Miami Art Week doesn’t have to be a drag for locals. Here’s how to do it right

Miami-Dade residents tend to roll their eyes at the first week of December, but for good reason. Miami Art Week, seven days of art exhibitions, fairs and parties, inspires joy and dread in the 305.

The traffic. The tourists. The influencers. The overpriced Ubers. The overpriced drinks. The weird art you don’t understand.

Art Week is a hard sell for the local crowd that likes to proudly declare they haven’t driven to South Beach since the late ‘90s. It’s a lot of brouhaha that many locals understandably feel is not meant for them to enjoy.

I disagree, though perhaps I’m a little biased. I was the Miami Herald’s arts reporter for over two years, and I’ve been covering Miami Art Week for longer. I’m also from Miami Beach and a lifelong arts lover. I have been dragging my parents and friends to Art Basel Miami Beach since I was in elementary school, back when I thought the prestigious international art fair was a traveling art museum.

There are a lot of ways to approach Miami Art Week that will make the experience enjoyable. You can find art that resonates with you and spaces that feel welcoming to the people who live here, not just for ultra-wealthy New York collectors or Los Angeles influencers.

Here are some tips to guide locals to get the most out of Miami Art Week, based on the most common questions and complaints.

What is Miami Art Week? What is Art Basel?

Plenty of lifelong Miamians don’t know what Miami Art Week actually is, and that’s OK. It’s helpful to understand what you’re getting into before diving straight in.

Art Basel Miami Beach, which started in 2002, is a major art fair that happens every year at the Miami Beach Convention Center. Hundreds of galleries come to Miami Beach to display artists’ work for sale, and art collectors with deep pockets fly in from around the world to buy it. Are you going to buy art at Art Basel? Probably not, but it’s a great way to check out art from around the world. You can run into an Andy Warhol in one booth and the hottest up-and-coming artist in another.

Over the years, more art fairs, art exhibitions and other events across Miami-Dade began to pop up the same week as Art Basel Miami Beach. This is Miami Art Week.

Art Week can be overwhelming, so just prioritize the things you enjoy, whether that’s art, music or other events. Don’t fall into the FOMO trap and overbook yourself. Pick the events that really interest you.

The best way to tackle the week is to plan each day by neighborhood. Pick one side of Biscayne Bay to go explore and stick to it that day. Don’t plan to go to a show in Brickell and an art fair in Miami Beach the same day. The MacArthur and the Julia Tuttle causeways can become parking lots early in the week.

What do I wear?

People underestimate how much walking and standing Art Week entails. You have been warned: Do not wear uncomfortable shoes. Now is not the time to break in new shoes. A lot of art fairs and exhibitions happen on the beach; you don’t want to be wobbling through sand in heels. You also don’t want to be peddling a Citi Bike in platform Doc Marten boots. I learned that lesson the hard way.

When it comes to the rest of your outfit, keep it cute but casual. Don’t feel pressured to buy a bunch of trendy outfits. It’s Art Week, not Fashion Week. If you want to show out, you absolutely should, but you don’t have to.

Here’s another protip: Bring eye drops. Your eyes get dry staring at art all day. Also, bring a portable charger because taking photos sucks up a lot of battery.

How am I supposed to get around?

This is locals’ biggest gripe with Art Week. You have to accept and expect some traffic, but you can limit how much you’re sitting in a car.

You also have to anticipate the trade-off between driving yourself and paying for parking, using public transportation or using a rideshare app like Uber and Lyft. Parking your car during Art Week can be a hassle. When you finally find a spot, you may have to pay overpriced fees. Buses, free local trolleys and rideshare cars will all be stuck in the same traffic, regardless of how much you pay. Pick your poison depending on where you’re going and how long you plan to be there. Paying a hefty one-time parking fee might be more economical than paying for Ubers both ways, or vice-versa.

If you have to drive during the day, get to your destination as early as possible (around 10 a.m). If you’re going out at night, start driving after 8 p.m. Traffic tends to peak from 4 to 8 p.m.

No matter how you travel, the worst traffic is always on the causeways connecting the mainland to Miami Beach. But there’s hope! There are free options to travel to either side of Biscayne Bay: art shuttles and water taxis.

There are four types of art shuttles, each one running every 15 minutes to and from Art Basel at the Miami Beach Convention Center.

The South Beach Art Shuttles travel between the convention center and Collins Avenue between 10th and 11th streets.

The Mid Beach Art Shuttles travel between the convention center, Collins Avenue and 22 Street, Collins Avenue and 32 Street, Collins Avenue and 46 Street and Royal Palm Avenue between 41st and 42nd streets.

The Miami Beach - Design District Shuttles will take you over the Julia Tuttle Causeway between the Miami Beach Convention Center and the Design District.

Lastly, there are the two Water Taxi Shuttles that run between the convention center and the Miami Beach water taxi stop. The water taxis also run on a 15-minute schedule. The boats travel between the Miami Beach water taxi stop at Maurice Gibb Memorial Park (1790 Purdy Avenue) and the Miami water taxi stop at the Venetian Marina and Yacht Club (1635 Bayshore Drive.)

Go to www.miamibeachfl.gov for more information on free transportation and interactive maps.

If you really can’t stand the traffic and big crowds, here’s one last tip: Many art installations, events and fairs are limited to Miami Art Week, but local arts organizations will have art work up for weeks or months after, like museums and the No Vacancy program in Miami Beach. You can (and should) experience art in Miami when it isn’t Art Week.

