The next day we caught the Big Bus and rode it down to the art district for lunch and to see the famed Wynwood Walls. The Wynwood Arts District, named one of America's best hipster neighborhoods by Forbes Magazine, is like no other area in Miami -- or anywhere for that matter. Developers transformed once lifeless warehouse buildings into a vibrant outdoor museum, featuring giant walls of graffiti-style murals.
Everywhere you look in this part of town is a work of art, even the sidewalks were considered available canvases.
We had planned to have lunch at the Wynwood Market Place before visiting the museum, but it didn't open until early evening, which was such a bummer because we heard their food trucks are amazing. We will just have to come back!
We had noticed this gorgeous, fun looking restaurant as the bus was letting us off in the area, so we decided to go there for lunch instead.
Eating out during a pandemic means getting a whole bottle of hand sanitizer on your table as you are seated, and scanning QR codes to get the menu. #pandemiclife
We ordered Queso Fundido to share as an appetizer, it was amazing.
for my main, I ordered the Mole Negro, black mole prepared with an assortment of dried and fresh chiles, nuts, fruits, fresh herbs and spices and cacao, chicken, goat cheese, sesame seeds and house rice.
Laura got a sampler dish that looked beautiful.
After lunch, we walked over to the museum, we passed by some gorgeous murals on our way.
The Wynwood Walls has brought the world’s greatest artists working in the graffiti and street art genre to Miami. “We have strived for a diverse representation of both American and international artists that encompasses everything from the old school graffiti artists to the newest work being created around the world. The project has truly evolved into what Jeffrey Deitch calls a Museum of the Streets,” Tony (the creator of the museum) had summarized.
Since its inception in 2009, The Wynwood Walls program has seen over 50 artists representing 16 countries and have covered over 80,000 square feet of walls.
This stunning mural was created by Brazilian artist Eduardo Kobra, who started his painting career at age 12.
This gorgeous piece was painted by Chilean artist Dasic Fernandz.
We also got to visit the GGA Gallery. The GGA gallery, inside the Wynwood Walls, is a dynamic public space dedicated to over 100 of the world's greatest street artists. The artists and individual works are carefully selected by Goldman Global Arts co-founder and gallery curator Peter Tunney.
The gallery exhibits an everchanging roster of the group and solo shows from past and present artists of The Wynwood Walls, centered around providing viewers and collectors with a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the global street art movement.
This mural was painted by Norwegian artist Martin Whatson
This dreamlike mural was created by Japanese artist Tomokazu Matsuyama
After taking our time, strolling through the museum and different galleries, we spent a little time in the gift shop. This book caught my eye, the many ways life has been forever altered by the pandemic fascinates me, and I often wonder what this part of history will look like after the passage of time. What will kids think when they look back at this time and see pictures of everyone wearing masks, social distancing markers on the ground, panels of plexiglass shielding registers at stores, the shortage of hand sanitizer, clorox wipes and toilet paper. It was a strange time that I have tried to document in my own way, so it was intriguing to see how others documented it in their works of art.
I had never heard the term PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) before the pandemic, but now it is a household term.
I didn't want to take too many photos out of the book, but I thought every page was so interesting.
Speaking of documenting Covid times .... Spread Love Not Germs...
After our time at Wynwood, we grabbed a couple of cool beverages, enjoyed the shade and eavesdropped on the drama of a couple that was loudly breaking up next to us, at the Panther Coffee shop while we waited for the bus.
The view on the drive home.
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