Which Private Collections Have the Best Art at Art Basel in Miami Beach This Year?

Make time for these stunning gems.

Image: Courtesy of The Rubell Family Collection (RFC) .
Image: Courtesy of The Rubell Family Collection (RFC) .

Image: Courtesy of The Rubell Family Collection (RFC) .

Miami may be at the nexus of the international art world for just one week a year, during Art Basel in Miami Beach, but the city’s contemporary art scene remains a vibrant force throughout the year. The city’s strong slate of art exhibition spaces, which include the PĂ©rez Art Museum Miami and the ICA, Miami, is bolstered by an impressive group of private collections, many of which are now open to the public.

You definitely won’t regret making time for these gems during Miami Art Week.

Susan Philipsz, Immersive Sound Installation. Image: The Margulies Collection at the Warehouse.

Susan Philipsz, Immersive Sound Installation.
Image: The Margulies Collection at the Warehouse.

The Margulies Collection
Miami art collector Martin Z. Margulies has converted a 45,000-square-foot warehouse in the Wynwood Art District into a museum to showcase his collection of photography, videos, installations, and sculptures, amassed since the late nineties. Current programming includes “Anselm Kiefer: Paintings, Sculpture, Installation” and “Susan Philipsz: Immersive Sound Installation.”
The Margulies Collection, 591 NW 27th Street, Wynwood, Miami. Wednesday through Saturday from 11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. Admission $10.

Image: Courtesy of The Rubell Family Collection (RFC) .

Image: Courtesy of The Rubell Family Collection (RFC) .

The Rubell Family Collection
Uber-rich collectors Don and Mera Rubell have opened one of the country’s best private museums, thanks in no small part to their strong presence at the New York and London auctions each season. Work by over a 100 female artists, including Yayoi Kusama, Rineke Dijkstra, Rosemarie Trockel, and the couple’s daughter, Jennifer Rubell, can currently be seen in “No Man’s Land: Women Artists from the Rubell Family Collection.”
The Rubell Family Collection, 95 NW 29th Street, Miami. Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. Admission $10.

Craig Robins Collection. Image: via www.miamidesigndistrict.net.

Craig Robins Collection.
Image: via www.miamidesigndistrict.net.

Craig Robins Collection
Design District founder Craig Robins’s collection of over 200 contemporary artworks is on public view at the corporate offices of his real estate development company, DACRA. A work by a rotating cast of artists who include John Baldessari, Richard Tuttle, Kai Althoff, and Paul McCarthy can be seen at DACRA, and at various other properties across the city owned by the company.
The Craig Robins Collection at DACRA, 3841 NE 2nd Avenue, Suite 400, Design District, Miami. Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. and by appointment. Admission free.

José Antonio Hernández-Diez 'De U.G a T.V' 2000. Courtesy of the artist Photo: Peter Harholdt Ella Fontanals-Cisneros Collection.

José Antonio Hernández-Diez, De U.G a T.V (2000).
Photo: Peter Harholdt / Ella Fontanals-Cisneros Collection on Instagram.

The Ella Fontanals-Cisneros Collection (CIFO)
Founded in 2002, CIFO is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to Latin American art, providing grants for mid-career and emerging artists and hosting a robust program of exhibitions in the CIFO Art Space. For this year’s Miami Art Week, the museum presents “Gustavo PĂ©rez MonzĂłn: Tramas,” the first US solo exhibition for Cuban artist Gustavo PĂ©rez MonzĂłn, which previously appeared at this year’s Havana Biennial.
The Ella Fontanal-Cisneros Collection, 1018 North Miami Avenue, Miami. Thursday: 12:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m.; Friday through Sunday: 12:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m. Admission free. 

Felix González-Torres at the De La Cruz collection.Image: Courtesy De La Cruz collection.

Felix González-Torres light installation at the De La Cruz collection.
Image: Courtesy De La Cruz collection.

The de la Cruz Collection Contemporary Art Space
Not only have Rosa and Carlos de la Cruz opened a free private museum, the couple also arrange by-appointment viewings of their home. Since its founding in 2009, the de la Cruz Collection has looked to promote arts education and awareness particularly among Miami students. The current exhibition, “You’ve Got to Know the Rules… to Break Them,” contains work by Allora & Calzadilla, Alex Katz, Dan Colen, FĂ©lix González-Torres, Ana Mendieta, and Rob Pruitt.
The de la Cruz Collection, 23 NE 41st Street, Miami Design District. Open from 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Admission free.


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