Without a doubt, Southeast Florida is entrenched in deep artistic roots. From burgeoning street art of Wynwood to Spanish and Bahamian influenced architecture on Key West’s Duval Street, Southeast Florida is a nexus of multicultural artistic influences. Whether you are a local or a visitor to our sea-side paradise, there are significant personal experiences to be gained by immersing yourself in our rich artistic heritage.
Wynwood Walls, Miami
“The Museum of the Streets” – Jeffrey Deitch. The late Tony Goldman saw the empty walls of Wynwood’s numerous factories as canvases for the greatest art in one location. Once a warehouse district, Wynwood has been reborn as Miami’s premier hub for street art. Known as Miami’s Heart and Soul, Wynwood contains more than a combined total of 70 art galleries and museums covering 80,000 square feet of walls with outdoor murals and sculptures from well-known and newer street artists.
Every second Saturday of the month, participate in Miami’s largest block party, the Wynwood Art Walk. Experience art, food, and shopping as you step into a world of fun only available once a month. With a wide variety of food trucks, boutiques, and famous microbreweries, there is something to satisfy every visitor. Come to the Wynwood Brewing Company, Miami’s first craft beer brewery and enjoy a business steeped in Puerto Rican Heritage, or try wood-fired grilled Asian BBQ at KYU.
FATVillage, Ft. Lauderdale
Nestled in Broward County’s Downtown Fort Lauderdale, Flagler + Arts + Technology Village, or FATVillage, is a booming art endeavor mirroring Wynwood Walls but with a distinct Broward edge. Here you will find works that are unbound from the trappings of commercial galleries and promote honest and open discourse between the artists, curators, and public. FATVillage seeks to feed a community with a growing appetite for art and culture by providing an artistic haven and creative enclave for those with artistic inclinations. Bear witness to the marvelous works from the most promising emerging contemporary artists and discover what unshackled creativity can accomplish when reinforced by FATVillage.
On the last Saturday of every month, from 6 pm to 11 pm, FATVillage hosts its monthly Art Walk. Become immersed in the art as you flow with the crowd through open galleries accompanied by inspired music and the lofty smells of curated Food Trucks. Need to fulfill your morning caffeine ritual or refuel before journeying through the art district? Try Next Door, an artisan coffeehouse and full bar that hosts community events.
Perez Art Museum Miami
Now celebrating its 35th year of enriching the community with art and culture, the Perez Art Museum Miami transformed the Magic City into an international art capital. From international to local contemporary art, Miami’s wealth of multicultural backgrounds are displayed along the halls of its canopy inspired building. Designed by Herzog and de Meuron, the museum contains 200,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor exhibits as well as an educational complex and restaurant.
Every day, excluding Wednesdays, at 11 am, 12 pm, and 2:30 pm, and Thursday evenings at 6:30 pm, the museum offers tours led by museum guides for 45 minutes. The tours are free with admission. Hungry? Verde, Waterfront Restaurant and Bar is located in the museum.
Downtown Delray Beach
Traversing through Atlantic Avenue, you will happen across the core of Delray Beach’s art scene. Pineapple Grove Art District is a mecca of art galleries, museums, boutiques, studios, street art, and theaters. Some highlights include the Artists Alley, a hive of 30 accomplished artists in a one-block warehouse, and The Set, a neighborhood where West African and Carribean culture and art have been deeply intertwined by time.
Every first Friday of the month, from 6 pm to 11 pm, Downtown Delray Beach begins its free tour into the soul of its art scene by venturing through the Pineapple Grove Art District, Atlantic Avenue, The Set, and Artists Alley. Need some treats? Enjoy the best local coffee at Subculture Coffee or defeat the heat with good old fashioned ice cream from Sloan’s!
Adrienne Arsht Center for Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County
Taking its place in the pantheon of leading performing arts organizations and venues, the Adrienne Arsht Center for Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County hosts the full spectrum of the performing arts from Broadway shows to local theater productions. Local artists can start their careers here while prominent artists bask in the welcoming spotlight. Occasionally, you can find the New World Symphony, the Miami City Ballet, and the Florida Grand Opera during the winter seasons.
Show subscribers to the 2019/2020 Broadway in Miami event will have the pleasure to experience the musicals Fiddler on the Roof, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Hamilton, Miss Saigon, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, and Jesus Christ Superstar. Need a bite to eat? Located in the Ziff Ballet Opera House, Brava by Brad Kilgore is an Italian-based restaurant recognized as one of Miami’s Hottest Restaurants. Looking for a more subdued eating affair? The Cafe at Books and Books has you covered with quick cafe eating and exquisite lunches and dinners.
Duval Street, Key West
Located 90 miles north of Cuba, the southernmost point of Florida is an essential destination for those who appreciate the arts and desire a piece of Caribbean paradise. Duval Street on the island of Key West is lined with Bahamian and Spanish influenced Victorian architecture with art galleries, boutiques, and unique museums. The ethereal works of Peter Lik reside at the Peter Liks Gallery. Visit and experience the colonial architecture of the Oldest House Museum where Francis Watlington made Key West the wealthiest city at one point in America’s history. The door to this museum acts as a temporal divider between the current time and the past, as the inside of the home is suspended in the mid-1800s, giving a view into a time long gone.
Duval Street hosts a series of events from the annual Hemingway Days Festival, the Ultimate Bar Crawl, Ghost Tours, the nightly Sunset Celebration in Mallory Square, and the yearly 10-day Fantasy Fest in October, a parade that implores you to wear whatever costume fits your mood. While here, do not miss out on a Key West delicacy, Key Lime Pie. Head over to Kermit’s Key West Key Lime Shoppe and grab a slice or 10. Alcohol enthusiasts can greet their contemporaries at the Hog’s Breath Saloon.
Main Image Credit: @wynwoodwallsofficial on Facebook