Palm Beach author's new book explores unique art institutions in U.S.
A new book by Linda Fischbach combines two of the part-time Palm Beach resident's favorite things: travel and art.
"Extraordinary Art Experiences: An Insider's Guide," spotlights 36 unique art collections around the United States, including eight in Florida.
One of those collections — The Bunker ArtSpace in West Palm Beach — is a short drive from Fischbach's home on the island. Other nearby collections include the Rubell Museum, Margulies Collection At The Warehouse, Superblue and the de la Cruz collection, all in Miami.
Fischbach, who will sign copies of her book 5 to 6:30 p.m. Feb. 20 at Palm Beach Bookstore, 215 Royal Poinciana Way, said her goal with the book is to share these "unconventional" art collections with the public.
Some of the collections are housed inside converted industrial warehouses, she said, while others are displayed in structures designed by star architects or in homes left intact for visitors to see how collectors lived with their art.
"I wanted to show things that weren't typical," Fischbach told the Daily News.
"Extraordinary Art Experiences: An Insider's Guide," which was released in September and is available online and in stores, grew out of a website that Fischbach created in 2011.
Art Privée, an online directory of more than 300 of the world's finest private art museums and collections, provides details such as current exhibits, hours of operation, admission fees and contact information.
Fischbach, a research librarian who has visited the majority of the museums, created the website in an effort to reveal these collections to the public.
"I've traveled all my adult life, primarily with museum groups, and I've seen all these private collections all over the world that people do not know about," she said. "Most of them are free, but there was no directory. In the past I was a librarian, and I love to share information. I just realized that people don't have access to these wonderful private museums all over Europe, all over Asia and in America. So I put together a website."
COVID-19 spurred her to put together her first book.
Fischbach, who spends part of the year in the Hamptons and New York City, said she realized during the pandemic that people were not going to be traveling to visit art museums, as many were either closed or operating with limited hours and capacity.
She decided to write a book that would bring these museums to the public rather than the other way around.
"I wanted to share these experiences in America that were closed," she said. "You didn't have to fly to them. After the first or second year, they were open. I just wanted to expose people to what was near them. I decided to put it in a book."
Fischbach said the response to her book has been positive.
"People have loved it," she said. "My friends have told me they're proud of me, which is wonderful. People I don't know will stop me and tell me that they got the book. They didn't know this museum was here, or that museum was here. It's quite thrilling."
While a follow-up book isn't in her immediate plans, Fischbach said she's considering her options.
"I'm thinking about a book on Asia, but I haven't traveled there since COVID," she said. "I'm thinking about that, and I'm thinking about Europe. I don't know if it's going to happen. I know all these wonderful places that I want to share with the public."
Jodie Wagner is a journalist at the Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at jwagner@pbdailynews.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: New book by Palm Beach resident spotlights unique art museums in U.S.
