Palm Beach County is known for its magnificent mansions and iconic resorts, but what takes most people by surprise is that this tropical paradise is also a mecca for the arts.
Located in the southeastern part of the state of Florida, Palm Beach County is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and extends inland to Lake Okeechobee in the west. It covers an area of approximately 2,383 square miles, the largest in Florida by land area. It is also the third most populous county in the state after Miami-Dade County and Broward County, with an estimated population of more than 1.5 million.
It includes Palm Beach, located on the barrier island known as Palm Beach Island, one of Florida’s easternmost cities, and renowned for its upscale lifestyle, pristine beaches, luxurious estates, and vibrant cultural scene.
West Palm Beach, situated on the western side of the Intracoastal Waterway, is the largest and most populous city in Palm Beach County and serves as the county seat. It offers a mix of urban amenities, outdoor recreation, and waterfront vistas, and cultural attractions.
Join me in exploring an eclectic community brought together by the irrepressible pull of its arts and culture.
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EXPLORING PALM BEACH COUNTY’S ART AND CULTURE SCENE
Art imitates life – and with its scenic location and tropical vibe, the Palm Beach County arts scene has nurtured the kind of creative expression that’s given rise to spaces and events that celebrate legacy, emerging artists, and contemporary creations.
Museums of all kinds beckon to residents and tourists alike. Palm Beach art galleries are in abundance, with striking murals gracing public spaces and numerous art events and programs occurring throughout the year.
Here are just some of the many arts and culture destinations in Palm Beach County, FL.
ART SPACES
The Society of the Four Arts
100 Four Arts Plaza, Palm Beach, FL 33480
Founded in 1936, The Four Arts is devoted to keeping the love of art, music, literature, and drama alive in Palm Beach. Managed by a nonprofit, the Society of the Four Arts, this cultural destination is located in the Esther B. O’Keeffe Gallery Building.
The Four Arts Plaza includes the following:
- Esther B. O’Keeffe Art Gallery
- Mary Alice Fortin Children’s Art Gallery
- Four Arts Library
- Four Arts Children’s Library
- Four Arts Concert Hall auditorium
- Four Arts Botanical Gardens
- Philip Hulitar Sculpture Gardens
Mounts Botanical Garden
531 N Military Trl, West Palm Beach, FL 33415
With more than 7,000 species of tropical plants, the Mounts Botanical Garden is an oasis located just behind the Palm Beach International Airport. This 20-acre garden is filled with more than just greenery as arts and cultural events are also hosted here. For example, the Origami in the Garden is a traveling exhibit that has drawn millions of visitors from all over the world. It features 20 massive sculptures, which include flowers, horses, and cranes, created in a captivating origami style.
Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens
253 Barcelona Rd.,West Palm Beach, FL 33401
Nestled in the historic neighborhood of El Cid, the Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens is surrounded by spectacular views of the Intracoastal Waterway. The garden is part of The Norton House & Gallery, which is listed under the National Register of Historic Places. The understated elegance of the home’s Monterey Revival style complements the lush gardens that envelop it.
More than 250 rare palm species flourish in the two-acre garden designed by celebrated botanist Sir Peter Smithers. Aside from native plants, 100 of Ann Norton’s sculptures can be found throughout the house and the property. These sculptures were meant to be hidden and discovered by visitors throughout the garden.
Besides the array of sculptures and rare palms, there are plenty of activities to enjoy here. Residents can spend their evenings with music and art. There are resource speakers for art and culture. For young children, there are storytime events set in the midst of the lush surroundings.
ART GALLERIES
Acquavella Gallery
340 Royal Poinciana Way, Suite M309, Palm Beach, FL 33480
Acquavella Gallery is known for its focus on 19th, 20th, and 21st century art. Founded in the 1920s, this family-run gallery first featured Old Masters and Italian Renaissance artworks before expanding to include works of cubist, impressionist. post-impressionist, and surrealist maestros. Aficionados will be delighted with its regular exhibitions of works by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Paul Cézanne, Edgar Degas, Joan Miró, and Andy Warhol, to name a few.
Sotheby’s Gallery
The Slat House at The Royal Poinciana Plaza
50 Cocoanut Row, Suite 101, Palm Beach, FL 33480
A name that brings to mind auctions of the world’s finest art, Sotheby’s Gallery is located at the Slat House, which is within a luxury shopping and dining destination in Palm Beach. Throughout the year, exhibits, auction highlights, and artworks for immediate purchase are constantly rotated, giving patrons a wide range to choose from. Past selling exhibitions included works by Pablo Picasso, Alberto Gicometti, Willem de Kooning, Yayoi Kusama, and Cy Twombly.
