These shows and events should be on your Miami Art Week agenda

ART FOR THE MIND

It’s hard to believe that this year marks a decade since Faena Hotel Miami Beach opened with a had-to-be-there bash showcasing a lightning-sensitive chandelier, Juan Gatti’s massive murals in the gold-leaf Cathedral entry and Damien Hirst’s full-size gilded mastodon encased in glass. Faena has continued to produce some of Art Week’s most astonishing and popular installations. (Remember Sebastian Errazuriz’s QR code maze in the sand? Refik Anadol’s AI-driven screen on the beach during the NFT craze? Leandro Erlich’s sand-covered traffic jam?)

This year Faena celebrates its decennial with a site-specific sundial rotating in a 50-foot reflecting pool on the sand. “The Library of Us,” created by English artist Es Devlin, features a 19-foot-high triangular pointer – technically called a gnomon – stacked with 2,500 books that have influenced Devlin’s life and thinking. The sculpture will feature a 30-foot wide strip of LED screens displaying passages from Umberto Eco, Jorge Luis Borges and James Baldwin read aloud by the artist. You can get a closer look at the books at the 70-foot reading table ringing the pool. When the work is dismantled after Dec. 7, the volumes will be donated to local schools and libraries. Open Dec. 2 to Dec. 7 from 1 to 9 p.m. on the beach outside Faena Hotel, 3201 Collins Ave., Miami Beach.

Note: Year-round you can explore Devlin’s mirrored maze, “Forest of Us,” at Wynwood’s Superblue.

ROAD BLOCK TO THE FUTURE?

Five years after it hit the beach, Erlich’s “parking lot” has slipped under the waves. That’s the concept behind Phase 1 of the Reefline, a permanent installation where contemporary art meets environmental awareness. Some 800 feet east of the beach at Fifth Street, 22 of Erlich’s concrete cars will soon be implanted with heat-resistent corals. Funded in part by a public bond, the Reefline eventually will stretch seven miles and include marine-hardened sculptures by Carlos Betancourt, Petroc Sesti and other well-known artists. The cars sit on the ocean floor in 20 feet of water, making them visible to snorkelers. Dives are offered Dec. 1-5 at 9 a.m. and require signup; a $50 donation is suggested. thereefline.org.

BASEL WEEK AND BASQUIAT

More than 25 years after his death, Jean-Michel Basquiat and his innovative mix of graffiti with emotionally charged abstracts continue to enthrall. This Art Week, Miami audiences will get the first look at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture’s newly acquired Basquiat archive.

- “Emerging and Beyond” at The Moore Miami features 120+ photographs by Alexis Adler documenting Basquiat’s first studio from 1979-1980. The 5x7 darkroom prints make their world premiere alongside work by 18 contemporary artists (include the late David Driskell and Romare Bearden) in a presentation arranged by The Bishop Gallery. Dec. 4 - 30 at The Moore Miami, 4040 NE Second Ave., Design District.

- Yearning for more Basquiat? Head over to BitBasel at the Sagamore on South Beach, where the Dec. 7 program honors Basquiat’s lasting legacy in a conversation with Dr. Glenn Toby, entertainment manager and philanthropist.

Also on BitBasel’s five-day program: a Dec. 4 Sea & Space Summit curated by astronaut-artist Nicole Stott, followed by a Moon Party with live DJ sets and art activations; Dec. 5 Art-Fintech Forum and NFT focus (apparently they’re not quite dead yet); Dec. 6’s annual Sagamore Art Brunch and a Dec. 7 celebration of women in art, design, media and culture. Tickets required for all events. The Sagamore, 1671 Collins Ave., Miami Beach.

MORE TECH MOMENTS

eMerge Americas, our hometown tech summit, is partnering with Miami AI Hub to host Tech Basel Miami AI Summit to foster cross-sector collaboration and transformation across AI, finance, healthcare, and national security. Space is technically sold out, but you can contact the hosts if you’re yearning for a seat in the room with top Fortune 500 C-suiters and leading AI researchers. The all-day event is Dec. 3 in Coconut Grove.

