Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood and its famed Wynwood Walls have become a bastion of art in South Florida, but the area’s rising prices are driving out young creatives. Seeking a more affordable cost of living, many have shifted north to Fort Lauderdale with their talents, transforming parts of the city into up-and-coming hip hubs for art.
Here are a handful of spots where you can check out Fort Lauderdale’s burgeoning creative scene.
As always, check for travel guidelines and closures before planning your trip.
Follow the Mockingbird Trail of Urban Art
Flagler Village is home to Mockingbird Trail, an interactive outdoor art gallery. The urban art path covers two miles of walkways that wind past dozens of public art installations. Steel sculptures throughout track the whereabouts of the trail’s mythical namesake giant orange mockingbird. Can you find where the bird has gone?
Along the Mockingbird Trail, you’ll witness South Florida’s first multisensory mural, “Main Course,” by local artist Ernesto Maranje. The tactile exhibit has a texturized wall and was designed with motion sensors that trigger smells and sounds in order to be inclusive and give visually impaired people the chance to experience street art.
Visit the Riverwalk Arts and Entertainment District
Ogle the art. (Photo: Courtesy of NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale)
Not far from FATVillage in downtown Fort Lauderdale is the Riverwalk A&E District. This is the place to visit if you’re drawn toward traditional art forms.
Here you’ll find the NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale, which houses a permanent collection of more than 7,000 works of art. Rotating visiting exhibits have included a showing of masterpieces by Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera.
Don’t miss the iconic “Acid-Free” mural by Floridian artist Jen Stark, which features a trippy pattern of rainbow paint dripping over the side of the modernist museum building. The museum is free to enter on the first Thursday evening of every month for the Sunny Days/Starry Nights program, which includes drink specials and workshops, like the history of art and hip-hop in South Florida.
If you prefer Broadway-worthy shows, check the schedule of events at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, the venue that has brought “Hamilton,” “Rent,” and other world-famous shows to Fort Lauderdale, as well as local programming. More than 1,000 annual performances include ballets, operas, plays, concerts, and more shows.
If you’re a fan of opera, you should grab tickets to whatever’s on at the Florida Grand Opera, which was founded in 1941 and continues to produce groundbreaking shows to this day.
View the Public Art on Display at Port Everglades
Head toward Port Everglades, one of the largest ports in the U.S. and a major cruise ship hub, to view dozens of public art pieces brought to the area by Broward County’s Public Art & Design Program. Local artists and their work play a prime role here.
Keep an eye out for Laura Atria’s “Ocean’s Footprint” mural, featuring native oceanic life such as manatees and sea turtles that she grew up seeing whenever she went deep-sea diving.
Scope Out Street Art Around FATVillage
FATVillage is downtown Fort Lauderdale’s thriving creative enclave. The four-block historic warehouse district in Flagler Village is now packed with vibrant street art murals, art studios, and galleries. The 501(c)(3) nonprofit art organization creates sustainable opportunities for the local artistic community at three warehouse spaces that showcase local contemporary art.
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