In a state lined by beaches and filled with attractions and activities, is there room on the radar for arts and culture? Absolutely, as visitors discover when they arrive in Florida and realize they could plan their whole itinerary around visiting museums and galleries, attending art festivals, and taking in live performances of music, dance and theater.
There are cultural hubs across the state, but one of the most prolific is in Central West Florida—home to Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota—which has gone through an artistic renaissance in recent months, adding new venues and expanding established ones.
So will a night at the opera follow a day in general sessions? Maybe. Or you might decide that a gorgeous opera house would make a great place for a reception or breakout session.
"Planners are looking for unique spaces in every city they go to," notes Susan Williams, director of convention services and events for Tampa Bay & Company. "We are seeing meeting and convention groups using all of our new venues."
"In a time when the creative class is more important than ever, I think companies yearn to bring a creative element into everything they do," offers Erin Duggan, a spokesperson for the Sarasota & Her Islands CVB. "Bringing groups to an inspiring destination, where culture is sprinkled everywhere, makes sense. I think it helps springboard ideas at these gatherings."
Indeed, where corporate culture meets arts and culture in Central West Florida, a classic experience is in the making.
Tampa
It was a big year for Tampa’s arts and culture scene in 2010. The new Tampa Bay History Center had just opened on the downtown waterfront—taking visitors through a 12,000-year journey that included the area’s first native tribes, Spanish conquistadors, pioneers, presidents and railroad tycoons—and the long-awaited Tampa Museum of Art was finally opening its doors.
Set within the lush, pedestrian-friendly Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, the new facility shimmered above the Hillsborough River and boasted a still-growing collection of contemporary and classical art, sculpture and acclaimed traveling exhibits.
But there was more to come. In early fall, the Glazer Children’s Museum opened right next door, featuring more than 170 "interactivities" located in 12 themed areas.
While all the new facilities were created for the cultural enrichment of the community, each was designed with an eye toward meetings as well. The History Center, for one, can accommodate up to 500 attendees, while the Museum of Art has meeting rooms for 125 and reception space for up to 400, and the Children’s Museum can welcome up to 1,500 for parties and other events.
"They were all built with private events in mind," Williams says. "And they make doing those events very, very easy. A lot of our repeat groups, who come back because we’re one of their rotation cities, are looking for new venues, so they love them," she adds.
The new venues also represent another step toward the completion of Tampa’s downtown Riverwalk, a 2.2-mile scenic corridor along the banks of the Hillsborough River and the Garrison Channel that already encompasses the 600,000-square-foot Tampa Convention Center and a host of hotels within walking distance, including the on-site Embassy Suites Tampa, the Tampa Marriott Waterside, the Sheraton Tampa Riverwalk and the Hyatt Regency Tampa. The Riverwalk will also connect to the cruise terminals and attractions like the Florida Aquarium, the Channelside entertainment complex and the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center.
But expect foot traffic in this vicinity to increase exponentially in August 2012, when the Republican National Convention descends on another Riverwalk destination, the St. Pete Times Forum.
"It’s incredibly prestigious for us to have that here," Williams says. "We’re looking forward to the whole world seeing Tampa."
St. Petersburg/Clearwater
You might think being home to beaches that consistently place among the country’s best-rated would be enough, but this peninsula west of Tampa wants to be known as an art capital as well. And it has succeeded, magnificently, because—as surreal as it may seem—the largest collection of Salvador Dali artwork outside Spain has been right here in St. Petersburg at the Salvador Dali Museum.
As of 1/1/11, St. Petersburg’s Dali profile rose even higher with the grand opening of a new museum housing the great Spanish surrealist’s work, which is double the size of the old facility and features a design—never mind its priceless collection—that has already caused a stir around the world. Featuring more than 1,000 triangular-shaped glass panels arranged in a geodesic glass structure, nicknamed the "Glass Enigma," the museum is being called the only structure of its kind in North America.
Meanwhile, the museum’s interior is focused around a spiral staircase of poured concrete that mimics a single DNA strand, paying homage to Dali’s belief in the helix as evidence of the divine in nature.
"The building looks so cool at night. This will be a fantastic spot for evening functions," says D.T. Minich, executive director of Visit St. Petersburg/Clearwater. "It has a wonderful cafe and restaurants, so they can do full catering, and there’s a community room, so they’ve got quite a bit of space."
The new Dali museum joins the work of another major artist—glass sculptor Dale Chihuly—now being showcased at the Chihuly Center, which opened last summer on the waterfront a short distance away from both the Dali Museum and the city’s Museum of Fine Arts. In addition to a glass studio and "hot shop," demonstrating how glass is made, the Chihuly galleries are available for group rentals and can accommodate up to 150. Meanwhile, groups may gather in a variety of spaces at the Museum of Fine Art, including a conservatory and terrace.
"We have what we’re calling the ‘triple crown,’ because we’ve got Chihuly on one end, the Museum of Fine Arts in the middle and Dali on the other end," Minich says.
Some local hotels are even catching the artistic spirit. Set on the water near all the museums is the historic Vinoy Renaissance Resort & Golf Club, which has developed a special art-themed menu featuring influences from Spain and the Pacific Northwest, in honor of both Dali and Chihuly.
Sarasota
South of Tampa is one of the state’s most art-centric enclaves, Sarasota, whose orchestra, ballet, opera and theater companies are complemented by the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, State Art Museum of Florida, with 21 galleries featuring internationally renowned European, American and Asian art, including masterpieces from the Renaissance and Baroque periods.
If the name "Ringling" sounds familiar—and sends you back to childhood—there’s a good reason. It’s the same Ringling family of circus fame. So in addition to its priceless collection of art, the museum campus includes a Circus Museum and Tibbals Learning Center, featuring "the world’s largest miniature circus," which took over 50 years to construct and includes eight main tents, 152 wagons, 1,300 circus performers and workers, more than 800 animals and a 59-car train.
Not surprisingly, even in a city filled with cultural venues, the Ringling is the most requested among meeting planners.
"Whether you’re having an indoor seminar or outdoor cocktail or event, there’s just so much there," says Duggan of the Sarasota & Her Islands CVB. "There’s the museum courtyard, the Rose Garden, the Circus Museum and the Ca’ D’Zan Terrace. Plus, it sits right on Sarasota Bay."
Also on Sarasota’s bayfront is the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, which is available for group events when it is not hosting concerts and Broadway shows. Another aesthetic choice is the historic Sarasota Opera House, which recently underwent a $20 million renovation to restore its 1920s-era magnificence. The opera complex offers a variety of function spaces, including the Peterson Great Room, which can seat up to 390, along with private rehearsal rooms.
