POLK COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) – People in need of an escape from the stress of the current world can again find solace in art at the Polk Museum of Art.
It reopened this month with social distancing guidelines and COVID-19 screenings.
All visitors are required to wear face coverings and have their temperatures checked.
Though walk-ins are accepted, visitors are encouraged to make an appointment online as capacity is limited to enable social distancing.
In March, the Polk Museum of Art was forced to close weeks after opening one of its biggest and most expensive exhibits to date.
The exhibit, “Music & Dance in Painting of the Dutch Golden Age,” is open through Sept. 27.
“It is a show of 27 old mastered Dutch and Flemish paintings on the theme of music and dance. It is an exclusive exhibition for us. All the works come from private collections in Europe and is their one and only showcase here in the United States. When it closes up on September 27th, they’ll all just go back into people’s homes,” said Alex Rich, executive director and chief curator at Polk Museum of Art.
The next exhibit is called “What’s the Story? Art in Search of a Narrative,” which opens in early October.
Like other non-profit organizations, the pandemic has been a challenge for the museum.
“We are surviving. We are reopened. We are more innovative and creative and more energetic and optimistic than ever, but of course, we can use all the support we can get,” said Rich.
Admission is free.
For now, the museum is open 10am – 3pm, Tuesday through Saturday.
“We hope that we can offer some sort of calming respite. It can be some sort of salvation from the chaos and the storm outside in art, in the enjoyment of it and the educational experience,” said Rich.
To schedule an appointment, visit https://polkmuseumofart.org/signup.
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