Miami Beach Becomes the Capital of the Art World

Miami Beach, FL — The City of Miami Beach looks forward to welcoming visitors from around the world for the 2024 edition of Art Week Miami Beach from Monday, Dec. 2 to Sunday, Dec. 8. The week will be packed with opportunities to engage in art and culture around the city, with public art installations, one-of-a-kind exhibitions, captivating events and glamorous parties. Always fresh and exciting, Art Week Miami Beach will transform the city’s seven miles of pristine beaches, world-class hotels, and award-winning restaurants into an artistic playground for residents and visitors alike.

“Art Basel Miami Beach is a signature event and we look forward to it each December,” said Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner. “Art Week is more than a showcase; our city becomes a global canvas, welcoming residents and visitors to experience the creativity and cultural depth that define Miami Beach.”

Art Basel Miami Beach will feature 285 leading international galleries from 38 countries, starting with Preview Days on Dec. 4 and 5, followed by Public Days from Dec. 6 to 8 at the Miami Beach Convention Center. Around two-thirds of the exceptional exhibitors this year are based in the Americas, joined by galleries from Europe and Asia. Thirty-four galleries will be exhibiting at the fair for the first time, bringing new perspectives to this important moment for the art world and for the City of Miami Beach. This year’s edition will see the return of the fair’s Conversations program, which is free and open to the public.

The City of Miami Beach will also curate its own public exhibitions during Art Week Miami Beach, including along Española Way and in 12 hotel lobbies across the city.

Elevate Española will present Sundial Spectrum, a site-specific art installation and mural by Miami-born artist Jen Stark on Dec. 3 at 1 p.m. on Española Way between Washington and Collins avenues. The work will feature 13 sculptural panels fabricated from clear acrylic sheets, layered with laser-cut transparent vinyl — showcasing Stark’s signature spectrum of bold colors. Inspired by geometry and natural forms, the hypnotic patterns will interact and shift throughout the day. As sunlight filters through, viewers will find themselves surrounded by rainbow shadows along Española Way.

The piece is the seventh installment of Elevate Española, a temporary public art program launched by the city in 2022, which aims to enhance the corridor and encourage pedestrian connectivity to Ocean Drive.

Other highlights of Art Week Miami Beach include the fifth edition of the city-produced and curated No Vacancy, Miami Beach, a juried art competition that supports and celebrates local artists, provokes critical discourse and encourages the public to experience Miami Beach’s famed hotels as art destinations. Once again, 12 participating artists and collectives will present site-specific works at 12 different hotels around the city. Funded in partnership with the Miami Beach Visitors and Convention Authority, this year’s art competition features $35,000 in prize money, including a $10,000 public prize presented by the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau and a $25,000 juried prize to be decided by nationally recognized art experts. Each artist received a $10,000 stipend to create their installation at an assigned hotel. The installations are available for viewing now through Dec. 12.

The Art Basel Legacy Purchase Program will return for its sixth year with previously acquired works by artists Sanford Biggers, Amoako Boafo, Ebony G. Patterson, Farah Al Qasimi, Juana Valdes and Anneke Eussen on behalf of the residents of Miami Beach. The annual program tasks the city’s Art in Public Places Committee with selecting three world-class pieces of artwork from the emerging artists of the Art Basel Miami Beach Positions and Nova Sections with a $50,000 budget. The city then asks the public to vote for its favorite, and the winning artwork will be purchased by the City of Miami Beach to go on permanent display in the Miami Beach Convention Center.

CULTURAL ACTIVATIONS FOR ART WEEK MIAMI BEACH 2024

No Vacancy, Miami Beach | Multiple locations throughout Miami Beach | Daily, self-guided tours | Various times

The City of Miami Beach presents the fifth edition of No Vacancy, a juried contemporary public art competition that celebrates 12 artists in 12 of Miami Beach’s famed hotels. Funded in partnership with the Miami Beach Visitors and Convention Authority, the program will run through Dec. 12.

The Bass | 2100 Collins Ave.

Daily | 10 AM – 5 PM

The Bass is open daily, Sunday, Dec. 1 to Sunday, Dec. 8, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Bass will be exhibiting Rachel Feinstein: The Miami Years; Ulla von Brandenburg: In Dialogue; Heureux Sous Son Ombre - (LA)HORDE; assume vivid astro focus: XI; Performing Perspectives: A Collection in Dialogue; and Social Assembly: Welcome to the Museum.

