The Samuel P. Harn Museum opened in 1990, dedicated to promoting the power of the arts to inspire and educate people and enrich their lives. Nearly 7,000 works are represented in the museum’s various collections, which include photography and Asian, African, modern and contemporary art. The museum also displays numerous traveling exhibitions throughout the year. As an accredited museum, the Harn has been recognized as a leader in its field by the American Association of Museums. The museum is located on the corner of Southwest 34th Street and Hull Road in Gainesville, Florida, and is part of the University of Florida Cultural Plaza.
One of the largest university-affiliated art museums in the United States, the Harn Museum has an 86,800-square-foot facility, which includes 32,800 square feet of exhibition space, a 250-seat auditorium, study center, museum store, café, spacious areas for art storage and staff offices for work and research. In 2009, the museum will break ground on a new 25,920-square-foot addition, which will be dedicated to the exhibition, storage and conservation of the museum’s extensive collection of Asian art.
HISTORY
The Harn Museum of Art is named in honor of Samuel Peebles Harn (1893-1957), whose widow, three daughters and their husbands and grandchildren made the founding gift to the University of Florida for the museum’s construction. The three generations pledged more than $3 million for the construction of a fine arts museum in 1983. Additional private gifts were raised, and public funding was secured. The Harn Museum of Art opened September 20, 1990.
In 2000, the David A. Cofrin family made a gift to fund an 18,000-square-foot addition. Current Harn Museum Director Rebecca Martin Nagy joined the staff in 2002 and led the Harn through the first major construction project since its opening. The addition of the Mary Ann Harn Cofrin Pavilion, named in honor of the daughter of the late Samuel P. Harn, opened in October 2005. A LEED-certified building, the Cofrin Pavilion features 6,500 feet of exhibition space for international contemporary art, the Camellia Court Café, an outdoor landscaped plaza with water features and the Goforth Learning Center, which is used for meetings, programs and educational activities. The Camellia Court Café is the first and only dining location for UF Cultural Plaza visitors and also adds additional space for special events.
February 6, 2008, Dr. and Mrs. David A. Cofrin made a commitment of $10 million to the University of Florida to fund the addition of a wing dedicated to Asian art. Planned for the northwest side of the museum, near the corner of Southwest 34th Street and Hull Road, the 25,920-square-foot addition will have two levels, Asian art galleries, a mezzanine suite on the upper level for curatorial and museum activities, and art storage and conservation space for the Asian collections on the lower level. An Asian garden will be accessible from the galleries of the new wing.
MISSION
The Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art promotes the power of the arts to inspire and educate people and enrich their lives. To this purpose the museum builds and maintains exemplary art collections and produces a wide variety of challenging, innovative exhibitions and stimulating educational programs. As an integral part of the University of Florida, the museum advances teaching and research and serves as a catalyst for creative engagement between the university and diverse local, state, national and international audiences.
STRATEGIC PLAN
In 2008, staff members assembled to draft a plan that will direct the museum's efforts for the next five years. Click here to view a copy of the 2008 - 2013 strategic plan.
HARN NATIONAL ART COUNCIL
Irma and Norman Braman
Miami, Florida
David and Mary Ann Cofrin
Gainesville, Florida
Joe Goldberg, Ex-officio
Miami, Florida
Bill and Hazel Hough
Saint Petersburg, Florida
Chris Machen, Ex-officio
Gainesville, Florida
Bob and Nancy Magoon
Aspen, Colorado
Ryan Mosley
Coconut Creek, Florida
Doug Regan
Chicago, Illinois
Lorna and Melvin Rubin
Gainesville, Florida
Ned Sachs
Naples, Florida
Steve and Carol Shey
Gainesville, Florida
Ron Shore
San Francisco, California
Beverly and Don Vining
Naples, Florida
Aase and Rick Thompson
Gainesville, Florida |
