Calling all art lovers. Have you checked out the top galleries and museums near Boca?
Boca Raton is enjoying an art renaissance. While it has historically served as a home for many creative types, the area has recently received artists and auteurs determined to challenge the modern concepts of art. The result is works that push viewers to engage with the piece and the artist, classes that expand our understanding of an artist and their process, and programs that help refine new talent. To understand why Boca Raton is the place to be for art appreciation, let us guide you through some of the best museums and galleries nearby.
SPONDER GALLERY
BEST FOR: MODERN AND POSTWAR WORKS WITH AN EDGE
Part of Sponder Gallery’s success is their contemporary approach to the intersection between art and business. Their relationships with St. Andrews Country Club along with the Boca Raton Resort & Yacht Club has helped put their artists and their works on display throughout the respective clubs, and into the shopping bags of many of the club’s patrons. Furthermore, Sponder Gallery works to maintain their credibility in eyes of both the art world and the public, through their Fine Art Dealers Association Membership status and through their constant interaction with the public. Their FADA Membership ensures that they offer a high level of integrity in selling their products, that they research them thoroughly, and that they offer a wide range of products. The pieces that they feature push the boundaries of art, utilize features from other disciplines, and create striking image in the mind’s eye. One of their prime examples is Kysa Johns works, which utilize the paths that atoms make as they travel, the decay trajectory of subatomic particles, and other elements from science.
VERTU FINE ART
BEST FOR: POP ART THAT CATCHES YOUR EYE
Gallery owner Gary Santoro first became aware of pop art when he watched Keith Haring’s works evolve from subway graffiti to a pop culture phenomenon. Understanding pop art’s solid establishment in pop culture’s landscape, Santoro worked to create a gallery dedicated to not just the display and selling of such pieces, but also to the education of pop culture and its role in the art world. Aside from their work in the gallery, they also tour the art show circuit. From Market Art + Design 2018 to Art on Paper at Manhattan’s Pier 36, the staff at Vertu are constantly working to display their current works, purchase new ones, and help buyers locate the perfect piece.
ROSENBAUM CONTEMPORARY
BEST FOR: POSTWAR AND CONTEMPORARY PIECES
In an effort to honor its architectural roots, many of the area’s buildings are designed and decorated in Mediterranean and coastal styles. The popularity of these art movements have dominated the landscape, leaving little room for modern and contemporary art and design to assert itself. Marvin and Howard Rosenbaum’s love for modern art worked to bring modern and postwar art to the shores of South Florida, and we’re all the better for it. Their tireless efforts in visiting showings, auctions, and museums for some of the best examples in this style pays off with an extensive list of featured artists and gallery showings that are second to none. The gallery’s recent exhibition and reception for “Dozen”, which displayed works from the Thomas Hartman Master Class of the Academy of Fine Arts, was one of the most discussed events in the recent history of the art world. Outside of showings and displays, the Rosenbaum Contemporary has established itself as a resource for art collectors and historians by offering services such as art consulting, art sourcing, and acquisition advice for free.
ARTS GARAGE
BEST FOR: FINDING NEW AND ALTERNATIVE ACTS AND PIECES
If the Boca Raton arts scene has undergone a metamorphosis, the Arts Garage serves as the cocoon in which area creators grow. As a 501 (C) (B) nonprofit, Arts Garage is dedicated to both highlighting local artists and acts, while bringing some of the world’s greatest artists and performers to South Florida’s stages. They accomplish this by hosting these works and performances in their maker space, a physical garage in Delray Beach. One of Arts Garage’s most raved showings is the Grassroots Gallery, where works by upcoming artists are hosted, elevating them to the world stage. The upcoming “WANDERLUST” exhibit features photography by Mitchell Jacobson and Samuel Spear Jr., each talented street photographers in their own right. Jacobson’s unflinching and bold shots contrast brilliantly against Spear Jr.’s soft snapshots of daily life. Displayed in the same gallery, their photography complements each others’ effortlessly.
ANN NORTON SCULPTURE GARDEN
BEST FOR: THOSE WHO LIKE THEIR ART IN A MEDIUM THAT THEY CAN GET A FEEL FOR.
Built from the former residence of famous sculptor Ann Weaver Norton, the Ann Norton Sculpture Garden lets its guests appreciate both fine art and botany. There are more than 100 original works by Weaver in the garden, and some select pieces by sculptors renowned in their own right. When you’re not marveling at the drama and presence of Norton’s imposing, expansive designs, you’ll be agape at the rare species of tropical plants that fill the gardens, including palms and cycads. Your awe was planned – the garden was planned to showcase the art within it, much like coming across ancient statues in an old forest.
BOCA RATON MUSEUM OF ART
BEST FOR: A COMPLETE AND ENVELOPING ART EXPERIENCE
Curators of this museum scour the world for artists and pieces that show off styles, mediums, viewpoints, and experiences unique to certain areas of the world, while also highlighting works that are local to the area. One such example of the museum’s work in displaying local works and viewpoints would be the Boca Raton Museum Artists Guild, which runs juried gallery exhibitions roughly every month to show off works crafted by members. Past winner Oksana Urban depicts life in South Florida with an airy sort of quality, using pastel colors to paint scenes of placid beach landscapes and the locals who inhabit them. Contrast this with the Photography collection in the museum’s permanent collection. In Bernice Abbot’s New York Stock Exchange, she captures the frenetic pace of daily life in New York with specific choices in composition and framing. The Boca Raton Museum of Art takes their patrons art literacy one step further with programs such as Boca Screening, which shows interviews and films related to items in the temporary collection, and docent tours, which shed light on an artist’s line of thinking. The museum is not content with hanging pictures on the wall and calling it a day-its staff dedicate themselves to offering access to works that have made an impact in the art world, while increasing the knowledge and art experience of everyone who passes through its doors.
Boca Raton is not just the center of South Florida’s art world, it’s where today’s art movements are made. Every day brings up the next artist to dominate the social scene, or the next theater production to take the world by storm, or discovery of a piece made by a revolutionary artist. The minute that you take your eyes off of Boca Raton is the minute that you’ll miss the next big thing. Much of it happens near St. Andrews Country Club, a work of art of itself.
You’ll find far more than exceptional facilities and social programming at St. Andrews. You will uncover a peaceful, private and unpretentious lifestyle that is beaming with comfort and elegance. With the action of Boca Raton at your doorstep there is nothing you can’t have or do. St. Andrews Country Club, a resident-only private golf and country club, is located in upscale Boca Raton, Florida near world-class shops, superb dining, cultural attractions and gorgeous area beaches. Its distinctions include a “Distinguished Club of the World” and a “Top Ten Healthiest Clubs in America,” and its world-class amenities make life a permanent vacation. With only 730 families living in the private, low-density community, the custom estate homes are all unique. To view currently available estate homes for sale click here.
