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An Insider's Guide to the Miami Art Scene
In search of the Miami art scene? Our art-world primer preps you with everything you need to know, including the big events and bulk of the best places to experience art in Magic City. From Art Basel to Art Week, PAMM to pop-up fairs, this one’s for art lovers.
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First up, we recommend brushing up on your Miami Art History. The city has been experiencing an art renaissance in recent decades. After Art Basel was introduced in 2002, the scene was forever reshaped. Museums and galleries multiplied, and the Wynwood District underwent a complete overhaul to further put Miami on the global map as a unique art entity. Read on for the city’s not-to-miss art locales and festivals, whether you find yourself in town now or are planning a trip for later.
Art Wynwood, Wynwood Walls, and Miami’s Graffiti and Street Art
Once the run-down Warehouse District, Wynwood transformed into the hip neighborhood we know today decked out with colorful murals and graffiti-clad eateries. See a collection of large-scale murals at the popular Wynwood Walls, an outdoor museum featuring rotating works by world-renowned graffiti artists. The Museum of Graffiti is nearby, the first museum of its kind dedicated to chronicling the art form’s history and its emergence in design, fashion, advertising, and galleries. But to capture the depth of Miami’s unique street art scene, you’ll need to venture out on foot. Check out our guides on where to find the best street art and graffiti in Miami.
After Wynwood secured its place in Miami’s art world, Art Wynwood was established as a way to further present emerging contemporary talent, mid-career artists, and blue chip post-war modern masters. The annual winter art fair takes place over President's Day weekend in mid-February.
[Instagram-Worthy Art Spaces in Miami]
Art Basel Miami
Art Basel brings a tidal wave of visitors to the Miami Beach Convention Center every December. The multi-day festival features hundreds of galleries and artists from all around the world, and draws a crowd of 80,000 art dealers, artists, collectors, and art enthusiasts. Stay up to date with The Sagamore’s Art Basel Survival Guide for everything you need to make the most of the show, plus an inside look at this year’s show.
Miami Art Week and Pop-up Contemporary Art Fairs like Art Miami, Design Miami, Scope Miami Beach, and Untitled Art
Art Basel is just one of the fairs that takes place during Miami Art Week, a celebration of all things art, designed to promote and support emerging and established artists, galleries, arts organizations, and appreciation of the arts. Nearly 20 prominent contemporary art fairs take place within Miami Art Week, including Art Miami, Design Miami, Scope Miami Beach, and Untitled Art. Keep tabs on the best Miami Art Week events, as well as special Art Week programming at The Sagamore.
Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM), The Bass, Institute of Contemporary Art Miami, The Wolfsonian-FIU, Rubell Museum, World Erotic Art Museum, and Museum of Contemporary Art
For many visitors to Miami, the PAMM will be the first stop on any art agenda, and rightly so. The crown jewel of Miami’s modern and contemporary art is right on Biscayne Bay and offers waterfront dining, rotating exhibitions, and an impressive permanent collection of 20th and 21st century works. Not to be overlooked, The Bass in Miami Beach incorporates design, fashion, and architecture into their innovative contemporary art exhibitions, and the museum grounds are a wonderful place to wander. Their outside collection of public artworks includes the brightly painted Miami Mountain (pictured above). For more venues jam-packed with contemporary works, see The Wolfsonian-FIU, Rubell Museum, World Erotic Art Museum, Museum of Contemporary Museum, and the Institute of Contemporary Art Miami. If you visit ICA Miami in the Design District, set aside some time to roam the creative neighborhood to see unique large-scale public works dotting the streets.
[48 Hours in Miami for Art Lovers]
Miami Art Galleries
For a part of Miami’s art world most tourists don’t see, head to the city’s ever-evolving contemporary art galleries for some of the most thought-provoking works in town. Try ARTECHOUSE and Eden Gallery in Miami Beach, Yeelen Gallery in Little Haiti, David Castillo Gallery in the Design District, and Bakehouse Art Complex and Fredric Snitzer Gallery in Wynwood.
The Sagamore, Miami’s Original ‘Art Hotel’
The Sagamore lies in the heart of South Beach’s Art Deco District and continues to evolve as a place for ground-breaking content, expression, and immersive experiences. #SagamoreIsArt presents ambitious and innovative rotating exhibitions of museum-quality art year-round, all of which are on view 24/7 and completely free to the public. Explore the sculpture garden, Staircase Project, and murals to see important works like Gillie and Marc’s Paparazzi Dogs and Rabbitwoman sculptures. Follow along at the Sagamore Instagram for artsy inspiration, art acquisitions, and specials.
[Unusual Ways to Experience the Miami Art Scene]
Stay in the middle of it all with The Sagamore Hotel, an iconic Miami Beach oceanfront destination known for some of the largest suites in town and its prime location steps from the beach, The Bass, and the Art Deco Museum. See our special offers.
