TAMPA , Fla. – The Tampa Museum of Art Foundation (TMAF) announced today that the design for the new Tampa Museum of Art (Museum) will greatly improve the way its art collection is protected and displayed during hurricane seasons. With the current hurricane season in full force and one tropical storm under our belts, TMAF is looking toward what could happen in the event a hurricane hits the Tampa Bay area and how the design of its new facility will alleviate concern for the worst. The Museum’s architect, Stanley Saitowitz, is available for comment on the subject. The Museum’s current home was originally built as an arts center where local residents could take lessons and area artists could display their work. Over the course of the last 28 years, the art center building has been retrofitted and expanded to accommodate the growth of an accredited art museum. As a result, many architectural aspects of the building do not meet today’s standards for hurricane safety and preparedness. Primary concerns include the collection storage vaults, which are on the ground level less than 100 feet from the Hillsborough River ‘s edge; and the exhibition space that overlooks the river, which is almost entirely glass that does not meet current safety requirements. The design for the new museum will address these issues and keep Tampa ‘s treasures safe. “Currently, if we are faced with a tropical storm or a potential hurricane, my staff and I have to sandbag the first floor vaults and move all the art on the second floor to the center of the building. Then we cross our fingers and hope for the best,” says Elaine Gustafson, director of exhibitions ‘ collections for the Tampa Museum of Art. With a staff of about eight, Gustafson has to respond just hours before a storm. “It’s really unsafe and inconvenient to the staff. We have to take care of the museum as quickly as possible, then let people go home to take care of their homes and their families,” says Gustafson. Gustafson is working with architect Stanley Saitowitz, on her “wish list” for the safety of the Museum’s art. “He has put together a solid plan with the vaults nestled on the second floor, high above the river and potential floods. Also, all the exhibition spaces will essentially be ‘strong boxes’ where we can leave the art on the walls and the sculpture on the floor, lock the doors and go home to take care of our families. The new design will alleviate the worry and the burdens of having to act so quickly so close to a storm’s landfall.” says Gustafson. Saitowitz, who was in Tampa on June 12 to speak at the Downtown Tampa Partnership luncheon, talked about the need for the Museum to be just as safe as it is beautiful. His clean, modern design takes into account Florida ‘s climate and potential inclement weather conditions. “Museums are meant to preserve the beauty and importance of art in our society. The Tampa Museum of Art will be no exception. We are taking into account its waterside location and creating a facility that will be just as aesthetically pleasing as it is hurricane ready,” says Saitowitz. The official groundbreaking for the new museum is scheduled for Dec. 2007. Construction is expected to begin early 2008. To learn more about the new Tampa Museum of Art, please visit http://www.newTMA.org.