Lévy Gorvy Dayan Gallery
The Slat House at The Royal Poinciana Plaza
50 Cocoanut Row, Suite 122, Palm Beach, FL 33480
The Levy Gorvy Dayan Gallery is also located in the Slat House at The Royal Poinciana Plaza. This collaborative international gallery features the finest works of postwar and contemporary artists such as Alexander Calder, Lucian Freud, Yves Klein, Barbara Kruger, and Fernand Leger. Aside from being a leading expert in 20th-century American and European art, Lévy Gorvy Dayan Gallery also represents estates.
Gavlak Gallery
340 Royal Poinciana Way, Suite M334, Palm Beach, FL 33480
Gavlak was the first contemporary art gallery in Palm Beach. This internationally recognized venue, which has another location in Los Angeles, has focused on women, LGBTQ, and BIPOC artists for more than 10 years. Gavlak also founded the New Wave Art Wknd, which is a dedicated collectors weekend featuring a dialogue between curators, collectors, and artists.
Oditto Gallery
139 N County Rd Suite 11, Palm Beach, FL 33480
The Oditto Gallery is a fine art venue with a robust collection of modern art pieces and collector must-haves. It is also the first fully hybrid gallery in the world to offer digital certificates (or NFTs) with every purchased piece of art. The Oditto Gallery is known to house unique and exciting pieces from modern artists like Mr. Brainwash, Yury Darashkevich, Gabe Weis, Dain, and Rogerio Peixoto.
ART MUSEUMS
Norton Museum of Art
1450 S. Dixie Highway West Palm Beach, FL 33401
Located in West Palm Beach, the Norton Museum of Art was founded in 1941 to house the art collection of Ralph and Elizabeth Norton. It is now one of Florida’s premier cultural institutions with more than 8,200 works of art included in the museum’s permanent collection.
This Palm Beach art museum has five categories in its permanent collection, namely: American, European, Chinese, Contemporary, and Photography. Its European collection includes Claude Monet’s Gardens of the Villa Moreno, Bordighera; Paul Gauguin’s Christ in the Garden of Olives; and a Cubist sculpture by Pablo Picasso. Featured in the American collection are Georgia O’ Keeffe’s The Red Flower, Jackson Pollock’s Night Mist, and Man Ray’s conceptual Chess Set.
The museum’s 165-seater, The Restaurant, serves brunch, lunch, dinner, and private events. It has spectacular views of the garden, thanks to the dining hall’s floor-to-ceiling windows. A garden-themed collection of art is also on show, which includes Fernand Léger’s Le Tournesol (The Sunflower).
Cornell Art Museum
51 N Swinton Ave, Delray Beach, FL 33444
Set in the historic Old School Square campus in Delray Beach, the Cornell Art Museum seeks to inspire appreciation and creativity through thought-provoking art. This contemporary art museum is housed in a building that dates back to 1913 and stands out in the downtown area because of its Masonry Vernacular architectural style. From singular themed exhibits to group exhibitions, Cornell Art Museum seeks to engage the communities of South Florida.
The Cornell Art Museum provides space for both spotlighted work and main exhibitions on the first floor. Local artists usually have month-long exhibits while nationally and internationally recognized artists are featured in the main exhibition space on the first floor.
The museum’s souvenir shop offers unique decor, local artworks, and handcrafted jewelry from 50 artists that live in the region.
Henry Morrison Flagler Museum
One Whitehall Way, Palm Beach, FL 33480
The Henry Morrison Flagler Museum is a truly immersive experience that captivates its visitors with the collection of the industrialist who helped develop Florida as a tourist destination and transportation hub during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Moreover, the museum transports visitors back to America’s Gilded Age. Located along Cocoanut Row and Whitehall Way in Palm Beach, the Henry Morrison Flagler Museum is also a National Historic Landmark. Hundreds of visitors walk through its luxurious rooms every year to soak in the lavish pageantry of a bygone era.
Set in a Gilded Age mansion, this Palm Beach art museum perfectly captures the old-world elegance the region is famous for.
First known as Whitehall, the 100,000-square-foot mansion-turned- Palm Beach art museum was built in 1902 as a winter residence for its owner. With its striking Italian Renaissance features and formal symmetry, it is one of the finest examples of neoclassical Beaux Arts architecture in the US.
While the inspiration for the museum’s design were the Apollonian Greek temples, the 75-room mansion features designs from the eras of Louis XIV, Louis XV, Louis XVI, and Francis I. The restored rooms feature heavy gilding, intricate ceiling murals, marble floors, and period pieces.
