Margaret Acheson Stuart (1896–1980), an art collector and philanthropist, was the driving force behind the establishment of the MFA. Mrs. Stuart served as the school’s first president and made significant contributions to the construction of the building and the establishment of endowment funds through her estate to sustain annual operations and to maintain the beauty of the grounds. She also contributed funds to the acquisition of art and donated items from her own collection. It is in her honor that the Margaret Acheson Stuart Society, the Museum’s independent support group, was established.
The city of St. Petersburg area supplied the four-acre waterfront site for the construction of the original building, while the Junior League of St. Petersburg provided resources for the construction of The Great Hall. The structure, which has a curved colonnade on Beach Drive, was designed by John Volk and Associates of Palm Beach. The museum, according to Volk, “should convey a sense of permanence, and that is exactly what I have attempted to do with this structure.” The Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) was founded by the State of Florida in 1961 and opened its doors to the public on Beach Drive in 1965, making it the city’s first art museum.
It was Mrs. Stuart who made it feasible to add the Marly Room, an auditorium seating 220 people, and a sculpture garden to the building, which were all completed in 1974. Furthermore, the late President of the Board, Charles W. Mackey (Mrs. Stuart’s nephew and trustee Fay Mackey’s father), spearheaded a successful effort to quadruple the number of galleries from 10 to twenty by 1989, as well as to create a second floor for administrative offices, a classroom, and a library. HJM & Associates was tasked with designing the extension to the house.
The museum’s expansion, which cost $21 million and was completed on Monday, December 4, 2006, more than doubled the space available. The new Hazel Hough wing, which occupies 33,000 square feet on the north side of the structure, was completed in 2008. A new cafe, an expanded library, and a larger museum store were all included in the extension.
The Mary Alice McClendon Conservatory, a two-story glass structure, has become a focal point. It serves as a focal point for the local community. The Carol Upham Bridge, located on the second level, connects the main structure to the Mary and Fred Shuh Lobby and the wing. From the MFA Café, which is located in the Conservatory and on the terrace, you can see the bay. It is currently the Hazel Hough Wing that hosts the majority of special exhibitions, with a second-floor gallery devoted to photography and works on paper.
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