Exploring the Wynwood Art District

Its safe to say, with the exception of family and friends, art is the greatest passion in my life. Fine or street, museum or gallery, indoor, outdoor, I love it all, which is why a visit to the Wynwood Art District in Miami, Florida was long overdue.

The Wynwood Art District, is not only home to the Wynwood Walls, the famous outdoor street art museum, but the entire area is a colorful riot of murals, galleries, one-of-a-kind boutiques, and hip restaurants.

Beyond officially commissioned or organized works, every available surface is covered in art, the sidewalks, entire buildings, signage…  Everything! The neighborhood is a celebration of all things art, and is positively buzzing with a vibe that you can literally see and feel.

Prior to my arrival, I had an idea of what to expect, but was still surprised by all there was to see and experience in this multicolored wonderland, and because my visit took place during Miami Art Week everything was amplified. I spent 8 hours exploring, and still didn’t see it all, but if you’ve never been before here are a few suggestions to get you started:

Wynwood Walls
Location: 2520 NW 2nd Avenue, Miami

What are the Wynwood Walls?

Wynwood Walls is a free “museum of the streets” an outdoor art museum where all the works are created and displayed directly on the walls.

Artist: Martin Whatson

A Brief History

Wynwood Walls was created in 2009, by developer Tony Goldman, in an attempt to revitalize and transform the warehouse district of Wynwood. Mr. Goldman saw artistic potential in the area’s warehouse buildings, many of which were windowless. He beautified them with giant murals and opened a restaurant and bar in the hopes that it would bring foot traffic to the neighborhood. 10 years later Wynwood has been called the hippest neighborhood in America, with millions of people visiting every year. I’d say his idea was a smashing success!

Artist: Kenny Scharf

Also including Wynwood Doors, the Wynwood Garden and Outside The Walls, Wynwood Walls includes works from over 50 artists from around the world. Every year, during Art Week/Art Basel, artists are invited to contribute based on the year’s theme. 2018’s theme was: Beyond Words

Artist: Ron English 

Tour Wynwood

Tours aren’t required for a visit to Wynwood, but if you do take one you’ll learn in-depth information about the artists and their process as well as the history of the Wynwood Art District. Choose the Official Early Access Tour and you’ll enter more than an hour before the crowds. This is important if you’re interested in people free photos of the murals.

Artist: Queen Andrea 

It’s worth mentioning that many of the murals are temporary, with some lasting longer than others, so repeat visits won’t be a waste of time.

Wynwood Walls, Doors & Gardens as of December 2018:

WALLS

Artist: Shepard Fairey

Artist: Futura

Artist: David Choe

Artist: Pixel Pancho

Artist: Tomokatsu Matosyama

My tour guide Sandro.

Artist: DEIH

Artist: Triston Eaton

DOORS

Artist: Alexis Diaz

Artist: Beau Stanton

Artist: Tatiana Suarez

Artist: Dasic Fernandez

Artist: Audrey Kawasaki

Artist: Ernest Zacharevic

GARDENS

Artist: Jonone

Artist: BoraldoII

Artist: The London Police 

Artist: Logan Hicks 

Artist: Eduardo Kobra

Artists: ASHOP Crew

Artist: Vilhs 

OUTSIDE THE WALLS

Artist: Leon Keer

Artist: James Goldcrown

1-800-Lucky
Location: 143 NW 23rd Street, Miami

If 1-800-Lucky was located in Los Angeles it would absolutely be my favorite restaurant. In fact, if I could eat there whenever I wanted I would be hard pressed to ever cook again. The food was pure deliciousness!

I could try to describe it myself, but I doubt I could do better than Conde Nast Traveler:

A 10,000-square-foot food hall in the style of a hip, Asian market with indoor and outdoor seating and a booming soundtrack of hip hop. Seven vendors hawking pan-Asian dishes from ramen to Vietnamese sandwiches encircle an open dining room that is also flanked by two full bars and a karaoke lounge.

If a hip vibe and delicious food aren’t enough to convince you, I asked three people on the street where to eat and they unanimously said: 1-800-Lucky. Oh, and did I mention that its also a record shop?

Shopping

You can’t bring home the murals, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t opportunities to bring home other art treasures. The retail shops and galleries are selling everything from moss statues and paintings to street art inspired clothing and even holiday baubles.

Plant The Future
Location: 224 NE 59th Street, Miami

Intrigued by the mossy wall on the outside we ventured into Plant the Future, which turned out to be part gallery, part installation, part shop, and all kinds of cool.

WYNWD
Location: 181 NW 25th Street, Miami

Wynwd the (un)official visitor center is part shop and part gallery. They feature neighborhood centric items including, paintings, pins, patches, stickers, t-shirts, and hats. I found some fun t-shirts for my boys and some Chris Uphues patches for a project I’m working on.

Miami Art Week/Art Basel events

Art week is a great time to visit Wynwood as there are a lot of special events taking place, many of which are free to attend, including live mural painting festivals, skateboarding exhibitions, and art fairs.

Artist: Andy Seize 

Even if you don’t attend one of these events, you’re almost guaranteed to come across a mural in progress. I saw a number of artists at work during my visit, but it was meeting FinDAC, that was the real highlight. I’ve been following his work, and really enjoyed getting a chance to see him at work and to speak with him.

Artist: Fin DAC

Even MORE Amazing Art…

Artist: Queen Andrea 

Artist: D*Face

ArtistL Jason Tetlak

So many wonderful things fall under art’s umbrella, and you can find and experience them all in the delightful Wynwood Art District.

---

Pin for later: