Art Collecting Basics: Miami Art Week

Learn About Miami's Art Week with Carousel Fine Art
October 31, 2024
Palm trees, the ocean breeze, and an endless display of art. Welcome to Miami Art Week.
 Courtesy of Widewalls.

 

Each year, the first week of December unfailingly attracts masses of gallery owners, artists, and art buyers to the city of Miami. With Art Basel, Art Miami, Untitled, and a myriad of other art fairs all occurring within the same week, it’s no wonder that people flock to the Sunshine State for these seven days, gathering around Miami’s numerous art fairs, installations, and events.

 

But for those participating in Art Week, Miami can be overwhelming. So, what exactly is going on?
 

What is Miami Art Week?

Miami Art Week takes place during the first week of December and refers to the period in which the city hosts numerous international art fairs, exhibitions, and art events.

Over the past two decades, Miami Art Week has grown to encompass a variety of cultural and artistic happenings. While details and dates may vary each year, the gist remains: it is a time when the art world flocks to Miami, transforming the city into a colorful, immersive art scene. 

What is an Art Fair?

Art fairs are large events designed to connect buyers, galleries, dealers, and art enthusiasts. At each fair, individual booths operate as mini-galleries, representing specific art galleries or artists within a larger exhibition space.

 

Courtesy of Art Basel, image of inside Art Basel Miami showing the different booths .

 

The global phenomenon of art fairs has turned these conventions into centers of art commerce, where galleries, artists, and buyers from around the world can come together under one roof. During Art Week, Miami’s most publicized events are the annual art fairs, with the city hosting over 20 different fairs—the most prominent being Art Basel.

 

The Iconic Art Basel

Today, Art Basel is almost synonymous with Miami Art Week. But what is Art Basel?

 

The story begins in the 1970s when three Swiss art dealers in Basel, Switzerland—Ernst Beyeler, Trudl Bruckner, and Balz Hilt—envisioned an art fair that would attract the world’s most prestigious galleries, art collectors, curators, and art enthusiasts. Their focus on balancing displays of modern and contemporary masterpieces with emerging artists became a model replicated globally.

 Courtesy of Art Basel, image of Art Basel Miami including individual gallery booths .

 

Over the past 50 years, Art Basel has evolved into one of the world’s most prestigious fairs, renowned for its high curatorial standards and notable visitors. Looking to expand and recognizing the importance of the American market and the opportunity to reach new audiences, Art Basel launched it's first international fair, Art Basel Miami in 2002. 

 

Held at the Miami Beach Convention Center, Art Basel Miami has become an institution, synonymous with December in Miami. The fair has earned its reputation not only for its high-quality exhibitions but also as a marketplace for serious collectors, a magnet for celebrities, and a hotspot for exclusive gatherings.

 

Art Miami: The City’s First Fair

Courtesy of Art Miami, image of the exterior of the art fair Art Miami.

 

While Art Basel Miami has become synonymous with the city's art scene, Art Miami is the city’s original fair. Established in 1990, Art Miami is Miami's longest-running contemporary art fair and the second-most attended fair worldwide. Like Art Basel, Art Miami brings together esteemed galleries to showcase contemporary and modern art.

Thirty years ago, Miami’s art scene was nascent, with few museums or cultural landmarks beyond the University of Miami’s Lowe Museum. Tourists had to pack into cars and drive to Palm Beach or Fort Lauderdale to visit any major institution.

 

But with the steady influx of Latin American collectors and immigrants arriving in Miami during the 80s and 90s, both industry and real estate ramped up, creating an amassment of wealth. More frequently, artists and art collectors began flooding South Beach’s shores. 

Art Miami was the first fair to unite galleries, collectors, and buyers in this city, fostering Miami’s now-thriving art scene. While Art Miami lacked the global reputation of Art Basel, it stoked the artistic revolution that helped turn Miami into the art scene it is today.

