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Who We Are

MISSION STATEMENT

The Bass, Miami Beach’s contemporary art museum, creates connections between international contemporary art and the museum’s diverse audiences. The Bass shares the power of contemporary art through experiences that excite, challenge and educate.

ABOUT THE BASS

The Bass is Miami Beach’s contemporary art museum. Focusing on exhibitions of international contemporary art, The Bass presents mid-career and established artists reflecting the spirit and international character of Miami Beach. The Bass seeks to expand the interpretation of contemporary art by incorporating disciplines of contemporary culture, such as design, fashion and architecture, into the exhibition program.  The exhibition program encompasses a wide range of media and artistic points of view that bring new thought to the diverse cultural context of Miami Beach.

Central to the museum’s mission, The Bass maintains a vigorous education program for lifelong learning and visitors of all ages. The Bass IDEAS education initiative uses art as a catalyst for creativity and positive growth, especially in the area of early childhood education. The active school program led by the City of Miami Beach called STEAM+, takes The Bass IDEAS off-site by engaging children in Miami-Dade County Public Schools and integrating arts education into the curriculum.

DEAI (DIVERSITY, EQUITY, ACCESSIBILITY & INCLUSION) STATEMENT

The Bass is committed to Diversity, Equity, Accessibility & Inclusion. The Bass does not tolerate hate or discrimination of any kind against race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or disability.

The museum will address and identify areas for improvement with humility, transparency and assertiveness; and will create a path forward, comprising actions that contribute to a more just community.

The Bass defines diversity in its broadest spectrum including, but not limited to, race, nationality, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, social class, physical ability, religion, and political beliefs. The museum also recognizes that there is further nuanced diversity amongst all of these categories, and that the museum operates within the specific context of Miami. As The Bass strives to improve upon and better serve the changing demographics of Miami-Dade County, the museum commits to reviewing its DEAI plan on an annual basis as a key part of its strategic plan.

Note: In such spirit, The Bass often hosts speakers, artists, cultural organizations and other guests as part of its programming and efforts to promote DEAI. The Bass disclaims that the opinions, values, ideas and thoughts of such speakers, artists, cultural organizations and other guests may vary from and not be representative from those of The Bass.

HISTORY

The Bass Museum of Art opened in 1964 through the donation of a private collection by John and Johanna Bass to the City of Miami Beach. The museum opened in what was formerly the Miami Beach Public Library and Art Center, a 1930s Art Deco building designed by Russell Pancoast, grandson of Miami Beach pioneer John Collins. The building itself already had a rich history on Miami Beach as the first public exhibition space for art in South Florida, and was placed on the National Register in 1978.

In 2001, the original museum building was renovated, and a new wing, designed by renowned architect Arata Isozaki, was added to house galleries, offices and a museum shop. The new galleries gave the museum a total of 16,000 square feet of exhibition space, essential for the presentation of temporary exhibitions and continued growth.

In 2009, The Bass experienced another wave of institutional growth as it consolidated its governance in a 501c3 non-profit corporation, hired a new director and developed a new board. The museum re-focused its mission and programming to reflect the new development of Miami Beach as an art destination, catering to the evolving and diverse nature of Miami Beach residents and tourists.

By 2017, The Bass concluded a comprehensive transformation and reopened to the public on October 29, 2017. Again working with architects Arata Isozaki and David Gauld, the renovation expanded the internal structure to create an almost 50 percent increase in programmable space, including four new galleries, a museum store and cafe, and a designated education facility to better serve expanded programs and increased attendance.

FAQ

When is the museum open and how much is admission?

HOURS
Open Wednesday to Sunday, 12-5PM
Closed Mondays & Tuesdays

ADMISSION
General – $15
Seniors (65 & up) – $8
Students (with valid college/university ID) – $8
Youth (7 – 18) – $8
Children (6 & under) – Free
Members – Free
Miami Beach Residents & City of Miami Beach employees (with valid ID/proof of residence) – Free
Active-Duty and Retired Military (plus one guest) –Free

Every Third Thursday from 6 – 9 PM – Free
Last Sunday of Every Month for Family Day – Free

 

Who were John and Johanna Bass?

John Bass (1891-1978) and Johanna Redlich (m. Feb. 21, 1921) were Jewish-immigrants from Vienna, Austria who resided in Miami Beach. As President of the Fajardo Sugar Company of Puerto Rico, John Bass was also an amateur journalist, artist (namely painting and etching) and composer of published music. Mr. Bass collected both fine art and cultural artifacts, including a sizeable manuscript collection that now lives in the Carnegie Hall Archives. In 1963, the couple bequeathed a collection of more than 500 works, including Old Master paintings, textiles and sculptures to the City of Miami Beach, under the agreement that a Bass Museum of Art would remain open to the public in perpetuity. John Bass directed the museum from its founding in 1964 until his death in 1978.

