The architect describes it as "a frame for the display of art, an empty canvass to be filled with paintings, a beautiful but blank container to be completed by its contents.

[19] The museum's sculpture collection features works by Dale Chihuly, Jaume Plensa, Patricia Cronin, C. Paul Jennewein, Hiram Powers, Jacques Lipchitz, Richard Stankiewicz, Harry Bertoia, and Erik Levine.

[19] Its Latin American art collection features works by Diego Rivera, Rufino Tamayo, José Bedia Valdés, Oswaldo Vigas, and Milhaud Vik Muñiz.

[20][21] The museum's classical antiquities collection features more than 660 works produced from approximately 3000 BC to AD 500 from Ancient Greek, Roman, Egyptian and Etruscan civilizations.

[19] The Tampa Museum of Art is currently partnered with the University of South Florida, and collaborates predominantly with the Tampa campus by providing materials for exhibitions, particularly in the display of works of ancient pottery like vases and drinking vessels from areas of civilizations prior to and during Ancient Greece for patrons to view, alongside providing an honors Capstone course that has students learn about dementia and other mental in artists' whose works are currently on display in the "Outsider Art Gallery" from the Monroe Family Collection, which showcases the various works across a variety of mediums of artists that live in Florida.

In April 2022, the Tampa Museum of Art announced a $25 million gift from Dick Corbett in support of its centennial Capital Campaign for renovation and expansion.