The Rubell Family Collection (RFC) was established in 1964 in New York City, shortly after its founders Donald and Mera Rubell were married. It is now one of the world’s largest, privately owned contemporary art collections.
A Miami fixture since 1993, RFC is exhibited in a 45,000 square foot repurposed Drug Enforcement Agency facility. The Contemporary Arts Foundation (CAF) was created in 1994 to expand the publicly accessible RFC’s public mission inside the paradigm of a contemporary art museum.
The collection is constantly expanding and features such well-known artists as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, Damien Hirst, Jeff Koons, Cindy Sherman, Kara Walker and Andy Warhol. In addition to displaying internationally established artists, the Rubells actively acquire, exhibit and champion emerging artists working at the forefront of contemporary art.
Each year the Foundation presents thematic exhibitions drawn from the collection with accompanying catalogs. These exhibitions often travel to museums around the world. Exhibitions are currently on view at the Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk and Fundacion Banco Santander in Madrid.
The Foundation has been recognized as a pioneer in what is often referred to as the “Miami model,” whereby private collectors create a new, independent form of public institution.
The Foundation also maintains an internship program, an ongoing lecture series and an extensive artwork loan program to facilitate exhibitions at museums around the world. Its ongoing partnership with Miami Public Schools enables thousands of schoolchildren to visit and engage with the Foundation every year. In addition, the Foundation has a public research library containing over 40,000 volumes and a comprehensive contemporary art bookstore.
