7 of the best places to see art in Miami

21.11.2024 - 21:07 / lonelyplanet.com / Sunshine State / Art Basel

Nov 21, 2024 • 5 min read

Say “Miami” and most people think of beaches and sunshine. Florida IS nicknamed the Sunshine State, after all. But there’s so much else to do here you might end up crossing your fingers for cloudy days.

Miami’s art scene has really blown up in recent years. Art Basel, the world’s premier art fair descends on the city over a long weekend in December, drawing international gallerists and artists as well as plenty of celebrities. It’s a giant party, with glamorous people, outrageous clothes and high-octane people-watching. Not surprisingly, though, events are packed, invites to the parties are hard to come by, and the price of hotel rooms skyrocket.

Here's where to go in Miami for your fix of art-world entertainment any time of year. 

Large colorful murals and several sculptures are displayed around the walls and landscaped grounds of the “world’s largest outdoor street-art museum” known as Wynwood Walls. Since its inception in 2009, it’s been instrumental in changing the way that the world looks at contemporary art. Most of the pieces stay up for a year or two before being replaced by new commissions, though stalwarts like the mural by Shepard Fairey are here for the long haul. You need to purchase tickets to get inside the walls, where you can wander at will or sign up for a guided tour. Hands-on “spray experiences” are a fun add-on and the gift shop has lots of unique items.

The surrounding Wynwood Arts District neighborhood is a mash-up of murals, graffiti and tagging. It feels less polished and protected than what’s inside Wynwood Walls though many of the larger pieces you’ll see have been commissioned by the building owners. Tours with Wynwood Buggies are conducted by local artists so you’ll get some fun insider info about the neighborhood and hear about the differences between “art” and “graffiti.”

The sprawling, light-filled spaces of the Rubell Museum, in Miami’s Allapattah neighborhood, showcases the Rubell family’s astonishing collection of contemporary art. Big names – including Yayoi Kusama, Jenny Holzer, Cindy Sherman, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Anselm Kiefer, Takashi Murakami – and a number of locally based artists are represented. Memorable installations include Cady Noland’s This Piece Has No Title Yet, comprising 1100 six-packs of Budweiser beer and an American flag.

The Rubells have been a major force in growing Miami as an art world destination, founding the Rubell Family Collection in its original Wynwood home and being instrumental in bringing the Art Basel art fair to Miami back in 2002.

Conveniently right across the road from the Rubell Museum, Superblue Miami has fantastic surround-sound, interactive experiences. If you’ve heard of the immersive Van Gogh/Monet/Klimt