At Art Basel Miami Beach, check out the launch of Zero 10, a new curated initiative for art of the digital era.

TRIBECA ON THE BEACH

For the fourth year, the Tribeca Festival comes to Art Basel — specifically the Miami Beach Bandshell — with two weekend nights of musical and film presentations. The tunes come from Bogotá-based ensemble Monsieur Periné and instrumental duo Hermanos Gutiérrez. The two-night fest includes an exclusive sneak preview of two new short films at the nexus of intersection of sports and Latino community, with a discussion moderated by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Rudy Valdez. Dec. 5 and 6; details and tickets at tribecafilm.com/miami.

THE INSIDE SCOOP

It’s sometimes hard to believe that AirBnB started as a design project. The company is reflecting those roots by offering three distinctive experiences that take art lovers behind the scenes.

Exploring the Art of Curation with Kelly Wearstler immerses guests in the creative process of design guru Kelly Wearstler. At Insider Art Basel: Exclusive Director’s Preview, Art Basel Miami Beach Director Bridget Finn offers an exclusive, pre-fair tour of the Meridians sector of large-scale installations. Artist Jack Pierson takes guests through his new solo show at The Bass museum on Miami Beach. Of course, access doesn’t come cheap. But you knew that. Book at airbnb.com.

TALK OF THE TIMES

Contemporary art is as much about ideas as visuals – making these precarious times for the art world. ECOLOGIES, a new program fueled by the Knight Foundation, brings together panels and performances to discuss freedom of expression and other pressing issues. Shaped by partners from museums, fairs and journalism, the program will bring together all Knight Arts grantees and the general public.

Topics will include individual freedom of expression and civic responsibility, museums as gathering points, arts and the information landscape, and the evolving art market. The program is being shaped by a partnership between NADA, the New Dealers Art Association; Cultured Magazine; Perez Art Museum Miami and arts representation firm Cultural Counsel.

Kristina Newman Scott, Knight’s new VP/Arts, said she wanted to lean on Knight’s long-standing role as a community convener in a way that supported existing efforts rather than adding one event to an already-crowded Art Week agenda. “Our goal in this moment is to create opportunity for our local arts community to better connect, more intentionally, and to merge the local and the international….ECOLOGIES is really about seeding conversations and inviting participation.”

While you’re at NADA, you can flash back to the 2019 appearance of the “banana” (Maurizio Cattelan’s “Comedian” composed of a banana duct-taped to a gallery wall) at Banana Daddy, a new banana-based soft serve treat created by a Miami entrepreneur.

Panels and performances will take place Dec. 2-6 at the NADA fair at the Ice Palace, 1400 N. Miami Avenue, Miami. Open to fair ticket holders. newartdealers.org.

MORE WORDS

As always, the week is filled with panels, presentations and discussions that help demystify both art and the world in which it is created. A few to check out:

- Check out the new show at El Espacio 23 and key into the latest on Latin American Art at “Layover,” a panel presented by 74th Arts. Speakers include philanthropist Darlene Pérez; Alejandra Rossetti, director and senior advisor at The Fine Art Group; and Nina Surel, artist and founder of The Collective 62. It will be moderated by Patricia Hanna, Curator and Director of the Jorge M. Pérez Collection. Dec. 2, noon at El Espacio 23, 2270 NW 23rd St., Miami.

- Art Basel’s Conversations series presents opportunities to hear from some of the most innovative and influential artists, museum leaders, gallerists and changemakers in contemporary art. The talks are free and don’t require a fair pass. (If you haven’t booked a reservation for the talk of choice online, you just arrive at the presentation space on the second floor of the Miami Beach Convention Center about 30 minutes in advance.)

