Miami museums pull out the stops for Art Week. Here’s what you want to see
Local art institutions spend all year prepping for Miami Art Week, when they stage their shiniest shows. Here’s what’s on the walls and in the spaces. (Bonus for locals: Most are up at least through January.)
MIAMI BEACH
AT THE BASS
Anyone who lived in Miami in the 1980s recalls stark memories of crystalline seas, untrammeled beaches and a dark, drug-fueled grittiness that lay beneath. So it is with Rachel Feinstein. Though she has lived in New York since 1993, Miami’s duality has long informed her sculptures and multidisciplinary works. A rainbow forms the stairs of a canted fairytale house. Dolphins leap from a pink reef. A paint-splatted bikini-clad woman in stacked heels recalls South Beach’s drag-queen tea dances. Underscoring the unseen are flat-screen panels; so much then -- and now -- was a stage set.
This fall, The Bass presents Feinstein’s first major museum show in Miami. Its centerpiece is a new 30-foot mirrored landscape, “Panorama of Miami,” featuring the Magic City of yore. “Rachel Feinstein: The Miami Years” is sure to leave viewers wondering at the city’s transformation and its role in Feinstein’s practice.
Also at The Bass: Over the past two decades, Carlos de la Cruz and his late wife, Rosa, frequently opened their home to art lovers. Among the most memorable artworks was a bi-level installation by Assume Vivid Astro Focus (avaf), an homage to the party years of the 1970s incorporating custom wallpapers, a curved staircase and disco ball. Originally designed as a performance space, it became static as programming became too time consuming, says Eli Sudbrack, one half of the duo that is avaf. Early last year, before Rosa’s death, the de la Cruzes gifted the installation to The Bass. It was installed earlier this fall.
The Bass, 2100 Collins Ave., Miami Beach; 305-673-7530; thebass.org.
BIG IDEAS AT THE WOLF
Through its vast holdings, the Wolfsonian-FIU challenges preconceived notions—including the definition of a museum. This year’s shows include changing depictions of landscape art (through May 25), the sensationalist publications of William Randolph Hearst (through March 2), and the ongoing display of Henry Clarke’s stained glass windows (deemed too controversial by its commissioners.)
1001 Washington Avenue; 305-531-1001; wolfsonian.org.
THE JEWISH MUSEUM
With its South of Fifth location, the FIU-Jewish Museum is sometimes overlooked. A trio of unconventional exhibitions this year make it worth the detour. “Built to Last: The Art of Steve Marcus,” will resonate with graphic novel fans and baby boomers resisting the dark forces of aging; through April 27. “Step Into the Garden of the Finzi Continis” uses sculpture and and paintings to tell the history of Italian Jews as Fascism took hold; through March 2025. The surprising and instructive “Kosher Kush: The Story of Jews and Cannabis” reminds that very little on this earth is new, after all; through April 20, 2025.
301 Washington Ave., through spring. jmof.fiu.edu; 305-672-5044.
MAINLAND MIAMI
MIND MEETS MATTER AT EL ESPACIO 23
The Allapattah showcase for the private holdings of philanthropist (and chief PAMM supporter) Jorge M. Pérez, explores the complex relationship between our mental state and our physical bodies. “Mirror of the Mind: Figuration in the Jorge M. Pérez Collection” features works by more than 120 artists, including Carrie Mae Weems, Shirin Neshat, Anselm Kiefer and Miamian Jared McGriff. Together they offer a thought-provoking counterpoint to the world’s current obsession with artificial intelligence.
2270 NW 23rd Street, Allapattah, Miami; elespacio23.org; 786-490-9090.
FREEDOM AT THE FROST
“Fighters for Freedom: William H. Johnson Picturing Justice” at the Frost Art Museum memorializes the courage of many who forged rocky paths to political and social freedom.
Johnson’s paintings are far more than portraits. Each of the 28 works tells a story of determination, fortitude, leadership. Abraham Lincoln stands in a cemetery filled with crosses and hanging bodies recalling lynchings. Franklin Delano Roosevelt stands among the seated heads of state that formed the United Nations.
Johnson’s own trajectory reflects a staunch spirit of resolve. Born in South Carolina to a poor African-American family in 1901, Johnson moved to New York at age 17 and worked to afford an arts education at the prestigious National Academy of Design. He later moved to Paris and then returned to the U.S. His mental health declined following his wife’s death, and he spent his final two decades in state mental hospital. By the time of his death in 1970, the once-lauded artist had slipped into obscurity. His legacy has been revived by the Smithsonian American Art Museum, which is presenting this show.
