From established to emerging artists, the Art in Public Places project features more than 700 works across Greater Miami & Miami Beach.

Miami-Dade County’s Art in Public Places program was established in 1973, making it one of the most established in the country. The initiative is funded by a county ordinance that requires 1.5 percent of the construction cost of new county buildings to be allocated for the purchase or commission of public art. Individual municipalities within the county have their own Art in Public Places programs, including Miami Beach. The result is more than 700 works on view in public buildings and parks throughout Miami ranging from canonical to emerging and local Miami artists. Get a sampling of this exciting program by viewing these 10 must-see public artworks in Miami during your visit.

Isamu Noguchi slide at Bayfront Park — The marble slide in Bayfront Park is both a piece of art and a fun activity for all ages

Isamu Noguchi at Bayfront Park

Created in 1986, Japanese-American artist Isamu Noguchi’s “Slide Mantra” is a 29-ton, 10-foot tall Carrara marble sculpture in Bayfront Park that resembles a nautilus shell. It functions as a slide with steps up the back and a spiral slide to the bottom. It originally appeared at the prestigious Venice Biennale. In 1990, it was acquired by Miami’s Art in Public Places and sited in Bayfront Park, which was also designed by Noguchi. The artist said "Slide Mantra" embodies his “long-held belief that play could lead to a new appreciation of sculpture.”

Jim Drain at PortMiami

Blending functionality with artistic expression, Miami-based artist Jim Drain painted the bollards that run along the sidewalk of the passenger entrance at PortMiami in 2014, calling it “The Bollard Project.” In a thoughtfully arranged color sequence, each bollard is painted a bright combination of colors meant to reference maritime flags.

obstinate lighthouse in South Pointe Park — The Obstinate Lighthouse in South Pointe Park is both beautiful and functional

Tobias Rehberger at South Pointe Park

Rising 55-feet above South Pointe Park in South Beach, German artist Tobias Rehberger’s “Obstinate Lighthouse” looms over Government Cut greeting both pedestrians on a stroll through the park and boaters passing through the channel. Installed in 2011, this sculpture is made of colorful aluminum and frosted glass discs piled atop each other in a wobbly composition and is illuminated by LED lights “not to guide the ships but to greet all the visitors to the city,” says the artist.

Ed Ruscha at Main Library

One of the masters of pop art, American artist Ed Ruscha was commissioned in 1985 to create a series of murals inside Miami’s main library. Known for his word art, Ruscha borrowed a quote from Shakespeare’s Hamlet and painted it around the building’s rotunda: “WORDS WITHOUT THOUGHTS NEVER TO HEAVEN GO.” Designed by architect Philip Johnson, the library also features 140 lunette windows, 56 of which Ruscha painted with original works. Some of his lunettes stand alone, while others are grouped in a series of panels, displaying words above the business and science sections such as “TRUE”, “DEFINITE”, “POSITIVE” and “CERTAIN.”

Nicolas Lobo at the Underline

The Underline is a linear park designed by the same firm that developed New York City’s High Line. In Miami, the park will stretch from Brickell to Kendall beneath the Metrorail line, creating an engaging green space for pedestrians and cyclists. The first section, between Southwest 8th Street and the Brickell Metrorail station, has opened. One of the Underline’s first installed pieces, “The Brutal Workout,” by Nicolas Lobo, is a participatory monkey bar-like structure made of stainless steel in a 10’ x 10’ cube that can rest on any side. The piece was designed for it to be periodically flipped into different positions, inspiring various workouts on the bars with each new orientation.

Claes Oldenburg & Coosje van Bruggen at Stephen P. Clark Government Center

In 1985, the husband-and-wife artist duo, Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen, were commissioned to create a playful sculpture in the southwest plaza of Downtown Miami’s Stephen P. Clark Government Center titled “Dropped Bowl with Scattered Slices and Peels.” The Dutch-American artists worked with painted concrete, steel and plastic to create eight larger-than-life bowl fragments, four orange peels and five orange sections, which were installed throughout the plaza in 1989.

Carlos Betancourt & Alberto Latorre at Animal Services Shelter

In 2014, Miami-based artist collective Carlos Betancourt and Alberto Latorre created a whimsical mobile suspended from the ceiling of the Animal Services Shelter Lobby and Pet Adoption Mall. This piece is composed of found objects and relics depicting cats and dogs, ranging in size from 10 to 36 inches, appropriate for the site where our four-legged friends find their forever homes.

art installation at Marlins Park — Marlins fans can enjoy art installations and a fun game all in one visit

Snarkitecture at loanDepot Park

When the new home of the Miami Marlins was erected in 2012 with a retractable roof and a swimming pool beyond the outfield, it was a contemporary architectural feat unto itself. The park is also full of public art. A highlight is New York-based artist-architect collective Snarkitecture’s ode to the “Miami Orange Bowl,” which previously occupied the site. They reconstructed the letters from the original sign at a 10-foot height and scattered them throughout the east plaza, some standing upright, others slightly submerged in the concrete or turned on their sides. It symbolizes an ephemeral moment between destruction and rebuilding. As visitors move through the park, the letters spell out new words depending on their vantage point.

Garren Owens throughout South Beach

The next time you’re taking a stroll through South Beach, take notice of the street manhole covers. They’re actually works of art by Miami Beach artist and designer Garren Owens, installed in 2007. Made of cast iron, his “Urban Deco” covers feature symbols of Miami’s sunshine, sea and Art Deco architecture.

house at Fairchild Botanic Garden — Artistic details can be found all over Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

Naomi Fisher at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

Miami-based artist Naomi Fisher created cast Portland cement friezes around the doors and windows of Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden’s Rose-McQuillan Welcome Center. She was inspired by depictions of flora ranging from the 1920s French Art Deco movement to ancient Greek vase painting. Fisher says that with the representation of air plants, orchids, birds and butterflies, she “wanted to create a work that would complement Fairchild’s global reputation as being more than a garden. It is a site of respite and sanctuary through art, beauty, and community.”

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