Though relatively young compared to stalwarts like Paris and New York, Miami’s art scene is dynamic, diverse, and constantly evolving. Whether you’re an experienced collector or have primarily worked with an art advisor in the past, the city boasts many established and cutting-edge galleries that exhibit both respected and emerging artists. From blue-chip institutions to experimental spaces pushing the boundaries of contemporary art, here are seven must-visit Miami galleries to help you expand your collection or expose you to new creators. We promise, there is much to see beyond the Rubell Museum and the PAMM.
7 Established & Avant Garde Miami Art Galleries to Help Expand Your Collection
Miami’s art scene is a unique fusion of established galleries, cutting-edge contemporary art, and spaces that champion emerging artists. From the sleek Miami Design District to the historic streets of Coral Gables to the experimental energy of Locust Projects, this city offers an impressive array of art galleries showcasing works from international artists, local talent, and significant artists like Hernan Bas and Alice Aycock. Whether you’re drawn to pop art, modern sculpture, or museum-quality paintings, Miami’s diverse gallery spaces cater to every kind of art lover.
Zilberman
A globally recognized contemporary art exhibition space, Zilberman expanded into Miami’s Design District in 2023 during Art Basel. The Miami gallery is its third international location after Istanbul and Berlin.
Known for its commitment to fostering emerging talent—not just established artists, Zilberman provides a platform for artists through exhibitions, artist residencies, and participation in international art fairs. As the gallery states, it believes in “a commercial gallery’s role in assuming social responsibility for education and audience development.” The Miami location continues the gallery’s mission of promoting diverse artistic voices while engaging collectors, curators, and art professionals in thought-provoking dialogues.
Emerson Dorsch
For those who love art, Miami is a must-visit city, and few galleries in the area are as intriguing as Emerson Dorsch. One of Miami’s most established galleries in the contemporary art scene, Emerson Dorsch is well known for its dedication to innovative and thought-provoking exhibitions.
Karen Rifas is currently exhibiting her fourth solo exhibition at Emerson Dorsch the artist’s fourth solo exhibition. This show reflects Rifas’s deep engagement with space and abstraction, including a new series of paintings inspired by her time in both Miami and Maine.
The exhibition transitions from quiet, meditative landscapes with a restrained palette to bold, prismatic abstractions with a pop art feel that echoes Miami’s fast-paced energy. As the gallery describes, Rifas’s practice is about “traversing the two-dimensional plane with a line and answering it with another.” Accompanying the exhibition is a newly published catalog featuring an essay by Patricia Ortega-Miranda.
Locust Projects
Locust Projects is Miami’s longest-running nonprofit alternative art space, dedicated to fostering ambitious and experimental new work. Founded in 1998 by artists for artists, it is an incubator for cutting-edge exhibitions, artist residencies, and public programs.
With its 2023 expansion into an 8,000-square-foot warehouse in Little River/Little Haiti, the space now provides even more room for artists to “dream big and introduce the public to new art and ideas relevant to Miami and to the times we live in.” Locust Projects is unique in its focus on commissioning large-scale, site-specific installations that push creative boundaries.
Currently on view are Jaye Rhee: Fragile Terrain in the Main Gallery and Wendy Wischer: Open Water in the Project Room, both running from February 13 to April 5, 2025. Rhee’s work explores the delicate intersections of movement, sound, and space while Wischer’s Open Water navigates themes of environmental fragility.
Spinello Projects
Spinello Projects is known for pushing the boundaries of visual and conceptual art. Founded in 2005 by Anthony Spinello, the gallery began as a bold experiment in his walk-up apartment and has since grown into one of the city’s most influential incubators for emerging artists.
Now a recognized fixture in both Art Miami and Art Basel, Spinello has since made it his mission to challenge the status quo, curating exhibitions that engage with social and political themes. As he puts it in a Town & Country interview with Erik Maza, “navigating the art world is a bit of a roller coaster and an art form in itself,” a philosophy that has shaped the gallery’s dynamic approach.
With a keen eye for talent, Spinello has introduced major artists like Nina Surel and Marlon Portales. Currently on view at Spinello Projects is Of Reverence, the gallery debut solo exhibition by LA-based Haitian-American artist Francesca Lalanne.
Nina Johnson Gallery
Nina Johnson is a pillar of Miami’s contemporary art scene. Founded in 2007, the gallery has built a reputation for curating bold, historically informed exhibitions while fostering long-term relationships with both emerging and established artists.
Housed in a four-building compound in Little Haiti, the gallery offers a mix of traditional exhibition space and intimate gallery settings. Nina Johnson’s diverse program has exhibited incredible artists like Judy Chicago, Germane Barnes, Francesca DiMattio, and Woody De Othello.
With an on-site gallery space and several satellite locations, Nina Johnson is currently showing Tara Walters, Christy Gast, and Jasmine Little—among others.
Marquez Arts Projects
A new addition to Miami’s Allapattah neighborhood, Marquez Art Projects is a nonprofit contemporary art space founded by collector John Marquez. Located in an 8,000-square-foot repurposed warehouse, it features four distinct galleries showcasing emerging local artists and established international artists.
The gallery’s inaugural exhibition includes works by George Condo and Rashid Johnson. It also features a dedicated room for Miami-based artists. As Marquez himself described it in an interview with Observer‘s Alexandra Tremayne-Pengelly, “My dream, my passion project, is now a reality.” This gallery space is ideal for collectors seeking bold, contemporary pieces that reflect Miami’s unique art scene.
Oolite Arts
Dedicated to fostering creativity and advancing contemporary visual arts, Oolite Arts is Miami’s largest artist support organization. Founded nearly four decades ago by potter Ellie Schneiderman, Oolite provides artists with vital resources like free studio spaces, exhibition opportunities, and financial support.
The organization also engages the broader Miami community through extensive programming, offering over 200 art classes and an award-winning video arts program for local teens. As Oolite describes its mission, it seeks to be “the bedrock of the visual arts in Miami,” much like the porous sedimentary rock it’s named after—allowing for an ever-evolving exchange of ideas. Oolite will open a new, expanded space later this year, so stay tuned. In the interim, explore Yolanda Sanchez’s work now on view.
Exploring Miami’s Galleries During Art Basel
Year-round visits to institutions like the Rubell Family Collection, Fredric Snitzer Gallery, and Bakehouse Art Complex allow collectors to engage with established artists and young talent. However, Art Miami and Art Basel in December highlight the absolute best of Miami’s art community.
If seeking new additions to your collection, be sure to explore galleries in South Beach, Downtown Miami, and the Design District during Art Basel. Here, art dealers and exhibition spaces exhibit everything from rare prints in the Print Room to groundbreaking installations in pop-ups across town.
Before Basel visits Miami later this year, explore the organization’s list of “what sold” in 2024.