Beyond Art Basel
From museums and galleries to private collections and parking lots, what to see the other eleven months of the year.
Galleries:
Nina Johnson-Milewski, owner of Wynwood’s Gallery Diet, credits the newly overhauled Emerson Dorsch (151 NW 24th St.; 305-576-1278) with pioneering the area’s formidable arts scene and featuring work “not traditionally viewed as market-friendly, like performance art and installations.” To unwind, digital artist Troy Abbott likes Wynwood Cigar Factory (101 NW 24th St.; 888-319-9939), a hybrid cigar lounge and art gallery set in a 5,000-square-foot warehouse. The space is covered in vibrant street art—from the walls to the rolling tables—and sells hand-rolled cigars and cigar boxes painted by local artists. “It’s chill,” says Abbott. “There’s painting, photography, and sculpture amid the smell of fresh tobacco and a pumping soundtrack.”
Private Collections:
To see work by Cuban artists like Ana Mendieta and Félix González-Torres, mixed-media artist Jim Drain suggests the De La Cruz Collection (23 NE 41st St.; 305-576-6112). “The work is mostly on the third floor,” says Drain. “It’s magic.” The depth and range of the Margulies Collection at the Warehouse (591 NW 27th St.; 305-576-1051), which includes pieces from Richard Serra and Willem de Kooning, takes many visitors aback. “Getting to see such a large collection in such a personal way is really unusual,” says Johnson-Milewski. The huge Rubell Family Collection (95 NW 29th St.; 305-573-6090), meanwhile, is housed in a space once used to store confiscated DEA goods. “Many pieces are political or challenging,” adds Johnson-Milewski. “It pushes the boundaries of art.”
Museum:
Wolfsonian-FIU (1001 Washington Ave.; 305-531-1001) houses Mitchell Wolfson Jr.’s vast collection of industrial-age design ephemera—everything from agitprop posters to Arts and Crafts vases to early hair dryers. “He was the Indiana Jones of propaganda art,” says Drain. “It’s an overlooked side of art and incredibly unique.”
Parking Lot:
Drain says 11 11 (1111 Lincoln Rd.; 1111lincolnroad.com), a car park so strikingly designed that it’s been booked for weddings, is “probably the most beautiful parking lot in the world.” Local landscape architect Raymond Jungles redesigned the lot’s sidewalks, inlaying a black and white stone pattern on which a Dan Graham sculpture sits.
Shop Like a Miamian
The favored stores of local fashion bloggers.
“You can find sixties dresses and mint Coach bags for really cheap at Red White & Blue Thrift Store (901 E. Tenth Ave., Ste. 12, Hialeah; 305-887-5351). At Emporium (2606 Ponce de Leon Blvd.; 786-268-0689), there are statement collar blouses and maxi-dresses. And Sweat Records (5505 NE Second Ave.; 786-693-9309) has old and new LPs, and stuffed animals with mustaches.” —Stefanie Kuncman of Steffy’s Pros and Cons
“During the monthly Second Saturday Art Walk, a design fair pops up in Wynwood with over 45 vendors offering local clothing and accessories (stylemarketmiami.com). Everything at Scarlett Boutique (8267 S. Dixie Highway; 305-665-1234) is Miami: breezy dresses, cutoffs, and clothes that show a lot of skin. Fly Boutique (1634 Euclid Ave.; 305-604-8508) has awesome dresses from the twenties, as well as designer labels like Missoni.” —Annie Vazquez of the Fashion Poet
“Jessie Boutique (1708 Alton Rd.; 305-604-7980) is brimming with clothing by high-end local designers like Alexis, a mother-daughter team whose dresses are Miami resort perfection. C. Madeleine’s (13702 Biscayne Blvd.; 305-945-7770) is a hot spot for A-list stars chasing high-end vintage garments. Clothes are arranged by decade, and there’s an entire section devoted to Chanel.” —Amanda Del Duca of Capture Fashion
Going Carless
Some alternative ways to see autocentric Miami.
By Jet Ski:
The best way to glimpse Miami’s showy, well-secured mansions is from the water. For $99 an hour, including gas, Miami Jet Ski Rental (miamijetskirental.com) turns riders loose in Biscayne Bay.
By Bicycle:
Miami Beach’s DecoBike (decobike.com) has 100 lock-and-leave stations and 1,000 custom cruisers, each equipped with a kickstand and basket. It’s $24 daily or $35 for a one-month pass.
By Tram:
Dubbed the People Mover by locals, the elevated Metromover (miamidade.gov) runs from 5 a.m. to midnight on a limited twenty-station route throughout downtown, Omni, and Brickell. Best of all, it’s free.
By Golf Cart:
From 1 p.m. to 2 a.m. daily, Swoop (swoopmiami.com) shuttles barhoppers and beachgoers all around South Beach in a goofy six-passenger golf cart. The ad-supported service is free to riders, but don’t forget to tip.