BEYOND THE ART
It Pays to be a Member
Anyone who has been to Art Basel Miami Beach knows that, while the art might take center stage, the events are really the icing of the week. Art Basel Miami Beach is known as the most social of the world’s top art fairs, and during the weekend, you are as likely to see Pamela Anderson take the red carpet in her underwear (it happened in 2008) as you are to see Marilyn Manson throw down at the Gansevoort (also during last year’s fair). While the big name celebrities help increase the buzz about Art Basel, we know our readers are looking for a more sophisticated setting—but just as lively, of course. And since the hotels are typically filled to capacity over the weekend, there are a plethora of revelers all trying to get into the hautest events. Luckily, those who are already patrons of the city’s arts institutions and museums are honored with the best invites throughout the weekend.
MAM
(101 W. Flagler St. / 305.375.3000)
MAM will host its International Committee ($5,000) during a private cocktail party at a private residence in Miami Beach on December 1. Contemporary members ($250) and above also receive an invite to the Party on the Plaza on December 3, while Friends ($1,000 to $2,499) and Museum Circle ($2,500 and above) members are able to attend the MAM Ball, taking place at the Fontainebleau on December 6.
MOCA
(770 NE 125th Street, North Miami / 305.893.6211)
Member of MOCA? Then you received an invite to an exclusive welcome party sponsored by Vanity Fair International. MOCA Shakers ($150/$250) were graced with invitations to a party at Louis at the Gansevoort, while Patrons ($500) gain entrance to the Cartier Cocktail Reception on Thursday in the Art Collectors Lounge. Associates ($1,000) get invites to Vernissage, and Benefactors ($2,500) are given private tours of Art Basel with MOCA Executive Director Bonnie Clearwater, as well as a first-come, first-serve invite to a Sunday brunch at the Sagamore Hotel, hosted by MOCA Honorary Trustees Cricket and Marty Taplin. If you are part of the International Collector’s Circle ($5,000), then you will gain entrance to Art Basel Miami Beach on Wednesday, hours before Vernissage, the ultimate honor.
Cisneros Fontanals Art Foundation
(1018 North Miami Ave. / 305.455.3338)
Cultural Founders ($1,500) receive tickets to CIFO events throughout the year, which includes CIFO’s extraordinary brunch during Art Basel.
Lowe Art Museum
(1301 Stanford Dr., Coral Gables / (305.284.3535)
Members of The Lowe Art Museum’s Directors Circle receive an exclusive invitation to the Annual Art Basel Champagne Brunch, which is taking place this year on Sunday, December 6.
Special Exhibits
The Art of Progress
Audi returns as this year’s sponsor for Art Basel Miami Beach and Design Miami/. The Art Week will coincide with the unveiling of the all-new Audi A8, taking place at the Audi Pavilion, a temporary museum structure close to the Fontainebleau. Dubbed The Art of Progress, the exhibit brings together new works from British design superstar Tom Dixon and masterpieces on loan from the Rubell Family Collection. After Collector’s Days on Monday and Tuesday, The Art of Progress will open to the public on Wednesday. Following the fair, the space that once housed the pavilion will be turned into a playground donated by Audi.
Wolfsonian-FIU
(1001 Washington Ave. / 305.531.1001)
Todd Oldham’s presence is felt all over the Beach; he is the mastermind behind the designs at Goldman Properties’ iconic The Hotel, which is known for its color palette that mirrors Miami’s glowing sunsets. The Hotel just added 20 new oceanfront rooms to its portfolio, and once again tapped Oldham to do the interiors. He is quite the busy man; Oldham also is curator of the New Voices, New Works exhibition at the Wolfsonian. The museum will begin selling original, signed, limited-edition welcome mats created by Oldham and contributing artists Megan Whitmarsh, Wayne White, and Brock Shorno. The mats, priced at $250, go on sale at The Dynamo Museum Shop on December 1.
Master’s Mystery Art Show
The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach hosts its sixth edition of the Master’s Mystery Art Show, which will open on Wednesday, December 2, with a private cocktail reception, before opening to the public for one day only on December 3. One of the most innovative shows during Art Basel, all of the works of art are on 6” x 9” canvases, and all sell for $50. The mystery is that the artist is only revealed after the piece is purchased. Past artists have included John Legend, Gloria Estefan, Jon Secada, Carlos Santana, and others, and this year, the focus is on fashion designers like Carlos Falchi, Michal Vollbracht, and Angel Sanchez.
