The Best Art Shows to See in Miami, August 2025

Right now, Miami's art scene is in trouble. The city has already been feeling the impact of Governor Ron DeSantis' decimation of the state arts budget last year. Now, the Trump Administration's plans to eliminate the National Endowment for the Arts, along with several other federal humanities funding programs, have initiated what the Art Newspaper has called an "existential crisis" for Miami arts organizations.

Cuts are being proposed locally as well. Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava has reportedly proposed cutting the city's Department of Cultural Affairs by 50 percent and merging it with the Library Department, causing immense backlash from local artists and supporters of the arts.

"The arts are not a luxury — they're a lifeline," reads a petition circulated by Miami creatives in response to the proposed cuts. "Cutting this funding isn't fiscal responsibility — it's cultural abandonment."

One way to push back and support the local scene is to get out and see some art this month. Here are ten noteworthy shows to see in Miami throughout August.

All presentations are listed in the order they opened. Unless otherwise noted, events are free to attend and open to the public.

"Out of LA" at Opa Projects

Recently opened Opa Projects in Little River is celebrating the Los Angeles art scene — recently ravaged by the devastating wildfires that tore through the city earlier this year — in a group show titled "Out of LA: Contemporary Voices." Household names such as Ed Ruscha and Kenny Scharf feature alongside lesser-known artists such as Emily Ferguson, Nicolas Shake, Cleon Peterson, and Zoe Walsh. The gallery is donating a portion of the proceeds to support artists affected by the fires. The show opened on Thursday, July 10, and runs through Tuesday, September 30. Opa Projects, 7622 NE Fourth Ct., Miami; 516-807-5419; opaprojects.com.

Noritoshi Mitsuuchi at Ross + Kramer

Much as Labubu designer Kasing Lung used folklore as inspiration for his ugly-cute critter toys, Japanese painter Noritoshi Mitsuuchi similarly crafts an aesthetic of cuteness in his art. The Osaka artist paints characters from various legends, myths, and fairy tales from all around the world in a style reminiscent of a child's drawings. His current show at Ross + Kramer Gallery Miami Beach, titled "Peace Maker," launched on Saturday, July 12, and runs through Saturday, September 6. Ross + Kramer Gallery, 1910 Alton Rd., Miami Beach; 786-380-4811; rkgallery.com.

Isabella Mellado at La Cometa

The title of this show by queer Puerto Rican artist Isabella Mellado, "7 pecados," refers to the Seven Deadly Sins. The Chicago-based painter turns the concept on its head in a series of seven figurative canvases, executed in a style one might call magical-realist, subverting how the West has defined each concept. It's an appropriate theme for a city as shamelessly sinful as Miami. Tarot references occur throughout, giving the show an even more mystical edge. "7 pecados" opened on Saturday, July 19. La Cometa Gallery, 1015 NW 23rd St. Unit 2, Miami; 754-277-6298; galerialacometa.com.

"A Planet on a Pin" at Voloshyn Gallery

Soviet-era nuclear anxiety inspired the title and concept of this show at Allapattah-via-Kyiv gallery Voloshyn. Curated by Vienna-based Aleksei Borisionok, the group show delves into the insights of Soviet Ukrainian filmmaker Felix Sobolev, relating the apocalyptic vision of his 1965 essay film Dawn of Destruction back to the war against Russia. Spanning a variety of mediums, including watercolors, oil paintings, and sculptures, the show features work from Veronika Hapchenko, Sana Shahmuradova Tanska, Fedir Tetianych, Nina Hartmann, Lesia Vasylchenko, and Kateryna Lysovenko. "A Planet on a Pin" opened on Friday, July 25, and runs through Saturday, September 20. Voloshyn Gallery, 802 NW 22nd St., Miami; 305-400-8525; voloshyngallery.art.