Miami Beach Bandshell | 7275 Collins Ave.

Wednesday, Dec. 4 – Saturday, Dec. 7 | Various times

The Tribeca Festival returns to Art Basel Miami Beach from Dec. 4 to 7 at the Miami Beach Bandshell for four nights of music-forward programming, including live performances, special screenings, talks and more. Highlights include: a conversation with Cuban-born singer-songwriter Camila Cabello; a show by Miami’s alternative pop-duo Magdalena Bay; performances from Brazilian singer-songwriter Luedji Luna, Soul in the Horn’s Natasha Diggs and more; a retrospective screening of Mike Nichols’ “The Birdcage,” and a live performance by local drag queens.

Miami Design Preservation League | 1001 Ocean Drive

Daily | 9 AM – 5 PM

Explore featured exhibit Henry Hohauser: Designing Paradise and join CADA (Contemporary African Diaspora Art) for the AfroSpiritual Energetics Art Exhibition, on view from Dec. 6 to 8, as well as the free 15th Annual Panel Discussion on Dec. 8 from noon to 4 p.m.

Holocaust Memorial |1933 Meridian Ave.

Daily, self-guided tours

Guests are invited to explore the moving artistry of the Holocaust Memorial for reflection and contemplation.

Jewish Museum of Florida - FIU | 301 Washington Ave.

Wednesday – Sunday | 10 AM – 4 PM

The Jewish Museum of Florida - FIU will present three exhibitions showcasing the talent of Jewish Artists: Built to Last: The Art of Steve Marcus; Step Into the Garden of the Finzi Continis; and The Story of Jews and Cannabis.

Special programming at the Jewish Museum of Florida - FIU includes:

Annual Open House

Sunday, Dec. 8 | 10 AM – Noon

Visitors can enjoy complimentary refreshments and meet the artists behind the inspiring exhibitions on view.

Oolite Arts | 924 & 928 Lincoln Road

Wednesday – Sunday | Noon – 5 PM

Special programming at Oolite Arts includes:

            Open Studios, Brunch and Tour

Saturday, Dec. 7 | 10:30 AM – Noon

The Open Studios, Brunch and Tour event will present a tour of the exhibition Healing Nature, curated by Artistic Director Omar Lopez-           Chahoud, with a reception and performance by Vanessa Albery. Enjoy a brunch in the company of the resident artists and explore their             studios.

 

Miami Beach Urban Studios |1618 Washington Ave.

Weekdays | 9 AM – 5 PM

Special programming at the Miami Beach Urban Studio includes:

Washington Gallery | 1618 Washington Ave.

Opening Reception, Tuesday, Dec. 3 | 5 PM – 8 PM

The Department of Architecture, in collaboration with Fundación Espacio, presents the exhibition A Fascination of Forms: The Architecture of Jesús & Ana Tenreiro, dedicated to exploring the work and practice of renowned Venezuelan architects Jesús and Ana Tenreiro.

Design Gallery | 420 Lincoln Road, 4th Floor

Opening Reception, Tuesday, Dec. 3 | 5 PM – 8 PM

The FIU Department of Architecture will present the exhibition American Institute of Architects: 2024 Students' Awards, showcasing the work of eight students and alumni who received awards during this year's AIA Florida and AIA Miami Design Awards.

Miami Beach Visual Arts Gallery | 1602A Washington Ave.

Opening Reception, Tuesday, Dec. 3 | 6 PM – 8 PM

Unravelling Uniformity is an exhibition featuring the diverse range of works by seven students from Florida International University's MFA program. Artists include: Alexandra Berlin, Vero Murphy, Nina Ellery Oliveira, Jessenya Rodriguez, Eduardo Sayegh, Pedro Sena and Jacob Stiltner.

 

The Wolfsonian–FIU |1001 Washington Ave.

Daily, Free Art Week Miami Beach Admission | 10 AM – 6 PM

The Wolfsonian–FIU will be exhibiting The Big World: Alternative Landscapes in the Modern Era; Harry Clarke and the Geneva Window; HEARST: Lampooning the King of Yellow Journalism; and In Balance.

