The “Not Another Art Basel Miami Listicle” Guide to Miami Art Week 2022

Miami Art Week Art Miami

Here it is! My annual Guide to Miami Art Week 2022, or what I fondly refer to as, “Not Another Art Basel Miami Listicle”! Yes, so many people write about this jam-packed week of everything art and not about art. Here’s your opportunity to see thousands of works by international artists, attend seminars and interactive programs, and find inspiration and fun.

As you know, my favorite time of the year begins with the Art Basel press preview and a glass of Champagne. I’ll then attempt to visit 7 satellite fairs and a few soirees provided that my feet can handle the mileage. Read the list below and follow my Instagram stories for a few sneak peeks and more! ~ Lisa @AllegoryPR #MyArtEscape.

Art Basel Miami Beach

Miami Art Week 2022 - Meridians at Art Basel Miami Beach
Art Basel Miami Beach, Meridians © Lisa Morales

ABMB is celebrating its 20th anniversary and this edition promises to be the largest to date. The fair will feature 282 exhibitors from 38 countries and territories – more than half of which hail from the Americas. In addition to its Galleries, Positions, Nova, Survey, and Edition sectors, the fair will host 20 large-scale projects as part of the Meridians sector, 29 curated installations within exhibitors’ booths in the Kabinett sector, as well as nine panels with leading art world voices in its renowned Conversations series.

The iconic art fair recently announced the launch of ‘Arcual’ — a new blockchain ecosystem offering smart contract solutions for the art community, co-founded with LUMA Foundation and brought to life by the technology and Web3 expertise of BCG Digital Ventures. This new initiative was born out of a shared mission to put artists at the center of the art ecosystem, offering them greater ownership, transparency, and participation in their careers.

December 1-3. Vernissage November 30. $55.00 – $2200.00

Miami Beach Convention Center, 1901 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach, FL 33139 | www.artbasel.com/miami-beach

Art Miami (and CONTEXT)

Art Miami is the Magic City’s longest running contemporary and modern art fair. The fair will present investment quality paintings, drawings, design, sculpture, NFTs, video art, photography, and prints from more than 155 leading galleries across 17 countries in Europe, Asia, Latin America, India, the Middle East and the United States.

November 30 – December 4. VIP Preview November 29. $40.00 – $275.00

The Art Miami Pavilion, One Herald Plaza @ NE 14th Street, Downtown Miami. On Biscayne Bay between the Venetian & MacArthur Causeways | www.artmiami.com

Design Miami

Design Miami

The 18th edition of Design Miami/ will be curated by Maria Cristina Didero who became the fair’s Curatorial Director at Art Basel and oversaw the inaugural Paris edition in October. This year’s program will explore the theme of The Golden Age: Looking to the Future, celebrating a tomorrow of our own creation. There will be 50 gallery and Curio presentations.

November 30 – December 4. Preview Day November 29. $33.00 – $112.50

Pride Park on Convention Center Drive; Between 18th and 19th Streets, Miami Beach | https://shop.designmiami.com/pages/dm21-visitor-info

INK Miami Art Fair

Dorchester Hotel Ink Art Fair
Wikimedia Commons

The 16th edition of INK Miami Art Fair will include 14 exhibitors, ranging from national and international publishers to non-profits and galleries with a specific focus on works on paper.

November 30 – December 4. Free via Eventbrite.

Suites of Dorchester, 1850 Collins Ave., Miami Beach 33139| www.inkartfair.com

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

NADA Miami

Nada Art Fair

NADA Miami 2022 will showcase a diverse selection of 146 galleries, art spaces, and nonprofit organizations spanning over 40 cities around the globe including Paris, Tokyo, Dubai, Toronto, Buenos Aires, and Copenhagen. This year’s fair includes over 80 NADA members and 37 first-time exhibitors.

November 30 – December 3. $35 – $150

Ice Palace Studios, 1400 North Miami Avenue, Miami, FL 33136 | www.newartdealers.org

Prizm

Heather Carter Fine Art; Bola Obatuyi “Love in the Hair” 2022
Photo Credit: Heather Carter Fine Art; Bola Obatuyi “Love in the Hair” 2022; fabrics and acrylic on canvas

For its 10th Anniversary year, Prizm will present Vernacular À la Mode explores how vernacular modes of artmaking originating in global African contexts have influenced the cultivation of fine art practice worldwide. Our holistic program includes four sections: Prizm Panels, Prizm Perform, Prizm Film, Prizm Preview, and, of course, Prizm Art Fair at large, exhibiting international artists from Africa and the global African Diaspora.

November 29 – December 11. $15 – $50

4220 N. Miami Ave. | www.prizm.art

SCOPE International Contemporary Art Fair

Miami Art Week 2022 Scope Art Fair

Celebrating its 21st edition, SCOPE Miami Beach returns to its bespoke pavilion on the sands of Ocean Drive and 8th Street. The fair will welcome 150+ diverse contemporary exhibitors featuring the new contemporary, a genre that stands as a critical contribution to both global politics and local community engagement.

