For those craving a little culture along with the sun and surf, you’ve come to the right place. Works by Frida Kahlo, Andrew Wyeth, Louis Comfort Tiffany and other important artists are on exhibit in Florida museums all season long. Here’s the must-see guide to the masters this spring.
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The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art
Transom, c. 1910–20 Wisteria Leaded glass Tiffany Studios, New York City, 1902–3236 x 69 1/4 in. (56-010) Photo by Raymond Martinot
Louis Comfort Tiffany’s majestic Laurelton Hall estate near Oyster Bay was gutted by fire in the 1950s, but many beautiful objects—including artwork, windows and furnishings—are alive and well at this dazzling museum in downtown Winter Park. The Morse Museum celebrated its 75th Anniversary in February, and visitors can celebrate along with them this spring by attending lectures with local experts or simply basking in the splendor of the world’s largest collection of Tiffany’s awe-inspiring works. Go.
The Dali Museum
Frida Kahlo Autorretrato con changuito (Self Portrait with Small Monkey), 1945 Oil on composite board Collection Museo Dolores Olmedo, Mexico City © 2016 Banco de Mexico Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo Museums Trust, Mexico, D.F./Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
True to its name, this picturesque museum on St. Petersburg’s waterfront is home to more than 2,000 works by Salvador Dali, and until April 17 it will also house more than 60 works by the fabulous and fiery Frida Kahlo. Get to know this integral artist through her personal photos, drawings and 15 original paintings, then dip into the Café Gala to ponder life over a post-exhibit espresso or tapa. Go.
Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens
Clear your mind strolling through the 16 acres of Japanese gardens at this cultural haven in Delray Beach, then head inside to experience Deco Japan, the first exhibition outside Tokyo dedicated to the country’s contributions to Art Deco design. Through May 21, enjoy dramatic displays of glass, metalwork, ceramics, paintings and more from the 1920s, 30s and 40s. Go.
Orlando Museum of Art
James Wyeth Bean Boots, 1985 Oil on panel 37 x 50 ¼ inches 43 x 56 ¼ x 1 1/8 inches (framed) Collection of the Farnsworth Art Museum, Gift of the Cawley Family © Jamie Wyeth Image courtesy of the Farnsworth Art Museum
Winter may be short in Orlando, but until April 23 locals and snowbirds alike can experience a taste of the northeast at The Wyeths and American Artists in Maine. In partnership with the famed Farnsworth Art Musem in Maine, this museum less than 20 minutes from downtown Orlando will feature paintings by three generations of the Wyeth family, along with works by other Maine artists such as George Bellows, Robert Henri, Marsden Hartley, Childe Hassam, John Marin and several others. Go.