THE ASHLEY GIBSON BARNETT MUSEUM OF ART ANNOUNCES OPENING OF THE MEDICI DYNASTY: RENAISSANCE IN FLORENCE EXHIBITION
LAKELAND, Fla., Dec. 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Ashley Gibson Barnett Museum of Art at Florida Southern College is pleased to announce the opening of The Medici Dynasty: Renaissance in Florence, an exclusive exhibition on view from Dec. 13, 2025, through April 12, 2026, in the museum's Dorothy Jenkins Gallery and Harper Family Gallery. The exhibition features more than 60 Renaissance-era portraits and artifacts on loan from the Museo Stibbert of Florence, Italy.
"The Medici exhibit is an exciting moment in the history of our museum and in the history of our community as well," said Daryl Ward, interim executive director of the Ashley Gibson Barnett Museum of Art. "It features work that has never before been viewed in the United States, and its debut exhibit is right here in Lakeland at The AGB. I'm confident visitors will marvel at both the provenance and the beauty of this exhibit."
Using their wealth and political skill to guide Florence through a period of extraordinary cultural growth, the Medici family became one of Europe's most influential dynasties. Their patronage supported a revival of classical learning, artistic innovation and scientific curiosity that transformed Europe. The exhibition offers insight into how the Medici dynasty's leadership, ambition and artistic vision left a lasting mark on Western history.
"The Museo Stibbert and Contemporanea Progetti of Florence, Italy, are very pleased to bring this special exhibition to the Ashley Gibson Barnett Museum of Art at Florida Southern College," said Martina Becattini, curator at the Museo Stibbert. "We believe it offers its viewers an opportunity to enjoy and admire exceptional works of artistic merit, but also gain a deeper educational appreciation for the history of the Italian Renaissance as it unfolded in Florence and the quintessential role of the Medici dynasty in those events."
The Medici Dynasty: Renaissance in Florence is on view from Dec. 13, 2025, through April 12, 2026. The exhibition is sponsored by the Votum Foundation, Meadows-Hacker Wealth Management Group of Wells Fargo Advisors, Visit Central Florida, the LKLD Mayor's Council of the Arts and Contemporanea Progetti, in collaboration with Museo Stibbert of Florence, Italy.
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SOURCE Florida Southern College