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Deco: Luxury to Mass Market

October 19, 2018–March 12, 2020
The Wolfsonian–FIU @ 1001 Washington Avenue

"Art Deco" has come to evoke a set of styles that emerged in the 1920s and 1930s out of aspirations to fuse art and industry into a modern language of design. From exquisite handcrafted objects to streamlined household appliances, the items on display in Deco demonstrated how American designers adapted a style associated with European luxury to the demands of industrial mass production. Through decorative arts, product design, architecture, and graphics from the Wolfsonian collection, the exhibition traced Art Deco's origins in Europe, its migration to the United States, and its evolution into a fully American style—perhaps most spectacularly realized on Miami Beach in the 1930s.

Deco: Luxury to Mass Market was made possible by Diane and Alan Lieberman and the South Beach Group, with the support of Jamestown, L.P., and Saul and Jane Gross and Streamline Properties. Shown concurrently in 2019 were Deco Designs, a library installation of Art Deco pochoir stencils, and Destination Deco, a display of Wolfsonian Art Deco collection highlights on view in Miami International Airport's North Terminal D.

Alexa Trivia

Instagram Tour

Miami Beach Deco Walk self-guided neighborhood tour brochure

Deco in the Wild

Connect the history of Art Deco with today's Miami Beach, a world-renowned hotspot of Tropical Deco architecture! Draw links between the objects in the exhibition and 7 buildings right in The Wolfsonian's South Beach backyard.

Print the free booklet at home or download the PocketSights app to find a mobile-friendly version.