The James Museum of Western + Wildlife Art

The James Museum of Western + Wildlife Art was designed to house the Tom and Mary James collection of western and Native American art as well as space for traveling exhibits. This renovation project is located within an existing 8-story structure in downtown St. Petersburg where the lobby of the museum is lined with sandstone directly sourced, slabbed and precut in India.

Stone cladding surrounds the 9-story exterior spire, resembling a mesa that extends inside the main atrium and waterfall area in an organic shaped design, mimicking the look of wind carved canyons located in the Western United States. The gallery walls are lined with earthy colors to represent a western sunset.

The entire design utilizes pre-patina copper paneling, a glulam bridge, an interior waterfall, a geode shaped jewelry exhibit, wood flooring sourced from Europe and finished on-site, and an antique bar from the early 1900’s. The museum also includes a café, restaurant, theatre, auditorium, vault, event space, staff space along with three leasehold spaces.