November 29 – December 4. $60

801 Ocean Dr, Miami Beach, FL 33139 | https://scope-art.com

Untitled Art

Untitled Art exterior tent

Untitled Art presents a program of curated Special Projects, Monuments, performances, podcast conversations and events for the 2022 edition. In addition, at this year’s edition of the fair, six new prizes will be awarded to participating galleries and artists.

November 29 – December 3. $40

Ocean Drive & 12th Street, Miami Beach | www.untitledartfairs.com

Other Miami Art Week 2022 Fairs, Exhibitions and Soirees (to be updated)

Pinta Miami | November 29 – December 4, 3385 Pan American Drive, Coconut Grove 33133

Red Dot and Spectrum Miami | November 30 – December 4 at Mana Wynwood

The Bass | Opens November 27: Adrián Villar Rojas with Mariana Telleria: El fin de la imaginación

ICA | Opens November 28: Michel Majerus: Progressive Aesthetics

MOCA North Miami| Ongoing through January 20: VantaBlack: To What Lengths

PAMM | Ongoing through February 12, Simone Leigh: Trophallaxis

Note: I will be covering Miami Art Week fairs events for Widewalls and Live in Italy Magazine

Photos ⓒ Lisa Morales (unless marked otherwise.)


Read my 2021 “Not Another Art Basel Miami Listicle”

Check out my Client’s Miami Art Week 2022 events here.
Visit my MuckRack link to see my recent published articles. https://muckrack.com/lisa-morales

Etra Fine Art Announces Special Hours During Art Basel/Miami Art Week

Photos and Highlights of the “Ciudades” Opening Reception


l to r: Isabelle Lambert, Alicia Restrepo (Curator and Etra Fine Art owner), Anaide Govaert

Miami, FL…December 2, 2019…Etra Fine Art located in Miami’s Little Haiti neighborhood (also known as Little River Art District) held a highly successful Opening Reception of Ciudades, a multimedia art exhibition. The event was attended by clients and a steady stream of art lovers over the course of a four hour, open house style event.

Artists in attendance were Juan Raul Hoyos (Miami/Colombia) and Jorge Olarte (Miami) and throughout the week will be present along with Andriy Halashyn (Kiev) and 2501 (Milan.)

The exhibit is curated by Etra Fine Art owner, Alicia Restrepo. She has had a long career as gallerist originally in New York City and then moved to Miami shortly after Art Basel arrived in the Magic City. Restrepo has gracefully weathered the real estate changes over the years and changed location to adapt accordingly: from the Design District (before it was a luxury retail destination); Wynwood; and now Little Haiti/Little River Art District.

Apart from Hoyos, Olarte, Halashyn and 2501, the other exhibiting artists are: Ana Maria Gutierrez (Bogota); Valeria Yamamoto (Buenos Aires); Francis Hines (New York); and André Cypriano (Rio de Janeiro.) Also on view are videos by Hoyos and 2501; poetry and essays by Elizabeth Rogers; and music, La Ciudades by Astor Piazzolla.

Ciudades, a multimedia exhibition made up of paintings, music, an installation, sculptures, photography, videos, poetry and essays will open for special hours during Miami Art Week (Art Basel) and close on Tuesday, January 28, 2020. 6942 NE 4th Ave, Miami, FL 33138, www.etrafineart.com, info@etrafineart.com, 917.370.2907.

Etra Fine Art Presents, Ciudades

  • Art Basel Miami
  • Closes: Tuesday, January 28, 2020
  • During Miami Art Week (December 3-6): 11 am to 5 pm, Tuesday to Friday and other days by appointment.
  • Etra Fine Art
  • 6942 NE 4th Ave
  • Miami, FL 33138
  • www.etrafineart.com info@etrafineart.com

Read Recent Etra Fine Art Press:

The “Not Another Art Basel Listicle” Guide to Miami Art Week

Top Art Fairs: The A-Z of Where #MyArtEscape Will Be.

It’s my favorite time of the year! I have all of my press credentials in place, am reading voraciously about art, art installations, events and VIP soirees. The trickle of incoming press releases has become a flood, and I’ll soon be swimming through miles of art. Hooray, Art Basel aka Miami Art Week is (almost) here!

Without delay, below is the A-Z of where I’ll be. Read all the way to the end because I’ll recall a couple of the past VIP events that I’ve had the good fortune to attend. You may also wish to follow my daily, Art Basel Instagram stories for highlights of each fair and a couple of special events.

Note: I’ve scaled down my art fair trekking from last year’s 10 fairs. As much as I’d like to see it all, I was art oversaturated and no shoes or running prep could condition me for that much walking.

Art Basel

I really don’t understand people who say that they won’t go to Art Basel like it’s some kind of art fair boycott against the 1%. Sorry, but Art Basel is the OG of international art fairs. Maybe you can’t afford to buy anything, but why would you pass on an opportunity to see a new work by huge artists like Anish Kapoor, Yayoi Kusama or my favorite American artist, Nick Cave?

