It was one of those post-prandial whims. After an early Friday dinner, my wife, Laraine, and I passed on dessert and planned to be home in time to walk the dogs at the appointed hour. But the night was still young, the weather was featuring a hint of breeze and acceptable September humidity and the dogs were likely sleeping through our self-appointed hour. We decided to push the evening-out envelope and sample the best outdoor ambience and art show in town.
We headed for Ashley Drive and turned in at the new Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park about 8:45. We stopped in the small circle leading to the underground garage to gaze back and take it in. Gertrude Stein would have approved.
Tampa now has “there.” An 8-acre, urban park right there between Ashley and the Hillsborough River. Vivid testimony in the form of blanketed families, strolling couples, contemplative sorts and fountain-side, photo-shoot models and a photographer.
And then there’s that rectangular box wrapped in perforated steel that glows. The south facade of the new Tampa Museum of Art is kaleidoscopically alive with LED lighting. The colors and patterns enthrall. It’s an outdoor canvas of illumination that deserves more than a fortuitous, neck-craning drive-by.
And less we forget, the vantage point for the aesthetically lit University of Tampa minarets is part of the magic. And now the Glazer Children’s Museum is debuting.
Not only is there “there” in Tampa. It’s also an invitingly elegant destination. Rafael Vinoly would approve.