Miami New Drama | 1040 Lincoln Road

Thursday, Dec. 5 – Feb. 16, 2025

Lincoln Road Hustle is an immersive, site-specific World Premiere staged across Lincoln Road— activating restaurants, shops, cafés, and public spaces. Audiences move between locations, discovering the story’s plot and secrets.

Moonlighter FabLab | 1661 Pennsylvania Ave.

Open daily for pre-registered workshops | 10 AM – 6 PM

Special programming at Moonlighter FabLab includes:

BATHGATE: The Machinist Sculptor

Thursday, Dec. 5 – May 31, 2025 | 10 AM – 6 PM

A special exhibition debuting during Miami Art Week and Art Basel Miami presented in The Phase Gallery. Visitors to the exhibition will view a selection of Bathgate’s machined metal works made as part of a formalistic and conceptual investigation of modern, computer-numerically controlled machining as a creative medium.

From Residue to Resource: Transforming Sugarcane Waste Into New Materials

Saturday, Dec. 7 | 10 AM – 6 PM

Discover a practical approach to eco-friendly and resource-efficient design! In this immersive workshop, participants will explore ways to reimagine this “waste” as a valuable resource. The end of the day will culminate with a presentation by the artist that is free and open to the public from 5-6 p.m.

 

Miami Beach Botanical Garden | 2000 Convention Center Drive

Daily, self-guided tours

This free self-guided audio tour takes participants along the Collins Canal from the botanical garden to the beach. Pick up a guide card at the facility entrance on Convention Center Drive.

 

ART WEEK MIAMI BEACH 2024 FAIRS & PARTNERS

Art Basel Miami Beach | Miami Beach Convention Center
Friday, Dec. 6 – Sunday, Dec. 8 (Public Days) | 11 AM – 6 PM

Design Miami | Pride Park, 1809 Meridian Ave.

Wednesday, Dec. 4 | 1 PM – 7 PM

Thursday, Dec. 5 – Saturday, Dec. 7 | 11 AM – 7 PM

Sunday, Dec. 8 | 11 AM – 6 PM

Untitled Art | Ocean Drive and 12 Street

Wednesday, Dec. 4 – Saturday, Dec. 7 | 11 AM – 7 PM

Saturday, Dec. 8 | 11 AM – 5 PM

SCOPE Art Show | Ocean Drive between 8 and 9 streets

Wednesday, Dec. 4 – Sunday, Dec.  8 | 11 AM – 8 PM

Aqua Art Miami | 1530 Collins Ave.

Thursday, Dec. 5 | Noon – 9 PM

Friday, Dec. 6 – Saturday, Dec. 7 | 11 AM – 9 PM

Sunday, Dec. 8 | 11 AM – 6 PM

SATELLITE Art Show | 700 Lincoln Road

Thursday, Dec. 5 – Friday, Dec. 6 | 1 PM – 10 PM

Saturday, Dec. 7 | Noon – 10 PM

Sunday, Dec. 8 | Noon – 5 PM

INK Miami Art Fair | 1850 Collins Ave.

Wednesday, Dec. 4 | Noon – 7 PM

Thursday, Dec. 5 – Saturday, Dec. 7 | 10 AM – 7 PM

Sunday, Dec. 8 | 10 AM – 3 PM

The Betsy Hotel | 1440 Ocean Drive

Daily | 10 AM – 10 PM

The Betsy Hotel’s initiatives for Art Week Miami Beach include exhibitions featuring Lillian Bassman, Willy Ronis, Aela Morgan, Mac Stone, Clyde Butcher, Elinor Carrucci, Maria Daniela Blacazar, Andy Sweet, Bettina von Zwehl, Sonia Hamza, Jill Greer, Ernie Button, Enzo Barracco, [dNASAb] and Juan Carlos Zaldivar. Exhibitions will be open for self-guided tours starting on Dec. 1. Additional programming includes:

Property-Wide Opening Party 

Friday, Dec. 6 | 5 PM – 8 PM

Free and open to the public, guests are invited to tour photo collections, lightbox shows, digital and public art installations, and attend a commissioned dance performance choreographed by Peter London to music by Jose Elias.

 

Installation: Augmented Visions of the NatureVerse 

Thursday, Nov. 21 and Sunday, Dec. 1 – Thursday, Dec. 12 | Evenings

Occurring multiple days in November and December, Augmented Reality Activated Stills by [dNASAb] will project onto the Betsy Orb after sunset. Presented with the City of Miami Beach No Vacancy Program and Miami Beach Visitor Convention Authority.