  • Dates: December 5-8 at the Miami Beach Convention Center
  • Global focus: 269 leading galleries from across the world to exhibit, with 20 galleries joining the fair for the first time
  • 18th edition and 500,000 square feet of exhibition space
  • Meridians: A new sector located in the Grand Ballroom of the Miami Beach Convention Center. Curated by Magalí Arriola will bring together around 30 projects that push the boundaries of a traditional art fair layout.
  • Day Ticket: $65.00; Students and Seniors $45.00

Miami Beach Convention Center, 1901 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach, FL 33139 | www.artbasel.com/miami-beach

Art Miami

I said it last year and I’ll remind you again, Art Miami came first! It’s a sophisticated and intellectually stimulating art fair. You’ll find just about all of the highly collectible and blue chip artists’ work sought by wealthy collectors that you would find at Art Basel. Art Miami also makes great efforts to spotlight Miami galleries, museums and artists. Support local!

  • Dates: December 3-8 at the Art Miami pavilion in Downtown Miami
  • Milestones: Returning for its 30th edition, Art Miami is recognized as one of the preeminent international modern and contemporary art fairs, Art Miami will showcase an array of iconic and important art works, dynamic projects and special installations from more than 170 international galleries from nearly 22 countries representing 69 cities.
  • The Platinum VIP Preview on December 3rd will benefit the Perez Art Museum Miami.
  • Adult Admission $55.00; Seniors $35.00; Students (12-18) $35.00

The Art Miami Pavilion, One Herald Plaza @ NE 14th Street, Downtown Miami. On Biscayne Bay between the Venetian & MacArthur Causeways | www.artmiami.com

Aqua

Sister to Art Miami, here’s the perfect example of supporting local and emerging artists. I love this fair and most of the art is affordable for people like you and me. They offer some great programming too and I’ve enjoyed in the past, sitting down and listening to one of their talks. Looks like this year guests can enjoy visual performance art.

  • Dates: December 5-8
  • Held at the Aqua Hotel in South Beach, the unique setting (open courtyard and rooms transformed into art exhibition spaces) has become a favorite gathering spot for collectors, curators and art lovers to discover fresh talent and acquire new works while exchanging cultural ideas and forming meaningful connections.
  • Milestones: Presenting its 15th year and last year recorded the strongest sales and attendance to date.
  • Adult Admission $25.00; Seniors and Students $20.00

Aqua Art Miami at the Aqua Hotel, 1530 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, FL 33139 | www.aquaartmiami.com

Bathtub art piece seen at Design Miami 2017

Design Miami

If I’m not staring at new works by Porky Hefer at Southern Guild, you’ll find me swooning over very expensive ceramics or an Armani Casa living room. A girl can dream right? Since I love sculpture, functional art (and I know artists and designers hate that term) makes so much sense. I want to fill my house with objects that I can touch and maybe use now and then.

  • Dates: December 4-8
  • Updates: Design Miami will take place for the first time in the newly completed Pride Park with its entrance directly facing Art Basel at the Miami Beach Convention Center. The reconfigured fair tent will have a glass façade at the entrance to house the new Design Forum presented by SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design.) Occurring alongside Art Basel in Miami and Switzerland, Design Miami/ has become the premier venue for collecting, exhibiting, discussing, and creating collectible design.
  • Now in its 15th edition, Design Miami 33 galleries and 14 Curio presentations from 13 countries, including three galleries exhibiting for the first time.

Convention Center Drive; Between 18th and 19th Streets, Miami Beach | https://miami2019.designmiami.com/

NADA

I really love NADA (New Art Dealers Alliance) too. Maybe’s it’s the Ice Palace’s interior black walls and curated gallery spaces that make me feel like I’m walking through Soho on an autumn day. These curated spaces appeal to the intellect, but don’t feel shy to ask questions. There are millions of artists and you can’t know them all.

  • Dates: December 5-8
  • Presenting its 17th edition, NADA will showcase a diverse selection of local, national, and international galleries with 136 exhibitors representing 56 cities from 25 countries. The fair continues to grow in the 17th edition, welcoming 28 first-time exhibitors and 71 NADA Member galleries.
  • Adult Admission $20.00; Seniors and Students $10.00

Ice Palace Studios, 1400 North Miami Avenue, Miami, FL 33136 | www.newartdealers.org

PULSE Art Fair

Last year was my first year at PULSE. I must admit, it’s a little out of the way and parking is not easy. Yes, you can do valet at the Eden Roc if you’re okay with the fee. However, don’t let that stop you. You have options: shuttles run between the main fairs and you can park further south and take a rideshare. The galleries are worth any little inconvenience.

  • Dates: December 5-8
  • Milestones: Celebrating its 15th anniversary and announced its new fair director, Cristina Salmastrelli. Visit over 60 globally-renowned galleries and artists. New this year is PULSE Perspectives, a dual language programming series presenting talks and tours in English and Spanish. Find a variety of programming and also a wellness lounge and restaurant in partnership with Eden Roc/NOBU Hotel Group.
  • Adult Admission $35.00

Indian Beach Park, 4601 Collins Ave., Miami Beach 33140 | https://www.pulseartfair.com/

SCOPE Miami Beach

Here’s a great fair for young collectors and who can resist the location right on the South Beach sand? You’ll find works that are bold and gutsy, rich in statements about society and the many complications that we face today.

