Salvador Dalí Museum
Encyclopedia
The Salvador Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida
, United States
, houses the largest collection outside Europe of the works of the artist Salvador Dalí
and is located on the Downtown St. Petersburg
waterfront.
attended a Dalí retrospective at the Cleveland Museum of Art
. Intrigued by the artist’s subject matter, and impressed by his draftsmanship, they bought their first painting a year later. The purchase began a 40-year relationship as patrons and friends of Dalí that resulted in a comprehensive collection of original Dalí work.
Until 1971, the Morses displayed their collection in their Cleveland, Ohio
, home. When they loaned over 200 pieces to a Dalí retrospective in 1965, they realized that 25 years of collecting produced a mini-retrospective that needed a permanent home.
In 1971, with Dalí presiding over the opening, the Morses opened a museum adjacent to their office building in Beachwood, Ohio
. By the end of the decade with an overwhelming number of visitors, the Morses decided to again move their collection.
After a search that drew national attention, a marine warehouse in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida was rehabilitated and the museum opened on March 10, 1982.
In mid 2008, a new location for the Dali museum was announced. Designed by architectural firm HOK
, it was built on the downtown waterfront next to the Mahaffey Theater, featuring a large glass entryway and skylight. The new, larger and more storm-secure museum opened on 1-11-11 at 11:11 am.
The Museum is a member of the North American Reciprocal Museums
program.
The museum is home to 7 of the 18 masterwork paintings by Dalí (including The Hallucinogenic Toreador
and The Discovery of America by Christopher Columbus
), the most of any museum in the world. To be considered a masterwork these paintings must be at least 5 feet in any direction and have been worked on for over a year.
In addition to displaying the work of Dalí, the museum aims to educate the public and promote understanding, enjoyment and scholarly examination of art through the exhibition of works by Dalí and artists of similar vision.
With the exception of the Dalí Theater-Museum created by Dalí himself in his home town of Figueres
, Catalonia
, Spain
, St. Petersburg's Dalí museum has one of the world's largest collections of Dalí's works.
St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, houses the largest collection outside Europe of the works of the artist Salvador Dalí
Salvador Dalí
Salvador Domènec Felip Jacint Dalí i Domènech, Marquis de Púbol , commonly known as Salvador Dalí , was a prominent Spanish Catalan surrealist painter born in Figueres,Spain....
and is located on the Downtown St. Petersburg
Downtown St. Petersburg Historic District
The Downtown St. Petersburg Historic District is a U.S. historic district located in St. Petersburg, Florida. The district is bounded by 5th Avenue N, Beach Drive NE, Central Avenue, and 9th Street N. It contains 367 historic buildings and 7 objects.-External links:* at...
waterfront.
History
Shortly before marrying in 1942, A. Reynolds Morse & Eleanor R. MorseA. Reynolds Morse & Eleanor R. Morse
Albert Reynolds Morse was an American businessman and philanthropist. His wife, Eleanor Reese Morse was also an American philanthropist. They founded the Salvador Dalí Museum in St.Petersburg, Florida.-Early life:Reynolds Morse was born in Denver, Colorado to Bradish P. and Anna Morse...
attended a Dalí retrospective at the Cleveland Museum of Art
Cleveland Museum of Art
The Cleveland Museum of Art is an art museum situated in the Wade Park District, in the University Circle neighborhood on Cleveland's east side. Internationally renowned for its substantial holdings of Asian and Egyptian art, the museum houses a diverse permanent collection of more than 43,000...
. Intrigued by the artist’s subject matter, and impressed by his draftsmanship, they bought their first painting a year later. The purchase began a 40-year relationship as patrons and friends of Dalí that resulted in a comprehensive collection of original Dalí work.
Until 1971, the Morses displayed their collection in their Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, home. When they loaned over 200 pieces to a Dalí retrospective in 1965, they realized that 25 years of collecting produced a mini-retrospective that needed a permanent home.
In 1971, with Dalí presiding over the opening, the Morses opened a museum adjacent to their office building in Beachwood, Ohio
Beachwood, Ohio
-External links:* *...
