The Wolfson Family
The Family
Mitchell Wolfson Sr. built Wometco Enterprises, a Miami-based entertainment empire of movie theaters, television (it owned Miami's first TV station), vending, and concessions that made the family a pillar of mid-century Miami business. The family was also part of the city's prominent Jewish establishment.
The dynasty's most distinctive figure is Micky Wolfson Jr., an heir who became one of the world's great collectors of modern design, decorative arts, and propaganda — amassing a collection so vast it became a museum. He gave it to Florida International University as the Wolfsonian–FIU on Miami Beach.
Why They Matter
The Wolfsons bridge two Miamis: the mid-century media-and-entertainment business establishment, and the art-and-design city Miami later became. Micky Wolfson's museum gave the Art Deco district a serious scholarly institution decades before Art Basel, an early proof that Miami could be a place of genuine cultural depth.
Where You See Them Today
The Wolfsonian–FIU in South Beach is the family's enduring monument — a museum of design and propaganda art at the heart of the Deco district.
Further Reading
- The Wolfsonian–FIU institutional materials
- Histories of Wometco and mid-century Miami media
Neighborhoods: Miami Beach Eras: The MiMo / Postwar Boom · The Wynwood & Art Basel Era Movements: The Jewish Migration Related people: Mitchell "Micky" Wolfson Jr. Landmarks: The Wolfsonian–FIU