Bob Dylan's Beloved Paintings Are Getting Their Own Exhibit at a Miami Museum

Cailey Rizzo
·2 min read
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Bob Dylan contains multitudes.

A retrospective of the legendary singer's visual artwork opened to the public in Miami this week in conjunction with Art Basel, one of the world's most famous art festivals, takes over the city.

"Retrospectum," as the show has been called, will feature a survey of Dylan's work, dating back to the 1960s when he began drawing while on the road as a musician. The show also includes some abstract sketches from the 1970s, but the majority of the work on display has been created over the last 15 years.

More than 180 of Dylan's paintings, drawings and sculptures created over the last 60 years will be on display, according to the Frost Art Museum.

Although Dylan has been creating work for decades, his visual art wasn't displayed to the public until 2007, when a gallery in Germany showcased his work. This show at the Frost Art Museum marks the first Bob Dylan retrospective in America.

Musician Bob Dylan performs onstage during the 17th Annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards held at The Hollywood Palladium on January 12, 2012 in Los Angeles, California.
Musician Bob Dylan performs onstage during the 17th Annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards held at The Hollywood Palladium on January 12, 2012 in Los Angeles, California.

Christopher Polk/Getty Images for VH1

Many of the pieces reflect Dylan's interest in Americana, featuring iconography like diners, motels, gas stations and railway tracks.

Music fans will appreciate that some of the pieces line up with Dylan's most famous songs. (The cards that he created for the "Subterranean Homesick Blues" music video have been framed and are on display, along with the video on loop.)

Dylan's artwork has been displayed at places like the National Portrait Gallery in London, the Palazzo Reale in Milan, and the Modern Art Museum (MAM) in Shanghai, where "Retrospectum" debuted.

"He was recognized in every possible way as a writer, as a composer, as a singer, as a performer and so on. It is now that the audience sees also the last element," Shai Baitel, the artistic director of MAM Shanghai, told the Associated Press. "Dylan is able to express himself in so many ways."

The show will remain open to the public until April 17, with timed tickets available to purchase online. Tickets are $16 for adults, $12 for seniors and free for any visitors aged 17 or younger.

Cailey Rizzo is a contributing writer for Travel + Leisure, currently based in Brooklyn. You can find her on Twitter, Instagram, or at caileyrizzo.com.