Beyond Basel: Discover More Art in The Palm Beaches

When Art Basel brings collectors and curious visitors to South Florida, the art experience doesn’t have to end in Miami. Head north to The Palm Beaches, where museum exhibitions, artist-built spaces, and sculpture gardens offer plenty to explore at a different pace. This season, the destinations featured in our Beyond Basel guide range from contemporary collage and photography to Japanese printmaking and intimate encounters with artists’ homes and studios.

Boca Raton Museum of Art

At the Boca Raton Museum of Art, three exhibitions offer different ways of looking at the world. Drawing with Scissors: Collage from the Collection (through January 18, 2027) turns attention to an art form built from cutting, arranging, and reimagining existing materials. Tobi Kahn: Quest for the Essence and Spiritual Ecologies: Art, Nature, and Community (both through April 4, 2027) invite visitors to consider the connections between art, meaning, nature, and the communities around us. Together, they offer a compelling reason to spend an afternoon exploring the galleries at Mizner Park, whether you’re arriving with a favorite medium in mind or hoping to discover something unexpected.

Norton Museum of Art

In West Palm Beach, the Norton Museum of Art pairs an expansive collection with exhibitions that reward a closer look. Gertrude Abercrombie: The Whole World Is a Mystery introduces visitors to the artist’s enigmatic visual world, while Blazing Light: Photographs by Mimi Plumb shifts the focus to the expressive possibilities of photography. Both are on view through March 14, 2027. The contrast makes for an especially interesting visit: two artists working in very different media, each offering a distinct way to see familiar subjects anew. Leave time to explore the museum beyond the special exhibitions, including its permanent collection and outdoor sculpture garden.

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens

The Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens in Delray Beach offers an experience that moves naturally between the galleries and the landscape. Clifton Karhu: An American in Kyoto (through January 17, 2027) highlights an American artist whose work became closely associated with Japan, while Mending Cracks in Time: Kintsugi Art of Naoko Fukumaru (through February 28, 2027) explores the Japanese art of repairing broken objects with an approach that makes the repair part of the object’s story. The exhibitions bring two different artistic perspectives into focus. Beyond the museum, the Japanese gardens invite visitors to slow down, wander the paths, and experience the setting as an integral part of the visit.

Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens

At the Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens in West Palm Beach, art is as much about the setting as the works themselves. The former home and studio of sculptor Ann Weaver Norton is surrounded by lush gardens and her monumental sculptures, making it a destination that feels distinctly different from a conventional museum. This season, In Full Bloom: Flowers in the Garden – Pressed Flower Collage Portraits by Artist in Residence Bruce Helander brings a floral perspective to the site, while Nick Mele Photography: Parked for the Season adds photography to the mix. Both exhibitions run through January 10, 2027. Give yourself time to explore the grounds as well as the exhibitions; the relationship between art and landscape is part of the appeal.

Reuben Hale House & Sculpture Garden

For a more personal encounter with an artist’s world, visit Reuben Hale’s Historic Home & Sculpture Garden in West Palm Beach. The 1925 house was home to Reuben Aldridge Hale, Jr. (1927–2018), an American artist, educator, and civic leader. Rather than encountering his legacy solely through works displayed in a gallery, visitors have the opportunity to experience the place where he lived, surrounded by the setting of his creative life. It’s a different kind of art stop, one that offers a sense of the person behind the work. Tours are available by appointment only, so arrange your visit in advance rather than dropping by.

Arts Garage

In downtown Delray Beach, Arts Garage brings visual art and live performance together under one roof. Its current exhibition, Good Trouble, is on view through December 31, 2026, giving visitors another exhibition to add to a December art itinerary. The venue’s performance calendar offers a second reason to visit: you can explore the visual arts and return for music or another live event. That mix makes Arts Garage a lively counterpoint to the quieter museum and garden experiences elsewhere on the Beyond Basel route, and a reminder that the region’s creative scene extends beyond traditional gallery spaces.

Keep exploring beyond the fair

These six destinations are only a starting point for exploring the art on view in The Palm Beaches this season. Plan around an exhibition that catches your eye, leave time for a garden or artist’s home, and discover how much there is to see beyond Miami.