When researching things to do in Miami, everyone suggested a visit to Wynwood Arts District. Due to a scheduling error on our part, we had to hastily rearrange our schedule and I placed Wynwood on the back burner. Fortunately, the bartender at our hotel suggested we go to Wynwood for dinner that night.
Whether you go during the day (as I’d originally planned) or in the evening, you can see the vibrant murals for which the neighborhood is now known. It’s a feast for the eyes you don’t want to miss!
Wynwood Today
What is Wynwood? Simply stated, it’s the art district of Miami filled with galleries, restaurants, and bars. But you won’t find traditional art as you’d find in the Metropolitan Museum of New York. Instead, the neighborhood focuses on brightly painted murals and street art, which constantly evolves.
Brief Background
One of Miami’s earliest neighborhoods, Wynwood catered to middle-class families working at the nearby American Bakeries Company, the Garment District, and other manufacturing concerns. However, as residents moved to the suburbs in the 1950s, immigrants moved into the area. Many referred to Wynwood as Little San Juan. With the completion of nearby I-95, crime activity among empty warehouses defined the neighborhood.
Wynwood’s Rebirth
Just to the north, Miami’s Design District became the new spot for gentrification. Finding similar buildings at a fraction of the cost, developer Tony Goldman began purchasing warehouses in Wynwood in the 2000s. Previously, Goldman helped revitalize SoHo, Philadelphia’s, City Center, and South Beach.
Another developer, David Lombardi, also took note of Wynwood as a place for artists seeking lower rents. The Dorsch Gallery had already opened in Wynwood back in 2000 and other artists soon followed. Lombardi purchased properties in the area and began a collaborative evening event called Roving Fridays to feature these artists.
In 2008, Lombardi and Goldman joined forces to create the Wynwood Arts District Association. Roving Fridays evolved into the Wynwood Art Walk held on the second Saturday of each month. Soon restaurants and bars followed, and the rest is history.
Getting to Wynwood
We took Uber to Wynwood Brewery where a large group was gathering for a segway tour of the area. From here we walked past painted buildings yet only saw a handful of people. I wasn’t so sure about this being an up-and-coming neighborhood. It turns out, the major part of Wynwood lies further east closer to 2nd Ave. However, we did enjoy seeing every surface of every building painted in bright colors.
Soon, we started seeing more people and activity. We stepped into a cool gallery called Walt Grace Vintage. The gallery sells vintage cars and guitars, in addition to hosting a coffee shop in the far corner.
Wynwood Walls
In 2009, Goldman dreamed up the idea of Wynwood Walls. He knew that part of the revitalization in South Beach occurred when Leonard Horowitz painted the buildings in pastel colors during the 1980s. Goldman viewed Wynwood’s warehouses as blank slates for artists, not only to attract tourists but to highlight the arts as well.
While visitors can walk around Wynwood and see murals, Wynwood Walls is an outdoor street art museum featuring 35 murals, a couple of galleries, and a gift shop. It is well worth the entrance fee of $12 per adult.
I loved that this pedestrian-only space allowed us to walk up to each mural while not having to worry about looking out for cars. The lighting spotlighted the art and cars couldn’t park on the street and block the view.
The artists are chosen by Goldman Global Arts, spearheaded by Jessica Goldman Stebnick. Murals Nine new murals were unveiled last November to kick off Miami Art Week. Murals rotate so you might see something different on another visit. During our visit, we viewed murals by Greg Mike, Futura 2000, Dulk, Tomokazu Matsuyama, Kayla May, Dan Kitchener, and others.
Sculptures at Wynwood Walls
Not everything at Wynwood Walls is a mural. The area features multiple sculptures in its park-like setting. I particularly loved the brightly colored “Plastic Mom and Baby Monkeys” by Bordalo II.
We also went inside a couple of the galleries. We saw Hebru Brantley’s “Bound” exhibition before it closed at the end of the month. Another gallery space sold pieces from various Wynwood Wall’s featured artists. At the exit through the gift shop, we perused the books, postcards, and other items.
Options abound for touring Wynwood Art District. Visitors can book walking tours, golf cart graffiti tours, food and art tours, and more. However, taking an hour to walk around Wynwood Walls in the evening, followed by dinner was the perfect evening for us.
For more information about Wynwood Walls, click here.