It’s what we call Miami Art Week, complete with at least 20 satellite fairs and “the big show,” Art Basel, at the Miami Beach Convention Center. Basel is North America’s largest and most comprehensive international contemporary art fair.
But Miami Art Week is about a lot more than simply art appreciation. Artists literally bank on it to support their livelihoods and our local economy banks on it, too. Its economic impact has been tracked by the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) since 2001. The numbers for hotel occupancy have increased each year, peaking at 85.5% in 2019 and dropping only to 80.1% in 2021, when exposure to COVID remained a significant concern.
Art Basel’s economic impact last year was nearly $80 million. That number is certain to rise this year.
(Courtesy of Art Basel)
Crowds masked up and returned to Art Basel in 2021 after the event’s unprecedented hiatus in 2020.
“At the convention center we’re expecting much higher attendance, expecting to surpass 2019’s number. We’re projecting 85,000 attendees … and it may be higher because we know the demand for vacations to Miami is high. Here, we are also seeing numbers that even surpass 2019,” said John Copeland, GMCVB’s director of arts and culture tourism.
Nick Korniloff, Executive Director and Vice President of Art Miami and Context Pavilions sees this year's events as a chance to get in front of new business prospects.
"South Florida continues to see an influx of new residents and businesses, and a booming real estate cycle," he said. "Art Miami and Context will provide the opportunity for both proven and aspiring collectors that now call South Florida home, as well as those visiting, to discover and acquire a diverse range of art works, dynamic projects and special installations from more than 800 artists."
Following are the highlights and the 411 on enjoying Miami Art Week 2022.
Art Basel
(Art Basel)
Art Basel Miami Beach visitors examining a work by Max Hooper Schneider at the booth of Paris’ High Art gallery.
1901 Convention Center Dr., Miami Beach
Dec. 1 & 2, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Dec. 3, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Tickets: $55-$600
Prepare for a big splashy return to normal Art Basel this year. Celebrating 20 years at the Miami Beach Convention Center, the 2022 version, according to the Art Basel website, will feature “283 premier galleries from 38 countries and territories – including 26 first-time participants – as well as multiple exhibitors returning after a pandemic hiatus.”
As is customary, the fair extends beyond the Convention Center walls to events throughout Miami, taking place at various galleries and museums. Peruse event websites to strategize your plan for the week, starting with ArtBasel.com/events.
Satellite Fairs
(Courtesy of Art Miami)
A multicolored sculpture on display in the Art Miami + Context Pavilions.
Aqua Art Miami at the Aqua Hotel
1530 Collins Ave., Miami Beach
Dec. 1, Noon – 9 p.m.
Dec. 2 & 3, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Dec. 4, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Aqua is a sister fair to the larger Art Miami and Context art fairs held on the mainland between the Venetian and MacArthur causeways. Walk from room to room to view works by young, emerging and mid-career artists from international galleries.
Art Miami + Context Pavilions
(Courtesy of Art Miami)
A multicolored sculpture on display in the Art Miami + Context Pavilions.
One Herald Plaza, NE 14th Street and Biscayne Bay
Between Venetian and Macarthur causeways
Nov. 30 – Dec. 3, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Dec. 4, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
These side-by-side sister fairs featuring contemporary and modern art are housed in large white tents and kick off Miami Art Week. Together, they will feature more than 215 galleries from more than 20 countries; each includes several galleries hailing from Miami. Visitors will encounter an array of iconic artwork from major names, as well as groundbreaking pieces from emerging artists.
Design Miami
(Courtesy of the gallery)
Coming to Design Miami in 2022, Action Series Lamps by Stefan Rurak for Todd Merrill Studio.
Convention Center Drive and 19th Street, Miami Beach
(Directly across the Convention Center)
Nov. 30, 1-7 p.m.
Dec. 1, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Dec. 2 & 3, Noon – 7 p.m.
Dec. 4, Noon – 6 p.m.
