We love art! You got to--to appreciate this space. Great staff Rachel (so informative), Alex in…read morespray paint, and Alex -the one checking tickets- all sooo friendly and great. Rachel is above and beyond awesome. Beautiful art space outdoor and indoor (this was a great break from the heat). The outdoor fans, great idea but they aren't cold so not helping anyone cool off hehe On our second visit we brought the kids and did some spray painting on canvases and a skateboard. Such a great experience. Alex and her partner Andres were so helpful made the experience very enjoyable.

Wynwood Art Walk Tours isn't just walking past murals. It's walking with someone who knows which…read morewalls have stories attached, which artists took risks, which pieces cost the neighborhood something. The murals themselves are massive and they're professional, but scale alone doesn't make art work. Context does. Shepard Fairey's augmented reality layer is the differentiator here. It's not a gimmick. When you scan a mural with your phone, the piece opens up into layers and motion. It's the artist's way of saying "there's more here than what you see." It works because it's restrained, not constantly pulling you into your screen. You're still in the neighborhood. You're just seeing deeper. The guide we had knew the economics of gentrification in Wynwood. Knew which artists have been here for years and which are new money. Knew the politics of murals, why some walls get painted and others get buffed, why some artists collaborate and some don't. That knowledge cost something to build. You're paying for it. We took three teenagers, ages 14-17. Not a group naturally inclined to stand still for street art. They asked questions about technique, about why certain artists choose certain walls, about whether the AR experience changes how you see the piece or adds distraction. They engaged. That's not about impressive art alone, that's about the tour structure creating room for actual thinking instead of passive consumption. The neighborhood is dense and chaotic and intentional all at once. You'll see pieces that are technically flawless next to pieces that are deliberately rough. Some murals are massive, some are character-scale. Some artists are making statements about politics, some about beauty, some about ownership. The variation is what keeps it alive. A sanitized art walk would kill this. Walking it yourself is free and worth doing once. Walking it with the tour is $29 and worth doing if you want to understand why these walls matter to the city and why some artists chose to paint them. The difference is context. Context costs something, but you leave with more than photos. The sun hits different at 4 PM than at 11 AM, so timing matters if photography is part of your thing. The neighborhood gets foot traffic but it's not overwhelming. You're in a real place, not a theme park. That texture is part of why this works.

Mugshot Gummy Bear is really an art piece named The Vandal Gummy Bear by Brooklyn artist WhIsBe,…read moreshort for What Is Beauty. WhisBe first started making the The Vandal Gummy in 2011 as a nostalgia piece. As the artist explains it "At first, it represented the idea of innocence lost. Some represent my take on health and nutrition to my concerns about incarcerated youth, pharmaceuticals and addiction in this country." Some of the bears are translucent and filled with pills to represent addiction while others have a multicolor ombre effect which is popular during Pride Month. WhIsBe created a $60,000 pink one to represent Miami during Art Basel week in 2019. He also accepts commissions. No matter what color, The Vandal Gummy Bear signature look is a candy bear holding a Department of Corrections sign as if it were posing for a mug shot. It is a juxtaposition between the sentimental sugary treat and the alarming mug shot. You can find the red Vandal Gummy Bear at 296 NE 62nd St in Miami. He is parked between two buildings. Perfect for a quick photo shoot or your social media.

I had read about Leah Arts District so I made a point to making a detour in my way home from Miami…read more If you are thinking it is like Wynwood, it has cool murals like Wynwood but that's where the similarities end. Leah Arts District is not in real close proximity of bars and restaurants. It is in a very industrial district. The quality of the murals is great. I drove around to see the murals, you could easily walk the area but then again, it is very industrial. I saw everything in less than 30 minutes. The murals are nice to see but if you go set your expectations accordingly. I believe they may hold special events.

