Weiss/Manfredi’s Tampa Museum of Art Renovation and Expansion Backed by Historic $25 Million Gift

With an unprecedented private donation, Dick Corbett, CEO and president of real estate investment firm Concorde Cos., backs the Weiss/Manfredi-led Tampa Museum of Art renovation and expansion. At $25 million, the gift is the largest private endowment ever made to a public arts institution in Florida.

The goal is to encourage others “to join in and support the growth of the museum’s world-class exhibits and programs,” says Corbett. He hopes to facilitate children’s exposure to the museum, “so that younger people could really appreciate the arts.” Along with his wife, Cornelia, Corbett is a major philanthropist in education and art with strong ties to the Tampa Museum of Art. Cornelia Corbett serves on the museum’s board.

The Weiss/Manfredi renovation of the museum’s educational facilities is scheduled for completion this June, with a renovation of exhibition space wrapping up in July. Education-oriented programming, such as classes and summer camps, has already doubled.

Due to break ground early 2023, the Weiss/Manfredi expansion will include a 10,000-square-foot education center, allowing the museum to serve 24,000 Hillsborough County school students annually. Recognizable by its iconic glass cantilever structure, the design will increase the museum’s 69,000 square feet to 120,000. The expansion will nearly triple exhibition and collections space and drastically increase available public event, retail, and restaurant space. Read the full article in the Tampa Bay Times.