This year’s theme is “The Golden Age: Looking to the Future,” and the show features more than 30 contemporary and historic galleries showcasing furnishings and accessories, among them Miami’s own Mindy Solomon Gallery.
NADA (New Art Dealers Alliance)
Ice Palace Studios, 1400 N Miami Ave.
Nov. 30, 4-7 p.m.
Dec. 1 & 2, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Dec. 3, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Now in its 20th year, the fair has grown from 35 exhibitors in 2003 to 146 galleries, art spaces and nonprofit organizations from cities worldwide. Be sure to visit Miami’s own Dale Zine, Primary, KDR305 and Nina Johnson.
Pinta Miami
Hangar Pan Am, 3385 Pan American Dr., Miami
Dec. 1-3, 11 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Dec. 4, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.
In a new waterfront location in Coconut Grove, Pinta organizers have revamped their offerings as well. Alongside the established galleries presented, they also will feature emerging artists, graphic and audiovisual content.
Red Dot & Spectrum
(Courtesy of Redwood Art Group)
Hundreds of contemporary works are featured in the Wynwood Red Dot & Spectrum fair.
Mana Wynwood, 2217 NW 5th Ave.
Dec. 1-3, Noon – 8 p.m.
Dec. 4, Noon – 6 p.m.
RedwoodArtGroup.com/red-dot-miami
These side-by-side sister fairs under big white tents, like Art Miami and Context, are best tackled on the same day. With hundreds of contemporary art works to view from galleries throughout the U.S. and worldwide, plan accordingly to maximize your time here.
Scope
Ocean Dr. and 8th St., Miami Beach (on the sand)
Nov. 30 – Dec. 4, 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
This international contemporary art fair features more than 150 booths and is celebrating its 21st year. Miami is well represented here with more than a dozen galleries.
Untitled
(Francesco Casale)
The Emerson Dorsch Gallery booth at the Untitled 2021 Art Fair.
Ocean Drive and 12th St., Miami Beach (on the sand)
Nov. 29 – Dec. 3, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Showcasing emerging artists, young galleries and nonprofit organizations, this year’s show features more than 140 exhibitors. Untitled always features Miami’s leading galleries and returning this year is our own Emerson Dorsch Gallery, showing works by Yanira Collado, Robert Thiele and Paula Wilson.
Galleries & Museums Around Town
If Art Basel and its satellite fairs aren’t enough for you, there’s still more.
You’ll find special exhibitions at numerous museums and galleries throughout Miami-Dade County, including at the Rubell Museum Miami, Lowe Art Museum, de la Cruz Collection, Margulies Collection, Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum at FIU and Bakehouse Art Complex, among others.
At Miami’s flagship art museum in the heart of downtown Miami, the director of Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM), Franklin Sirmans, is excited to welcome Art Basel.
(Courtesy of Art Basel)
Fittingly, one of last year’s Art Basel talks focused on “The Meeting of Tech and Art.”
“Miami Art Week is always a highlight of the year, when the city is brought to life with international art visitors and unique art activations and programs that you don’t often have the chance to see elsewhere,” he said.
“We strive to create and encourage genuine human interactions, communications and exchanges through art, and to welcoming visitors from near and far,” he continued. “I’m particularly excited for our newest show, ‘Liminal,’ Leandro Erlich’s first survey exhibition in North America. It’s going to be an unforgettable exhibition – 16 larger-than-life interactive artworks, including the artist’s famed “Swimming Pool,” an impossible-to-miss installation!”
Conversations
And if you’re itching to talk about art and not just experience it, you may want to sit in on one of the many scheduled talks. Art Basel’s Conversations series presents worthwhile panel discussions on topics concerning the global contemporary art scene. Prominent members of the international art world – artists, gallerists, curators, collectors, architects, critics and many other cultural figures – each offer unique perspectives on producing, collecting and exhibiting art.
Last year’s talks included panels on “The Meeting of Tech and Art,” “The Politics of Representation” and “The Challenge of Pricing in the Art Market.” Let’s see what this year brings.