Black art lovers won’t want to miss these shows at Miami Art Week 2022

After a pandemic hiatus, the Black art events of Miami Art Week are back this December in full force. Whether this is your first foray to the events surrounding Art Basel Miami Beach or a return visit, you’ll find new events, venues, hotels, restaurants – and plenty of twists on familiar ones. For a full list of events, check out the Art of Black Miami website.

THE BASICS

Twenty years ago, the famed Swiss Art Basel art fair brought its first satellite event to Miami Beach. world’s top art collectors immediately embraced it, creating fertile soil for a week that now involves dozens of art-centered fairs, performances, installations, museum exhibitions and pop-up events in Miami Beach and on the mainland near downtown. This year, events run Nov. 28 – Dec. 4.

Don’t bother with renting a car. Traffic and parking are nightmares; rideshare services are your best bet. Look for lodging near the venues you plan to visit most. If you stay near Brickell, you can hop Metrorail to many downtown venues.

For visitors focusing on Black art events, the mainland is the place to be. It’s also home to Historic Overtown, where you’ll find soul-food restaurants Red Rooster and Lil Greenhouse Grill and the historic Dunns-Josephine Hotel.

MUST-SEE BLACK ART

These shows should go on the top of your list:

PRIZM Art Fair: In the decade since Mikhaile Solomon founded PRIZM to feature works by Black artists, the fair has moved from Little River to downtown and now, to the Miami Design District. Artworks from 11 international galleries and 80 independent artists will be shown under a massive tent at the corner of North Miami Avenue and 41st Street. Programming will take place two dozen blocks to the north at the Little Haiti Cultural Center, 212 NE 59th Terrace. On Dec. 3, DJ John Butler, husband of star artist Bisa Butler, spins a night of Gogo tunes. Nov. 30-Dec. 4.

Point Comfort Art Fair + Show: Presented by Hampton Art Lovers at the Historic Ward Rooming House in Historic Overtown, Point Comfort focuses on art, conversation, music and community with a double feature exhibition and commercial fair. Available for sale are works by Basil Watson, Brandon Clark, Tiffani Glenn, Phil Shing, Musa Hixon, Chris Clark, Tommy the Animator and Judy Bowman under a tent adjacent to the Ward Rooming House, 249 NW 9th Street, Miami. Inside, the exhibition features work by the late Chicago artist Charles White and his circle of influence from The Norwood Collection and Florida Memorial University Special Collection. Dec. 1-4.

Additional works by White are highlighted in a companion survey of White’s remarkable drawings at the University of Miami’s Lowe Art Museum, 1301 Stanford Dr, Coral Gables, through Feb. 26.

Art of Transformation: The city of Opa-Locka is one of Miami’s underrecognized gems, a historic community dotted with surprising Moorish architecture. This year, it will be home to a five-day series of shows and outdoor activations. The Art of Transformation, presented by the city and the Opa-Locka Community Development Corporation, features three separate exhibitions, one from the OLCDC’s own international collection, a second on Haitian art history and a third selection of emerging, and mid-career Black artists. The Dec. 4 grand finale includes a parade. Events take place at the Historic Opa-locka Train Station (480 Ali Baba Avenue), and the Hurt Building (490 Ali Baba Avenue) and the ARC (675 Ali Baba Avenue.)

Art at The Betsy Hotel: The Betsy Hotel, 1440 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, is far more than a stylish place to rest one’s head. The hotel’s vibrant cultural programs encompassing art talks, musical and dance performances and exhibitions run throughout the year but kick into high gear for Art Week. This year’s program includes 15-minute preview performances of upcoming work by the Peter London Global Dance Company on Dec. 2 at 7:30 and 8:30 p.m. and exhibitions of photography by Zimbabwean Tamary Kudita and Trinidadian Nadia Huggins.

“The Head and the Load”: South African artist William Kentridge honors the Black porters and carriers who supported the military in the first World War in his rarely performed theatrical show, “The Head and the Load,” at the Arsht Center for the Performing Arts Dec. 1-3.

Edouard Duval-Carrié, Recent Works: Edouard Duval-Carrié is arguably Miami’s best loved Haitian-American artist. Those who don’t already know his work can discover it at his solo show of mixed-media engravings through Jan. 29 at the Coral Gables Museum, 285 Aragon Ave, Coral Gables.

The Art of the Athlete: Following a racist 2020 television interview with an Alabama station, Harlem Globetrotter Guard Maxwell “Hops” Pearce channeled a backlash of hateful messages into an artistic expression. The result is his first show, The Art of an Athlete, at N’Namdi Contemporary Fine Art, located at 6505 NE 2nd Ave., Dec. 2-4.

Didier William: Nou Kite Tout Sa Dèyè: This survey of work by Miami-based William at the Museum of Contemporary Art – North Miami, 770 NE 125th street.

North Miami, promises to be one of the week’s knockouts. Through April 16.

ART FAIRS

Fairs are commercial enterprises, meaning those staggering works by Romare Bearden and Jean-Michel Basquiat are for sale, along with works by emerging (and less pricy) artists. Fair organizers also vet participating galleries for reputable practices. Pro Tip: Buy tickets online.

Among the most popular fairs are:

Miami Beach

Art Basel Miami Beach: The centerpiece of Art Week, Art Basel draws many top European, American, African and Latin American galleries showcasing drawings, paintings, photographs, sculpture and multimedia works by modern and contemporary masters. South African galleries Goodman and Stevenson focus on works by African artists, both Black and white. Other well-known galleries include Mariane Ibrahim (who represents Amaoko Boafo, among others), Jenkins Johnson (for Bettye Saar), Jack Shainman (for Nick Cave, El Anatsui and Malick Sadibe) and Sean Kelly (for Dawoud Bey and Kehinde Wiley). Public days Dec. 1-3, Miami Beach Convention Center, 1901 Convention Center Drive; artbasel.com)

Design Miami: This sister fair to Art Basel focuses on 20th and 21st century design in furniture, jewelry and homewares. The installation gracing the front is by Miami-based architect Germane Barnes, winner of this year’s Miami Design District Commission. Along with single-fair tickets, combination passes with Art Basel are available. Located on Convention Center Drive, just across from Art Basel. Dec. 1-4; designmiami.com.

Downtown Miami

Art Miami: Many of the world’s top galleries take space at Art Miami, the city’s longest-running fair. Sister fair Context features works by emerging artists under the same massive pavilion on Biscayne Bay, between the MacArthur and Venetian Causeways at 1 Herald Plaza. Dec. 1-4.

NADA: The New Art Dealers Association fair always brings unexpected works by a wide range of artists. Pro Tip: Go the first day, as early as possible. Works tend to sell fast. Nov. 30 – Dec. 3.