The Wolfsonian-FIU

The Wolfsonian-FIU, at 1001 Washington Ave in South Beach, is a museum, library and research center of Florida International University focused on the art and design of the period from about 1850 to 1950. Its collection was begun by Mitchell Wolfson Jr. and donated to FIU in 1997, and it holds well over 100,000 objects in a range of media, including furniture, glass, ceramics, metalwork, textiles, books, posters, paintings and prints. The museum is known for explaining how design shaped industrial society, with strengths in Arts and Crafts, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Modernism and the propaganda posters and publications of the World War I and World War II era. Curation is thematic, using objects to examine subjects such as travel, technology, nationalism, and the relationship of art to politics, and exhibitions rotate regularly to show different pieces from the permanent collection and loans. The building is a 1927 Mediterranean Revival structure that originally served as storage for the Washington Storage Company, and it was adapted for gallery use with a restored entrance and exhibition floors. The library and archives allow researchers to study rare books and ephemera, and the museum offers lectures, films and educational programs. Conservation of paper, textiles and metals is carried out by specialists, and rotation of objects protects fragile pieces. The location near Lincoln Road and Ocean Drive means visitors can place the objects in the context of Miami Beach's own Art Deco surroundings. It is especially useful for visitors interested in design, architecture, graphic arts and political history, and its exhibits tend to reward close looking, with labels that explain how ordinary objects such as chairs, posters and tableware carried social and political meaning in their time. Visitors are advised to confirm current opening hours, admission prices and any guided-tour schedules directly with the venue before traveling, since these details change seasonally and with special events in Miami, Florida.