This year’s talks span sports, tech, the art markets, and the opacity of art prices. Speakers include artists Jeffrey Gibson, Tavares Strachan, Alvaro Barrington, Felice Grodin, Fannie Sosa, Felipe Mujica and Manuel Mathieu; author Edwidge Danticat and curator Larry Ossei-Mensah. Schedule at artbasel.com. 1900 Convention Center Dr., Miami Beach.

A LACHAPELLE

Along with the flashy fashion and celebrity photos wrought by David LaChapelle’s camera are commercialized images of subversive and ominous scenes intended to provoke (and sometimes offend.) From Nov. 29 to Jan. 31, Visu Contemporary Gallery presents “Vanishing Act,” a showcase of 30 LaChapelle images exploring the tensions between man and earth, the value of money, spirituality and mortality. The artists will be on hand Dec. 5 at the gallery from 6-9 p.m.

Visu Contemporary, 2160 Park Ave., Miami Beach; visugallery.com.

IN THE LOBBIES

Check in to – or just check out – the 12 Miami Beach hotels hosting the City of Miami Beach’s annual No Vacancy program of temporary art installations. This year’s artists include Pepe Mar (at Casa Faena), Edison Peñafiel (at the Catalina) and Evelyn Sosa at the Nautilus Sonesta. Participating artists get $10,000 each to create their works and a chance to vie for $35,000 in prizes. Plan a rest stop at Riviera Suites, where you can linger beneath Fabiola Larios’ suspended constellation of pink piñatas. From Nov. 13-Dec. 20. mbartsandculture.org.

While you’re in the ‘hood, stop off at the Goodtime Hotel for “borderline,” a presentation of work by 11 artists presented in partnership with Queue Gallery, Supermarket Gallery and Miami Art Society. Daily 11-6 p.m. through Dec. 8, 601 Washington Ave., Miami Beach.

IN THE DISTRICT

Once again Miami’s Design District will be all abuzz with installations, events and unique exhibitions. Top of the list is “The Prelude,” showcasing works by Henry Moore, Alberto Giacometti, Cy Twombly and Rashid Johnson curated by Johnson, whose own works hang in The Whitney, New York’s Museum of Modern Art, The Guggenheim and Perez Art Museum Miami. Dec. 2 through early January, 151 NE 41st St, suite 133.

For the past decade, the Design District has awarded an annual design commission. This year’s winner is sculptor Katie Stout. Her installation, “Garantua’s Thumb,” features a fantastical cast of sculptural furniture include a dog-shaped bench, frog-inspired perch and whale-shaped fainting couch (oh my!), with an interactive carousel in the district’s center.

Also in the District: Chroma, a group show of 22 international artists at Lucid’s Design Center, 10 NE 41st St. (Dec. 3-17); the immersive “Panthiere in the Wild” exhibition at Cartier following the sleek and stealthy emblem through its legacy at 23 NE 41st St. (Dec. 5-7, 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.) and Design District developer Craig Robins’ collection in the Dacra Headquarters space at 3841 NE Second Ave., Suite 400 Miami, days during Art Week.

ON THE WALLS

Wynwood Walls’ new show provides a welcome antidote to the AI storm. “Only Human” celebrates lived experiences, global perspectives and the creative spark that remains uniquely human with murals and productions from Cryptik, Joe Iurato, Miss Birdy, Persue, Quake, SETH, and RISK, along with the first join mural in a decade by Retna and El Mac. Take the time to check out the caps, coasters, beach towels and bags at the Walls’ new shop.

IN THE MUSEUMS

Local museums pull out all the stops for their Art Week shows. Here’s what you’ll find this year.