The Leah Arts District was created when Paul B Hernandez who had a career in local politics teamed…read moreup with publicist JennyLee Molina. The two wanted to create something cool that would attract people to Hialeah which didn't have any cultural arts programs. The pair picked a name for the area and partners were selected to launch the project. The first event was a street festival held in April 2015 which was attended by over 2,000 people. The Leah Arts District is adjacent to Flamingo Plaza, a place to get your off beat purchases. The arts district is located in warehouses that were a hub of manufacturing in the 80's and 90's. After work was outsourced the warehouses were abandoned. Thrift stores moved into the area sparking an arts scene. The Leah Arts District emerged as an affordable place for artists to live, work, and showcase their art. It's located only 15 minutes from the more well known Wynwood Arts District. The Leah hosts block parties, live music, workshops, and performances. The area has approximately 30 murals from East 9th Street to East 17th Street and East Tenth Ave to the railroad tracks You can follow the Leah Arts District on Facebook for upcoming events. Unbranded Brewing Company is having their grand opening on February 23 and the annual block party is on March 7. I would recommend attending one of the events because on a Sunday afternoon the area was completely dead. Right now the Leah Arts Districts looks Wynwood did in 2005. The rent is lower here which is attracting artists. This area is being touted as the next Wynwood so it will be interesting to see how things develop. It's definitely a place to keep your eye on.

I have always wanted to explore the old RC Cola Plant in Wynwood. RC Cola had its origins in…read moreGeorgia just like Coca-Cola but it never became as popular. The building is open sometimes for tours and as an event space. It was closed the day I finally had the chance to come by but I still was able to enjoy all of the art painted on the outside of the building. In 1905 RC (Royal Crown) Cola was founded by Claud Adkins Hatcher, a Columbus, Georgia pharmacist who enjoyed creating soft drinks in the basement of his family's wholesale grocery business. The company was originally called Union Bottling Works. Royal Crown Ginger Ale was the first flavor followed by Royal Crown Strawberry, Royal Crown Root Beer and Chero-Cola. One day Hatcher overheard a route salesman describe a competitors tall bottle as being knee high which inspired him to create the Nehi line of fruit flavors in 1924. These included orange, grape, root beer. By 1925 the name of the company had been changed to Chero-Cola Co. and there were 315 plants in 14 southern states for bottling Chero-Cola and Nehi. In 1928 the company changed its name again to the Nehi Corporation because of the popularity of the fruity soft drinks. Things were going along well for the corporation until the Great Depression and the stock market crash of October 1929. Business finally began to stabilize by the 1930's but Hatcher passed away suddenly at the age of 46 on December 31, 1933. His will provided for the establishment in 1938 for the Pickett and Hatcher Educational Fund named after his good friend Devitt Pickett. The fund offered college educations to students who couldn't otherwise afford them. The fund is still operating today benefitting thousands of college students. Hatcher was succeeded by Vice President H.R. Mott who led the company to profitability in the 1940's by streamlining operations and cutting expenses. In 1946 celebrities such as Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Joan Crawford advertised for the company. In 1955 the name of the company was changed to Royal Crown Cola Company. In 1961 they made a breakthrough with a diet cola that tasted good and had no aftertaste. Diet Rite Cola took the company to new heights until cyclamate, the low calorie sweetener used in the soda was banned in 1969. 1975 brought to the public the popular ad campaign "Me and my RC." In 1980 the first caffeine free RC cola was introduced and in 1983 Diet Rite was eventually reformulated with NutraSweet. In 1984 RC Cola was bought by Chesapeake Financial Corporation an affiliate of Victor Posner and the headquarters was relocated from Atlanta, Georgia to Miami, Florida. An unfavorable court ruling against Posner spelled the end of RC Cola and it closed down in 1993 due to financial mismanagement. After becoming abandoned, the building began attracting graffiti. Today the RC Cola building is a focal point of the prestigious Art Basel held every December. It has appeared in the movie 2Fast2Furious. The plant is now owned by the Mana Urban Arts Project nd it is used for parties, festivals, events, and trade fairs. Art pieces painted there are under the curation of the Bushwick Collective. A full list of upcoming events can be found online.

