Aesthetics – Dr. Elizabeth Scarbrough

First I want to say that the name of this post is a reference (homage?) to an underrated Chris Rock movie, Top 5.

But today I wanted to talk about “Top 5” lists. Recently I wrote two Top 5 lists for Aesthetics For Birds: my top five movies of the past ten years and top five novels of the past ten years. Aesthetics For Birds did a series of top five lists for movies, writing, art, TV shows, games, music, and a really fun top ten anything list.

Well, my movie list (with brief justificatory summary) was overwhelmingly non-English speaking and male. On the foreign language heavy focus of my list: I’m with Bong Joon Ho whose Golden Globe speech implored folks to get beyond the “1-inch tall barrier of subtitles.” Your world literally opens up if you watch world cinema. However, I do feel uncomfortable with the maleness of the list I presented.

When I think of some of my favorite documentaries of the past ten years, my list is overwhelmingly English-language but not that more gender-balanced. So I urge you to read everyone’s lists over at Aesthetics for Birds, and I’d like to add a list of five favorite documentaries of the past ten years below (in no particular order):

Cave of Forgotten Dreams (Herzog, 2010)
I am not your negro (Peck, 2016)
Exit Through the Gift Shop (Banksy? 2010)
Faces Places (Varda and J.R., 2017)
Shirkers (Tan, 2018)

I’m not including The Act of Killing on this list, since it made my overall best of the last ten year list (but The Act of Killing is a favorite documentary of mine). And I’m not even sure if these are the documentaries I think are *the best* but they are the ones I’ve enjoyed watching the most.

Some honorable mentions: Finding Vivian Maier, Leviathan, Kedi, and The Black Power Mixtape.

Hi FIU aesthetics students! I am trying to compile a list of free/cheap artsy things to do in the area. Have anything you’d like to add? Please e-mail me at escarbro@fiu.edu.

ART MUSEUMS

Patricia & Philip Frost Art Museum (FIU campus, free)

A contemporary art museum, this museum is always free (for everyone)! The museum is located on FIU campus (right next to Vicky’s café) and has rotating exhibits. The museum also hosts various talks and workshops – all for free! The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday and is closed on Monday. https://frost.fiu.edu

The Wolfsonian Museum – FIU (Miami Beach, always freefor FIU students/faculty/staff)

The Wolfsonian museum is a quirky collection of objects, from the “mundane to the monumental.” Their objects include ephemera (including propaganda posters), mid-century furniture, paintings, and more. They usually have curated exhibitions of their permanent collection on one floor, and a rotating collection on other floors. The collection contains objects from the 1850s to the 1950s. They have an awesome shop/café on the first floor, great for working after a trip to the museum. Bonus: the museum is open to the public for free every Friday from 6 pm – 9pm, so take your family! https://www.wolfsonian.org

Jewish Museum of Florida – FIU (Miami Beach, always freefor FIU students/faculty/staff)

The Jewish Museum of Florida is housed in two buildings that were once synagogues for Miami Beach’s first Jewish congregation. The museum is “dedicated to telling the story of more than 250 years of Florida Jewish history, arts and culture.” They have rotating exhibits, as well as talks. It is a beautiful space and they have innovative and thought provoking rotating exhibits. Bonus: the museum is free for everyone on Saturday. https://jmof.fiu.edu

PAAM ( Perez Art Museum Miami) (Miami, free second Saturdays and first Thursdays)

The PAAM has reopened in a beautiful building, right on the Miami waterfront. Designed by Herzog & de Meuron, the building itself if worth a visit. The PAAM is “Miami’s flagship art museum,” with exhibits spanning modern to contemporary art. The museum entrance fee is $12 with student ID but is free for everyone every second Saturday and every first Thursdays (every first Thursday with extended hours 10 am – 9 pm). The museum café and shop is also worth a visit!

ICA Miami (Institute of Contemporary Art Miami) (Miami, free)

ICA Miami “is dedicated to promoting continuous experimentation in contemporary art, advancing new scholarship and fostering the exchange of art and ideas throughout the Miami region and internationally.” While ICA requests that you reserve tickets online, the tickets are free. ICA is a great contemporary art museum with loads of community engagement and outreach. They have volunteer programs, public talks, and monthly family days. https://www.icamiami.org

The Bass (Miami Beach, $5)

The Bass is open Wednesday through Sundays 10 am – 5 pm. It is a contemporary art museum, which exhibits in a wide range of media. It just reopened October 29, 2017 with new gallery spaces, a museum store and café. They have an “Art After Hours” program and a “Breakfast at The Bass” program. https://thebass.org

OTHER ART MUSEUMS / COLLECTIONS IN THE AREA:

Lowe Art Museum (U of Miami campus, $8 with student ID)

https://www.lowe.miami.edu

The Margulies Collection at the WAREhouse (Wynwood, free for Florida students)

http://www.margulieswarehouse.com/#/home

Rubell Family Collection (Miami, $5 students) (reopens December 5^th, 2018)

https://rfc.museum

And if you have a library card, you may be entitled to even more discounts! https://www.mdpls.org/museum-pass/museum-pass.aspv