Todd B.
Yelp
This is one of those museums you would come to once, and probably not come back to again. Not because you didn't like it, but because you come for a specific exhibit and if they don't get another one that really calls to you, there just isn't a reason to go back.
OMA is a small art museum - if you live in the Tampa/St Pete region like me, it is comparable in size to the St. Pete Museum of Fine Art. Enough space to house some smaller collections and then space for a rotating visiting collection, but nothing that can't be seen in full within a couple of hours. It's very bright with sections that have large glass windows to let in the natural light. The museum is set in a pretty green space and park near downtown, but it feels more secluded when you're there. The Orlando Science Center and a Shakespeare theatre are also in the park.
We came because Melissa found that they had a Florida Highwaymen's exhibit - they were a group of African American artists in the Fort Pierce region back during the civil rights movement that painted astonishing landscapes of Florida. I love landscapes and impressionism (they also have a small impressionists exhibit that was quite impressive - not Monet quality, but still very good). These paintings were so vivid with incredible contrasts of light and shadow. The artists were amazingly talented and I'm very happy I got to see some of their work. Before Melissa found notes on the exhibit, I would have told you I had heard of the Florida Highwaymen, but I wouldn't have been able to tell you who they are. Now, I'll be looking for their work and future exhibits.
This was during Covid 19, so to help you in your decision, the museum does an excellent job with safety. First, you have to go through the museum in a specific order. The route is set for you by having all other entrances and exits to each room closed off. They also only sell tickets in specific time slots, and it seems that its only 15 tickets every 30 minutes. There are hand sanitizers in every room, and everyone has to wear a mask. The place was mostly empty when were were there but all of the security and employees were in masks and all of the guests that were there kept a safe distance from each other. At no point did I feel like the risk was high.
As I said, it is a nice museum, but we were there for about 70 minutes and basically saw the whole thing. If we had more time, we may have lingered for longer in front of certain items, but I don't feel like we rushed through it. Will keep my eyes open for future exhibits, but without a new and interesting exhibit, I just don't think there's a reason to return.