  • Dates: December 4-8
  • Returning to Miami Beach for its 19th edition, SCOPE will welcome 134 diverse contemporary exhibitors featuring The New Contemporary, a genre that stands as a critical contribution to both global politics and local community engagement. New to the pavilion this year is OASIS, an experiential multidisciplinary program located in our expanded Atrium. OASIS will present daily programming featuring large scale installations, music performances, and panel discussions while continuing our long-standing commitment to wellness.
  • Adult Admission: $40.00

801 Ocean Dr, Miami Beach, FL 33139 | https://scope-art.com

UNTITLED, ART Miami Beach

If I had to choose a favorite art fair, UNTITLED, ART would be it. I really enjoy visiting galleries that focus on curation. The Untitled team is made up of curators, designers and architects providing not only an overall cohesiveness in the quality of galleries it selects, but in the fair design itself. It’s a pleasant and stimulating place to be. The natural light flows in through the skylights. I just love how each gallery is set back differently and the concept is open – not boxy like other fairs.

  • Dates: December 4-8
  • Find a collection of 126 international galleries and nonprofit spaces from 28 countries and 57 cities make up the 2019 roster, carefully selected by Artistic Director and Curator Omar López-Chahoud.
  • Adult Admission: $40.00

Ocean Drive and 12th Street, Miami Beach | https://untitledartfairs.com/miami-beach

Flashback

Here’s a look back at some of the events I’ve attended in past years.

Albedo by Tomas Saraceno for Aerocene Opening Brunch | Art Miami 2018
Pharrell Williams Private Concert at 1 Hotel South Beach 2019
Perrier Jouet Champagne Dinner at Leynia, Delano Hotel (South Beach)
Jeff Koons Unveils Ballerina and Pluto and Proserpina at Oceana Bal Harbour

Put on your comfy and stylish shoes and I’ll see you there!

Read my past and future published articles here and follow @AllegoryPR #MyArtEscape for daily Art Basel, Miami Art Week updates.

Polka Dot Mathematics: Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Room, All the Eternal Love I Have for the Pumpkins

As I am writing this blog post, the Instagram hashtag Yayoi Kusama (#yayoikusama) has 850K related posts and @yayoikusama_ (which I presume is the artist’s official Instagram) has 31.3K followers. There’s plenty of unofficial accounts and a variety of Yayoi-ish hashtags. Search Yayoi Kusama news on Google and you’ll find 40,400 results. Switch to “All” and there will be more than 7 million results.

It’s infinite and that’s Yayoi Kusama.

There’s nothing that I can write that hasn’t been written before about Kusama, who has lived through a turbulent, personal history for nine decades. Today, I can only relate my personal experience and it was a magical one!

I adore polka dots and my daughter’s first Easter outfit was a navy blue dress with white polka dots. The hat had a matching fabric sash. I loved it and she hated it. I tried for all of her preschool years, to force polka dots on her, but failed.

Before even knowing anything about Yayoi (can we be on a first name basis?), I was drawn to one of her pumpkin sculptures at a gallery participating in Art Basel Miami. A man looked at it pensively while I wondered what he was thinking.

A couple of years ago a friend recommended to see a documentary about her life. I did plan to watch it, but it got bumped off the long list of things to do. Over time, I would hear other Yayoi murmurs and rather than research, I would just recall those dots.

Then, recently I received an email that I must go see All the Eternal Love I Have for the Pumpkins at the ICA Miami. Without thinking twice, I purchased two tickets for $30.00 for myself and a friend, and squeezed that one minute experience, which I might add entails a 2.5 hour round trip car drive, into my busy schedule. Yes, if you are blinking at the last sentence: it translates to $15.00/person for a 60 second, solo view of Yayoi’s Infinity Mirror Room.

In order to prepare for the visit, I finally watched Kusama: Infinity and I suggest you do the same.

Connecting the Dots

Between that first work of art that I saw to some last minute research, I gained a compassionate understanding of Yayoi Kusama’s life and career. To think that at ninety years old, she walks to her studio almost every day and meticulously and obsessively creates dots on canvas or other two or 3-D mediums, fascinates me. Her therapy became #MyArtEscape.

It was reported in January, 2018 that over 75,000 people visited With All My Love For The Tulips, I Pray Forever at David Zwirner in New York. At ICA Miami, they receive 20 people per thirty minute time slot and hundreds line up on Thursdays when entrance is free.

I imagine during Art Basel/Miami Art Week attendance will skyrocket. Multiply those figures by the amount of people who will visit any of the Infinity Rooms around the world, from today until a closing date of probably never, means that Yayoi’s artistic legacy will be limitless.

Buzz Lightyear said, “To infinity and beyond” a remark embraced by children and adults alike. How often do you see Facebook posts, “I love you to infinity and beyond?” Infinity is the fictitious place (or non-place to be exact) that we dream to reach.

For Yayoi, infinity may once have been a location to escape like fields of flowers or an infinite reflection of polka dots, but now it’s eternal hope for her and us all.

And, as we make the most out of our 60 seconds, immersed in that infinite field of spotted pumpkins, we can reach Instagram immortality by the click of our iPhone. Or, if we leave our phone behind (which I plan to do next time),  our imaginations will be forever sealed in that magical spot/polka dot.

