After watching from the outside for so long, St. Pete will finally get its first look inside the Museum of the American Arts and Crafts Movement this September. The 137,000 square-foot building in the Waterfront Arts District will feature galleries, a café, a new restaurant, and private event spaces.

Following years of anticipation, the Museum of the American Arts and Crafts Movement (MAACM) has announced an opening date in its new home in St. Petersburg’s flourishing Waterfront Arts District. Opening to the public on Tuesday, September 7th, it is the world’s first museum dedicated to the American Arts and Crafts movement and will showcase more than 800 works of art. The museum is located at 355 4th St. N in downtown St. Pete.

Founded and funded by local businessman, philanthropist and collector Rudy Ciccarello, the five-story, 137,000 sq.-ft building will showcase pieces from the era when the American Arts and Crafts Movement boomed, from 1890-1930. The 40,000 square feet of gallery space will be complemented by an elevated Italian-American restaurant, Ambrosia Bar and restaurant, which will be open Tuesdays-Sundays, as well as the Arts Café open until 4 p.m.

Additionally, MAACM will feature private event spaces, an outdoor garden, an education studio, a graphic studio, a retail store, a research library, and a theater. The museum also plans on regular event programming, beginning with monthly Third Thursday events and a Sunday Film Series.

The first and only museum of its kind in the country, MAACM anticipates becoming a cultural destination for travelers and locals alike, as well as a new hub for the intersection of art, food and events in St. Petersburg.

“This museum will be the epicenter for the study of the American Arts and Crafts movement,” Ciccarello said. “Our mission is to preserve and share these beautiful works of art with the public and to teach future generations to appreciate hand craftsmanship and honest design.”

The building was designed by the award-winning and Tampa-based architect Alberto Alfonso, working in close collaboration with Ciccarello. In a release, MAACM said the museum features “incredible architectural elements such as a grand atrium, skylights, and a dramatic spiral staircase, with hand-crafted Venetian plaster, wood, metal and stone finishes.”

The museum has been training docents early in 2020.

It broke ground over 5 years ago.

Stay tuned to I Love The Burg as we share more updates about St. Pete’s newest museum.