Sex remains fascinating, no matter how young, or how old, you are. This truism was given new life within a span of just weeks, when World Erotic Art Musuem Owner Naomi Wilzig recently welcomed visitors to her South Beach museum who were at opposite ends of the age spectrum.
The first to arrive was a group of students from Miami Dade College. They were enrolled in one of three courses: Introduction to Psychology, Human Growth and Development, or Human Sexuality. The second group, which arrived a few weeks later for their tour were participants in the University of Miami's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, which is part of a national network for people age 50 and older.
That an erotic art museum would be an ideal destination for adults of any age does not surprise Wilzig, who said, "Erotic art has been a taboo subject for centuries. Now that people of all ages are discovering it, the public is being enlightened by an important genre of art."
For her erotic art collection, which is among the largest in the world, Wilzig makes it a special mission to select pieces that depict people of all ages, shapes and sizes. As she puts it, "We are delivering the message through art work that all people are essentially alike as seen in objects and artistic renditions of fertility, self-preservation and love."
This was not the first time a college class visited the museum. Miami Dade College students often visit, and students come from Barry University and others higher educational institutes as well, as do librarians. This class arrived at the museum on a mission; they were assigned to write an essay about one piece of art that "spoke to them," they said. But, with thousands of pieces to choose from, they did not find the task easy.
Initially, some of the students appeared surprised by the frank nature of some of the museum's exhibits, but Sandra Forner, a sophomore from North Miami, was not at all intimidated. "I love it," she exclaimed. "This museum shows exactly what we're learning about in my human sexuality class. It shows that sex has always been a part of history," she said, adding, "There's Adam and Eve, Catherine the Great, Marilyn Monroe...there's something for everyone here."
Fellow sophomore Michelle Lewellen, of Miami Lakes, agreed. "I've never been anywhere like this. Since we are studying human sexuality through all different periods in history, this museum illustrates is perfectly," she said.
Compared to the students, the visitors from the Osher institute appeared a bit more taken aback. One woman, eyeing a shunga, which is a Japanese pillow book depicting various sexual positions, whispered to a friend, "I have one of these, but I don't know what I'm going to do with it. I don't want my son to find it after I die."
However, John Hillman and Caroline Cadwallader, of Miami Shores, were quite captivated. "It's magnificent," Cadwaller exclaimed. Her husband, Hillman, agreed. "I read about the museum's opening in the Miami Herald and I've been threatening to come here ever since," he joked.
And Dodi Mitrani, of Miami, was also very impressed. "I think it's a wonderful collection of art," she said, adding, as she looked around, she added, "I just think it's extraordinary."
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