Perez Art Museum Miami (PAMM), 1103 Biscayne Blvd, Miami, FL 33132
Downtown by the waterfront, but a world of it’s own, this is a premiere contemporary art museum.
I loved walking around looking at the skyline, and felt that the huge white head looked familiar – after a trip to Seattle.
An exhibit by Julio Le Parc: Form in Action was going on during my visit, and it was one of the best I have ever encountered. It worked with participatory kinetic art and the interaction level was high which I really enjoyed.
There were so many optical illusions and walk through rooms, spinning singles and blowing strings.
Unfortunately it was just passing through, but if present and future exhibits are as well selected you will really enjoy this museum. There is a parking lot underneath so no worries about finding a spot in the city. Admission is free first Thursdays and second Saturdays of the month, plan accordingly if possible!
Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA), 4040 NE 2nd Ave, Miami, FL 33137
Located in the Miami Design District, this is a great free activity to relieve your purse if you’ve been partaking in some high end shopping. It’s a small museum and when I visited the entire exhibit was dedicated to one German born artist Thomas Bayrle. I enjoy this kind of exhibit to get to know an artist better, and this one was very interesting, focusing on the impact of technology on humans and their environments. The Wire Madonna in the front hall was massive and incredible.
From the 60s through today, strange and surreal portraits really POPped.
Check out their website to see what future exhibits may be.
Wolfsonion-FIU Art Museum, 1001 Washington Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139
Smack in the middle of the Art-Deco district of Miami Beach housed in a building to match, this museum is a part of Florida International University. There is an eclectic assortment here, including a lot of history and design works ranging from the Industrial Revolution until the end of the Second World War. I really appreciated the folksy pieces.
You’ll have to find street parking, but it shouldn’t be difficult. Admission is free on Fridays from 6–9pm.
Frost Art Museum, 10975 SW 17th St, Miami, FL 33199
A hip contemporary art museum in the middle of the FIU campus, I loved the sculptures around the building piquing my excitement even before entering.
Exhibits rotate, during my visit there was a very cool room dedicated to morphing – relevant because Miami is synonymous with body transformation. It included some girls camouflaged to blend in with a floral wall, some intricately cut designs, and pre-Columbian sculptures with cranial modifications.
A more obscure exhibit was the contemporary women artists from aboriginal Australia, a group that is very underrepresented.
The museum is completely free, you’ll just have to pay to park in one of the designated lot.
Lowe Art Museum, 1301 Stanford Dr, Miami, FL 33146
Another fantastic college art museum, this time on the University of Miami campus. The collections include rooms filled with ancient works from every corner of the world. I love to see what random collection artifacts a museum will have – this one I thought the little plethora of Japanese purses was great. There was a great collection of glassworks including some Chihuly, stained glass, and random interesting sculptures.
Other exciting names included Wharhol and Miro, spicing up the scene. The museum is free the first Tuesday of each month, but you’ll have to find a metered spot to park in on campus.
It’s a big city, there are certainly people who don’t speak English…or don’t speak it well enough to feel confident in using it. I encountered that a few times in Little Havana at restaurants – but it never effected what I was doing adversely. I was able to communicate and order food.
So I am told, good luck finding anyone in Miami that speaks English and they don’t like it if you can’t.