But I don’t want to go to South Beach!

You don’t have to! There are plenty of art fairs and events happening outside of Miami Beach. In fact, you can do plenty during Art Week without even stepping foot on the beach, including:

• Pinta Miami - The only Art Week fair dedicated to Latin American Art. Located at 3385 Pan American Dr., Miami. https://www.pinta.art/Miami/Home
• New Art Dealers Alliance Miami (NADA) - This fair highlights new voices in the art world. Located at Ice Palace Studios, 1400 North Miami Ave., Miami. https://www.newartdealers.org/fairs/nada-miami-2025/introduction
• ART Miami - This is the longest running art fair in Miami. Located at One Herald Plaza, NE 14th Street and Biscayne Bay, Miami. https://www.artmiami.com/

Check out our full Miami Art Week fair guide here.

But I live on The Beach!

Great! Your need for a car has shrunk.

If you can ride a bike, you’ve struck gold. Hop on your own bike or rent a Citi Bike from one of the many docks in the area. Citi Bikes start at $6.50 for a 30-minute pass, but you can get a day pass for $24. If you go over your time limit, the fees start to rack up so a day pass is a pretty good idea. The boardwalk will lead you straight to the major fairs on the beach, and there are plenty of places to dock a Citi Bike or park your bike.

If you can’t walk far or bike, the Miami Beach trolley and buses are good options. The trolleys are free and easy to navigate, but, they’re pretty slow. It’s a solid option for anyone not in a rush to enjoy air conditioning and take a breather while traveling to their next stop.

For those of you who live on The Beach and don’t want to leave your precious cluster of islands, there are plenty of nearby art fairs and exhibitions to choose from, including:

• Art Basel Miami Beach - The reason for the season. Located at the Miami Beach Convention Center, 1901 Convention Ctr Dr, Miami Beach. https://www.artbasel.com/miami-beach
• Design Miami - Directly across the street from Art Basel, this fair focuses on design. Located at Convention Center Drive & 19th Street, Miami Beach. https://designmiami.com/fair/miami-2025
• Untitled Art - A personal favorite of mine, this contemporary fair is literally on the beach. Located at Ocean Drive and 12th Street, Miami Beach. https://untitledartfairs.com/
• SCOPE Art Show - Another favorite on the beach. Ride a bike from Untitled to Scope. Located at Ocean Drive & 8th StreetMiami Beach. https://scope-art.com/

Check out our full Miami Art Week fair guide here.

But I need to save money!

Times are tough, and the holidays are around the corner. There are plenty of free exhibitions on view in different parts of Miami-Dade.

• Fridge Art Fair - This fair is all about accessibility and affordability. Located at several Miami Beach venues. Free tickets and venue locations available online. https://fridgeartfair.com/
• “Raised by Water, Held by Land” at The Carter Project - AIRIE, an arts nonprofit based in the Everglades, is presenting artist Ania Freer’s immersive art installation inspired by the Everglades’ tree islands from Nov. 30 to Dec. 2. Schedule a visit time online at thecarterprojectmiami.artsvp.com/c060e5.
• Es Devlin at Faena Art - Faena Art, an arts nonprofit associated with the luxury hotel of the same name, is presenting a new 50-foot tall artwork by renowned artist Es Devlin installed right on the beach. Check out the nearby Faena Project Room and hotel lobby for more art. Located at Faena Beach, 3201 Collins Ave., Miami Beach. https://www.faenaart.org/
• Local art galleries - Drive to NW 22nd Street in Miami’s Allapattah neighborhood, park your car and walk around this small enclave of local galleries, each exhibiting art shows. Galleries in other neighborhoods, like up-and-coming gallery QUEUE at 212 N Miami Ave., are also showing art free of charge.
• No Vacancy in Miami Beach - Local artists install works at 12 Miami Beach hotels for a juried art competition. After visiting all the artworks, go to www.surveymonkey.com/r/novacancy to vote for your favorite. Local artists can win a $10,000 public prize and a $25,000 prize awarded by a jury of local art professionals.
• “The Container Project” at Barry University - Diaspora Vibe Cultural Arts Incubator, a Caribbean-focused arts nonprofit, is presenting a free show inspired by shipping containers as symbols for migration and community. Located at the Monsignor William Barry Library, 11300 NE Second Ave., Miami.

But I don’t understand art!

Yes, you do. My biggest tip for Miami locals is to start with Miami-based artists. There are no other artists on Earth who resonate with me more than artists who live and work in the 305.

Look for the pieces that make you feel something. You don’t need to like it to understand it, and you don’t need to understand it to like it.

These are local or Miami-born artists’ shows on view during Art Week that I’m excited about:

• Multidisciplinary artist Cornelius Tulloch is unveiling a new public sculpture and exhibition, “Porch Passages: Creole Collage,” at the Marshall L. Davis Sr. African Heritage Cultural Arts Center on Nov. 29. Admission is free and open to the public.
• Twin photographers Elliot and Erick Jiménez, known for photographing Bad Bunny for TIME Magazine, have a solo exhibition at Pérez Art Museum Miami called “El Monte.” Sculptor Woody de Othello’s solo exhibition at PAMM, called “coming forth by day,” features new work inspired by spiritual practices, hermetic philosophy, and cultural artifacts
• Textile artist and designer Diana Eusebio recently opened her first solo museum exhibition “Field of Dreams” at MOCA North Miami, featuring hand-dyed works that pay homage to ancestral traditions and nature.