Bass
Museum of Art
2121 Park Ave., Miami Beach
(305) 673-7530
Hours:
Monday: Closed
Tuesday-Saturday: 10 am. to 5 pm
Sunday: 1 pm to 9 pm
Second & fourth Wednesday of month: 1 pm to 9 pm
Admission/fees:
Adult: $5
Student:$3
Senior: $3
Free for children under 6. Special exhibits may have
additional charges.
The Bass Museum of Art is Closed for renovations
until late this year.
Located in a beautiful coral rock Art Deco building,
the Bass Museum of Art features one of the most
comprehensive collections of Old Master paintings, sculpture, textiles and period furniture in South Florida. One of Miami's most
unpredictable and provocative art venues, its
revolving shows have displayed the works of
internationally acclaimed pop artist Roy
Lichtenstein, Brazilian sculptors, Panamanian
painters, and a cutting-edge exhibit of room-size
installations done entirely in beads.
The museum's collection of 2000 pieces, spanning the
14th to the 21st centuries, includes a superb
collection of rich tapestries and ecclesiastical
vestments and artifacts, as well as works by modern
masters such as Toulouse-Lautrec. Only a small
portion of the permanent collection is on view at
any given time in the three dedicated exhibition
galleries.
Recently, the museum facility tripled its exhibition
space from 11,000 square feet to 33,000 square feet
through a huge renovation and expansion project
directed by internationally renowned Japanese
architect Arata Isozaki (who completed major
projects for the Guggenheim Museum, Brooklyn Museum,
and many others). A second phase will add 25,000
more feet.
Established in 1963 when the City
of Miami Beach accepted the gift of the art
collection of John and Johanna Bass, the museum
greatly enhances the
cultural image of Miami Beach. Both John and Joanna
were creative individuals who presided over cultural
events in the community before their
deaths in the 1970s. The museum building,
occupying the former site of the city's public
library
and art center designed in the 1930s, is now the
centerpiece of the city's historic district. It was
placed on the National Register in 1978.
Easy to get to, the Bass Museum of Art is one block
from the ocean and two blocks from the Miami Beach
Convention Center. There is plenty of metered
parking on adjacent streets (a quarter for 30
minutes last time we checked).