It's an abandoned building! It's Public Art! It's a Grafitti Mural! It's a Movie Set!…read more It's the Old RC Cola Plant!! George M. gave a great historical lesson on it, and I had the chance to check it out during the Wynwood Art Fair this afternoon legally ;) I'm half tempted to take out a star because there were no industrial piping by where they used to make the soda, but there was killer grafitti and you could inhale the history in the air, and see some real cool industrial architecture. I also got to see the making of an action film while sauntering through the facility. This place has potential too, for either a killah Halloween party or Full Moon drumming!

No wait at all on a Friday morning, and student admission is just $14 (with ID), an absolute steal…read morefor what's inside. The museum is spacious and laid out entirely on one level, with dedicated rooms devoted to major artists. My friend and I loved wandering through the spaces for Yayoi Kusama, Keith Haring, and Basquiat. We had been wanting to see the Yoshitomo Nara collection for a while, and it did not disappoint. It was beautifully and thoughtfully curated, easily a highlight of the visit. A fun surprise was the interactive scavenger hunt through the galleries, which ends with a sticker prize. Such a cute touch, and a nice way to engage more with the art, especially if you're going with a friend or family. One small downside is that the museum shop is pretty small and on the pricier side, though the merchandise quality is solid if you want a nice keepsake. Overall a fantastic morning out. Easy to recommend, especially for anyone into contemporary art or looking for a low-key, uncrowded weekday activity.

Very interesting budget priced museum. Very clearly signed rooms and frankly wonderful range of art…read morework supposedly from Rubell family collection. Some really good items and something for every taste of modernism. There is an independent pizza style restaurant next door which is well worth a visit as a five star museum cafe.

I love discovering public art and you can't miss spotting this beautiful lady on the front lawn of…read moreMiami Shores Village Hall. Lady Unity is a 8 foot by 8 foot public art mural created by artist Lorna Samara Ash. Ash was born in Bogota, Columbia and she lives and works in Miami. She earned a dual BFA in Painting and Electronic Intermedia along with a Minor in Art History from the University of Florida. Ash's art work has been shown in numerous exhibitions and can be found in national and international collections. She works across a variety of mediums and cites power and frailty as a favorite subject matter. She is currently working with AI to create digital images based on the prompt of spirituality. Fun fact, Lady Unity was painted when Samara Ash was 9 months pregnant. Lady Unity is meant to evoke the resilience of Miami Shores through the use of bright colors and an Art Deco motif. You can follow Samara Ash Studio on Facebook to keep up with her current art work.

Pearl Jam is a public art display by Nicole Nomsa Moyo. It is on display in the Paradise Court in…read morethe Miami Design District. Nicole Nomsa Moyo was born in Zimbabwe and raised in South Africa. She is now based in Toronto and her cultural history influences her art. Moyo received the annual 2024 Annual Design Commission presented by the Miami Design District and the Design Miami Curatorial Lab. The Pearl Jam art piece is made up of multiple large beads, a deconstructed necklace, a bracelet, and earrings printed with geometric shapes and vibrant colors inspired by her African culture. For this art piece Moyo collaborated with indigenous Ndebele women to handcraft over 1,000 earrings using locally sourced materials. Some of the oversized beads have been turned into seating in the plaza making the piece interactive. Pearl Jam will be on display through March 31, 2025.

I was traveling through Wynwood and found Joen and his beetle! Very cool to see. Joen was made…read morein 2019 and has had a rough time here. Worn and loved and tagged in the art district. There was plenty of parking and the Wynwood district is awesome to see all the art murals around. I'm glad I got to visit him.

Traveled with a large group of International students. Spotted the sculpture and stopped to take a…read morephoto. Amazing sculpture.

