The Museum and Art Scene

Miami has never been known as a cultural mecca as far as museums are concerned. Though several exhibition spaces have made forays into collecting nationally acclaimed work, limited support and political infighting have made it a difficult proposition. Recently, however, things have changed as museums such as the Wolfsonian, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Bass Museum of Art, and the Miami Art Museum have gotten on the bandwagon, boasting collections and exhibitions high on the list of art aficionados. It's now safe to say that world-class exhibitions start here. These are the most lauded museums that have become a part of the city's cultural heritage, and as such, are as diverse as the city itself.

In South Beach--The focal point of December's enormously popular Art Basel is Collins Park Cultural Center, which comprises a trio of arts buildings on Collins Park and Park Avenue (off Collins Ave.), bounded by 21st to 23rd streets -- the newly expanded Bass Museum of Art , the new Arquitectonica-designed home of the Miami City Ballet, and the Miami Beach Regional Library, an ultra modern building designed by architect Robert A. M. Stern, with a special focus on the arts. The Library Café is on the library's first floor, serving coffee and pastries and exuding that cafe society ambience. Collins Park, the former site of the Miami Beach Library, returned to its original incarnation as an open space extending to the Atlantic, but it is also now the site of large sculpture installations and cultural activities planned jointly by the organizations that share the space.

Roadside Attractions

The following examples of public art and prized architecture are great photo opportunities and worth visiting if you're in the area.

Casa Casaurina aka Versace Mansion (Amsterdam Palace): Morbid curiosity has led hordes of people -- tourists and locals -- to this, once the only private home (now a country club) on Ocean Drive. If you can get past the fact that the late designer was murdered on the steps of this palatial estate, you should definitely observe the intricate Italian architecture that makes this house stand out from its streamlined deco neighbors. Built in the 1930s as a replica of Christopher Columbus's son's palace in Santo Domingo, the house was originally called Casa Casuarina (House of the Pine), but was rechristened the Amsterdam Palace in 1935 when George Amsterdam purchased it. While there were rumors that the mansion was to be turned into a Versace museum, it was, instead, purchased by a private citizen from Texas. Located at the northwest corner of Ocean Drive and 11th Street, South Beach.

Mermaid Sculpture: A pop-art masterpiece designed by Roy Lichtenstein, this sculpture captures the buoyant spirit of Miami Beach and its environs. It's in front of the Jackie Gleason Theater of the Performing Arts, at 1700 Washington Ave., Miami Beach.

Morris Lapidus on Lincoln Road: Famed designer/architect, the late Morris Lapidus -- the "high priest of high kitsch" -- who is best known for the Fontainebleau Hotel, created a series of sculptures that are angular, whimsical, and quirky, competing with the equally amusing mix of pedestrians who flock to Lincoln Road. In addition to the sculptures on Lincoln Road (at Washington Ave.), which you can't miss, Lapidus also created the Colony Theater, 1040 Lincoln Rd., which was built by Paramount in 1943; the 1928 Sterling Building, 927 Lincoln Rd., whose glass blocks and blue neon are required evening viewing; and the Lincoln Theater, 555 Lincoln Rd., which features a remarkable tropical bas-relief.

Miami Art Galleries

Miami's finest art galleries are located within walking distance of one another in Coral Gables along Ponce de León Boulevard, extending from U.S. 1 to Bird Road. Still others are clustered in Bal Harbour's ritzy shopping district, on 96th Street off of Collins Avenue, right near the Bal Harbour Shops. Unfortunately, South Beach's Lincoln Road, which once had dozens of galleries, now has only a few -- a result of soaring rents.

Also check out the burgeoning art scene in the Design District, north of downtown just west of Biscayne Boulevard around 40th Street. Listed below is a selection of galleries both in and out of these areas.

If you happen to be in town on the first Friday of the month, you should take the free trolley tour of the Coral Gables Art District. The tour runs from 7 to 10pm; meet at the Douglas Road Metrorail or at any of the other participating galleries in the area. Also check out www.artcircuits.com/c_cg.html for a map of the walking area.

Barbara Gillman Gallery -- This gallery's ongoing exhibit of jazz photographer Herman Leonard's fantastic black-and-white photographs of legends such as Billie Holiday and Frank Sinatra has been so popular it hasn't changed in years. In addition to the works of Leonard and other renowned artists such as Andres Serrano, Andy Warhol, and James Rosenquist, the gallery displays the work of new local talent. 2320 N. Miami Ave., Design District. tel. 305/573-1920.

Britto Central -- Some people liken local Brazilian artist Romero Britto to Andy Warhol because of his colorful, whimsical paintings of young children and animals, among other things. Serious art lovers, however, consider Britto's cartoonish works more along the lines of a second-rate Walt Disney. You decide. 818 Lincoln Rd., South Beach. tel. 305/531-8821.

Diana Lowenstein Fine Arts -- One of Miami's preeminent modern art collectors, Lowenstein's gallery in the burgeoning Wynwood area of downtown Miami is a hot spot for serious collectors and admirers. 2043 N. Miami Ave., Miami. tel. 305/576-1804.

Elite Fine Art -- Touted as one of the finest galleries in Miami, Elite features modern and contemporary Latin American painters and sculptors such as Angel Hurtado, Olga Sinclair, and Gina Pellon, among others. 3140 Ponce de León Blvd., Coral Gables. tel. 305/448-3800.

Evelyn S. Poole Ltd. -- Known as the finest of the fine antiques collections, the Poole assortment of European 17th-, 18th-, and 19th-century decorative furniture and accessories is housed in 5,000 square feet of space in the newly revived Decorator's Row. 3925 N. Miami Ave., Miami. tel. 305/573-7463.

Tower Theater -- This renovated movie theater in Little Havana features highly regarded Cuban art such as Carlos Navarro's Cosas Cubanas (Cuban Things). 1508 SW 8th St., Little Havana. tel. 305/237-6180.

Wallflower Gallery-- Funky, eclectic, and reminiscent of Andy Warhol's Factory, the Wallflower Gallery features an assortment of exhibits from local artists from erotica to exotica and everything in between. Performance art and live music are also featured here. 10 NE 3rd St., Miami. tel. 305/579-0069.