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Andy Warhol, Florida Highwaymen help open supersized Lakeland museum

"The AGB" (formerly the Polk Museum of Art) will open to the public this weekend
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Posted 12:06 PM, Jan 16, 2025
and last updated 12:59 PM, Jan 16, 2025

LAKELAND, Fla. — Andy Warhol, Alexander Calder, Auguste Rodin, and the Florida Highwaymen will all help (re)open one of Florida's newest and most important museums.

Formerly the Polk Museum of Art in Lakeland, the supersized space has been rebranded "the AGB,," which stands for the Ashley Gibson Barnett Museum of Art at Florida Southern College.

"We are no longer a small museum," says Dr. Alex Rich, executive director and chief curator at the AGB. "I think you could drop somebody in here, and they would think they were in any major city anywhere in the world."

An $8 million expansion—including seven state-of-the-art galleries housing eight new exhibits has allowed the museum to showcase more of its impressive collection, including a Robert Indiana "LOVE," Chihuly glasswork, a Robert Mapplethorpe, and more.

Admission to the AGB is free, but museum members receive a myriad of perks and benefits, including an up-close sneak peek of the new space.

The AGB is located at 800 E Palmetto St, Lakeland. For more info on the AGB, go here.


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