The de la Cruz Collection was a landmark contemporary art museum located at 23 NE 41st Street in Miami's Design District that operated as a free public institution from 2009 until its permanent closure in 2024. Founded by Cuban-born businessman Carlos de la Cruz and his wife Rosa, the museum housed an extraordinary collection of approximately 1,000 contemporary artworks spanning multiple decades and artistic movements, featuring pieces by renowned artists including Christopher Wool, Mark Bradford, Félix González-Torres, Ana Mendieta, Peter Doig, and Isa Genzken. The 30,000-square-foot facility, designed by architect John Marquette, emerged from the couple's passion for collecting that began in the late 1980s from their home and evolved through their stewardship of Moore Space, a nonprofit kunsthalle they founded and chaired from 2001 to 2007. Since 1998, ArtNews consistently recognized Rosa and Carlos de la Cruz among the worldwide survey of Top 200 Collectors, cementing their status as influential tastemakers in the global contemporary art world. The museum closed following Rosa de la Cruz's death in February 2024 after a lengthy illness, with her family subsequently selecting Christie's auction house to sell the collection over several sales for an estimated total of $30 million. Rosa's visionary leadership transformed the de la Cruz Collection into an essential cultural institution that shaped Miami's artistic identity during the city's emergence as a major international art hub, while her educational initiatives sent hundreds of Miami students on study trips to premier art centers in Europe and New York City.
