Okay, you’re right – Any Warhol died in 1987.  So he can’t be in town.

Andy Mouse

Museum of Fine Arts

But his work is.  Andy Warhol Portfolios: Life and Legends is being presented at the Museum of Fine Arts in downtown St. Petersburg.  The show opened in mid-May, and it will continue until August 16th.   It’s a great exhibition that features over 70 prints of some of Warhol’s best known works, including the famous Campbell’s soup can, portraits of Marilyn Monroe, his Flowers series, and Muhammad Ali, to name a few.  There are also prints from the Andy Mouse series, a tribute to Warhol by an artist/friend of his, Keith Haring.  And there’s a portrait of Warhol himself, done by the superb American photographer, Robert Mapplethorpe. 

For those who might have forgotten, Andy Warhol, aside from being a huge force in the Pop Art movement, also foresaw the current state of our media-based-short-span-of-attention culture with his 1968 quote, “In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes.” 

I went to the museum last Saturday, and it was just great fun to see these works.  And it was especially nice that we were able to see them in St. Petersburg!  In addition to its permanent collections, the Museum of Fine Arts always has traveling, temporary exhibitions of artwork from a wide range of artists.  Now that the museum opened its new wing, there’s a lot more space for exhibits, so give yourself plenty of time when you go.  And don’t worry if you get hungry – there’s an excellent cafe in the museum, where you can grab a drink, have a treat (like the triple fudge cake that I had!), or get a delicious lunch, all while looking out of the huge windows facing the waters of the Vinoy Basin. 

For more information about the Museum of Fine Arts, visit their website.  (And for a look at some of Andy Warhol’s works, check out this page.)