Greater Miami & Miami Beach is known as a cultural melting pot, and the destination’s diversity shines in many mediums. From its historic Art Deco roots to the boom of the street art movement, Miami is steeped in vibrant works that bring international spectators year-round. A hub of creative expression, Miami is home to eye-catching exhibits and installations on public display, so you can tour the colorful landmarks and public arts your way.

A program overseen by the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, Art in Public Places was established in 1973 and commissions artists to produce installations and works to enhance the public environment. The organization promotes collaboration and creativity to transform ordinary spaces into uplifting places. In the past two years alone, Art in Public Places has commissioned nearly 100 brand-new Miami art projects. Here are a few standout works by Miami artists and others that will add value to your next visit to Miami – and your camera roll.

“Concrete Poetry” at River Parc

Miami-based artist Augustina Woodgate dips into various mediums, with a core focus on responding to places or situations. In 2023, Woodgate crafted the unique “Concrete Poetry” at River Parc, a sidewalk installation in partnership with O, Miami, Related Group and the Miami Department of Public Housing and Community Development. The sidewalk showcases original poems by local residents arranged in Scrabble mosaic patterns, which are open to interpretation. Spanning 900 feet along the River Walk promenade, the poems stretch across from LoanDepot Park within the Gallery River Parc campus.

“Swinging in the Garden Under the Blue Sky” at Quail Roost Transit Village

Born in Miami and now based in Brooklyn, Mark Fleuridor’s sister murals are digital prints on flex facades located in Quail Roost Transit Village. “Swinging in the Garden” represents a joyful moment in a lush, fairytale-like setting, while “Under the Blue Sky” showcases the deep-blue sky viewed through the branches of a mango tree. Fleuridor feels the pieces, curated in 2024, are interconnected, as the tiles form the continuous phrase: “Swinging in the Garden Under the Blue Sky.”

“Dragonfly” at the Gallery River Park Apartments Complex

Cuban-born artist Sandra Ramos constructed “Dragonfly” in 2024 as part of her Urban Jungle series, which displays wildlife behavior in urban cities. The structure, made of engraved aluminum, is on view at the Gallery River Parc campus, and pays tribute to the overlooked species that play a vital role in our ecosystem. Ramos’ design represents the prominence of dragonflies in Miami – and the area’s connection to the environment – and is intended to represent strength, resilience and the spirit of new beginnings in the face of Florida’s immigrant communities.

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

“A Memorial Bowing” at LoanDepot Park

Larger-than-life, bright-orange letters attract Miami Marlins baseball fans and off-season visitors alike at LoanDepot Park. Commemorating the former MIAMI ORANGE BOWL signage from the stadium that stood at the Ballpark from 1937 until its demolition in 2008, artist Daniel Arsham constructed “A Memorial Bowing” and arranged the strewn-about letters in the installation – some are fragments that look to be buried underneath the concrete – to represent the moment between the signage’s destruction and its rebuilding. The letters spell out different words as you move through the plaza from various points, offering a glimpse of the new stadium through fragments of the old.

“Dropped Bowl with Scattered Slices and Peels” at Stephen P. Clark Government Center

Adding a playful element to the open park next to Stephen P. Clark Government Center in Downtown Miami, “Dropped Bowl with Scattered Slices and Peels” was commissioned in 1985 and completed in 1989 by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen. The installation consists of eight concrete bowl fragments, four painted steel-plate peels and five orange segments made of painted reinforced cast resin. The style emulates a comic book splat.

Noguchi Slide Mantra sculpture at Bayfront Park — Explore Miami’s public art treasures, featuring Noguchi’s iconic Slide Mantra

“Slide Mantra” at Bayfront Park

A mainstay outside of Bayfront Park, this 29-ton, 10-foot-tall Carrara marble sculpture was constructed by American sculptor Isamu Noguchi – who also designed Bayfront Park – as one of his final works. “Slide Mantra” was installed in 1991, three years after his passing. Although the sculpture required restoration following Hurricane Wilma in 2005 and survived ongoing graffiti hits in 2012 (which resulted in the application of a graffiti-blocking barrier coat), the marble marvel still invites up-close and personal visitors to touch, pose and fawn over its grandiosity more than three decades later.

Other Notable Public Art Installations in Miami

While not commissioned by Miami’s Art in Public Places, there are plenty of other notable, colorful stops and art places to visit. Below, you’ll find several iconic installations that are also worthy of a visit and a few photo snaps.

“Gone But Not Forgotten” at Faena Hotel Miami Beach

In Mid Beach lives an opulent enclosed wonder, and one the most popular art installations in Miami. “Gone But Not Forgotten” was created in 2014 by artist Damien Hirst, and showcases a glimmering 24-karat-gold woolly mammoth skeleton that resides outside Faena Hotel Miami Beach. In the daytime, the ocean fills the frame, offering a gorgeous complementary beach backdrop.

“Obstinate Lighthouse” in South Pointe Park

In 2014, Frankfurt-based artist Tobias Rehberger created the “Obstinate Lighthouse” to frame the entrance to Miami Beach’s South Pointe Park. Intended to greet visitors of the destination, the 55-foot-tall gate is made of wobbly positioned aluminum and frosted discs painted in hues of pink and black, and sits above the Government Cut (a shipping channel between Fisher Island and Miami Beach), which and can be seen by passersby strolling in the park, as well as those sailing through the channel.

Distant view of Miami Mountain at The Bass Museum — Step into the world of color and nature with Ugo Rondinone’s “Miami Mountain”

“Miami Mountain” in Collins Park

When it comes to Miami art in public places you literally can’t miss, it’s hard not to think of the radiant, 42-foot-tall “Miami Mountain” sculpture by Ugo Rondinone, stationed in Collins Park outside The Bass. Installed in 2016 as part of the artist’s mountain series, its fluorescent contrasting rocks are inspired by geology and the tradition of stacking stones. Rondinone’s vision aims to merge the natural world with romanticism and existentialism, with “Miami Mountain” evoking a scene of romantic minimalism.

“Mermaid” at Fillmore Miami Beach at the Jackie Gleason Theater

Fans of pop art maven Roy Lichtenstein will appreciate seeing his art in public when visiting Miami. “Mermaid” is a sculpture that lives on the south lawn of historic Fillmore Miami Beach at the Jackie Gleason Theater. Composed of concrete and steel and constructed in 1979, the striped sea goddess sits sunbathing above the waves, a swimming ode to the sand and sea, just steps away.

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