Possible Symmetry: Pensacola State College Permanent Collection

In 1954, members of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) invisioned a venue to exhibit traveling art exhibitions, offer art classes for both children and adults and to provide meeting space for members of the community as well as a venue for lectures, films and other cultural presentations. Joining with others in the community who shared this vision, they formed the Pensacola Art Association .

When the City of Pensacola replaced the City Jail in 1954, the Pensacola Art Association sought to secure the building. The Spanish Revival structure was well-suited to become an arts center. The jail was already fireproof, secure and centrally located in Pensacola's historic downtown district. The City agreed to lease the jail for $1 a year and the Art Association's board members transformed the former jail cells into exhibition spaces. The Art Association (which became the Pensacola Museum of Art in1982) purchased the building in 1988.

Over the past 56 years, the Pensacola Museum of Art (PMA) has presented hundreds of exhibitions and thousands of educational opportunities, becoming the foundation for the visual arts in our community. As Pensacola continues to evolve as a dynamic cultural hub in Florida's Northwest region, the PMA plays an ever greater role in offering quality visual arts experiences and arts education, now serving nearly 100,000 patrons annually.

The Museum's Permanent Collection comprises 20th- and 21st- century works by Alexander Calder, Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, Leonard Baskin, Salvador Dali, Thomas Hart Benton, Louis Comfort Tiffany, Käthe Kollwitz, John Marin, Miriam Schapiro, Fairfield Porter, Alex Katz, Lynda Benglis, Milton Avery and many more. The museum also owns decorative arts collections of European and American glass and African tribal art.

The Museum offers a wide range of educational and cultural programs year round, including its monthly lecture series, Culture Club, summer art camps for kids, art in the park, Art Night on the Bayfront, art in bloom, Suite Soiree, multicultural day events and more.

The Museum's mission has remained true to the vision of its founders as the PMA continues to nurture the growing arts community and provide access to exhibitions that educate and inspire the next generation of artists

Explore Related Categories