PARALLEL FAIRS
Art Asia, www.artasiafair.com Wynwood
Art Miami, www.art-miami.com Midtown
Aqua Art Miami, www.aquaartmiami.com Wynwood
Design Miami/, www.designmiami.com Design District
Focia Art Fair, www.fociartfair.com Midtown
Fountain Miami, www.fountainexhibit.com Wynwood
INK Miami Fair, www.inkartfair.com South Beach
NADA Art Fair, www.newartdealers.org Miami Beach
NOBE 67 ART, www.nobe67art.com Miami Beach
photo MIAMI, www.photomiami-2009.com Wynwood
Pool Art Fair, www.poolartfair.com South Beach
Pulse, www.pulse-art.com Miami
Red Dot Fair, www.reddotfair.com Wynwood
SCOPE, www.scopeart.com Wynwood
Verge Art Fair Miami, www.vergeartfair.com South Beach
ART DISTRICTS
Once you have “done” Art Basel Miami Beach, cross the causeways—there is plenty more to see. While museums, galleries, and exhibitions can be found throughout Miami-Dade, there are three main art districts that serve as hubs for the week’s main fairs.
Design District
The Design District (www.designdistrict.net) is the original epicenter for the art world in Miami. The 18 blocks it encompasses is filled with boutiques, restaurants, art galleries, design showrooms, and entertainment year-round, but during Miami Art Week, it will get even a little hauter.
Art Tours Art Basel Miami Beach is conducting art tours of the Design District on Friday, December 4, at 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. The tours meet at the Locust Projects (155 NE 38 St.) before heading to check out the workspaces of the likes of Naomi Fisher, Martin Oppel, and Frances Trombly.
Don’t Miss Limited Edition Experiences, which brings together some of the world’s most sought-after designers to present merchandise as well as radically innovative programming. Example? Fendi will debut a limited-edition design Needle Point Stitch Kit, which allows consumers to customize and stitch their own bag.
Gucci will also launch the second installment of ICON-TEMPORARY, a flash sneaker store featuring a limited edition collection of Gucci Ronson sneakers, a collaboration between Gucci Creative Director Frida Giannini and award-winning musical artist Mark Ronson.
Opening Celebrated shoe brand Louboutin (155 NE 40th St., Ste 101) will open just in time for Art Basel. The boutique will offer the latest collection of Christian Louboutin shoes and handbags, including a few special editions that are only available at the new boutique.
Bisazza (3740 NE 2nd Ave.) is opening a new Miami flagship as well. The enormous space will display an assortment of furniture and decorative accessories signed by leading designers like Andrée Putman, Marcel Wanders, and Patricia Urquiola.
Art Midtown
Sandwiched between the Design District and Wynwood, Midtown Miami (www.midtownmiami.com) is the city’s newest emerging neighborhood of the arts, which is overtly apparent during Art Basel time. For the second year, the 10 city blocks that make up Midtown will play host to Art Miami, Red Dot Fair, Photo Miami, FoCI, as well as a number of special installations and exhibitions.
Don’t Miss Gardens of the World Designed by Harry Nelson Fine Gardens, this “Garden for the People” will debut during Art Midtown. The globally inspired installation will feature a 100-foot-long reflecting channel, 75-foot-high trees, water garden and reflecting pool with water lilies, smaller gardens, shaped topiaries, exotic evergreens, and blossoms. While the entire garden will be revealed in phases over the coming months, during Art Basel, the World Gardens will feature two unique sculptures by Rafael Barrios.
What’s New in 2009 FoCI Art Fair (3000 North Miami Ave.) makes its debut appearance during the 2009 fair. Developed as a social and cultural marketplace, it seeks to merge arts, events, commerce, technology, and entertainment—and it’s a welcome addition to Midtown, as it is a permanent, year-round facility. However, a unique highlight during Art Basel is the FoCI Food Festival, which will feature national and international chefs paired with local restaurants. From Wednesday to Saturday, the 8,100-square-foot patio and lounge will have “happy hours” from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Wynwood Art District
The Wynwood Arts District includes more than 70 artist spaces and galleries—a number that is constantly growing. Every month, visitors flock to Second Saturdays, an art walk that showcases the best of the burgeoning region, which was known in the not-so-distant past for having a seedy side. During Art Basel, Wynwood is a go-to haute spot for art enthusiasts.
Gallery Tours Art Basel Miami Beach will be conducting tours of Wynwood Galleries on Thursday, December 3, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. These Artist Studio Visits allow guests to see where the art is created, speak with the artists, and gain a new perspective about one of the many vibrant neighborhoods of Miami.
The Goldman Warehouse (9404 NW 26th St. / 305.573.7167), which has hosted an annex of MoCA for the past four years, is embarking on an independent exhibition program. For Art Basel, Tony Goldman of Goldman Properties and Jeffrey Deitch of Deitch Projects will present Francesco Clemente’s monumental work A History of the Heart in Three Rainbows, a remarkable 180-foot-long suite of large-scale watercolor paintings. The show opens on December 3.
The Margulies Collection at the WAREhOUSE (591 NW 27 St. / 305.576.1051) is a newly converted warehouse in the midst of the art district, displaying an extensive collection of contemporary and vintage photography, sculpture, and installation. For its current exhibition, the dramatic 45,000-square-foot space features Miró & Noguchi: Masters of Surrealist Sculpture, as well as new additions to the permanent collection. Access is free with Art Basel VIP cards for the duration of the fair.
Rubell Family Collection (95 NW 29th St. / 305.573.6090) will introduce its exhibition Beg Borrow and Steal, a collection featuring 74 artists, occupying all 28 galleries at the 45,000-square-foot museum. The show finds inspiration in Picasso’s quote, “Good artists borrow, great artists steal,” and seeks to find the line between inspiration, duplication, and originality. Visiting the private collection is free of charge during Art Basel.
Don’t Miss Wynwood Walls, the street art mural park, a collaboration between Tony Goldman and Jeffrey Deitch. The project features works by nine internationally respected artists that typically create museum-quality art. For Wynwood Walls, they took their talents to the streets, using the walls of buildings owned by Goldman Properties as their canvas. The entrance to the Art Park, which contains one of the largest collections of outdoor art in the U.S., is next door to Joey’s Italian Café (2506 NW 2nd Ave / 305.438.0488), which is owned and operated by Tony’s son, Joey.
