Viniks Present Largest Gift In History Of Tampa Museum Of Art

TAMPA, FL — The Tampa Museum of Art announced Thursday that the Vinik Family Foundationwill make a $5 million gift to the museum’s endowment, the largest gift in the institution's history.

The landmark gift will name and endow the position of executive director, whose title will be known as the Penny and Jeff Vinik Executive Director of the Tampa Museum of Art.

The Vinik Family Foundation was founded by Penny and Jeff Vinik, longtime patrons and donors of the Tampa Museum of Art. Penny Vinik, who has held various board positions throughout the years, has also co-chaired the museum’s strategic planning committee and led the executive search committee during the hiring of executive director, Dr. Michael Tomor. Currently, she serves as vice chairwoman on the museum’s board of trustees.

Last fall, VFF loaned Yayoi Kusama's Infinity Room LOVE IS CALLING to the Tampa Museum of Art. An immersive, experiential work of art, LOVE IS CALLING invited visitors to enter a mirrored room with tentacle-like soft sculptures featuring with Kusama's signature polka dots and changing colors hanging from the ceiling and positioned on the floor.

“We’ve been so excited and inspired by Dr. Michael Tomor’s leadership and vision for the future, in particular his passion for securing the viability of the museum for generations to come. We want to ensure the stability and financial security of this position,” said Penny Vinik.

“We are very proud of the Tampa Museum of Art as an institution and as a vital part of the city in which we live and work,” said Jeff Vinik. “Our gift is a way to celebrate the museum’s upcoming centennial anniversary and support TMA directors as they continue to lead one of Tampa’s most acclaimed cultural institutions.”

According to Debra Williams, president of the museum’s foundation board, endowment gifts are invested permanently and only the earnings are used for the donors’ intention. The original gift remains intact in perpetuity, generating income for the museum’s operations for future generations.

“This landmark gift will support the initiatives of the museum’s strategic plan for years to come,” said Williams. "We are grateful to Penny and Jeff Vinik and the Vinik Family Foundation for the value they place on the museum and its leadership.”

“I am honored by this transformative gift to the museum, and we are all grateful to the Viniks for their continued support," Tomor said. "There is no greater legacy gift than a gift to the endowment, and this sets a strong foundation for future leadership to build on.”

The Viniks moved to Tampa from Boston in 2012 after Jeff Vinik acquired the Tampa Bay Lightning hockey team.

In partnership with Cascade Investment, the investment arm of the Gates Foundation, Vinik and his real estate development company, Strategic Property Partners, are redeveloping 50 acres in downtown Tampa as the Water Street project, featuring one million square feet of new retail, cultural, educational and entertainment spaces.

In addition to serving on the board of the Tampa Museum of Art, Penny Vinik is also an
ambassador for the nonprofit Dress for Success, chairs a community arts initiative that enables Tampa Bay-based artists to display their works throughout Amalie Arena and organizes the annual Celebration of the Arts, a juried exhibition that displays the works of hundreds of local and regional artists.

She's also brought free art exhibits to the Amalie Arena, including The Beach Tampa by Snarkitecture, an immersive art installation featuring a 10,000-square-foot, all-white beach environment with an ocean of 1.2 million recyclable white balls and The Art of the Brick, the world's largest display of LEGO art, featuring more than 100 works of art by renowned contemporary artist Nathan Sawaya.

The Tampa Museum of Art is located at 120 W. Gasparilla Plaza, Tampa.