FLORIDA — Irma swept through Florida last weekend leaving flooding and damage in her wake, with several museums and auction houses among the many businesses affected.  

Blackwell Auctions in Clearwater rescheduled an auction planned for Saturday, September 9, to Saturday, September 16, at 2 pm. Reached via text Monday, owner/auctioneer Edwin Bailey was grateful that after news reports predicted they would be wiped off the map by Irma, that his house, 140 yards from the bay, and auction gallery were fine. “So I am immensely giddily grateful. Now we’ll go help some folks around here – folks who did get hammered — clean up. And next weekend, we run that auction.”

Garth’s Antiques and Auction Gallery in Pensacola announced on Facebook it had postponed its September 8 auction to September 23.

Kodner Auctions returned to the gallery September 13, with internet and phone service. Due to the storm, they have postponed their September 13 auction to September 26. They also have an auction scheduled for September 27.

Among museums closings announced were the Perez Art Museum in Miami, where the storm surge significantly flooded downtown streets, with the museum closed through Wednesday, September 13, and Vizcaya, which sits at the edge of Biscayne Bay, announced on Facebook September 6, that it would be closed until further notice.

Over on the west coast, where Irma neared Sunday-Monday after making landfall in the Keys, the Tampa Museum of Art announced it was closed through Monday, September 11.