Andrea U.
Yelp
The Rubell Family Collection, is a private contemporary art museum located in both Miami & Washington, D.C. Don & Mera Rubell were art collectors who helped develop Miami's art community. In the 1960's Mera was a NYC teacher, Don was a medical student & his brother co-owned Studio 54. The museum opened to the public in 1993 in the Wynwood Art District and moved to this large warehouse in 2019. The Washington DC Museum opened last year. Today their collections contains over 7,700 works of art. We spent two hours here and it felt like our own private museum. The installations were massive, thought provoking and each was very unique. We spent about 2 hours exploring all 35 vibrant galleries, it felt like we had the entire museum to ourselves.
Jean-Michel Basquiat, Cecily Brown, Keith Haring, Kehinde Wiley, Rashid Johnson, Hayv Kahraman, Jeff Koons, William Kentridge, Yoshitomo Nara, Cindy Sherman, and Mickalene Thomas ... make up the impressive permanent collection.
I loved Yayoi Kusama's immersive installation. He created a kaleidoscopic effect that transported me to an alternate, limitless universe. The Infinity Rooms Where the Lights in My Heart Go, and the Infinity Mirrored Room were mesmerizing. The Narcissus Garden is composed of stainless steel spheres, that flow along the Museum's central gallery, creating a river of reflection.
We saw the Basil Kincaid: Spirit in the Gift exhibit. His enormous African motif quilts, collages & photography installations filled the walls in his room with color. He used recycled materials in colorful and eye-catching designs.
Cuban born, Alejandro Piñeiro Bello painted the tropical colors of his Caribbean culture using raw linen and burlap on tremendous canvases.
Singular Views: Los Angeles, reflected Rubells' commitment, to discovering and sharing new artists. Singular Views focused on 16 artists painting, sculpture, and video. These artists utilized Los Angeles backdrops that reference storefronts, automobiles, graffiti-laden facades, and human flesh. This mix of motifs demonstrated the diversity & variety in LA.
There was a garden with outdoor seating, a bar and sculptures. We enjoyed lunch at the Michelin starred Leku. The Shop was filled with jewelry, books, clothing, candles, and tchotchkes created by the artists. There was a large library that is open by appointment.