Rubell Museum

Don and Mera Rubell began collecting modern art in 1965, gathering approximately 7,200 works by over 1,000 artists. The couple's cherished collection, which includes pieces by Basquiat and Warhol as well as Koons and Sherman, is on exhibit in their eponymous museum in Allapattah. After outgrowing their Wynwood gallery for more than 26 years, the couple converted a derelict warehouse into a vast art space. The Rubells have 53,000 square feet to play with, which allows them to exhibit as well as involve the community through school collaborations and curatorial training programs.

The Rubells created their collection by looking at art, talking with artists, and trusting their instincts. They started collecting 54 years ago when Don was in medical school and Mera was teaching at Head Start, and continue to follow the same practice today, now with their son Jason. They acquired their first work after a studio visit and were only able to do so by paying on a modest weekly installment plan.

The Rubell Museum represents a new kind of institution serving as an advocate for a diverse mix of contemporary artists and resources for both the public and the art world to engage in a dialogue with them. Since the Rubells moved to Miami 29 years ago, many museums and public collections have opened and the city has developed a vital arts ecology. They see their new museum as providing a context for art and exhibitions that are available to the public in South Florida and beyond.

The new facility will also enable the Rubell Museum to show a unique sweep of contemporary art that cannot be found anywhere else, ranging from seminal works by artists the Rubells first met over 50 years ago and works by artists they just met last week.

Google review: 4.6/5
Address: 1100 NW 23rd St, Miami, FL 33127, United States
Website: https://rubellmuseum.org/