"Between Walls and Words" at Stanek Gallery

Stanek Gallery in Little River presents a duo presentation by Miami-based Haitian artist Samdi and upstate New Yorker Treacy Ziegler. Curated by Maryam Davani Hosseini, the show juxtaposes Samdi's layered abstractions with Ziegler's quietly intense still lifes and sculptures. The show opened on Saturday, July 26, and runs through Wednesday, August 30. Stanek Gallery Miami, 8375 NE Second Ave., Miami; 305-713-9454; stanekgallery.com.

"The Realities We Dream" at Mahara + Co

Curated by Heike Dempster, editor at Too Much Love Magazine, and Ross Karlan, curator-in-residence at Laundromat in Little Haiti, this group show at Mahara+Co showcases an international cohort of six artists exploring Fernando Pessoa's assertion that "the only reality is that which we dream." Participants include Pedro Delgado of Brazil, Ernesto Gutiérrez Moya of Cuba, Bahamian Jodi Minnis, Dominican Pedro Troncoso, Pedro Zhang of Portugal, and Chilean Manuela Viera-Gallo. Opening Saturday, August 2 at Mahara+Co., 224 NW 71st St., Miami; 786-498-8706; mahara-co.com.

Dominique Russell at Dalé Zine

Next up at Miami's favorite art book and zine shop in the Design District is a quirky exhibition of custom vinyl record liner art collected and photographed by British artist Dominique Russell. Sourced from her father's record shop in Essex, the custom artworks drawn by fans on the inner sleeves of their records span from the 1950s to the turn of the millennium and feature all sorts of iconic musicians from the 20th century. The photos are compiled in Russell's book Sleeve Notes, which will presumably be sold at the shop. Opening Saturday, August 9, at Dalé Zine, 50 NE 40th St., Miami; dalezineshop.com.

"Moving Beyond Bars" at ICA Miami Expansion

Next up at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami's Expansion space is an exhibition of art by incarcerated artists. "Moving Behind Bars" collects work from 32 inmates at two state prisons in South Dakota and the Florida Women's Prison in Ocala. It features murals, written reflections, video documentation, and sound artwork. The show has a short run, opening on Saturday, August 9, with a panel discussion featuring the program coordinators and closing the following Saturday, August 16. Opening Saturday, August 9, at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami, Expansion; 61 NE 41st St., Miami; 305-901-5272; icamiami.org.

Entes at the Museum of Graffiti

The Museum of Graffiti in Wynwood is putting on a show of work by Peruvian street artist Entes, who honed his craft on the streets of Lima. Entes' latest works utilize a process called the Strappo Technique, in which the uppermost layer of paint is removed from a wall to preserve the painted-on artwork. The Wynwood attraction will host a free "Collectors Night" event with the artist at 7 p.m. on Friday, August 16. The show runs until Thursday, September 25. Opening Saturday, August 16, at the Museum of Graffiti Private Gallery, 2521 NW Third Ave., Miami; 786-580-4678; museumofgraffiti.com. Admission is free with RSVP via eventbrite.com.

Elliot & Erick Jiménez at Pérez Art Museum Miami

Next up at the PAMM is the first solo museum show from rising art world stars and identical twins Elliot and Erick Jiménez. Known for photographing Bad Bunny for Time magazine, the Florida Prize for Contemporary Art winners draw upon art history, their experience with the Afro-Cuban Lucumí religion, and their bicultural upbringing as Cuban-Americans in Miami in an exhibition titled "El Monte," curated by Marissa Lacayo. The show takes its name from the book of the same title by Lydia Cabrera on Afro-Cuban religious practices that became known as the "Santería Bible." With arresting images caught between painting and photography and a concept deeply rooted in South Florida's immigrant and spiritual communities, the show will no doubt appeal to many. The show runs through March 2026. Opening Thursday, August 28 at Pérez Art Museum Miami, 1103 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; 305-375-3000; pamm.org. Admission costs $18 for adults; $14 for visitors ages 7 to 18, students, and seniors ages 62 or older. Admission is free for children under 6, persons with disabilities and caregivers, Florida educators, healthcare professionals, first responders, and active U.S. military and veterans.