A groundbreaking exhibition featuring erotic artwork from the collection of renowned collector Beth Rudin DeWoody has opened at Miami's Museum of Sex, marking a significant cultural moment for the boundary-pushing institution. The show, titled "Hard Art: Unruly Selections from the Beth Rudin DeWoody Collection," opened on October 16, 2025, and will remain on view through May 2026 at the museum's Allapattah neighborhood location.
The comprehensive exhibition showcases an impressive array of provocative artworks spanning nearly a century, from the 1930s through contemporary pieces. The collection includes sculptures, paintings, collages, photography, and installations created by several well-known artists, including Sally Mann, Judith Bernstein, Marilyn Minter, Dash Snow, and Derrick Adams. These works represent some of the most daring and unconventional pieces from DeWoody's extensive collection, which has earned her recognition as an ARTnews Top 200 collector.
DeWoody's journey as a collector began during her preteen years, though her early acquisitions were far from controversial – she started with Beatles paraphernalia rather than the provocative works she's known for today. The Miami New Times has described her as "something of a Keeper of the Erotic Flame through ever-changing social mores, perspectives, cultural evolutions, and political persecutions." Her current collection includes pieces that push boundaries, such as seven-foot pink sculptures and paintings depicting women in intimate contemporary settings, reflecting the evolution of erotic art in the digital age.
The exhibition comes one year after New York's Museum of Sex established its Miami outpost, expanding the institution's reach and providing a new venue for challenging artistic expressions. "Hard Art" is co-curated by Maynard Monrow and Laura Dvorkin, both of whom serve as in-house curators for DeWoody's eclectic collection. Their expertise in managing and presenting DeWoody's diverse holdings has been instrumental in bringing this particular subset of erotic works to public attention.
Tam Gryn, managing director of the Museum of Sex, praised the exhibition and DeWoody's collecting philosophy, describing "Hard Art" to the New Times as "bold, hilarious, important, beautiful." Gryn further emphasized DeWoody's unique position in the art world, stating that she is "ahead of her time and unpredictable" and expressing admiration for "the way she has been devoted to collecting work from erotic perspectives no one else has."
Throughout her career, DeWoody has not only collected art but also actively curated exhibitions at prestigious museums and galleries across multiple cities, including New York, New Orleans, Chicago, London, and Vermont. This hands-on approach to curation has allowed her to develop a deep understanding of how to present challenging artwork to diverse audiences while maintaining artistic integrity.
DeWoody has previously expressed her desire to make more of her collection accessible to the public, once telling ARTnews, "For me, always, the frustration is I'd like more of the work to get out there." The Miami Museum of Sex exhibition represents a significant step toward fulfilling that goal, particularly for the more provocative subset of her well-regarded collection that might not find venues in traditional museum settings.
The exhibition's opening adds to Miami's growing reputation as a destination for cutting-edge contemporary art, complementing the city's established art scene that includes major events like Art Basel. The Museum of Sex's decision to host this particular collection demonstrates the institution's commitment to presenting art that challenges conventional boundaries and sparks important conversations about sexuality, identity, and artistic expression in contemporary society.
