The Bass Announces New Exhibitions and Community Programs in Miami Beach
The Bass Museum of Art in Miami Beach has outlined a slate of exhibitions, performances, and public programs for 2025 and 2026, ranging from contemporary art installations and community gatherings to education initiatives and summer camps.
Third Thursdays Program Explores Collective Memory
On Thursday, May 21, from 6 to 9 p.m., The Bass will host an edition of its Third Thursdays series titled “Searching for Collective Memory,” organized in partnership with Commissioner, a Miami community-led art commissioning program. Commissioner is collaborating with dance company Pioneer Winter Collective for an embodied program inspired by Isaac Julien’s video work “Vagabondia” (2000), currently on view at The Bass.
The evening will feature art tours by the 2026 Grass Stains artists, followed by a panel discussion with photographer and professor Vanessa Charlot, filmmaker and Third Horizon Film Festival cofounder Jason Fitzroy Jeffers, and writer and curator Lise Ragbir, cofounder and chief executive of VERGE. The conversation, moderated by Corey Davis, founder of Maven Leadership Collective, will consider how art, legibility, and collecting can contribute to more expansive and inclusive historical records.
Doors open at 6 p.m., with performances by Pioneer Winter Collective beginning at 6:10, 6:20, and 6:30 p.m., followed by the panel at 7:15 p.m. Admission is complimentary with RSVP.
World Cup–Timed Exhibition Focuses on Zinédine Zidane
Opening May 20 and running through July 19, 2026, The Bass will present “Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait,” a two-channel film installation by artists Douglas Gordon and Philippe Parreno that centers on French soccer player Zinédine Zidane.
Timed to coincide with the FIFA World Cup 2026 matches and Fan Festival events in host city Miami, the installation juxtaposes a composed cinematic edit that incorporates live television footage with unembellished, close-up imagery captured by a dedicated camera, reframing sports spectacle as contemporary portraiture.
The exhibition is organized by Jasa McKenzie, associate curator at The Bass. Visitors can learn more and plan their visit online.
New Rotunda Gallery Opens in Collins Park
The Bass has opened The Rotunda, a satellite gallery in Collins Park that offers free admission year-round.
The Rotunda’s circular architecture provides the setting for installations such as Pascale Marthine Tayou’s “Welcome Wall” (2015–26), an evolving work composed of LED signs spelling “welcome” in more than 200 languages, many of them endangered or rarely seen in public space.
The museum provides further background on the gallery’s design and construction, including materials by MCHarry Associates, and invites visitors to learn more before planning a visit.
Community Programs and Summer Camps Announced
On Sunday, May 31, from 2 to 4 p.m., The Bass Creativity Center will host “United States of Creativity,” a collaborative art-making event marking the 250th anniversary of the United States. Families will contribute individual works to a collective piece, and the event will feature the Homeless Trust Poster Competition winners from Miami-Dade County Public Schools, whose designs address how the community supports youth experiencing homelessness.
Beginning June 8 and running through August 7, The Bass will offer Summer Art Camps for children ages 4 to 12, held weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with aftercare available until 5:45 p.m. Led by teaching artists, the camps include projects in sculpture, painting, design, and other art forms.
Information on camp packages, pricing, and registration is available through the museum’s summer camps page.
The Bass is also providing scholarships for families experiencing economic hardship and for students with disabilities, covering tuition and aftercare fees for a five-week camp session. Details and application information are available on the scholarship program webpage.