The Rubell family has curated one of the largest private collections of contemporary art in the world, and this December they’re opening a new museum to house it. Located in the Allapattah neighborhood of Miami, the museum sits at 100,000 square feet—a significant upgrade from their current location.
With 80 percent of the building open to the public and 65 percent of the gallery space reserved for long-term installations, the museum is set to display an unprecedented range of exhibitions—including paintings, sculptures, photographs, video installations and other mediums.
Formerly known as The Rubell Family Collection, the family officially renamed the space the Rubell Museum to emphasize their mission of public consumption and welcome audiences to view the contemporary art collection. In addition, the museum will be continuing previous initiatives started by the Rubell family, including their internship program and their partnership with Miami-Dade County Public Schools, which works to engage thousands of students with contemporary art every year.
The first exhibition of the museum will feature a wide-range of pieces from their collection, filling all 40 of the museum galleries. The Rubell’s, who focus the majority of their collecting and curating on new and under-recognized artists, have frequently acted as gateways for young artists to reach mass, international audiences. Jean-Michel Basquiat, Cindy Sherman, Keith Haring, Kara Walker and are just some household names that will be featured in the museum—many pieces of which were acquired early in the careers of these artists.
The museum will also feature an extensive art research library, holding more than 40,000 titles, a lecture hall and an 8,700-square-foot customizable space to host performances and special events. A restaurant, garden and retail store will also be found on the massive grounds.
The December 4th opening of the museum is set to coincide with Miami Art Week, taking place just one day before Art Basel Miami Beach 2019. Following successful exhibitions like “No Man’s Land,” a collection made up of entirely female artists, the unveiling of the Rubell Museum is expected to be the most successful opening for the family yet.
