Picks of the Week: Museum Month

It's Museum Month and we've highlighted five current exhibits you have to check out!

STUDIOS OF KEY WEST: LETTY NOWAK ART EXHIBITION

Through May 27th

The past year has pulled Nowak’s attention in a hundred different directions—a new gallery and a new baby—for starters. As always though, her painting practice has been a constant. With her latest endeavor JAG Gallery off the ground, Nowak is ready to once again share her own incredible work with the community. More details here.

(Photo: Letty Nowark)

NSU ART MUSEUM: IKÉ UDÉ SELECT PORTRAITS

Through January 9th 2022

The exhibit includes a selection of full-length portraits including works from his Sartorial Anarchy and Nollywood (Nigerian film industry) portraits as well as recent portraits. Sartorial Anarchy portraits feature the artist, himself, dressed in varied costumes across geography and time, exploring a world of dualities: photographer/performance artist, artist/spectator. Conversant with the world of fashion and celebrity, Udé gives conceptual aspects of performance and representation a new vitality, melding his own many theatrical selves and multiple personae with his art. In the Nollywood work, Udé seeks to complement the discourse on the representation of Africans in cinema, from colonial domination and demeaning stereotypes to one of intellect and creative agency in telling our own stories. More details here.

WIENER MUSEUM OF DECORATIVE ARTS: CARNIVAL AND CABARET

Through May 31st

The flamboyant festivals in Venice, Rio and New Orleans are explored through the eyes of porcelain artists from Europe. Fashion designer and glass fusion artist Chelsea Rousso combines her love of fashion and fused glass to create unique forms of wearable glass, including corsets and bikini tops. When not on the catwalks, many of Chelsea’s wearable glass outfits are exhibited in the museum’s Carnival & Cabaret exhibit. More details here.

MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART NORTH MIAMI: MICHAEL RICHARDS ARE YOU DOWN?

Through October 10th

The exhibit is the first large-scale retrospective of the work of Michael Richards, an Afro-Caribbean artist whose practice reflects on issues of racial inequity, systemic oppression, and diasporic identity. Born in Brooklyn in 1963, and raised in Kingston, Jamaica, Richards tragically passed away on 9/11 while working in his Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC) World Views studio on the 92nd floor of World Trade Center Tower One. At age 38, Richards was an emerging artist whose incisive aesthetic promised to make him a leading figure in contemporary art. Co-curated by Alex Fialho and Melissa Levin, “Michael Richards: Are You Down?” marks the largest exhibition of Richards’ work to date. More details here.

HISTORY OF DIVING MUSEUM: DIVING IN POP CULTURE

Through December 31st

Visit the Museum to see representations of diving in literature, advertising, film, television, games, music, attractions, collectibles, and more, while examining connections amongst these works. From Reap the Wild Wind to Wes Anderson’s homage to Jacques Cousteau in Life Aquatic, there is something for everyone in this fun new exhibit. Artifacts on display include a scuba regulator with a Star Wars backstory, Van Halen’s 1982 record Diver Down, and a variety of gear and equipment seen in films and television shows like Sea Hunt, Jaws, and Men of Honor. Also showcased are vintage advertisements, magazine spreads, and other materials from the Museum’s robust archival collection. More details here.