free parking in lot behind museum also 2 hr free parking in street out front.

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This was during a free museum day, but the glass is so beautiful, I shall be back. Two floors. Great pieces.

We have long wanted to see this museum and finally did so today. The galleries are artfully set so that you easily wander from one into the next and dont miss any of the fabulous pieces of glass art. I was expecting lots of blown glass pieces but was impressed with other forms of glass art such as cast glass. Definitely a good addition to the art scene in St Pete. Well located in the new trendy part of Central Avenue. Free parking right behind the building is a plus. Do not miss this place!

Attended a business function at Imagine Museum the other night and was not expecting to see such a great display of artwork totally done in glass form. If you are visiting St. Petersburg, FL I highly recommend a visit. The work is incredible. The museum is located in a building that would probably go unnoticed as you drive by except for the name on the building. It has a free parking lot and street parking. Perfect place to spend a couple of hours to get out of the Florida heat or rain.

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The Us Now Has A Museum Dedicated To The American Arts And Crafts Movement

It was a well-made reproduction of a bookcase by Gustav Stickley, the furniture maker and early champion of the American Arts and Crafts movement, that first sparked entrepreneur Rudy Ciccarellos infatuation with the history of American craft. I was impressed with its simple, clean design, white American oak construction, beautiful finish, copper hardware, and rugged sturdiness, he tells AD PRO.

The Arts and Crafts movement, in part spearheaded by Stickley, championed a return to artisanship, blossoming in the late-19th and early-20th centuries as a reaction to the Industrial Revolution and subsequent introduction of mass-produced goods similar to what was happening across the pond under the leadership of William Morris. Soon after, I was on a business trip in Vermont attending an auction when by chance the very same, but original, Stickley bookcase came up for sale, Ciccarello says. That began the journey that led me to become a student of the movement and a serious collector. That collection, which has since grown to 800 objects, now resides in the Museum of the American Arts and Crafts Movement in St. Petersburg, Florida, where Ciccarellos foundation opened its doors this month.

Lidded jar with daisies, 1903. Harriet Coulter Joor, designer and decorator, Joseph Fortune Meyer.