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Miami Arts and Cultural Institutions Driving Tour
Item 3 of 23
The de la Cruz Collection Contemporary Art Space—a three-story, 30,000-square-foot building in Miami’s Design District—houses work from the personal collection of Rosa and Carlos de la Cruz and launched in 2009. The de la Cruz's had previously exhibited their collection from their home. Privately funded by the couple, the primary purpose of the space is to provide education and awareness of the visual arts. Educational programming includes lectures, artist-led workshops, docent-led tours, scholarship opportunities and student travel initiatives. Though the de la Cruz Collection is privately operated, not a 501c non-profit, and receives no government funding, admission is always free.

Exterior of the de la Cruz Collection Contemporary Art Space.

Exterior of the de la Cruz Collection Contemporary Art Space.

De la Cruz Collection Contemporary Art Space. Designed by John Marquette, the new building includes project rooms that will rotate throughout the year.

De la Cruz Collection Contemporary Art Space. Designed by John Marquette, the new building includes project rooms that will rotate throughout the year.

Interior of the de la Cruz Collection Contemporary Art Space.

Interior of the de la Cruz Collection Contemporary Art Space.

Carlos and Rosa de la Cruz.

Carlos and Rosa de la Cruz.

De la Cruz Collection Contemporary Art Space owners Rosa and Carlos de la Cruz have been married since 1966. Rosa’s father was an architect and Carlos’s family collected art. The couple immigrated to the United States as a result of Fidel Castro’s regime gaining power in Cuba. The de la Cruzs have since assembled one of Miami’s finest collections of contemporary art. The first work they acquired was by Rufino Tamayo. The couple had originally considered building a strictly Latin American collection but instead decided to focus on contemporary art in general. The de la Cruz's opened their Key Biscayne mansion to the public to share their contemporary art collection more than 30 years ago. In 2009, they took their hospitality one step further by working to open a public space to exhibit their collection.

By 2010, the de la Cruzs opened a 30,000 square-foot free-admission museum in the posh Design District. The building was designed by architect John Marquette. The building includes project rooms that rotate often. One of the project rooms will provide a space for local artists to display their works. Program and lecture series at the Museum concentrate on creating public awareness of art history and contemporary art practices. The Museum is a unique example of pre-eminent art collectors opening their own de facto museums. The collection of the de la Cruz Collection Contemporary Art Space focuses on international contemporary art. Some areas of emphasis in the collection are postwar German art and American art. The de la Cruz Collection includes works by Isa Genzken, Christopher Wool, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Mark Bradford, and Peter Doig.

The de la Cruz Collection has a strong focus on community support. Several education programs serve local schools through a series of workshops and classes that were established in collaboration with Dade County Public Schools. These programs give local students the opportunity to learn different approaches to the creation and presentation of contemporary art. Students are encouraged to visit the space and library throughout the year and apply for internship positions. The de la Cruzs also fund scholarships and travel opportunities for students and teachers. Though the de la Cruz Collection is privately operated, not a 501c non-profit, and receives no government funding, admission is always free.

About the Collection, De La Cruz Collection. Accessed November 14th 2020. https://www.delacruzcollection.org/about.

De La Cruz Collection, Miami Design District. Accessed November 14th 2020. https://www.miamidesigndistrict.net/listing/225/de-la-cruz-collection-contemporary-art-space/.

Goldstein, Andrew M. Collector Rosa de la Cruz on Making Miami an Intellectual Art Capital, Artspace. November 28th 2014. Accessed November 14th 2020. https://www.artspace.com/magazine/interviews_features/how_i_collect/collector-rosa-de-la-cruz-on-making-miami-an-intellectual-art-capital-52540.

Rosa and Carlos de la Cruz, ARTnews. Accessed November 14th 2020. https://www.artnews.com/art-collectors/top-200-profiles/rosa-and-carlos-de-la-cruz/.

Sokol, Brett. Rehousing a Miami Collection, The New York Times. November 25th 2009. Accessed November 14th 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/29/travel/29headsup.html?_r=0.