Also at the Frost: Malawian-born Billie Zangewa’s hand-sewn silk collages depicting daily life in Africa, also in collaboration with the Smithsonian.
Patricia & Philip Frost Museum of Art at Florida International University, 10975 SW 17th St., Miami; 305-348-2890; www.frost.fiu.edu.
LUCY IN THE SKY AT ICA
Is that an exploding universe? A microscopic view of a microbe? Or just the way your brain responds when faced with emotions that defy reason?
The abstract paintings of rising artist Lucy Bull strike viscerally, evoking curiosity, wonder, joy and even a touch of horror, as if your innards were suddenly exposed. Bull’s solo exhibition, opening Dec. 3 at the Institute for Contemporary Art - Miami, will be her first U.S. museum show. In its tenth anniversary season, ICA and artistic director, Alex Gartenfeld, continue their practice of bypassing of-the-moment artists in favor of those on the rise and those faded in memory. The common thread: All push boundaries of contemporary norms. This year’s program includes works by Japanese pop artist Keiichi Tanaami, the first U.S. museum exhibition of Chinese artist Ding Shilun, and two series of paintings by the late Afro-Brazilian artist Rubem Valentim.
Institute of Contemporary Art - Miami; 61 NE 41st St., Miami Design District.
PICTURE PERFECT AT HISTORYMIAMI
Photography takes over this year at HistoryMiami, with two exhibitions.
Little Haiti photographer Woosler Delisfort explores the origins of faith in Miami’s Indigenous, African, and Caribbean communities through more than 100 images of local temples, churches and mosques in “SANCTUARY: Our Sacred Place.”
“Women Photographers––Shared Documentary Narratives,” curated by Aldeide Delgado, features work by three well-known locals —Maggie Steber, Silvia Lizama, and Peggy Levison Nolan— and emerging talents Elisa Benedetti, RemiJin Camping, and Sofia Valiente.
HistoryMiami Museum, 101 West Flagler Street, downtown Miami; historymiami.org.
THE PUEBLO AT THE LOWE
New Mexican Pueblo artist Virgil Ortiz’s show at the University of Miami’s Lowe Art Museum is the result of a conversation that began five years ago, long before the emergence of indigenous futurism as a trend. After meeting Ortiz five years ago, Lowe director Jill Deupi was so impressed with the skill and complexity of his work that she offered him a solo show. Trained by his late grandmother and mother, both artists, Ortiz uses clay, pumice, and wild spinach leaves from his Pueblo homeland to create monumental painted pottery through traditional methods. A recurrent theme is the Pueblo revolt of 1680, when native peoples coalesced against the Spaniards. Entitled “Slipstream,” the exhibition, which is on view through January 11, 2025, memorializes the revolt through contemporary and futuristic figures, underscoring the fluid nature of time and history.
Lowe Art Museum - University of Miami, 1301 Stanford Dr., Coral Gables; 305-284-3535; www.lowe.miami.edu.
MASTERS AT THE MARGULIES
Margulies Collection at the Warehouse in Wynwood focuses on the decades from 1930-1970 as it presents an array of pivotal works by John Chamberlain, Willem de Kooning, Robert Motherwell, Roy Lichtenstein, Cy Twombly, Louise Nevelson, Jackson Pollock and other contemporary masters.
From Dec. 2 at 591 NW 27th St., Miami; 305-576-1051; margulieswarehouse.com.
ALLAPATTAH’S MARQUEZ
Opened in 2023, Marquez Art Projects presents contemporary art rarely seen elsewhere in Miami. This year the private Allapattah space presents “Off to nearly everywhere,” the first US solo presentation for Slovenia-born, London-based artist Katarina Caserman. A new showcase of works from the Marquez Family Collection will also grace the walls, featuring artists Emily Mae Smith, Hayley Barker, Daisy Parris, Harold Ancart, George Rouy and others.
2395 NW 21st Terr., Miami; 305-646-1125; https://marquezartprojects.com
ART OF GRAFFITI
Yes, Mom, graffiti really IS art, and Wynwood has museums to prove it. The namesake Museum of Graffiti kicks off programming Dec. 4 with an exploration of the famed OG Slick. Sister museum Art of Hip Hop showcases work by Cey Adams, while The Private Gallery highlights Tristan Eaton’s “The Women of Marvel.” All three shows run through Feb. 2.
Museum of Grafitti, 276 NW 26th St., Wynwood; 786-580 4687; www.museumofgraffiti.com. Art of Hip Hop, 299 NW 25th St., Wynwood; 786-772-1604; www.artifhiphop.com. The Private Gallery, 521 NW 3rd Ave., Wynwood; 305-394-9789; www.wynwoodartgallery.com.
