The 73-year-old Gulf Coast Museum of Art abruptly closed for good yesterday, reports the St. Petersburg Times. Struggling with low attendance in its out-of-the-way location, the museum had been hoping to move to a higher-profile spot in downtown Clearwater, but after a clash with county officials about the fate of its buildings, it has run out of money and options. In a statement to its members, the museum called the development "a sad and disappointing end."

Suffering from low attendance and a shrinking endowment, the museum announced last summer that it would close at the end of January. It had been planned to move to a new location from its current one in the Pinewood Cultural Park Pinellas County, where it has been sited since 1999. Board members talked about opening a new space by 2012, but the hope had been for the county to buy the museum's buildings, which include a gallery, classrooms, an office, and a theater, and the county now says it cannot afford such an endeavor. The museum was asking for nearly $4 million for the buildings.

In lieu of a purchase by the county, the museum asked for changes to its lease to allow it to sublease the buildings or sell them to another buyer, but the county said that would prove difficult.

Museum officials are now discussing what will happen to the sculpture garden and the permanent collection. "It cannot be sold for profit," said museum spokeswoman Lisa Brock. "Everything will be placed with accredited museums so the artwork can be enjoyed in perpetuity."