Miami has a lot to offer in general as a city, and art is no exception! From outdoor graffiti art to quiet indoor museums, anyone looking for a Miami Art District can find something. While Wynwood may be considered the “Miami Art District” this article will present not only areas of interest in Wynwood/Allapattah, but also in Downtown Miami and South Beach.
Let’s Get Started…
Miami Art District – Wynwood / Allapattah
While Wynwood may be where the mind goes for the arts in Miami (outside of Art Basel Miami, of course!), it is expanding to include its neighbors as well.
Wynwood Walls
Founded in 2009, Miami real estate developer Tony Goldman created Wynwood Walls to help revitalize the Wynwood neighborhood while also bringing increased credibility to street art as a genre. Now, more than 10 years later, over 50 artists from around the world have contributed pieces to the outdoor space. For extended ongoing coverage of the evolving outdoor museum, check out the Wynwood Walls post we update on a regular basis.
Wynwood Walls: 3 things to know
- It now costs money to visit the Wynwood Walls ($10 per adult) Tickets may also be purchased on-site at the Guest Welcome Center.
- The entrance is hidden around the corner from what many people think is the “front” on 2nd street. Entrance address is: 266 NW 26th St, Miami, FL 33127.
- Remains kid-friendly with rotating colorful graffiti art murals (for more mural coverage, check out our (just updated for 2021) Wynwood Walls in Miami post!
Rubell Museum
Housing one of the largest private contemporary art collections in the US, the Rubell Museum moved into a new space in Allapattah in 2019. We were amazed by the collection, and did a series of posts on the pieces inside, including Highlights and Head-scratchers at the Rubell, Kehinde Wiley’s Sleep (one of our most-read pieces), and a post on the Robert Colescott Collection at the Rubell. We hope that you’ll take a chance to read those pieces if you’re looking to learn more about this museum!
The Rubell Museum: 3 Things to Know
- The Rubell Museum has delicate (hello, beer-can stacks!) and sexually explicit art. Individuals with young or impressionable children may want to steer clear and simply hit Superblue across the street.
- The Rubell Collection is so extensive that it cannot all be on display at any one time.
- While Wynwood Walls and the Rubell Museum / Superblue are only 1.4 miles apart, it feels much longer when you’re walking in the hot humid Florida weather, or have kids in tow. There’s not much to see in between other than residences and warehouses, so be forewarned if you decide to walk! Map below…
As mentioned above, for some virtual visiting (via the Thoughts on Art Blog!) check out the following posts:
Highlights and Head-scratchers at the Rubell,
Kehinde Wiley’s Sleep (one of our most-read pieces)
Robert Colescott Collection at the Rubell
We hope to bring more of the Rubell Collection to our readers in the future!
Superblue
An immersive art experience, if you’re wondering “What Is Superblue?” definitely check out our post addressing just that subject! The works on view will be rotating, so it’s hard to sum it up in just a few phrases, but do know these are experiential artworks where you’ll be in Superblue’s massive space, inside the art itself, sometimes even interacting with it!
Superblue: 3 Things to Know
- Superblue is much more kid-friendly than The Rubell Museum. There’s not much to break or damage inside and nothing inappropriate for young audiences (as of press-time).
- Superblue is part of a coming trend of immersive art experiences. More will be available all over the US in the months and years to come, with art ranging from traditional (Van Gogh) to as innovative as those shown at Superblue.
- It’s not cheap to visit, with tickets north of $30 per person and valet parking for $15 (there’s not a big parking lot for either Rubell or Superblue. There is parking on side streets available as far as I could tell.)
Miami’s South Beach
South Beach and Bass Art Museum
South Beach is no slouch when it comes to art exhibitions. It’s the heart of December’s Art Week (anchored by Art Basel), and houses multiple commercial galleries as well as the Bass Art Museum (which shows contemporary art).
South Beach and Bass Museum: 3 Things to Know
- Art Week is the busiest week of the entire year in Miami! Make your plans early and know it’s going to be very difficult to get from place to place (especially from Wynwood/Downtown to South Beach). Art Basel happens at the convention center just next to Collins Ave so most of the action is centered around there.
- The Bass Art Museum (showing a rotating series of contemporary art exhibitions, as well as items from their permanent collection) is right across the street from the beach and a public parking lot. Why not make an easy day of a trip there?
- Many of the galleries found in South Beach (that I’ve seen at least – and I won’t name any names) are very slick, offering overpriced shiny art. If this is what you want, then great (but caveat emptor).
For Miami Art Week / Art Basel Miami reading, check out these articles from our archives:
Selected Exhibitions at Art Basel Miami – Political Artwork
Art Basel Miami 2019 – Teresa Margolles Obstruction
For the Bass Art Museum, check out our archives:
Mikalene Thomas Better Nights at the Bass Museum of Art
Lara Favretto at the Bass Museum of Art in Miami
Downtown Miami
Downtown Miami has its own cultural flavor. While less quirky than Wynwood or laid back than South Beach, there are still reasons to visit!
The Perez Art Museum
The Perez Art Museum: 3 Things to Know
All year round the Perez Art Museum is ready to welcome visitors: here are our 3 things to know to help you
- The Perez shares a parking garage with the Frost Science Center. This makes it a perfect way to travel together, park and then split up according to interests! Just walk to opposite ends of the garage, and meet back there later!
- The Herzog and de Meuron–designed building is the most current iteration of what was originally Center for Fine Arts (CFA), founded in 1984, and eventually became a collecting institution called the Miami Art Museum, and now, the Jorge M. Pérez Art Museum of Miami-Dade County (PAMM).
- Showing both rotating exhibitions and items from their permanent collection, this museum has many options for visitors – and may be difficult to take in during a single visit.
For Art Week: Art Miami
Art Miami: 3 Things to Know
- Art Miami is the flagship fair happening in Downtown Miami. If Art Basel Miami Beach pulls people towards South Beach, this fair is the single pull towards Downtown. But it’s big enough to do so.
- This fair happens one time per year – during Miami’s Art Week
- Its sister fairs are Context and Aqua, also Miami art fairs. Entrance to one usually provides entrance to them all. (And, with art fairs, the galleries showing ALWAYS have free tickets to give out – so ask before you buy a ticket!)
All images were taken by Christine O’Donnell for Thoughts on Art unless otherwise specified.