Our earth is only one polka dot among a million stars in the cosmos. Polka dots are a way to infinity. ~ Yayoi Kusama

@AllegoryPR #MyArtEscape

Meet My Soul Sister

About This Town by Artez | Calle de Fuencarral 31, Madrid

Puerta del Sol, Madrid

A brief visit to Puerta del Sol in Madrid was Instagram worthy, but crowded with shoppers. The stores were mostly American and there were the familiar fast food restaurants. I was disappointed.

About This Town by Artez

However, my eye caught sight of this colorful mural. “About This Town” depicts a girl holding a pile of books with a bird and its birdhouse balanced on top. There’s a plant behind her or maybe she’s holding that too.  The eye happily travels up and away from the crowded street to appreciate the blue sky above.

Born in Serbia, Artez painted this mural in four days to be a part of the 2019 Urvanity Art Fair. On his website, he explains: “This mural tells us the story of Madrid, a place where visitors from all around the globe are welcome to come and enjoy the vivid artistic and cultural content that this city has to offer. Positioned in the very centre of the town, this mural creates a contrast with the pedestrian shopping street in which it is located. Instead of carrying shopping bags, girl depicted on the mural is holding a pile of books important for the history and culture of the city, and a plant with a small birdhouse that is inviting all the “birds” to come and feel like home!”

A closer look reveals the title of one book Miau by Benito Pérez Galdós (considered to be one of Spain’s most famous writers since Cervantes) and another references the painter Francisco Goya. Possibly this reference is a commentary about the maladies of society.

I would say that a deeper reading surfaces from Artez’ mural. Possibly, the tourist should spend more time getting to know Madrid’s history and culture.  Or, maybe it’s the Spaniards who should pay more attention to Madrid which may be selling its soul to the tourist industry. Who knows?

In any case, she’s my soul sister. I’ll give up shopping bags for a pile of books any day. And, if my nose isn’t in a book, I’ll be birdwatching with my zoom lens pointed to the sky.

El hombre de pensamiento descubre la Verdad; pero quien gozan de ella y utiliza sus celestials dones es el hombre de acción.

~ Benito Pérez Galdós

The man of reflection discovers Truth;  but the one who enjoys it and makes use of its heavenly gifts is the man of action.”

#MyArtEscape @AllegoryPR

Ciudades: Etra Fine Art’s Art Basel Exhibition Explores Cities as Symbols of Sacrifices and Selfishness

Miami, FL…October 7, 2019…Etra Fine Art is pleased to announce its Art Basel Miami/Miami Art Week exhibition, Ciudades. This multimedia exhibition will be made up of paintings, music, an installation, sculptures, photography, videos, poetry and essays. Etra Fine Art will hold an Opening Reception for Ciudades from 12:00 – 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, December 1, 2019 and have special hours during Art Basel. Etra Fine Art, 6942 NE 4th Ave, Miami, FL 33138, www.etrafineart.com, info@etrafineart.com, 917.370.2907.

Alicia Restrepo, Curator and owner of Etra Fine Art, uses the cities as symbols, differently represented by world known artists, to stimulate a dialog over the most pressing issues of today. In fact, cities are a descriptor of today’s sacrifice of natural resources, centers of communication, synthetic containers of our history, a confluence of religions, languages and ideologies; technology and alienation coming from it; social iconography, migration, selfishness and egoism.

Different expressions about the subject will create an interesting dialog between artists from diverse representative cities of the world such as New York, Milan, Kiev, Bogota, Miami, Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro, among others.

Ciudades will include works by:

Paintings

  • Andriy Halashyn (Kiev)
  • Juan Raul Hoyos (Miami)
  • Ana Maria Gutierrez (Bogota)
  • 2501 (Milan)

Installation

  • Juan Raul Hoyos (Miami)

Sculptures

  • Valeria Yamamoto (Buenos Aires)
  • Juan Raul Hoyos (Miami)
  • Francis Hines (New York)

Photography

  • André Cypriano (Rio de Janeiro)

Videos

  • 2501 (Milan)
  • Juan Raul Hoyos (Miami)

Music, Poems and Essays

Ciudades, fundadas para odiar

Ciudades, tan altas, ¿para qué?

Ciudades, cada vez de pie

Ciudades, al polvo volverán

Music arrangement: Astor Piazzolla- Buenos Aires;  Lyrics: Horacio Ferrer – Buenos Aires; Vocals: Amelita Baltar – Buenos Aires

The haunting and powerful, La Ciudades by Astor Piazzolla (Argentina) (that will be played as part of Ciudades,) not only highlights the literal connection to the exhibition’s theme, but will serve as a celebration of Piazzolla’s career who faced intense criticism for breaking tradition to create a nuevo tango (new tango.)

Restrepo will also have excerpts from poetry and the essay, “Transhumance” by Elizabeth Rogers, Critic, writer, Harvard-Radcliffe, B.A. Yale University, M.A. East Asian Studies, M.F.A. Poetry Director, Tibetan Museum of Art, New York, displayed alongside some of the works.

2501, “Untitled (Triptych)”, ink on linen, 15 x 10 ft

2501 (Jacopo Ceccarelli) began his career as a street artist when only 14 years old. He would continue to develop a new style which combines wall painting, painting on canvas, sculpture, installation, photography, video, and documentary. With respect to his work in relation to Ciudades, he states: “Nature has been ingested and hidden in the cracks of the city, in the abandoned factories, in the discarded buildings, in the shantytowns, in the landfills, along railroad tracks. It survives solely in the spaces of the collapse of policies and memory.”

