The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens' newest exhibit, Louis Comfort Tiffany: Treasures from the Driehaus Collection, opens to the public this Friday, Oct. 18.
It features more than 60 objects, spanning more than 30 years of Louis Comfort Tiffany’s prolific career.
Tiffany worked in nearly all of the media available to artists and designers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including glass, ceramics, metalwork, jewelry and painting. He was one of America’s most renowned artists, according to the Cummer.
The exhibit’s opening corresponds with the Cummer’s launch of Free Fridays.
The museum is offering free admission to its permanent collection and gardens during new extended hours, 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. every Friday, thanks to sponsor PNC Bank.
Free Fridays is an offshoot of the museum’s Summer Friday’s program. That campaign drew about 9,000 visitors, according to the museum, which represented a 25% increase in visitation compared to the same period in 2018.
“With the success of our extended Summer Friday hours, we learned that the community embraced the chance to visit the museum during evening hours,” said Director and CEO Adam Levine.
Levine also announced new presenting sponsors for the Cummer's exhibitions series: Florida Blue, along with Joe and Renate Hickson. Tuesday nights will remain free thanks to Florida Blue. The first Saturday of the month remains free to visitors courtesy of the Delores Barr Weaver Foundation.
In addition, the museum has raised $580,000 to provide 5,800 free memberships to all fifth graders in Duval County's Title 1 public schools, with help from Florida Blue.
"Florida Blue should be lauded for their leadership and helping push this museum forward," Levine said.
The new Tiffany exhibit has been organized by the Richard H. Driehaus Museum in conjunction with International Arts & Artists and the Cummer.
Bill Bortzfield can be reached at bbortzfield@wjct.org, 904-358-6349 or on Twitter at @BortzInJax.
Heather Schatz can be reached at hschatz@wjct.org, 904-358-6334 or on Twitter at @heatherschatz.