What kind of art will I find at The Bass?

The Bass presents temporary exhibitions of international contemporary art. In addition, The Bass is a collecting institution and presents long-term exhibitions of works from the collection within the exhibition schedule. The founding Bass collection of historic objects and old masters can be seen regularly on view within the context of contemporary art works.

How often do your exhibitions change?

There is no standard length for every exhibition, however, most galleries change every 4-6 months. We have also staggered our exhibition schedule, so new exhibitions may open every 1-3 months. Be sure to take a look at our current and upcoming exhibitions here.

Do you accept artwork donations?

Unfortunately we are not able to accept unsolicited donations at this time.

Can I submit artwork to the Bass?

The Bass does not accept unsolicited artworks or proposals. Anything submitted to the museum is at the sender’s discretion with no guarantee of return or response.

I am doing research and would like to know more information about artwork in your collection, where can I obtain this information?

Our registrar is happy to help with requests for research. You may contact our registrar at [email protected]. We are also happy to process requests for image licensing rights of works in our collection. In order to obtain image rights, please allow two to three weeks for requests to be processed.

How do I apply for a position at The Bass?

We always have many different volunteer and internship opportunities available year round. We may also have full-time salaried positions depending on availability and needs. Please follow the application instructions per each listing and email the required materials to the listed contact. View all jobs & opportunities here.

Can I rent space in the museum for a private event?

Yes, please visit thebass.org/eventspaces for more information and to submit an inquiry. Should you have any additional questions, you may contact our facility rentals department at rentals@thebass.org.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

  • CHAIRMAN

    George Lindemann

  • PRESIDENT

    Diane Lieberman

  • TREASURER

    Clara Bullrich

  • SECRETARY

    Laura Paresky Gould

  • MEMBERS

    Simi Ahuja

    Barbara Becker

    Ivana Berendika

    Olga Blavatnik

    Hugh Bush

    Eric Carpenter

    Trudy Cejas

    Michael Collins

    Beth Dozoretz

    Brian Ehrlich

    Lorena Gomez

    Tom Healy

    Lisa Heiden-Koffler

    Doug Kimmelman

    Mimi Kuppin

    Pamela Liebman

    David Martin

    Ariel Penzer Milgroom

    Thea Mitzman

    Tracy Wilson Mourning

    Thomas C. Murphy

    Jean-Jacques Murray

    Steve Novenstein

    Dan Och

    Lori Reinsberg

    Alisa Romano

    Ali Scharf-Matlick

    Oscar Seikaly

    Cathy Vedovi

    Todd White

STAFF


  • EXECUTIVE OFFICE

  • Silvia Karman Cubiñá
    Executive Director

  • Jean Ortega
    Deputy Director

  • Everett Ford
    Executive Office & Human Resources Manager


  • FINANCE

  • Ambar Herrera Gonzalez
    Associate Director of Finance

  • Darnell Rhodes
    Finance Assistant


  • Dr. James Voorhies
    Chief Curator

  • Claudia Mattos
    Associate Curator of New Media Art

  • Sofía Dotta
    Senior Exhibitions Manager

  • Courtney Linderman
    Collections Manager

  • Victoria Gonzalez Bredy
    Lead Preparator


  • DEVELOPMENT

  • Iva Kosović Duvin
    Director of Development

  • Soledad Picón
    Director of Individual Giving

  • T.J. Black
    Associate Director of Institutional Giving

  • Laura Gonzalez
    Development Events Manager

  • Emily Wang
    Development Assistant




  • SPECIAL EVENTS

  • Grace M. Castro
    Director of Special Events & Public Programs

  • Cristina Liquet
    Special Events Coordinator

  • Luz Quintela Wulff
    Public Programs Coordinator


  • COMMUNICATIONS

  • Sabrina Anico
    Director of Communications

  • Diane Amaya
    Associate Creative Director

  • Natalia Patiño
    Social Media Manager


  • EDUCATION

  • Kylee Crook
    Director of Education

  • Juana Meneses
    Senior Manager of Community and School Programs

  • Keela Porter-Brown
    Education Coordinator


  • OPERATIONS

  • Isabella Oliva
    Operations Manager

  • Manuel Hurtado
    Exhibitions & Facilities Assistant

  • Maria Reyes
    Building Supervisor

  • Mayte Alvarez Denis
    Building Supervisor

  • Gabrielle Peters
    Senior Guest Services Associate

  • Manuela Aseff
    Senior Guest Services Associate & Museum Educator