Juan Raul Hoyos, Compound: Installation of 513 recycled paper bags; serigraphy/silk screen painting; 500 x 500 cm; 2009-2010

Juan Raul Hoyos’ installation, Compound is currently on view at Narrativas y Procesos Del Arte Contemporáneo De Medellín/Colombia presented by Fundación Rozas-Botrán. In addressing the theme of Ciudades (cities) Oscar Roldan Alzate, Curator and Director of The Museum University of Antioquia -Colombia writes of Hoyos’ work: “To build, to install, to destruct, to dismantle, to arrange, to reassemble, to reorder, to project, to build, to reform, to modify, to deform, to form, to demolish: these are the collective actions that recall the image of ‘CITY.’ Beyond its execution we have seen the birth, the upbringing, and the disappearance of civilizations, empires and towns.”

Ana Maria Gutierrez, Carrera 11 2015 , wall fragments from Bogota, mounted on canvas, 57 x 84″, 145 x 214 cm

Ana Maria Gutierrez takes pieces of posters found on the walls of her city, Bogota, Colombia and reinterprets them to form a new narrative. She says, “Each piece is composed of fragments of our urbanity, which come together in a masterful wall. A wall that invite us to get out of the obvious and to think of the capacity that we, as human beings, have to transform our environment and leave a mark in history.”

Additional Images and Artist Information By Request.

About Etra Fine Art

Now located in Little Haiti (Little River Art District) and previously rooted in the renowned Miami Design District for nearly 10 years and Wynwood for two years, Etra Fine Art focuses on representing and promoting a wide variety of mid-career and established international artists whose work represents modern and contemporary styles. The gallery exhibits paintings, drawings, prints, sculptures, photography and installations that reflect progressive concepts while incorporating traditional and non- traditional materials. Because of its location at the crossroads of the Americas and Europe, Etra Fine Art has made it a priority to connect artists and collectors from both regions.

In addition to promoting and exhibiting artists, Etra Fine Art works with private collectors, corporations and interior designers to build collections by researching, locating, acquiring and installing an array of artwork.

Alicia Restrepo graduated in Economics first and Art later, and has been in the art business since 1983. She was recognized as co-owner of one of the most important galleries in Soho in the eighties and nineties, before moving her business to Miami in the early 2000’s.

A Fantesca-tic Wine Tasting with DLynn Proctor of SOMM Films

Wine by the Bay hosts an exclusive evening with DLynn Proctor, Director of Fantesca Estate & Winery (St. Helena, Napa Valley) and one of the four featured subjects in newly released SOMM III and preceding films, SOMM (2012) and SOMM: Into the Bottle (2015.) This event is a rare opportunity to taste all of Fantesca’s limited production wine portfolio, of which three wines are made by iconic winemaker, Heidi Barrett also known as the “Wine Diva of Napa” and the “First Lady of Wine.” Continue reading “A Fantesca-tic Wine Tasting with DLynn Proctor of SOMM Films”

My 2018 Art Basel Listicle: The A to Z of Where #MyArtEscape Will Be

If you’ve landed on my page and happen to be looking for Miami’s best Art Basel (Miami Art Week) parties, you’ve come to the wrong place. I’ve been writing about art fairs for the last four years and to me, it’s the most wonderful time of the year!

Why? Because for less than the price of an airfare, you have a chance to see art from all over the world, talk to the gallerists and sometimes meet the artists.

If you spend too much of that time attending parties, you won’t have the energy to survive the art trek mileage.

So here I go, jumping into the Google pool of listicles with an “A to Z” where I’ll be this year. Put on some comfortable shoes and join me on the trip!

Art Basel 2017

Art Basel

If you’ve never been to an art fair before, start with Art Basel  in Miami Beach. After all, Miami would not be the western hemisphere’s premier destination for art collectors that it is, if Art Basel had not debuted in 2002. Besides a chance to visit 268 leading galleries representing 35 countries, you’ll get to see the completed renovation of the Miami Beach Convention Center.

Rather than walk in and figure it out, I suggest you download the Art Basel app and mark the galleries that you wish to visit ahead of time. If there is a particular artist who you like, search by his/her name and it will show you which gallery represents that artist.

As a journalist, I’m fortunate to have the opportunity to attend the press conference and preview, but if you want to try to beat the crowds, attend one of the morning Conversations and then enter the fair. There will still be a line, but this quiet time sets the tone for an inspiring visit.

I was disappointed to know that there won’t be a Public sector (the outdoor art installation at the Bass Museum) this year, but you may want to check out the multidisciplinary installation, ‘Autorreconstrucción: To Insist, to Insist, to Insist…’ by Abraham Cruzvillegas. The project which is an Art Basel partnership with curator Phillipp Kaiser and The Kitchen, takes place in the Grand Ballroom and is free and open to the public: December 6 – 9 at 3:00 and 5:00 p.m.

