by: Abbie Hrabar

The Pensacola Museum of Art is in the heart of downtown, just off Palafox Street, and this year it is celebrating its 70th anniversary of rich, local history. 

Built in 1906, the building used to house the Pensacola City Jail. As you are walking through each exhibition room, you can still see the barred prison doors throughout it. In 1954, the City of Pensacola replaced and moved the City Jail. At that time, members of the local chapter of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) wanted to turn the former jail into an art center, and they signed a lease with the City of Pensacola. 

This purchase marked the inception of the Pensacola Museum of Art, as it would later be called, filling a need for a community art center. It has now been a part of the UWF Historic Trust since 2016, housing art from UWF students and from renowned artists. For example, the museum houses many works by artists like Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, and Salvador Dali which were on display this month for the PMA’s 70th anniversary exhibition along with other works. 

Celebrating their milestone with the Foo Foo Festival, the museum gave free admission to all visitors from November 1 to November 10. The exhibition featured works from 309 Punk Project and students, as well as art from different cultures and popular artists all over the world.

Several interactive works were also available for the viewer, including a cassette tape of two students singing that you could sit down and listen to and a camera for visitors to take pictures with; these pictures are now being compiled into a commemorative collage to celebrate the PMA’s 70 years of operation and the exhibition. 

Today, the PMA does not only provide enjoyable art. An integral part of the museum’s mission is to educate and support students in their journey through art. UWF students are the primary employees of the museum, installing and taking down the exhibitions, and the museum hosts workshops; their next upcoming workshop is a teen and adult screen-printing workshop on November 23 from 12-3pm in the PMA. 

All in all, the museum serves as the primary art institution within downtown Pensacola and Northwest Florida as a whole.