IN THE GALLERIES

Over the years, Miami’s commercial galleries have become ever-more sophisticated, offering insightful programming throughout the year. Here’s a bit of what’s in store for Art Week:

- Nina Johnson Gallery: A kaleidoscopic exhibition of works by 26 artists plus two solo shows by highly regarded artists open Dec. 1. Dara Friedman’s sculptural installations draw on indigenous astronomy and classical Chinese medicine to reveal another dimension of an artist best known for her video works. Emmett Moore’s functional outdoor sculptures (whimsical chairs, lamps and bowls) will fill the courtyard. Indoors, curator Jarrett Earnest brings together queer counter-cultural archival works plus new art from contemporary practitioners in the show “Acid Bath House.” 6315 NW Second Ave., Miami; ninajohnson.com

- It’s hard to believe, but Allapattah’s Spinello Projects is now 20 years old. The gallery is celebrating with “Changes: Reflections on Time & Space.” The show features work by many of its top artists, including Farley Aguilar, Augustina Woodgate, Eliot & Erick Jimenez, Jared McGriff and Nina Surel, to name but a few. 2930 NW Seventh Ave., Miami; spinelloprojects.com

- Mindy Solomon is often ahead of the trends, placing her gallery in the “must-see“ category. This year’s Art Week presentations at the gallery include “Asif Hoque: My Sunshine,” “Celia Vásquez Yui: Indigenous Futurism,” and “Zoë Buckman: Who By Fire, all through Jan. 10. Mindy Solomon Gallery, 848 NW 22 Street, Miami; mindysolomon.com

- Though well known for its international artists, Coconut Grove’s LNS Gallery also champions Miami-based artists in a way few others do. Works now on display include the intricate nature scenes of Jennifer Basile, Tony Vazquez-Figueroa’s exploration of what happens when art is “undone,” and “Timelines,” a survey of the remarkably diverse career of Alexandre Arrecea. (Don’t miss Arrecea’s paintings on eight columns along The Underline facing the gallery.)

- Piero Atchugarry doesn’t make art — he leaves that to his father, renown sculptor Pablo Atchugarry. The son plays a different yet vital role, giving space and expression to artists uncommonly seen in South Florida. From Nov. 30 his gallery is showcasing “In Orbit with Untraceable Balance,” by Emil Lukas, curated by Rene Morales, and “Eva y Linda,” work by friends Eva Olivetti and Linda Kohen. Pierro Atchugarry Gallery, 5520 NE Fourth Ave., Miami; pieroatchugarry.com.

GIRL FIGHT

Combine anime, music, fashion, beauty and female wrestling, and you get a night with Sukeban, the Japanese all-women professional wrestling league. The main event pits Ichigo Sayaka against Atomic Banshee for the championship belt designed by Marc Newson. Dec. 3 at the Miami Beach Bandshell; advance tickets required.

PAST PERFECT

Walter Mercado wasn’t the typical artist - in fact, nothing about the flamboyant astrologer was ‘typical.’ Every prediction was delivered with a signature flair of glittery outfits and dramatic capes that helped create a spell-bounding performance. Pinecrest Gardens in southern Miami brings him back to life in the new exhibition, Walter Mercado: Fe, Esperanza y Amor , opening Nov 15. Visitors can check out his legendary costumes and personal memorabilia, and recall the good old days when Walter knew best. Through Dec. 28 at Pinecrest Gardens, 11000 S. Red Road, Pinecrest. pinecrestgardens.org

LINCOLN ROAD

When you’ve just had enough of blue-chip galleries and indoor halls, ease on over to Lincoln Road. The 14 monumental installations include “Empower Flower,” a seemingly delicate lotus sculpture by Rubem Robierb; Oscar Esteban Martinez’s “La Herencia Viva” featuring a monumental human head emblazoned with puzzle pieces and five bubble-gum pink inflatables in the sky that comprise Philippe Katerine’s “Mr. Pink Takes Flight.” They will make you wish you could fly. lincolnroad.com

ART MIAMI TURNS 35

Yes, it’s true. Before Art Basel landed on Miami Beach in 2002, Art Miami was already stoking the passions of South Florida art lovers. Art Miami and sister fair CONTEXT return to the waterfront on One Herald Plaza just north of downtown Miami from Dec. 2-7 (yes, that’s Tuesday!). This year’s fairgoers can look forward to the debut of Human Voices, a series of photographic portraits of celebrities and philanthropists by Martin Schoeller (Camera Work Gallery), canvases exploring post-Yugoslav reality by Serbian painter Dragan Zdravković (Bioskop Balkan Gallery) and the whimsical but intricate consumer goods made from felt by English artist Lucy Sparrow (TW Projects London.) artmiami.com

