MIAMI BEACH – (September 3, 2007) – The mid-century was a time when Miami fully developed as a "modern" city and established itself not only as a glamorous escape destination, but as a desirable place to establish a home. This evolution was consciously created and molded by talented designers such as Alfred Browning Parker, Morris Lapidus, George Farkas, Frederick Rank, Kay Pancoast, and Fran Williams, whose collective vision of our city shaped the indoor-outdoor lifestyle for Miamians.

Promises of Paradise illustrates the mid-century experience in Miami through a selection of furniture and decorative arts designed and produced in South Florida, offering a unique perspective into the tropical lifestyle that is known today. The exhibition opened at the Bass Museum of Art December 5, 2007, and features the architecture, urban planning, design and decorative arts of mid-century Miami. This exhibition is the first to showcase the efforts of the artists, craftsmen and designers of this period have been largely forgotten.

Promises of Paradise: Staging Mid-Century Miami is sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities and has been designated a "We the People" project through this federal agency. Miami Modern Metropolis, the first publication to comprehensively present the architecture, urbanism and design of mid-century Miami will be released March 2008 and available for sale in the Bass Museum Shop.

The exhibition is curated by Allan T. Shulman, Guest Curator of Architecture and Urban Planning; Thomas Hine, Guest Curator of Design, Decorative Arts and Popular Culture; and Ruth Grim, Acting Curator in Charge, Bass Museum of Art.

PROMISES OF PARADISE: STAGING MID-CENTURY MIAMI has been organized by the Bass Museum of Art and has been made possible by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Additional support provided by the Florida Department of State Division of Historical Resources, the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts and the Furthermore Foundation’s "Grants-in-Publishing" Program.

Bass Museum of Art
2121 Park Avenue (in Collins Park), Miami Beach, Florida 33139
T: 305.673.7530 F: 305.674.5475 www.bassmuseum.org

General Admission
$8 general admission/ $6 seniors students. Free for members and children under 6. Group discounts available.

Museum Hours and Docent Tours
Tuesday-Saturday 10 am-5 pm, Sunday 11 am-5 pm, closed Mondays and holidays. Docent tours by request; free with museum admission.
To schedule a group tour call 305.673.7530 x1005.

Bass Museum Shop
An eclectic selection of art, architecture and photography books; folk art from around the world; one-of-a-kind decorative and gift items; jewelry by local and international artisans; postcards; and educational toys. Open during museum hours.

Parking
Metered parking lot on site. Additional metered parking is available on perimeter streets.

The Bass Museum of Art receives both public and private general operating funding. Major support comes from the City of Miami Beach, with the support of the Mayor and Commissioners of the City of Miami Beach and Friends of the Bass Museum, Inc. Support also provided by the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners; the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, the Florida Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts; and the City of Miami Beach, Cultural Affairs Program and Cultural Arts Council.