This month, the Lowe Art Museum invites visitors to engage with art through a thoughtfully curated series of programs that span cultures, time periods, and artistic practices. With a focus on both learning and participation, the museum’s lineup reflects its role as a cultural and educational hub on the University of Miami campus.
Featured programs include expert-led tours that encourage visitors to think more deeply about the meaning and function of art. In “Expert Tour: What is Art For?”, participants will examine works from different periods and regions, beginning with “Le Neveu de Rameau” by Frank Stella, and consider how art has served ritual, devotional, and functional purposes throughout history.
Another tour, “Expert Tour: Ancient and Contemporary Japanese Ceramics,” highlights connections between historical and modern works in the museum’s Asian art collection. Led by museum educator Simone Sutnick, the program offers insight into how tradition and innovation intersect within Japanese ceramic practices.
April also marks the opening of two significant exhibitions that center on Afro-Cuban art and identity. The first, “El Pasado Mío / My Own Past: Afrodescendant Contributions To Cuban Art,” brings together the work of 45 artists spanning nearly two centuries to celebrate both internationally recognized figures and individuals whose contributions have historically been overlooked—including a group of 11 female artists whose works are being shown together for the first time.
Presented alongside it, “Afrocubanismo: Highlights From The Ramón and Nercys Cernuda Collection” explores a pivotal artistic movement in 1930s Cuba. The exhibition examines how artists responded to European modernism while re-centering Afro-Cuban culture, featuring works shaped by complex social dynamics, including those by Wifredo Lam.
The exhibitions debut with a members’ preview of “El Pasado Mío,” followed by a joint opening reception celebrating both shows, offering visitors an opportunity to experience these works within a broader cultural and historical context.
In addition to its exhibitions and tours, the Lowe Art Museum continues to engage the community through interactive programming. The “Family Art Workshop: Earth Day” invites participants to celebrate nature through art by creating sun prints using light-sensitive paper and natural materials, such as leaves and flowers. The workshop emphasizes sustainability and creativity, offering an accessible entry point for younger audiences and families.
Together, April’s events highlight the Lowe Art Museum’s commitment to presenting art as both an object of study and a living, participatory experience. Whether through examining the role of art across cultures, engaging with historically significant exhibitions, or creating something new, visitors are invited to connect with art in ways that are both personal and collective.
For more information about programming, visit the Lowe Art Museum’s calendar.