. By the end of the decade with an overwhelming number of visitors, the Morses decided to again move their collection.
In mid 2008, a new location for the Dali museum was announced. Designed by architectural firm HOK
Hellmuth, Obata and Kassabaum
HOK is a global architecture, interiors, engineering, planning and consulting firm. HOK is the largest U.S.-based architecture-engineering firm and the "No. 1 role model for sustainable and high-performance design." HOK also is the second-largest interior design firm...
, it was built on the downtown waterfront next to the Mahaffey Theater, featuring a large glass entryway and skylight. The new, larger and more storm-secure museum opened on 1-11-11 at 11:11 am.
The Museum is a member of the North American Reciprocal Museums
North American Reciprocal Museums
The North American Reciprocal Museums program is a consortium of museums in the United States, Canada, Bermuda, El Salvador and Mexico which offers benefits to museum membership holders in more than 530 institutions...
program.
Artworks
The museum's collection includes 96 oil paintings, over 100 watercolors and drawings, 1,300 graphics, photographs, sculptures and objets d'art, and an extensive archival library, and displays are periodically rotated.The museum is home to 7 of the 18 masterwork paintings by Dalí (including The Hallucinogenic Toreador
The Hallucinogenic Toreador
The Hallucinogenic Toreador is an oil painting. Salvador Dalí painted it in 1970, following the canons of his particular interpretation of surrealist thought. It is currently being exhibited at the Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida. In this piece, Dali transmits his passion for...
and The Discovery of America by Christopher Columbus
The Discovery of America by Christopher Columbus
The Discovery of America by Christopher Columbus is the name of a painting by artist Salvador Dalí, begun in 1958 and finished in 1959. It is over 14 feet tall and over 9 feet wide , one in a series of large paintings Dalí did during this era.-Description:This work is an ambitious homage to Dali's...
), the most of any museum in the world. To be considered a masterwork these paintings must be at least 5 feet in any direction and have been worked on for over a year.
In addition to displaying the work of Dalí, the museum aims to educate the public and promote understanding, enjoyment and scholarly examination of art through the exhibition of works by Dalí and artists of similar vision.
With the exception of the Dalí Theater-Museum created by Dalí himself in his home town of Figueres
Figueres
Figueres is the capital of the comarca of Alt Empordà, in the province of Girona, Catalonia, Spain.The town is the birthplace of artist Salvador Dalí, and houses the Teatre-Museu Gala Salvador Dalí, a large museum designed by Dalí himself which attracts many visitors...
, Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, St. Petersburg's Dalí museum has one of the world's largest collections of Dalí's works.
See also
- Dalí Theatre and MuseumDalí Theatre and MuseumThe Dalí Theatre and Museum , is a museum of the artist Salvador Dalí in his home town of Figueres, in Catalonia.- History :The heart of the museum was the building that housed the town's theatre when Dalí was a child, and where one of the first public exhibitions of young Dalí's art was shown...
— Museum of Dalí in his home town of FigueresFigueresFigueres is the capital of the comarca of Alt Empordà, in the province of Girona, Catalonia, Spain.The town is the birthplace of artist Salvador Dalí, and houses the Teatre-Museu Gala Salvador Dalí, a large museum designed by Dalí himself which attracts many visitors...
, CataloniaCataloniaCatalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
, SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. - Espace Dalí — a ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, museum of Dalí's drawings and sculptures - A. Reynolds Morse & Eleanor R. MorseA. Reynolds Morse & Eleanor R. MorseAlbert Reynolds Morse was an American businessman and philanthropist. His wife, Eleanor Reese Morse was also an American philanthropist. They founded the Salvador Dalí Museum in St.Petersburg, Florida.-Early life:Reynolds Morse was born in Denver, Colorado to Bradish P. and Anna Morse...
- Dalí's patrons - Apparatus and HandApparatus and HandApparatus and Hand is a 1927 painting by Salvador Dalí.The painting currently resides at the Salvador Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida. This work is on loan from the collection of Mr. and Mrs. A Reynolds Morse.-Description:...
- 1927