Balloon Museum Miami was SO much fun. I honestly didn't realize how much I needed an experience…read morelike this until I was there. It genuinely made me feel like a kid again, and I walked out feeling this incredible sense of euphoria and joy that I haven't felt in a long time. There was something so special about being able to completely immerse myself in something so colorful, playful, and carefree. Every exhibit was so fun, so interesting, and so unique, and each one brought me so much joy. I truly cannot explain what a great time I had here. Two of my absolute favorite exhibits were the butterfly made with nearly 39,000 LEDs, which was previously featured at Burning Man in 2023, and the giant ball pit at the very end. The butterfly was honestly magical. My best friend and I sat underneath it for probably 20 minutes just taking it all in. It was so peaceful and relaxing that we genuinely could have fallen asleep underneath it. It was one of those moments where you just completely forget about everything else and feel totally present. It was relaxing, joyful, and honestly just beautiful. And then ending the entire experience by jumping into a GINORMOUS ball pit?! It was the perfect way to finish. It was so playful and freeing, and I felt like a little kid again. There was something almost enlightening about being able to just let go and have fun without thinking about anything else. I honestly wish this was a permanent display in Miami because I feel like SO many people need something like this. We spend so much of our lives being responsible adults, working, running errands, paying bills, and constantly feeling like we have to be serious. Sometimes you just need to let loose, play, and experience that childlike happiness again. This place reminded me that we're not meant to just work all the time. Sometimes you need to give your soul a little break and allow yourself to feel that pure, uncomplicated joy again. I would absolutely go back. I genuinely wish everyone could experience this, especially anyone who feels like they've gotten a little too caught up in being an adult. Go let yourself be a kid again for a few hours. You'll leave feeling happier, lighter, and maybe even a little more connected to that part of yourself you forgot was still there.

The Balloon Museum is a pop up museum at the Mana Convention Center in Wynwood!…read more We booked our tickets far in advance to try and get the early bird discount but the process to redeem the discount was super confusing and my cousin ended up buying all of our tickets at full price. Definitely pay attention to the different types of tickets and try to see if you can get a discount. I ended up getting my boyfriend's ticket the day of and there was a FL resident ticket that ended up being cheaper than even what we paid for months ago. As for the museum itself. It's easy to find since its at the convention center. There is parking on-site right in front of the museum but it's $30 all day parking, which is pretty steep. We ended up parking at the street metered parking and paid half the price for an hourly price. Try to do street parking since it's a lot cheaper. It wasn't too hard to find either which was surprising since we came at 3pm on Saturday. Entering was super easy and the museum was a lot bigger than I was expecting. There were a ton of rooms and many photo-worthy moments! We came with my group of cousins and my cousins' two-year-old. It was a great time and I think it was one of the most extensive and immersive museums I've been to in a while! They're here until September 27 so definitely check it out if you have time to!

Free and Gucci are not two words you would normally put together but right now for no cost you can…read moreview the Gucci Holiday Snow Globe display in Sweet Bird North Plaza in the Miami Design District. It's installation was in conjunction with Miami Art Week. The snow globe is in the plaza next to the Museum Garage. The large snow globe pays tribute to the storied past o Gucci. At the center of the snow globe is a scene dedicated to Gucci founder, Guccio Gucci who was inspired to create elegant luggage from his time as a porter at London's Savoy Hotel. Gucci went on to open his own shop in Florence in 1921. Set among reproductions of Gucci luggage are miniature buildings and scenes that were pivotal in the history of the company. These include Palazzo Gucci in Florence, the Wooster Street boutique in New York City, and the flagship stores on Avenue Montaigne in Paris and New Bond Street in London, and the beaches and palm trees of Miami. In addition to the snow globe Gucci has also commissioned three murals from American artist Corydon Cowansage that are located between Sweet Bird North Plaza and the Gucci's boutique. The snow globe will be on display until January 7th.

Came here Christmas Eve and it was covered in black curtains. According to one of the maintenance…read moreguys, it was closed due to damage and does not know when it will reopen. Very disappointed since it was the main reason we went to the Miami Design District to begin with.