ISLAND TIME AT MOCA-NOMI
South Floridians think of “the islands” as our Bahamian and Caribbean neighbors, with their distinctive cultures and landscapes. Regardless of where they’re set, islands share an insurmountable vulnerability. Untethered from continents, they have long been too-easy prey for resource-strained nations and corporate forces. In her upcoming show at the Museum of Contemporary Art - North Miami, artist Andrea Chung explores the impacts of colonialism through 80 artworks encompassing collages, video and sculpture. One of the new featured commissions in “Andrea Chung: Between Too Early and Too Late” includes sugar bottles recalling desperate mothers who killed their babies to avoid a future as slaves. Each bottle holds a note of apology that dissolves over time.
Museum of Contemporary Art - North Miami, 770 NE 125 St., North Miami; 305-893-6211; mocanomi.org.
PARLA COMES HOME TO PAMM
Jose Parla may have moved to Brooklyn, but his Miami ties remain secure. Born in the Magic City to Cuban parents, Parla attended the New World School of the Arts and Miami Dade College before moving to New York, and Miami still influences his work. His current show at Perez Art Museum Miami, on display through April 25, 2025, marks his first major museum show in his hometown.
Parla’s multilayered work feels like driving down Calle Ocho then through downtown and on to the beach: a cacophony of tropical colors and purposeful scrawl with no discernible end. His exhibition at PAMM features a replica of his studio, filled with vinyl records and memorabilia. Included are several never-before-shown works, including a massive site-specific mural that he will create in the museum just prior to the show’s Nov. 14 opening.
The exhibition, “Homecoming,” refers not only to his physical birthplace but to his artistic practice. During the pandemic, Parla suffered a stroke and brain bleeding from a severe case of COVID-19 that left him in a coma for four months. It’s only fitting that he return to painting in the place that it all began.
Also at PAMM: “Kate Capshaw: Exclusive Tonsorial Services,” opens Dec. 3 with an artist talk at noon. Afterward, head to the museum’s front porch at 2 p.m. to catch a flotilla of sailboats with striped sails. It’s not just a happenstance; “Voile/Toile - Toile/Voile” (Sail/Canvas - Canvas/Sail), is a performance installation by French conceptual artist Daniel Buren, known for striped works in public spaces. The artist created it as a response to the Great Elephant Migration of wooden pachyderms stampeding along Miami Beach. The event is presented by Art&Newport, Elephant Family and The ReefLine.
Pérez Art Museum Miami, 1103 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; 305-375-3000; pamm.org.
RUBELL: ALWAYS CUTTING EDGE
An artistic residency at Allapattah’s Rubell Museum has been an early step in many a stellar career. This year from Dec. 4 on, visitors will find the sensual paintings of 2024 artist-in-residence Vanessa Raw, plus recent museum acquisitions including works by Omari Douglin and Michelle Uckotter. The collection highlights showcase has been rehung to include works by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Cecily Brown, Marlene Dumas and Rashid Johnson. The restaurant is new too: Leku has been replaced by LA’s Jon & Vinny’s Miami.
Rubbell Museum, 1100 NW 23rd St., Miami; 305-573-6090; rubellmuseum.org.
ON THE WALLS IN WYNWOOD
Hard to believe that Wynwood Walls is celebrating its 15th season (hasn’t it been part of our lives forever?) This year’s theme is Street Art Icons, presented by Goldman Arts. New murals this year come from New Zealand’s Askew One. Spain’s Bublegum, New York’s Carlos Mare, The Netherlands’ Digital DOES, New York’s ELLE Street Art, Logan Hicks (also from New York), Simon Berger of Switzerland and Sophie Mess of the United Kingdom.
Wynwood Walls, 2516 NW Second Ave., Miami; 305-576-3334; thewynwoodwalls.com
BROWARD
MEYEROWITZ AT NSU
The popularity of photography has waned for the moment, pushed aside by AI, textiles, abstraction and long-overdue attention to indigenous artists. At a time when shiny new artists grab so much of the shine, NSU Art Museum’s “Joel Meyerowitz: Temporal Aspect” offers a welcome antidote. Best known as an early adopter of color photography, Meyerowitz captured singular moments of life on the streets of New York, Paris, Provincetown and South Florida. His still images remind us that life is more than a video on autoplay. The show’s images come from the museum’s recent acquisition of 1,800 works from the Meyerowitz archive.
NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale, 1 E Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; 954-525-5500; nsuartmuseum.org.
This story was originally published December 1, 2024 at 4:30 AM with the headline "Miami museums pull out the stops for Art Week. Here’s what you want to see."
