Visual Arts

FIU’s Frost Art Museum welcomes you back — with a few guidelines

From behind a plexiglass shield, staff members at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami, greet some of its first visitors — Vincent Electra, 23, and boyfriend Doug Giraldo, 25 — during the museum’s reopening Sept. 2 under strict safety protocols. It was the first art museum in Miami-Dade to reopen since the COVID-19 pandemic forced closure of the county’s cultural institutions.
From behind a plexiglass shield, staff members at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami, greet some of its first visitors — Vincent Electra, 23, and boyfriend Doug Giraldo, 25 — during the museum’s reopening Sept. 2 under strict safety protocols. It was the first art museum in Miami-Dade to reopen since the COVID-19 pandemic forced closure of the county’s cultural institutions. cjuste@miamiherald.com

After a six-month hiatus due to the pandemic, Florida International University’s Patricia and Phillip Frost Art Museum is beginning to open its doors, joining several other museums that have already reopened.

The museum will be open to members beginning Friday by appointment only from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visitors may make reservations on the museum’s website.

Non-members can make reservations for visits starting Friday, Sept. 18.

The Frost is operating with reduced hours Wednesday through Saturday and will remain closed From Sunday to Tuesday for now.

All visitors who are not FIU faculty, students or staff must make an appointment.

Masks and temperature checks at the door will be required for all visitors. Large bags or backpacks won’t be permitted inside and the coat check is closed. Social distancing with anyone not in your household must be maintained throughout the visit.

Groups larger than six and outside food and beverages won’t be permitted. The Vicky Café is closed for now.

Despite the new guidelines, the show goes on inside the galleries, where three exhibitions are scheduled this fall.

“Our fall programming is really robust and exciting,” said Erica Corsano, head of content and communications at the museum. “Two deal with themes of social justice. They’re very timely and poignant.”

“Otros Lados,” an exhibition featuring work by Mexican and Mexican American artists, including Miami-born FIU graduate Itzel Basualdo, is now on view. The show touches on themes of immigration and cultural identity.

“House to House: Women, Politics and Place” opens Sept. 26 and depicts the ongoing struggles and successes of women in various spaces. A conversation with Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen scheduled for October is part of this exhibition.

Corsano said the museum has been working hard to increase accessibility during these troubled times.

The museum’s children’s gallery is closed for now, but the museum developed “Teaching Tuesdays,” featuring art activity videos to support parents and children at home. New activities and experiences are added each week online.

Virtual programming including panels and lecture series are ongoing.

This story was originally published September 10, 2020 at 1:10 PM.

YL
Yadira Lopez
Miami Herald
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