The new Dr. Anne B. Kerr Wing at The AGB Museum of Art
The new Dr. Anne B. Kerr Wing at The AGB Museum of Art | David Dickey Jr. for LkldNow

With a snip of their scissors, 20 VIPs with the Ashley Gibson Barnett Museum of Art cut the ribbon on the museum’s $8 million expansion Thursday evening and announced that its new wing is named for Florida Southern College President Emerita Anne B. Kerr.

Museum Executive Director Alex Rich, the board of directors, Mayor Bill Mutz, architect Tim Hoeft with Straughn Trout, builder Jason Rodda, several major donors and Florida Southern College President Jeremy Martin stood on the new soaring atrium stairs for the ceremony.

The new wing doubles the museum’s size and has seven new galleries, along with new classroom space.

The galleries include modern art, Highwaymen paintings, ceramics, photography and some of the museum’s largest and smallest works.

VIPs got a sneak peek at the new wing Thursday night. It will open to members the evening of Jan. 16 and to the public on Saturday, Jan. 18.

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The Ashley Gibson Barnett of Art at Florida Southern College is about to open its new wing, which has been named in honor of Dr. Anne B. Kerr, recently retired president of FSC. Museum director Alex Rich gives an overview. lkld lakelandfl museum art expansion

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Kimberly C. Moore, who grew up in Lakeland, has been a print, broadcast and multimedia journalist for more than 30 years. Before coming to LkldNow in the spring of 2022, she was a reporter for four years with The Ledger, first covering Lakeland City Hall and then Polk County schools. She is the author of “Star Crossed: The Story of Astronaut Lisa Nowak," published by University Press of Florida. Reach her at kimberly@lkldnow.com or 863-272-9250.

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