Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami — Attraction in Miami

So it was our first time coming to this museum! My husband & I were really excited to see some artwork to get inspired since we’re both artists & needed a little creative boost! The building is nice and spacious! There’s a lot of artwork on each of the 3 floors! I loved the black & white photography on the first floor! It reminded me of when I went to vocational school for commercial arts in high school, I started tearing up & opened myself up even more to the experience! Unfortunately as we arrived on the second floor, we were looking at the artwork & I noticed this lady watching us, she followed us (from a distance) through every wall of art which kinda took my mind off of the art I was trying to immerse myself in. I was having a conversation with my husband & when I went to point at the artwork I was asking him about, the lady immediately yelled “ DONT TOUCH!!” …… I looked over at her, & said “I wasn’t going to….” But that right there took me out of the experience & all I wanted to do was leave… When we arrived on the third floor, the artwork became more involved & I tried to get back into the groove. The person observing us was way nicer & actually said Hi like an adult. The last piece we saw was this beautiful ghost lady staring down an open window & it was the perfect piece to end the museum experience! If I had to give any advice on anyone coming here, please know that you are being watched, & if you point at a piece from 4 inches away, you’ll get yelled at….. & if you get uncomfortable, please try to not let it ruin your experience because there are timeless stories in there & you deserve to have a peaceful open minded experience without feeling like your being rudely babysat. My advice to the observers, Please be mindful that you are dealing with adults who KNOW that we aren’t allowed to mess with the artwork, & maybe to make your job easier, you can communicate the rules on each floor before the start of the experience. Debating on whether to come...

I’ve never had a transcendent experience here and generally feel like the building itself is more interesting than the art on display.

This is supposedly a center of “contemporary” art. The two main exhibits this weekend are of the old works of two artists born in the 1930s. Of one, Mildred Thompson, we’re told that some of the work is even as recent as 1999. Of the other, Olga de Amara, some of the work may be more recent.

I don’t say that old work itself is bad or poor, but perhaps we should rename this place the Institute of Once-Contemporary Art and then someone else could fund exhibitions of work that in some way reflects today’s realities.

If art holds up a mirror to life, these older works simply showcase the rear view. Objects in that mirror are sometimes closer than they appear, and we need not forget the past, but we have many museums and galleries doing that, and there is supposed to be a place to see how today’s reality has been transmuted by today’s artists into today’s art. Is that somehow not the mission here?

I don’t begrudge established artists getting their due, but this is more than their due and it is, like so many of the gerontocratic policies of our elders, robbing the young in favor of the old. Someone tell the curator it’s 2025 and to get out and discover some contemporary artists.

(I’m sure someone will respond that so-and-so was just exhibited, but two floors of 1930s artists? Really? Is it that hard to...

The ICA Miami is a jewel at the core of the Design District. It is a small museum with three floors of contemporary art, you can probably visit all the sections in one or two hours, and then go outside to enjoy the art sculptures and shopping at the Design District. The art selection is a must for contemporary art enthusiasts. The second and third floors are usually assigned to special exhibitions, which I think are very well curated and represent the Latin American and Black richness of Miami-based artists. I have visited the museum several times by now and there is always something different to learn and enjoy! I did not find the sculpture garden very appealing, but still worth seeing it. There is a small shop at the museum with very interesting books. They also sell Miami inspired wooden postcards, but these are not made by local artists. They have accessible elevators and all genders restrooms, all very clean and tidy. There are water fountains outside the restroom, too. Access to the museum is free but you need to register online, you can do it when you arrive. The museum is not usually crowded. Ticketless parking is available at the Museum Garage, with...