
Cultural Experiences & Learning Adventures: Our Top Picks for 2023
Here are our favorite cultural experiences and learning…
From awe-inspiring sculpture gardens and world-class museums to downtown districts celebrating public art, you can’t go wrong checking out The Palm Beaches’ arts destinations.
America’s First Resort Destination has a long legacy of embracing and inspiring art, so much so that The Palm Beaches are also known as Florida’s Cultural Capital. Discover some of the region’s most celebrated arts attractions and see for yourself why this is a can’t-miss getaway for art lovers.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this 2-acre oasis in West Palm Beach is sculptor Ann Weaver Norton’s former residence, studio and gardens. Delight in more than 100 works by Norton, including nine monumental sculptures tucked within the lush greenery of the property’s impressive gardens. 250 rare palm species, cycads and unusual tropical plants make this site one of the largest public gardens in Florida.
A warehouse that was rehabilitated by the Delray Beach Community Redevelopment Agency, Arts Warehouse is an incubator space for studio artists that also holds gallery exhibitions, visual art workshops, professional development opportunities, talks and special events. The 15,000-square-foot space, located on Artist Alley in the Pineapple Grove Arts District, is treasured by locals as both a place to experience the arts and as a creative catalyst for the community.
A leading cultural institution in South Florida, the Boca Raton Museum of Art attracts more than 200,000 visitors annually to its interactive galleries, educational public programs and sculpture garden. Browse this 44,000-square-foot space in the heart of Mizner Park, Boca Raton’s popular shopping and dining district, and you’ll understand why it has achieved international recognition for its dynamic changing exhibitions and distinguished permanent collection.
View innovative and provocative works of art at this small-town museum, housed in a restored 1913 elementary school building in Delray Beach. The museum features artwork that is culturally relevant and exciting and aims to inspire creativity and imagination in the community. Museum shows typically begin with a theme and blossom into dynamic group exhibitions. Exhibits rotate every three to four months and feature contemporary and cutting-edge works from both regional, national and international artists.
At Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens in Delray Beach, learn about South Florida’s history and connection to Japan while exploring diverse and authentic gardens, each inspired by a different historical period and style of Japanese gardening — and all designed by Hoichi Kurisu. The Morikami also showcases traditional and contemporary Japanese culture through its collection of more than 7,000 Japanese art objects and artifacts, an authentic tea house and a world-class bonsai display. Round out your visit with a taste of Pan-Asian cuisine at the on-site Cornell Café.
Founded in 1941 by Ralph Hubbard Norton and Elizabeth Norton, the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach recently underwent a large-scale transformation by renowned British architect Norman Foster. Explore this internationally recognized museum’s distinguished collection, featuring American, Chinese, contemporary and European art, as well as photography. The core of the collection includes masterpieces of 19th century and 20th century painting and sculpture by European artists such as Brancusi, Gauguin, Matisse, Monet, Picasso and Braque; Americans such as Davis, Hassam, Hopper, Manship, O’Keeffe, Pollock and Sheeler; and a collection of Chinese jade and bronze that is considered among the best in the world.
Home to Palm Beach County’s largest concentration of public art installed by a private company, West Palm Beach’s The Square dining and entertainment district features many distinct pieces, such as the 32-foot-tall LED “The Wishing Tree” by Symmetry Labs, the lyrical “Water Pavilion West Palm” by Jeppe Hein, the thought-provoking “My East Is Your West” light installation by Shilpa Gupta and the “United Migrant Familia of America” mural by Renzo Ortega. In 2021, British Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare CBE will unveil a new piece in front of the 360 Rosemary office building. The 20-foot-tall piece – a colorful, hand-painted fiberglass sculpture – will represent the notion of capturing the movement of wind and freezing it in a moment in time. The fabric used in the piece, commonly considered to be traditional African cloth, is based on Indonesian batik patterns, factory-produced by the Dutch and was sold to West African colonies in the 1800s. Shonibare’s Wind Sculpture series harnesses the metaphors of the hybrid fabric and the invisible force of nature to explore global migration and interconnected contemporary culture. Related Companies, which oversees The Square’s development, is working closely with New York based-Culture Corps to curate the neighborhood’s collection, paving the way for it to become an unparalleled urban oasis for the arts.
Founded in 1936 with the mission to inspire and engage, The Society of The Four Arts offers hundreds of events and experiences each year ranging from concerts and other performances to exhibits, art programs and workshops. Visit the 10-acre campus located on the posh and pristine island of Palm Beach, which is home to a botanical garden, sculpture garden, performance hall, art gallery, library, children’s library and more.
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