 

Live Music: Art of Miami Jazz past and present  

Multiple Dates

Join jazz musicians in The Piano Bar for a celebration of the Art of Miami Jazz past and present throughout November and December.

• Saturday, Nov. 30 | 9 PM: Homage to Josephine Baker with vocalist Nicole Yarling and the Jim Gasior Trio
• Thursday, Dec. 5 | 6 PM – 11 PM: Leonard Reina, Solo Jazz Piano
• Friday, Dec. 6 | 6 PM – 12 AM: The Simon Mogul (Sax) Quartet featuring Curtis Lundy (Bass)
• Saturday Dec. 7 | 6 PM – 12 AM: The Harden Project

 

Faena | 3201 Collins Ave.

Daily | 10 AM – 6 PM

This year, Faena Art features newly commissioned site-specific installations throughout the Faena District from Dec. 3 through 8. Monumental works and exhibitions will set the stage at Faena Beach, Cathedral and Faena Art Project Room.

 

Lincoln Road Business Improvement District | Lincoln Road

Now – July 2025

The iconic outdoor shopping, dining and cultural destination situated in the heart of Miami Beach unveils two monumental sculptures XO World and Dream Machine. In partnership with the City of Miami Beach, Daniel Anderson’s XO World makes its Florida debut on the pedestrian promenade. Joining XO World on Lincoln Road is Dream Machine by visual artist Rubem Robierb.

 

The ReefLine | Beachfront between 36 – 37 Streets

Tuesday, Dec. 3 – Sunday, Dec. 8 | 8 AM – 6:30 PM

The ReefLine will present Star Compass, a series of three large-scale beachside public art installations debuting during Art Week. Curated by The ReefLine founder Ximena Caminos and Art&Newport founder Dodie Kazanjian, the installations are intended to honor the interconnectedness of land and ocean.

Featured artworks include: Miami Reef Star, a large-scale 60 ft sculptural installation of 56 star modules by Carlos Betancourt in collaboration with Alberto Latorre; The Great Elephant Migration by Elephant Family, an installation of 100 life-sized Indian elephants crafted from lantana camara, one of the world’s top invasive weeds; and Voile/Toile - Toile/Voile, one of Daniel Buren’s most significant works.

 

GETTING AROUND

This year’s installment of Art Week Miami Beach will for the first time include complimentary water taxis connecting Miami Beach with downtown Miami, along with a fleet of free, dedicated shuttle buses designed to transport visitors and residents to a variety of art fairs.

Water Taxi Service

Four water taxi vessels will operate across beautiful Biscayne Bay from Wednesday, Dec. 4 to Saturday, Dec. 7 from 10 a.m. to midnight, and on Sunday, Dec. 8 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. The water taxi service will run every 15 minutes between Maurice Gibb Memorial Park (1790 Purdy Avenue) in Miami Beach and the Venetian Marina & Yacht Club (1635 North Bayshore Drive) in Miami.

Art Week Dedicated Shuttles
A series of free, dedicated shuttles linking the water taxi and several art fairs will run every 15 minutes throughout Miami Beach to connect visitors and residents with several art fairs. Shuttle operating hours will mirror the water taxis, and can be tracked in real time on the Art Week Miami Beach website at www.artweekmb.com.

Outer Loop Art Week shuttles will travel to/from Miami Beach to Miami with stops at Miami Beach Convention Center Drive between 17 and 18 streets as well as Royal Palm Avenue between 41 and 42 streets. The two Miami stops are at NE 29 Street and N Miami Avenue as well as NE 38 Street and NE 1 Avenue.

Inner Loop Art Week shuttles will travel within Miami Beach to/from locations in South Beach, the Miami Beach Convention Center, the water taxi stop at Maurice Gibb Memorial Park and Mid Beach. South Beach stops include Collins Avenue between 10 and 11 streets, Convention Center Drive between 17 and 18 streets as well as Collins Avenue and 22 Street. Mid Beach stops include Royal Palm Avenue between 41 and 42 streets, Collins Avenue and 46 Street, Collins Avenue and 32 Street as well as the water taxi at Purdy Avenue and 18 Street, adjacent to Maurice Gibb Memorial Park.

