Weeks before the old Tampa Museum of Art building met with the wrecking ball, Avant Garde, the museum’s young professionals group, pulled off a coup that will go down in local arts history. Convincing the TMA’s board of trustees to approve a dramatic send-off for the beleaguered waterfront structure, Avant Garde culled work from dozens of local artists and filled the museum’s galleries — including those that once housed ancient Greek vases — with contemporary art; even the building’s exterior got a makeover courtesy of graffiti artists Bask and Tes One. With bands inside and out and an elaborate video installation featuring toasts to the museum from Bay area politicians and arts leaders, Retro Perspectives set the bar scarily high for future art parties.
