Following a recent article by the Orlando Business Journal, Orlando Museum of Art senior management has confirmed a possible move outside of the downtown area and possibly to Lake Nona.
News of a possible move for the museum is nothing new, as they announced in their “Forward to 100: Reimagining the Orlando Museum of Art in the 21st Century” strategic planning plans to move to a more ideal location in Orlando’s urban core, as they saw Loch Haven Park as too isolated from possible tourists due to lack of transit and overall visibility.
According to a letter issued by Glen Gentele, Director and CEO of Orlando Museum of Art, his leadership team had enlisted Tavistock to identify a new location for the museum and came up short when focusing on Downtown proper. Which led to looking at possible opportunities in Lake Nona.
While it still sounds like nothing is set in stone at this time and that OMA is still sizing up all of their options, Nona is certainly a strong contender as one of their largest investors, Joe Lewis and his family foundation are known arts supporters and advocates and for the community’s proximity to the tourist corridor and the airport.
The Orlando Museum of Art is currently located at 2416 N. Mills Avenue [GMap] in Loch Haven Park, in a space they lease from the City of Orlando for $0/ year. More on that HERE.
If this happens, then OMA will have seen the last dime I donate or spend there. Who the “h” want to drive all the way to Stepford? Even worse for the high dollar donors living in Winter Park.
I wasn’t under the impression that OMA was supposed to be a tourist attraction, I thought it was people who actually live here. Why not just move to Disney Spring, where you can really get the tourist business?
Terrible idea. Do more to advertise Loch Haven’s wonderful cultural options if you want more people to attend. The art museum should remain in the city’s core.
Lake Nona deserves an art museum; but not at the expense of the city of Orlando.
I really hope this doesn’t happen. Density in the current area will catch up. Serve the residents of Orlando, not the tourists.
Oh, good, OMA will be in Pleasantville. That’s amongst the biggest knockout blows to the Orlando art community yet.
Please No No No … it doesn’t make any sense to do that. We need a strong inner city art presence! Someone within OMA suggested this? 🤨
I definitely do not want our museum to leave its present home. Think of the playhouse, the Science Museum, the beautiful landscaping- this is our delightful cultural hub.
Hmmm. . . seems like a bit of a conflict of interest that the main developer behind a major portion of Lake Nona and landowner there somehow was working for them to find a viable downtown location, and miraculously failed to identify one despite the existence of several city-owned parcels as well as vacant surface lots in the downtown core.
Agreed. Museum’s and cultural outposts deserve a genuine sense of place- not a completely manufactured new urbanism concept out by the airport on the outskirts of Orlando that no one goes to unless you live there…
A 2nd museum location to create culture in Lake Nona? OK sure do that. Moving our city museum entirely? Please please do not. it will just make Orlando more sprawling and weird.
Worst. Idea. Ever.