Jack Pierson: The Miami Years 6 Must-See Museum Exhibitions During Miami Art Week
By Paul Laster
With Art Basel Miami Beach returning to the Miami Beach Convention Center for its 23rd edition this week, and several satellite fairs taking place across Greater Miami, local art museums are stepping up by showcasing their best exhibitions of the year.
Jack Pierson | The Bass Museum of Art
A multidisciplinary American artist, Jack Pierson is widely known for his photography, sculpture, drawing, and text-based installations. His art explores emotional experiences and pop culture, evoking memories, absence, longing, and glamour. Born in Massachusetts in 1960, he rose to prominence in the late 1980s with the “Boston School,” a group of expressive photographers including Nan Goldin and Philip-Lorca diCorcia. His first trip from New York to Miami Beach in 1984 sparked frequent visits, influenced by Miami’s evolving art, fashion, and celebrity scenes. The Bass show, “The Miami Years,” is the first exhibition to highlight how Miami shaped Pierson’s life and work. It showcases his monumental word sculptures, made from found commercial signage and vintage letters; diaristic photos centered on personal stories and queer experiences; drawings and paintings inspired by human emotion; and assemblages and installations—including a new Bass commission that combines ephemeral printed materials with his own photographs and works on paper—which reframe these found elements into emotionally impactful artworks.
Through August 16, 2026