Once proclaimed by the New York Herald as grander and more magnificent than any American and European abode, the museum has seen many changes throughout the years – from a private vacation home, to a luxury hotel, and finally to the museum that stands today.
Every year, special exhibitions are held for Gilded Age paintings, sculptures, and glamor photography. Aside from the period paintings that are permanently on display in the rooms, the museum regularly features American and European artists, as well as seasonal exhibits of Henry Flagler’s private Gilded Age painting collection.
The museum’ souvenir shop offers a large collection of memorabilia and books on art and history. There’s also a Gilded Age-themed tea service at the museum’s Cafe des Beaux-Arts.
ART EVENTS AND FESTIVALS
Art Palm Beach
Palm Beach County Convention Center on January 22-26, 2025
650 Okeechobee Blvd, West Palm Beach, FL 33401
Palm Beach County’s Art Palm Beach is a mid-winter event that redefines artistic boundaries while helping charitable institutions. This Palm Beach art show features a global selection of modern and contemporary art, with a glittering array of prominent players in the local art scene gracing the show. This year’s edition saw Art Palm Beach support the American Heart Association.
First Friday Art Walk
Downtown Delray Beach, 51 N Swinton Ave, Delray Beach, FL 3444
Save the first Friday of each month for one of the most popular community events in Palm Beach. The First Friday Art Walk allows participants to witness their favorite artists in action and talk to them about their artistic process. For collectors, this is a great time to purchase artworks and learn the story behind each piece firsthand from the artist.
Armory Holiday Arts Festival
Armory Art Center, 811 Park Pl, West Palm Beach, FL 33401
Every first weekend of December, locals flock to the weekend outdoor arts festival at the Armory Art Center. The Armory Holiday Arts Festival features creations by local artisans, exhibits, live music, tours, and activities for children. Everyone can enjoy the festival free of charge and there are many artisan booths for those who want to shop for unique gifts.
LOCAL ART PROGRAMS
Palm Beach Atlantic University
901 S Flagler Drive, West Palm Beach, FL 33401
The Palm Beach Atlantic University‘s College of the Arts is the perfect facility for those who want to hone their artistic skills and exceed their potential. Located in West Palm Beach, the university offers the following courses:
Armory Art Center
Armory Art Center, 811 Park Pl, West Palm Beach, FL 33401
If you’re looking for new ways to unleash your creativity, check out the unique courses at the Armory Art Center. Located in downtown West Palm Beach, the center is housed in a stunning Art Deco Building dating back to 1939. It has three buildings with artist studios hosting workshops, standard art sessions, private art lessons, and art camps.
Since 1987, the Armory Art Center has taught thousands of artists. The center offers courses including:
There are classes for all difficulty levels and for all ages. Aside from the regular classes, the center also offers visiting master artist workshops.
THE FUTURE OF PALM BEACH COUNTY’S ART AND CULTURE SCENE
Two million visitors a year head to Palm Beach to enjoy what it has to offer including a rich art and culture scene. Some stay for good.
In recent years, residents from New York and California have relocated to Florida because of the warm weather, affordable cost of living, job opportunities, spacious living areas, and outdoor activities. Florida’s lack of state income tax is an additional draw. Prominent figures in the art world have taken notice and, as a result, more and more galleries and art venues are opening in Palm Beach County.
As this trend is expected to continue in the coming years, locals and visitors can look forward to newer and more exciting developments in the art and culture of Palm Beach.
SUZANNE FRISBIE, YOUR TOP REALTOR IN PALM BEACH COUNTY
If you like being surrounded by art and culture, check out the homes for sale in Palm Beach, West Palm Beach, and other cities in Palm Beach County. Be a part of the thriving Palm Beach arts and culture community!
Living in Palm Beach County means being a part of a thriving community in one of Florida’s most exciting destinations. In addition to its thriving arts and culture scene, Palm Beach County enjoys a booming real estate market, diverse housing options, a selection of amenities, and endless opportunities for those looking to make a fresh start in the Sunshine State.
I am Suzanne Frisbie of the Frisbie Palm Beach team specializing in homes for sale in Palm Beach County and the South Florida region. As a licensed broker-associate with over 30 years of experience in the South Florida real estate market, I have been rated #1 in Palm Beach County, #1 in Florida, and #15 in the USA by sales volume as reported by WSJ Real Trends 2020.
I’ve been helping every kind of client – from first-time buyers to investors – achieve their real estate goals.
Experience top-notch, personalized, and data-driven real estate services by me and my team to help make your navigation of the Palm Beach County real estate market a breeze. Call me, Suzanne Frisbie, at 561.373.0941 or send me an email today.
