The 2018 line-up presented the finest investment
quality paintings, photography, prints, drawings, design, sculpture and video art, with works
from the 20th and 21st centuries. The fair featured
leading international galleries that showcased renowned modern masters and blue
chip contemporary works, as well as the most sought-after living artists from
around the world to include Marcel Duchamp, Wilfredo Lam, David
Hockney, Jackson Pollock, Joseph
Albers, Alexander Calder, Yayoi Kusama, Anish Kapoor; Robert
Rauschenberg, Jeff Koons, Pablo Picasso, Willem de Kooning,
Roy Lichtenstein, John Chamberlain, Damien Hirst, Marc
Chagall; Donald Judd, Ed Ruscha, Michelangelo Pistoletto,
Donald Sultan, Gerhard Richter, Andy Warhol, Keith Haring,
Frank Stella, Richard Serra, Salvador Dali, that were among the more than 800 artists' works on
display.
On Tuesday December 4, 2018, my associates
were treated to the Platinum VIP Preview which allowed them to be the
first to see a sample of the diverse collection of international art on hand at
the 2018 fair. It was the 2nd year that Art Miami
and CONTEXT Art Miami were held at the waterfront location of One
Herald Plaza between the Venetian Causeway (oldest bridge in Florida;
#qctmiamidailycitytour) and the MacArthur Causeway (Highway A1A). They
had access to six hospitality areas to include an indoor and waterfront cafe, an outdoor dining space, cocktail lounge, and outdoor cocktail deck overlooking Biscayne Bay.
The 2018 Art Miami Fair highlights included works from Montreal, London,
New York, Paris, Zurich, Munich, Helsinki, Chicago,
Frankfurt, Vienna, and Albuquerque. Top sales went to the VERTES
gallery who sold a work by Sam Francis that was priced between $100,000
to $120,000 (United States Dollars). CONTEXT Art Miami highlights
included works from Los Angeles, Miami, Havana, Istanbul,
San Francisco, Denver, New York, Madrid, Lagos,
and London. Top sales went to the Lawrence Fine Art gallery who
sold out of Howard Schatz's Dance Study, Balance, a limited
addition of five, priced between $10,000 and $14,000 (United
States Dollars).
There were a number of special projects and events at Art
Miami and CONTEXT Art Miami 2018 to include: Artsy.net; the
official online partner which allowed art collectors and enthusiasts to browse
exhibitor booths, inquire about available works of art for sale, and access
fair information via their website and iPhone and iPad apps. Gallery
Wendi Norris based in San Francisco partnered with Art Miami
in support of Mosaic Miami; a local non-profit arts community resource
center located in historic Little Haiti (formerly Lemon City;
#qctmiamidailyblackheritagetour). A non-profit organization called UNLEASHED;
founded by jeweler and donor activist Kara Ross created an interactive
augmented reality experience featuring the main subjects from the #ConnectingThread
film series on Refinery.com. The CONTEXT Sculpture Park was a dynamic curated program of
installations and sculptures by artists represented by CONTEXT's 2018
exhibitors to include Kenor Romero presented by N2 Galeria, Kim
In Tae presented by Liquid art stem, and Julian Voss-Andreae
presented by HOHMANN to name a few.
Aqua Art Miami kicked off its 14th
public edition on Thursday December 6, 2018, after its VIP
preview the day before on Wednesday December 5th. This
energetic preview typically attracts influential
collectors and art professionals who migrate across the causeway from Art
and CONTEXT Miami as well as Art Basel Miami Beach located just a
few blocks away. The Aqua fair is promoted as the premier location for
art enthusiasts' to purchase works by young, emerging and mid-career artists.
It is unique in that it presents a signature relaxed yet energetic vibe and the
2018 edition featured 52 international exhibitors from 12
countries who showcased new works from 135 artists in an intimate
room that opened up into to the very picturesque courtyard of the classic South
Beach Hotel. Special projects and highlights included: The InkMinx
Mobile Tattoo Tent
presented by ArtHelix Gallery/SHIM Network from Brooklyn,
NY; MIKIHUMO - Imponderable Cities presented by
Blackship from Miami, Fl.; The Parsons Close Project launch
from Steve Cohen and Curtis Cox from Springs, NY; and
Susan J. Barron - Depicting the Invisible (Military veterans
suffering from PTSD [Post Traumatic Stress Disorder]) presented by HG
Contemporary from New York, NY; to name a few.
Also on Thursday December 6, 2018, the Art
Miami 2018 Lifetime Visionary Award was presented to Mr. and Mrs.
Dennis and Debra Scholl at the Boulud Sud Mediterranean
restaurant located nearby at 255 Biscayne Boulevard Way in the JW
Marriott Marquis hotel. Chef Daniel Boulud was the host. Mr.
Scholl is the vice-president of the John S. and James L. Knight
(former owners of the Miami Herald) Foundation and along with his wife Debra
are major influencers of the Miami art scene as collectors and
philanthropist. The couple met at the University of Miami's Law School
and have been collecting art since the late 1970's. Their accomplishments
include helping to revitalize the Art Deco district of South Beach
(#qctmiamidailycitytour) as well as aiding in the transformation of the Wynwood
area (#qctmiamidailycitytour) into an international art attraction. They have
also donated millions of dollars of art to the nearby Perez Art Museum, the
Frost Museum at FIU (Florida International University Miami), the
Metropolitan Museum of Art New York City, and the Nevada Museum of
Art in Reno. Mr. Scholl is also the producer of art
documentaries and has produced and directed films highlighting artists such as Theaster Gates, Tracey
Emin, and Frank Gehry, to name a few.
I was ecstatic to learn from
Jeff that the fair had
spilled over into other areas of the
Magic City to include
Little
Haiti (formerly
Lemon City; #qctmiamidailyblackheritagetour) as
mentioned earlier in this piece. The mission of the
Mosaic Cultural and Healing Arts Collective
"Is to engage communities in improving their wellness through a variety of
cultural and healing disciplines and to become self-sufficient in
sustainable agricultural practices." In addition,
Soul Basel took place in
the
Historic Overtown neighborhood (#qctmiamidailyblackheritagetour) located
just east of
One Herald Plaza. They are promoted as the premier showcase
of
Black art from world-renowned and emerging artisans and featured an
array of exhibitions, pop-up galleries and special events that took place at
the neighborhood's cultural and historic facilities as well as outdoor venues.
This event was sponsored and supported by
Miami City Commission Chairman
Keon Hardemon, the
Southeast Overtown / Park West Community
Redevelopment Agency (SEOPWCRA) and the
Greater Miami Convention &
Visitors Bureau (GMCVB)
Art of Black Miami.
In conclusion,
Nick Korniloff, director of Art Miami, said, "This was our most
successful fair to date when you consider the volume of sales of important art
works, the overall quality of the artists and respected international galleries
that exhibited. Art Miami continues to remain as a key destination during art
week for seasoned collectors when acquiring the most important fresh works of
art from the 20th and 21st centuries." The 2018 fair attracted
prominent figures in culture, music, sports, and business like the Shark
Tank's Kevin O'Leary, and entertainment like Actor/Director Forest
Whitaker and Model/Actress/Producer Brooke Shields, to name a few.
Special thanks to Ms. Lauren Stiffelman and their staff at R. Couri
Hay Creative PR for the press invite and assistance and I look forward to
the 30th edition of the 2019 Miami Art fair this December. In the mean time you can keep the party going by taking a free tour of the
world-renowned Wynwood art district @ https://queencitytours.com/southflorida/Services-SouthFlorida-Miami-Individuals-QCT-Daily-City-Tour.htm.
Click here to plan a group visit!
