Construction in the Garden of Whimsy

The usually bright pink and fluorescent colors that adorn the exterior of the Marietta Museum of Art & Whimsy have been toned down with the grays and browns of construction. Marietta Lee, owner and founder of the museum, is adding to the string of expansion along North Tamiami Trail as she completes her vision for making her museum a "true" museum.

The construction, which broke ground in February, includes not only an addition of a gift shop featuring work and jewelry by exhibiting artists and a cafe stocked with tea, coffee and various baked goods prepared and served by several of the museum's numerous volunteers, but also includes an art restoration and curatorial room to repair and restore any of the art, frames or pieces already in Lee's collection, an expansion of the staff offices and a complete refurbishing of the 5,300-square-foot main gallery, including its air conditioning units. 

Lee closed the museum and garden for the summer to aid in the construction process. At an estimated cost of more than $1.5 million, which Lee is personally investing, the expansion is just another step in completing Lee's vision for the whimsical museum, which she bought for $1.55 million and opened in 2008. 

“I knew in the beginning when I started this place that all museums have stores, cafes and a staff,” says Lee. “It was just a matter of working things through and leading up to that point of expansion. We’re doing real well on attendance and ratings online on TripAdvisor and we’re just getting better and better. It’ll be fun.”

What started out as Lee’s passion project to create a place for people to escape from the various stresses of their day and to heal and meditate (Lee spent her career as a nurse and medical professional) has evolved into a colony of neon color on North Tamiami Trail between Whitaker Bayou and 23rd Street featuring an eclectic and vibrant collection of art and statue garden for a community of artists and art-lovers. About 30 volunteers help her run the museum currently. Lee says that she thinks the addition of a gift shop and a cafe though not the main attraction to an admission-free art museum will bring more visitors in and allow them to hang out and stay.

"I think the museum as a whole is a great addition to the city, and I think the added expansion will be a nice place to hang out and enjoy the art inside the collection,"says James Griffin, local arist and illustrator whose colorful landscapes of the Sarasota cityscape have become a part of the collection. "She's always felt that museums were a little too stuffy and a little too serious and that people might feel a bit intimidated by most serious venues. The cafe and gift shop will be an important part to let people unwind and enjoy the art."

Often spotted walking the construction property in her straw sun hat, Lee is working full time to make sure construction runs smoothly and that the museum re-opens by early 2016. 

“I think we’re going to add another dimension to this place’s museum environment,” says Lee. “When you go from no facilities to some, it’s a big a deal.”