by Robert Bornstein
Art Basel Miami 2014 was an outstanding show as it is every year. It is visually super stimulating and I clocked five full hours of viewing gallery after gallery. Held at the Miami Beach Convention Center the event attracts museum curators, corporate collectors, art collectors, gallery owners, artists, art enthusiasts, celebrities and each year, more and more locals of South Florida. I have been attending for several years and it always is an amazing uplifting experience. Art Basel originated in Basel Switzerland to showcase contemporary art. It expanded to Miami fourteen years ago. Miami already had a healthy art scene even then. Art Miami just celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary show.
Since Art Basel came to town the events blossomed yearly. Now known as Miami Art Week, there are approximately 24 concurrent shows. Galleries from around the world come for the week hoping for big sales and each year sales are brisk. Monumental sculptures, canvases and mobiles dominate galleries, while smaller works suitable for an office, living room or family room also are available. There is something for everyone at the shows especially ones like New Art Dealers Alliance. NADA is held at the Deauville Hotel on Miami Beach and it features new and upcoming artists represented by newer gallery owners. Art Miami, Red Dot and other shows are held in Mid Town Miami. Private museums such as the Margulies and Rubel collections open their doors all week of the fair.
The shows are all over and everyone returned home. Mark off your calendar for the first week in December for 2015 Miami Art Week. If you pine for a bite of culture monthly, the Wynwood Art Walk presents a vast array of contemporary art with dozens of galleries the second Saturday of each month.