ART BASEL MIAMI BEACH

Art Week’s signature fair returns with more than 225 galleries; 49 are new to the fair, including Miami’s Nina Johnson. Be sure to check out booths from Locks Gallery (for a survey of American modernism including works by Louise Bourgeois, Isamu Noguchi, Robert Motherwell and Willem de Kooning); Berry Campbell for women in abstract expressionism including Elaine de Kooning, Helen Frankenthaler and Lynne Drexler; Mayoral for a dialogue between the Spanish postwar avant-garde and the Caribbean (with works by Joan Miro, Eduardo Chillida, Wifredo Lam. Don’t miss works by Sheila Hicks, Jeffrey Gibson, Kara Walker and Viz Muniz at Sikkema Malloy Jenkins booth. Be sure to stop by the UBS Art Studio, where visitors can create their own pop art-inspired prints on Dec. 5-7 from 1-3 p.m. Art Basel public days, Dec. 5-7; Miami Beach Convention Center, 1901 Convention Center Dr.; artbasel.com.

AT THE FAIRS

Public hours listed here. VIP ticket holders have special hours.

ART BASEL MIAMI BEACH, Dec. 5-7: Miami Beach Convention Center, 1901 Convention Center Dr., Miami Beach; artbasel.com/miami-beach.

ART MIAMI AND CONTEXT, Dec. 2-7: Art Miami Pavilion, One Herald Plaza at NE 14th Street, Downtown Miami, on Biscayne Bay between the Venetian & McArthur Causeways, Miami; 800-376-5850 or art-miami.com. Dec. 2-7.

DESIGN MIAMI, Dec. 2-7: Meridian Avenue and 19th Street adjacent to the Miami Beach Convention Center, Miami Beach; 305-572-0866 or designmiami.com.

AQUA ART MIAMI, Dec. 3-7: Aqua Hotel, 1530 Collins Ave., Miami Beach; 800-376-5850 or aquaartmiami.com.

FRIDGE ART FAIR, Dec. 2-7: multiple locations in Miami Beach; 202-590-1357 or fridgeartfair.com.

INK MIAMI, Dec. 3-7: Suites of Dorchester, 1850 Collins Ave., Miami Beach; inkartfair.com.

NADA (New Art Dealers Alliance), Dec. 2-6: Ice Palace Studios, 1400 North Miami Ave., Miami; 212-594-0883; newartdealers.org.

PINTA MIAMI, Dec. 4-7: The Hanger, 3385 Pan American Drive, Coconut Grove; pinta.art

POINT COMFORT ART FAIR, presented by Hampton Art Lovers, Dec. 2-7: Historic Ward Rooming House, 249 NW 9th Street, Miami; hamptonartlovers.com.

RED DOT ART FAIR, Dec. 3-7: Mana Wynwood, 2217 NW Fifth Ave., Miami; reddotfair.com.

SATELLITE ART SHOW, Dec. 4-7: 1520 Collins Ave., Miami Beach; satellite-show.com.

SCOPE MIAMI BEACH, Dec. 2-7: Scope Miami Beach Pavilion, 801 Ocean Dr., Miami Beach; 212-268-1522 or scope-art.com.

SPECTRUM MIAMI ART SHOW, Dec. 3-7: Mana Wynwood, 2217 NW Fifth Ave., Miami; info@redwoodmg.com or spectrum-miami.com.

UNTITLED ART FAIR, Dec. 3-7: Ocean Drive at 12th Street, Miami Beach; 646-405-6942 or untitledartfairs.com.

This article was updated to reflect an ownership change of The Goodtime Hotel.

This story was originally published December 1, 2025 at 4:30 AM.

Jane Wooldridge

Miami Herald

Jane Wooldridge is a former journalist for the Miami Herald.