History and mission of the Wolfsonian Museum
The uniqueness of the Wolfsonian-FIU Museum is in an interdisciplinary approach to the study and exhibiting of artifacts, an organic combination of the functions of a scientific center, museum and library.
The main task of the museum is to demonstrate the great power of the influence of design and art on human culture. According to the creator of the collection, Mitchell Wolfson, human-created objects speak much more about him than any other form of human expression.
The Wolfsonian FIU Museum is a research center where they learn the secret of creating not only works of art, but also the magic of everyday things: after all, each item has meanings and meanings that require decoding and a correct understanding.
The huge world of human activity and its semantic space — this is the sphere of interest of the Wolfsonian Museum in Miami Beach, making it an important participant in not only the museum, but also the scientific communities of the world.
The Wolfsonian Museum is located in the Miami Beach architectural reserve — Art Deco District. The museum is named after the philanthropist, a connoisseur of decorative art, Mitchell Wolfson Jr. The collection he collected served as the basis for the future museum.
For a long time, the collection of Mitchell Wolfson was located in a building of the 1920s built in the style of the Italian Renaissance. When the number of artifacts increased and required large rooms, Wolfson in 1992 ordered the architect Mark Hampton reconstruction of the building. By that time, the Wolfson Foundation had become a division of the Florida International University, and its staff had done a great job of registering, inventorying, and cataloging items in the collection, and formed a significant bibliofund.
In 1995, the collection of the fund received the status of a public museum, and in 1997 the founders of the museum transferred it to the Florida International University, the museum building — one of the seven buildings of the university.
Museum collection
The Wolfsonian-FIU Museum funds approximately 180,000 storage units, covering the period from 1885 to 1945. In the museum and library are stored:
- pieces of furniture;
- products from textile, glass, wood, ceramics, metal;
- painting and graphics;
- second-hand books;
- antique books;
- lacquers and other art objects.
Significant funds allow the museum to hold numerous exhibitions, form a variety of educational and enlightenment programs, and attract major research centers and leading museums of the world to collaborate.
Union of science and culture
The first exhibition, organized by the Wolfson Foundation, was held in 1988 in one of the educational institutions of Miami. Even then, a research program was developed that allows full-scale work with museum collections and themed exhibitions. Museum expositions reveal:
- art history;
- the role of the industrial revolution in the formation of modern design;
- the impact of design and art on all aspects of human life.
Exhibitions and excursions organized by the museum are designed for visitors of various ages, and university students have free access to the library and participate in museum events.
The activities of the Wolfsonian-FIU Museum in Miami Beach have received wide resonance and recognition around the world.
Additional Information
-
Address
-
Phone
+1-305-531-1001
-
Mode of operation
The museum is open:
- Mon, Tue, Thu, Sat: 10:00 am – 06:00 pm;
- Fri: 10:00 am – 09:00 pm;
- Sun: 12:00 pm – 06:00 pm;
- Wed: day off.
-
Cost
Adults
- Age 18-64 years: $12;
- Senior Citizens 65+: $8;
- Students 18+ (with ID): $8.
Children
- 6-17 years old: $5;
- up to 6 years: free of charge.
Special offers :
- On Friday, admission is free for everyone from 6pm to 9pm.
-
Web site
Address | |
Phone | +1-305-531-1001 |
Mode of operation | The museum is open:
|
Cost | Adults
Children
Special offers :
|
Web site |
Everyone who appears on the territory of the University of Florida should visit the museum's exhibition halls.