40 Years of Library Excellence

A Guide to Art at Your Library

Photographer Noelle Théard discussing Gleason Waite Romer photographs, Main Library, March 2010

Many of the artworks in the branches are part of the Library System's special collection of over 2200 works of art. The collection consists mostly of works on paper including limited edition prints and drawings, photographs, small sculptures, and artists’ books, publications and multiples.

The Permanent Art Collection is a reference resource that reflects Miami’s cultural composition and chronicles its artistic and social history. Many works relate to language, libraries and literary themes. The over 860 artists represented in the collection include Purvis Young, Edward Ruscha, Gleason Waite Romer, Kabuya Pamela Bowens, Carl Van Vechten, Lynn Golub Gelfman, Emilio Sanchez, Elizabeth Catlett, Jacob Lawrence, Agustín Fernandez, Gary L. Moore, Christian Marclay, and Fernando Garcia.

Each branch exhibits artwork from the Library’s Permanent Collection . Click on the drop-down menu below to select a branch. Check back periodically as we often rotate our artwork collection.

To search the Permanent Art Collection in the Library Catalog:

1. Go to the Library Catalog at catalog.mdpls.org .
2. On the top left, click on the Search tab.
3. Click on “Advanced” in the navigation bar.
4. For the broadest possible search, type a keyword in the search box. To search by artist, select “Author” in the drop-down menu under “All Word Fields.”
5. Scroll down the page to “Collections” and select “Permanent Art Collection.”
6. Click the “Perform Search” button on the left-hand side.
7. To see more information about a catalog entry, click “Full Display.”
8. To see where in the system the work is located, click “Availability.”

sponsor