Thursday, December 6, 2018, 3pm to 8pm; Friday, December 7, 2018, 12noon to 8pm; Saturday, December 8, 2018, 12noon to 8pm; Sunday, December 9, 2018, 12noon to 6pm

Miami Beach Convention Center | Art Basel Website

Art Miami

Art Miami

This year, Art Miami and its sister fair CONTEXT Art Miami are presenting their 29th edition and the second year located at the site of the former Miami Herald building. It’s impressive to say the least, and there’s something about the infiltration of natural light and bay views that makes this new setting very relaxing. Now although Art Basel in Miami Beach did change Miami’s art world landscape, did you know that Art Miami is the original and longest-running contemporary art fair in Miami?

Expect to see significant artworks, projects and installations from over 160 galleries from almost 30 countries.

Although I have yet to visit CONTEXT, I have visited Aqua Art Miami located at the Aqua Hotel. If you’re not in the art collecting big leagues, here’s a great place to start your art collection. You’ll find works by young, emerging and mid-career artists.

Wednesday, Dec. 5 – Sat., Dec. 8, 11AM –8PM; Sunday, Dec. 9, 11AM – 6PM

One Herald Plaza @ NE 14th Street | Art Miami Website

Design Miami 2017

Design Miami

I love Design Miami  and if I had an unlimited interior design budget, here’s where I’d be home shopping! Focused on high-end design, areas are aesthetically pleasing and full of inspiration. If you’re lucky enough to afford it, whatever you buy will be collectible and often a one-of-a-kind investment. I know that nobody seems to like the term: “functional art,” but to me there’s nothing nicer than owning a piece of art that can be enjoyed in many ways and not just looked at.

This year, plan to visit the Curio exhibitions which are small-scale, immersive installations presented by brands, galleries, and designers alongside the gallery program. There will be eleven new presentations.

Pedro Reyes and Carla Fernández, recipients of the 2018 Design Miami/Visionary Award will present a retrospective of their work that focus on design with a social dimension such as addressing social justice and peacemaking, as well as the emphasizing the importance of handcrafted products in a world where automation is replacing humans.

There will also be about thirty-two galleries from all over the world with booth exhibitions.

Wednesday, December 5, 12–8PM; Thursday, December 6, 10AM–8PM; Friday, December 7, 11AM–8PM; Saturday, December 8, 12–8PM; Sunday, December 9, 12–6PM

Meridian Ave. and 19th Street | Design Miami Website

NADA 2017

NADA

I visited NADA (New Art Dealers Alliance) for the first time last year. I enjoyed the smaller venue (Ice Palace Studios) and the intimate feel. Although it’s been years since I visited New York, there is an urban vibe to NADA and it feels like walking through a gallery district on a warm, summer evening.

NADA will have 125 exhibitors representing 23 countries of which 37 are first time exhibitors, 64 are NADA Member galleries and 26 project spaces.

Here is another fair to begin your art collection or continue supporting emerging. The NADA Miami International Gallery Prize is awarded to galleries based outside of the US that often have not participated in a US art fair before. The award minimizes the gallery’s financial risk and encourages experimentation. This year’s recipients are, CARNE Gallery (Bogotá) and Galeria Dawid Radziszewski (Warsaw.)

Thursday, December 6, 2–7pm; Friday, December 7, 11am–7pm; Saturday, December 8, 11am–7pm; Sunday, December 9, 11am–5pm

Ice Palace Studios (1400 N Miami Ave) | NADA Website

PINTA Miami

I have yet to visit PINTA Miami and am looking forward to it! PINTA is in its 12th edition and in its main section, will include 60 galleries from Latin America, United States and Europe. PINTA Countries will have sections dedicated to Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Mexico, and for the first time will include Spain.

Other areas to visit are: Project Section; Proyecto Visible; Collections Program; PINTA Platforms; and PINTA Editions.

Thursday, December 6, 12pm–8pm: Friday, December, 12pm–8pm; Saturday, December 8, 12pm–8pm; Sunday, December 9, 12pm–7pm

Mana Wynwood | PINTA Miami Website

PULSE Contemporary Art Fair

This will be my first visit to PULSE Contemporary Art Fair. I’ve tried in past years, but being set apart from the other fairs on Miami Beach and not contained like the mainland ones made visiting a challenge. However, that’s just me and no reason for you not to visit. The 14th edition of PULSE exclusively showcases contemporary art, from over 70 galleries from countries including: China, Denmark, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Netherlands, Scotland, South Africa, Switzerland and Ukraine.

Like Untitled and SCOPE art fairs, PULSE is situated right on the Miami Beach sand. Whereas the North Tent houses the galleries, the South Tent presents SOLO exhibitions and CONVERSATIONS which are dual artist shows that encourage galleries to explore conceptual dialogues between artists who they represent.

Friday, December 7, 10am – 7pm; Saturday, December 8, 10 am – 7pm; Sunday, December 9, 10am – 5pm

Indian Beach Park | PULSE Website

SCOPE, Miami 2017

SCOPE Miami Beach

I have been secretly admiring SCOPE Miami Beach for the past few years. As a marketer, SCOPE is at the top of their promo game and, this fair and the way it’s presented is just outright cool. Gallerists are approachable, people look engaged and you can find some really unique and gutsy art at affordable prices. If you’re looking for a rest stop, SCOPE should be one of your top choices for light bites, libations and stellar views.

