TAMPA - Passers-by got an unexpected look at the artful impact of the new Tampa Museum of Art on Friday morning.

A switch was flipped and the new $26.6 million facility along the Hillsborough River was aglow in colorful light that competed with the sunrise.

"This was just a test run," said Todd D. Smith, the museum's executive director. "We were just trying to get a sense of the capability of the lighting system before we make a decision on the final design."

Smith said the museum is considering commissioning video artists to display their work using the decorative LED lighting on the exterior of the new building.

Construction of the new museum got under way in April 2008 and along with the adjacent Glazer Children's Museum and Curtis Hixon Park, is scheduled to be completed in early 2010.

For information, go to www.tampamuseum.org.

Reporter Christian M. Wade contributed to this report.