Miami’s Outdoor Arts & Culture Scene

Stunning natural beauty. Rich biodiversity. And a vast and varied tapestry of outdoor events and programs dedicated to the visual arts, dance, music and more. Greater Miami & Miami Beach has it all – and invites you to breathe in the fresh air while you enjoy public art.

Art In Public Places

Are you a cultural explorer? Then you’re in luck, because Miami has installations by world-class artists tucked away in parks, near the beach and even in front of a stadium. Art is just about everywhere.

Thanks to Miami-Dade County’s Art in Public Places program, the region is home to one of the largest public art collections in the United States. This means you can go on the hunt for treasures such as Erwin Redl’s “Volume Miami,” Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen’s “The Dropped Bowl, with Scattering Slices and Peels,” and Forrest Myers’ “Lazers Maze.” The website has a helpful map, so you can curate your own tour.

Wynwood

Don’t feel like driving around from piece to piece? Get a one-stop visual experience in Wynwood, one of Miami’s top arts destinations. Walk the neighborhood and revel in the ever-changing murals, or join a guided tour at the Museum of Graffiti or Wynwood Walls. No matter which way you look, Wynwood has something interesting to see and do.

Parks

In Greater Miami & Miami Beach, finding art al fresco is a walk in the park, literally (and not just because its Art in Public Places program has pieces located at parks).

Take Everglades National Park, for example. Once you’re done marveling at the great outdoors, take a tour through one of its art exhibitions. The park has an Artist in Residence in Everglades (AIRIE) program that welcomes writers, curators, choreographers, musicians and other creatives to develop unique interpretations inspired by the 1.5 million-acre wetlands and its inhabitants. Some exhibitions have started at the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center and wind along trails and boardwalks throughout the park.

Of course, music is also art – and several parks host music festivals and events throughout the year. At Greynolds Park in North Miami Beach, you can join an open jam session on the first Sunday of every month as part of the Bluegrass Festival. Greynolds was considered a hippie hotspot back in the day, and today it also hosts the annual Love-In Music Festival – a full day of tunes from the ’60s through the ’80s, plus food vendors, costume contests and classic car displays.

You won’t want to miss the annual Redland Blues & BBQ Festival at the Fruit & Spice Park in South Dade. This 37-acre subtropical oasis invites you to a world of exotic fruits, herbs, spices and nuts from around the world – plus great music. Who could ask for anything more?

The Deering Estate & Vizcaya

The grand Deering Estate in South Dade is architecturally impressive and is said to feature the largest virgin coastal tropical hardwood hammock in the United States. It’s also home to an Artist in Residence Program. That means that on any given day you have visual, performing, literary and cross-disciplinary creatives working at their craft, inspired by their surroundings and engaging with the public. The estate – once home to industrialist Charles Deering – offers exhibits, films and concerts, too.

If you think gardens are also works of art (we do), be sure to visit Vizcaya Museum and Gardens in Coconut Grove. The creation of Charles Deering’s half-brother, James, Vizcaya’s interior is dazzling, and the views outside are even more breathtaking, if that’s possible.

ArtburstMiami is a nonprofit source of theater, dance, visual arts, music and performing arts news.