Celebrating its 18th edition, expect to see a diverse range of over 130 contemporary exhibitors. There’s also a New Contemporary section; a 360° experience of VIP Programming; Special Projects; Panel Discussions; Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series; Superchief Gallery; and publication, HI-FRUCTOSE will transform the SCOPE tent with ambitious projects featuring artists Okuda, Hot Tea, and AJ Fosik.

Wed-Sun | Dec 5-9 | 11am- 8pm

801 Ocean Drive | SCOPE Website

Spectrum Miami/Red Dot Miami

Here’s another fair that does an outstanding job of marketing its event. Because of my job, I notice these things, but even if I didn’t, I believe, Spectrum Miami and Red Dot may be a great place for emerging and local artists to gain some exposure and hopefully, sell their art. Side by side, both fairs offer 100,000 square feet of exhibition space. Red Dot Miami is a curated gallery-only contemporary art show and Spectrum Miami features the work of more than 160 exhibiting artists and galleries from the Florida region, U.S. and around the globe. Here is the perfect opportunity to engage with the artists directly and “shop local.” I’m looking forward to my first visit!

Thursday, December 6th: 1:00PM – 9:00PM; Friday, December 7th: 1:00PM – 10:00PM; Saturday, December 8th: 1:00PM – 9:00PM; Sunday, December 9th: 12:00PM – 5:00PM

Mana Wynwood | Spectrum Website | Red Dot Website

Superfine!

Superfine! presents its fourth Miami edition presenting 38 solo artist booths and 11 galleries. If you find a work of art that you don’t want to live without, this fair helps to make it affordable offering tools like Art Money: zero interest loans and low monthly payments. 75% of the art ranges in price from $300 to $5000. In a press release, Superfine Director, Alex Mitow says, “Art should be about experiencing wonder and discovery, being enlightened and excited. Too many fairs and galleries get wrapped up in art world politics and forget their prime duty: to connect the work of talented artists with people who love and appreciate it. That’s the mindset we are seeking (and succeeding) to correct.” Don’t miss out on the Young Collectors; Ice Cream Social and other fun events.

Thursday December 6, 11am-10pm; Friday December 7, 11am – 10pm; Saturday, December 8, 11am – 10pm; Sunday, December 9, 11am – 8pm

1001 Ocean Dr., Miami Beach, FL 33139 | Superfine! Website

Untitled, Miami Beach 2017

Untitled, Miami Beach

It’s impossible to pick a favorite art fair because each one has its own character and of course, caters to different types of collectors. However, I love Untitled, Miami Beach! From the hot pink tent entrance and ocean view; to the vaulted (tent) ceilings and bright natural light; and beautiful and intellectually stimulating gallery presentations, it’s one fair that I could return to each day. This year is Untitled, Miami Beach’s 7th edition presenting 133 international exhibitors from 30 countries (46 exhibitors are new.)

I am particularly interested in seeing the artist-focused special projects which explore themes such as collectiveness, displacement, migration, and precarious presence, transpiring from the artists and artworks presented by exhibitors.

If you are a VIP member, be sure to check out the Podcast, Special Programs and Events. And, if you live close to Miami Beach, definitely take the mid-Miami Art Week Sunrise Yoga class break offered at the north end of the Untitled, Art tent.

Wednesday, Dec 5, 11am – 7pm; Thursday, Dec 6, 11am – 7pm; Friday, Dec 7, 11am – 7pm; Saturday, Dec 8, 11am – 7pm; Sunday, Dec 9, 11am – 5pm

Ocean Drive & 12th Street  Untitled Website

Thanks for making it to the end of the first #MyArtEscape listicle! I hope it was helpful.

Until the next time, enjoy the trip, look closely to engage with art, and maybe start or add to your collection.

@AllegoryPR #MyArtEscape on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

What a Kayak Trip and a Museum Visit Have In Common

Every writer needs a retreat. It’s impossible to keep filling up the mind with information, especially in the age of social media, without seeking empty space in order to continue being creative. When I need this space, I turn to art, nature, water and birds, or a trip in a kayak.

I am deeply affected by art: especially music, sculptures and film. A Chopin Nocturne can move me to tears, a sculpture enrapture me, and a film send me into a trance. Am I strange?

I can see a single work of art and be moved, but never has an artist’s solo exhibition touched me as much as Mira Lehr’s Tracing the Red Thread at the Museum of Contemporary Art in North Miami. In fact, I’ve written a review for Widewalls magazine and you can read it here.

However, I needed to write something more personal and that’s the beauty of blogging. I don’t have to be too careful about grammar and I can write as if I’m speaking to someone face to face. I just hope someone is listening.

The Museum Visit

Tracing the Red Thread is a museum-wide installation divided into four rooms. In the main area, mangrove sculptures rise up from the floor and majestically stretch up to the ceiling. Each tree is connected to another with mangrove-like arms, holding the other up while protecting life nestled between its branches. If you physically follow the red thread, you too will be embraced by Mother Mangrove.

Continue reading “What a Kayak Trip and a Museum Visit Have In Common”