MIAMI ART WEEk 2018
(photo of Scouted Artist, Johanna Boccardo by Matt Rice Photography)
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Miami Art Week 2018 is almost here. From December 4th through December 9th, Miami will be taken over by art collectors, gallerists, artists and celebs for the 17th installation of Art Basel Miami Beach. With the addition of 15+ satellite fairs and art related events, it is an overwhelming territory to cover in just 6 short days. As such, we’ve put together a quick guide to help you tackle the week.
If you have one day or if it’s your first time, you must see Art Basel at the newly renovated Miami Beach Convention Center. This year’s event is set to take place December 6th-9th. Grab a glass of champagne and peruse 267 of the world's leading modern and contemporary art galleries displaying premier paintings, drawings, sculptures, installations, prints, photography, film, video, and digital art by over 4,000 artists. This show is like going to one of the world’s finest art museums. The most recognizable artists, such as Twombley, Calder, Basquiat, and Bourgeois, are usually at the front of the show while the newer “up and coming” artists are towards the back. The added twist that everything is for sale lends a real air of excitement to the room. In 2017 Art Basel offered over $3.5 billion in art for sale. In addition, there is great people watching between the celeb sightings and general audience attire. Spotted last year were Drake, 50 Cent, Jaime King, Cindy Crawford and Val Kilmer to name a few. The hot ticket is the Preview party on Wednesday night, but best of luck getting in to this invitation-only event. The fair opens to the public Thursday, December 6th at 3 PM. Tickets are $50 online, $60 onsite.
If you have an extra day or are feeling like getting an ambitious start to Miami Art Week, ART MIAMI and CONTEXT open to the public on Wednesday, December 5th at 11AM. Located on the mainland at One Herald Plaza between the Venetian and MacArthur Causeways, Art Miami showcases significant works of art from 20th and 21st century artists. Here you can see a few of the high end pieces that you may find at Art Basel - works by Jim Dine, Roy Lichtenstein or Helen Frankenthaler to name a few - but will also see more works of young, emerging artists and galleries. Sister fair, CONTEXT, highlights newer and cutting edge artists. Together, these fairs are very manageable and parking is easier than on the beach. Much of the art is priced a little lower, starting in the $25,000 range. Plan to spend about 4-5 hours between the two tents. One day passes are $55.
(Photo of Emma Repp’s drawing at the SuperFine art show in October 2018)
Feel like adding a third or fourth day to your Art Week? There is definitely more to be seen. Head back to the beach to take in ART PULSE, UNTITLED , SCOPE MIAMI BEACH , and SUPERFINE . ART PULSE opens to the public on December 6th at its beachfront location at 4601 Collins Avenue. I’ve ‘discovered’ some of my favorite artists here including Jordi Alcaraz and Eva Sussman. You can pick up a piece of art here starting around $7,000. Tickets are $25. UNTITLED, located between Ocean Drive and 12th Street, opens December 5th. Tickets are $35. In addition to contemporary art, visitors to Untitled can see an ongoing performance of #NeverNotWorking which invites everyone to assess their privilege by highlighting the plight of domestic and service workers in the United States. . Then a little further South, Scope Miami Beach enters its 18th year and celebrates international emerging contemporary art and multi-disciplinary creative programming. This fair is located at 801 Ocean Drive and opens to the public on December 5th at 11AM. Tickets are $40. Just next door at the Art Deco Welcome Center is SUPERFINE! Open December 5th-9th, SUPERFINE! features artwork that is affordable and representative of the local art scene. Tickets are $8-$10 depending on day.
Looking for the Next Big Thing? Then you must check out NADA . The 16th edition of this fair will feature over 124 galleries and will take place from December 6th-9th at the Ice Palace Studios. NADA was founded in 2002 and is is dedicated to showcasing new art and to celebrating the rising talents from around the globe. Tickets are $20.
DESIGN MIAMI opens December 5th. This fair features museum quality exhibitions pertaining to interior design. Don’t miss this year’s commissioned piece by contemporary artist Pedro Reyes and fashion designer Carla Fernández which will feature curved steel walls and a map that shows the names of the more than 300 original settlements on pre-Columbian Americas. Design Miami is located next to Art Basel at Meridian Avenue and 19th Street. Admission is $27 online, $32 onsite.
I love works on paper and if you do too, don’t miss INK MIAMI . This fair is unique among Miami’s fairs for its focus on modern and contemporary works on paper by internationally renowned artists. The Old Print Shop, Tandem Press and Durham Press are a few favorites. INK Miami is located at the Suites of Dorchester, two blocks north of 17th, and opens on December 5th at 9AM. Admission is FREE. While you are there, travel 3 blocks south and check out AQUA ART MIAMI Featuring 52 galleries from around the world, this fair opens December 6th at 12PM and is located at 1530 Collins Avenue. Admission is $25.
Spectrum Miami and RED DOT will return to Wynwood this year with shows focusing on certain themes. Spectrum features an international slate of artists and galleries as well as five days filled with Art Labs, Art Talks, Meet the Artist sessions, music, and entertainment. This year’s curatorial theme is Allure which will be demonstrated through atmospheric abstracts, provocative photographs and seductive sculptures. Sister fair, Red Dot, showcases over 75 galleries who will be curating around this year’s theme, Illuminate. These fairs, located at Mana Wynwood, run December 6th-9th. Admission is $25.
(Photo by Zach Balber, curtesy of Bass Art Museum: The Miami Mountain)
All of these fairs have opening night previews. If you have a friend in the know, try to score an invite as these times can be far less crowded. Otherwise, here is a suggested schedule for the general public days:
Wednesday, December 5
ART MIAMI + ART CONTEXT at 1PM. Check out works by TSG Miami featured artist, Carola Bravo at Bernice Steinbaum Gallery’s booth at Art Miami. End the day with a glass of sparkling rose and lobster deviled eggs at Migonette.
Thursday, December 6
SPECTRUM + RED DOT at 1PM. Refuel with a Taco Alambre at Coyo Taco and a coffee from neighboring Panther Coffee and head south to NADA around 5:00PM. Finish the day with drinks and gorgeous views at Cipriani’s when the fair closes around 7PM.
Friday, December 7
DESIGN MIAMI at 11AM followed by ART BASEL at 3PM. Grab lunch at the Garden Cafe by Michelle Bernstein, located at the adjacent Miami Botanical Garden, and pop into INK MIAMI in between.
Saturday, December 8
ART PULSE at 10AM + UNTITLED at 2PM + SCOPE MIAMI + SUPERFINE!. Slip out the back of Art Pulse and take the boardwalk to La Côte at the Fountainbleau for lunch with a beach view. Head south to Ocean Drive for the remaining 3 fairs. You can catch up with TSG Miami featured artist, Jamie Jones, at Superfine! (Booth B04.) Then, finish the day with the late night Happy Hour at The Upland. We recommend an Upland Old Fashioned and Crispy Duck Wings to nibble on!
Sunday, December 9
Revisit your favorite fair from the week and make a last minute deal on a piece before the gallery packs it up! There are also many other events hosted by individual galleries and museums. TSG Miami featured artist, Liv Dockerty will have a pop gallery in Coral Gables at 279 Giralda Avenue while Johanna Boccardo will be part of a group show titled “Mis-placed” at Collective 62.
For more comprehensive list of fairs, collections, and events, click here