 

In 2024, Art Miami is a highlight of Art Week, attracting thousands of attendees. Its selection spans various periods, styles, and mediums, blending works by both established and emerging artists. As one of the largest art shows taking place during Art Week, Art Miami offers a wide variety of artworks to its visitors. In fact, Art Miami’s crowds of thousands of attendees spurred the creation of its sister fairs, CONTEXT Art Miami and Aqua Art Miami.

 

Untitled: Art Fairs in Miami BEach

Of the 20+ fairs taking place during Miami Art Week, only two occur directly on the sands of South Beach: Untitled Art and Scope.

 

Courtesy of Untitled, people lining up outside of Untitled Art Fair.

 

What is Untitled ARt?

Untitled Art is an independent contemporary art fair situated along Ocean Boulevard, framed by iconic art deco architecture, white sands, and the Atlantic. Since 2012, Untitled has collaborated with Miami’s Pérez Art Museum, growing into an esteemed platform for contemporary art. The fair’s long, white tent houses nearly 200 booths, all featuring curated presentations, live events, and artist performances.

 

Untitled’s inclusive approach to contemporary art appeals to collectors, historians, curators, and students alike.

 

Courtesy of Untitled, people inside the Untitled Art Fair.

 

Carousel fine art and miami art week 2024

As Art Week 2024 approaches, the excitement in the city is palpable. Carousel Fine Art is excited to announce our gallery’s participation in both Art Miami 2024 and CONTEXT 2024. For this year’s booths, Carousel Fine Art promises a display of groundbreaking global artists whose works are transforming contemporary art.

 

We invite collectors to visit us at Art Miami Booth #AM425 and CONTEXT Booth #B3.
 
Carousel Fine Art gallery booth at art fair during Miami Art Week.
 
 
Explore Past Art Fairs
 

List of 2024 Art Fairs

With over 20 art fairs taking place, Miami Art Week offers something for every art lover. Here’s a list of the art fairs to explore during Miami Art Week 2024.

 

  • Art Basel Miami Beach 2024
    • Dec 6-8, 2024
    • VIP Days: Dec 4-5, 2024
  • Art Miami 2024
    • Dec 3-8, 2024
    • VIP Preview: Dec 3, 2024
  • The Official Miami Art Week™ Pop-Up Show
    • Dec 8-9, 2024
  • photoMIAMI™
    • Dec 8-9, 2024
  •  AfriKin Art Fair
    • Dec 1-8, 2024
    • VIP Opening & Press Preview: Dec 1, 2024
  • Aqua Art Miami 2024
    • Dec 4-8, 2024
    • VIP Preview: Dec 4, 2024
  • Art Beat Miami
    • 2024 dates TBD
  • CONTEXT Art Miami 2024
    • Dec 3-8, 2024
    • VIP Preview: Dec 3, 2024
  • Design Miami 2024
    • Dec 3-8, 2024
    • Preview Day (Invitation Only): Dec 3, 2024
  • Fridge Art Fair
    • 2024 dates TBD
  • INK MIAMI Art Fair 2024
    • Dec 4-8, 2024
  • Miami River Art Fair
    • 2024 dates TBD
  • NADA Miami Art Fair 2024
    • Dec 3-7, 2024
  • No Vacancy, Miami Beach
    • 2024 dates TBD
  • Pinta Miami 2024
    • Dec 5-8, 2024
  • Prizm Art Fair
    • 2024 dates TBD
  • Red Dot Miami 2024
    • Dec 4-8, 2024
    • VIP/Press Preview: Dec 4, 2024
  • Satellite Art Fair
    • Dec 4-8, 2024
  • Scope Miami Beach 2024
    • Dec 3-8, 2024
    • Platinum First View (Invitation Only): Dec 3, 2024
  • Spectrum Miami 2024
    • Dec 4-8, 2024
    • VIP/Press Preview: Dec 4, 2024
  • UNTITLED Art, Miami Beach 2024
    • Dec 4-8, 2024
    • VIP & Press Preview: Dec 3, 2024

About the author

Laura Horowicz

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