History of the Polk Museum of Art

     

    The mission and activities of the Polk Museum of Art have evolved and grown dramatically over the past three decades. When the Junior Welfare League founded the Imperial Youth Museum in an unused church building in 1966, the mission of the organization was largely directed toward young people.

    During its formative years, the Museum was organized and operated completely by volunteers. In 1968, the first paid director was employed; and in 1969, the scope of programming was expanded to serve all segments of the community. Reflecting this change in organizational mission, the Museum was renamed Polk Public Museum and its emphasis was broadened to include art, history and science.

    As the scope of the Museum expanded, so did its need for a larger home. In 1970, the Board of Trustees purchased an 8,000-square-foot, vacant supermarket building from Florida Southern College and, in doing so, doubled exhibition and classroom space. The next five years were a time of innovative and creative programming. Working closely with the school board of Polk County, the Museum laid the foundation for a strong art education program. Reflecting its grass roots heritage, the Museum built on its strong base of volunteer workers and community support. In 1981, the Trustees adopted the institution’s first strategic plan for development of all areas of activity.

    In 1983, the Museum achieved national accreditation by the American Association of Museums. Programming continued to grow and in the early 1980s, the Museum director and members of both the governing board (Board of Trustees) and advisory board (Board of Governors) began an intensive building campaign, visiting museums throughout the country and working closely with a local architectural firm to design a state-of-the-art home for the Museum’s collections and programs.

    In 1987, the institution was re-christened Polk Museum of Art, reflecting the fact that the Museum has a commitment to countywide outreach. That same year, work began on a new $5 million facility, which was formally dedicated in September 1988 and which opened debt-free.

    The current Museum building has garnered national, regional and state recognition in the arts community. Yet, the Polk Museum of Art is much more than a magnificent building; it is the tangible expression of its mission to the community. Within its walls, thousands of visitors from Polk County, the state of Florida and around the world come to see the works of internationally renowned artists; more than 6,000 children annually experience the world of museums for the first time through the school tours program; and people of all ages, backgrounds, interests and abilities can interact directly with working artists as they create and discuss their works.

    Beyond the museum’s walls, traveling exhibits are made available to civic groups and other organizations and community arts events such as Mayfaire-by-the-Lake promote the mission of the organization to the public.

    Although the Museum has grown in size, the creative spark that began this institution in 1966 still is apparent in the dedication of its many volunteers, the professionalism of the staff and the active participation of residents and visitors alike in its programs.