A dedicated Water Taxi Connector shuttle will operate between the Miami Beach water taxi stop at Maurice Gibb Memorial Park (1790 Purdy Avenue) and the Miami Beach Convention Center (Convention Center Drive between 17 and 18 streets).

Park and Ride

The city will provide free shuttles and water taxi service to and from designated pickup and drop-off locations in the immediate vicinity of various parking garages in Miami Beach and Miami.

The designated shuttle pickup and drop-off locations in Miami Beach are as follows:

• Royal Palm Ave. between 41 and 42 streets serving the 42 St. Garage (4049 Royal Palm Ave.)
• Convention Center Dr. between 17 and 18 streets serving the 17 St. Garage (640 17 St.), Pennsylvania Ave. Garage (1661 Pennsylvania Ave.) and Miami Beach City Hall Garage (1755 Meridian Ave.)
• Purdy Ave. and 18 St. serving the Sunset Harbour Garage (1900 Bay Rd.)

The designated shuttle pickup and drop-off location in Miami is as follows:

• NE 38 Street and NE 1 Ave. serving the City View Garage (25 NE 38 Street), Palm Court Garage (155 NE 38 St.) and Public Parking Lot (3630 NE 1 Ct.)

The designated water taxi pickup and drop-off locations in Miami Beach/Miami are as follows:

• Miami Beach - Maurice Gibb Memorial Park (1790 Purdy Ave.) serving the Sunset Harbour Garage (1900 Bay Rd.)
• Miami - Venetian Marina & Yacht Club (1635 North Bayshore Dr.) serving the Omni Garage (453 NE 15 St.)

Click here to view a detailed map of the various free shuttle and water taxi routes as well as Park and Ride locations.

Miami Beach Trolley & Bicycle Options
Residents and visitors can also take advantage of the year-round free Miami Beach Trolley, which connects various neighborhoods, as well as Freebee services. The Miami Beach Trolley service will operate at an enhanced frequency of service from 8 a.m. to midnight each day, to help reduce the anticipated traffic congestion. Download the Transit app to track specific trolleys in real-time.

Biking and micro-mobility enthusiasts will find miles of beachwalk, green bike lanes and convenient bicycle parking throughout Miami Beach. View the city’s bicycle parking maps for more information. Additionally, Citi Bike offers more than a thousand bicycles, including electric-assisted bikes, at conveniently located bike sharing stations throughout the city.

Miami-Dade Transit also offers Metrobus service to and from the mainland. The closest taxi, ride-share and valet locations to the Miami Beach Convention Center will be on the east side of Convention Center Drive north of 18 Street and on the west side of Washington Avenue between 20 and 21 streets and also south of 18 Street.

Peak Travel Times
The heaviest traffic during Art Week Miami Beach typically occurs on weekday afternoons with congestion increasing closer to the weekend. Traffic congestion leaving Miami Beach can be exacerbated by traffic or incidents on major thoroughfares outside of the city, including I-395, I-195 and I-95. The Florida Department of Transportation’s (FDOT) ongoing road work and lane reductions near the Biscayne Boulevard off-ramp in downtown Miami is expected to impede westbound traffic leaving Miami Beach along the MacArthur Causeway. A citywide construction moratorium will suspend all non-city construction-related activities within the city’s right of way throughout the week — prohibiting road, sidewalk and lane closures.

To reduce congestion along the Venetian Causeway connecting downtown Miami and Miami Beach, the east Venetian Causeway drawbridge will be on lockdown and will not open to vessels from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 4 through Saturday, Dec. 7, and from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 8 and Monday, Dec. 9, except emergency vessels and vessels in distress.

The city plans to implement special event signal timing changes and other traffic management measures, as needed, along major thoroughfares with an enhanced level of traffic monitoring for Art Week Miami Beach. This will include 17 hours of traffic monitoring, from 7 a.m. to midnight on Wednesday, Dec. 4 through Saturday, Dec. 7. Beyond those dates, the traffic monitoring services will continue from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Traffic monitors will coordinate with the Miami Beach Police Department (MBPD) to enforce traffic regulations at intersections while keeping motorists informed of delays through digital message signs. The city will proactively communicate with Waze, Google and Inrix to accurately reflect all street closures on their respective mobile platforms in real-time.

In addition, the city will issue traffic text alerts as warranted to notify the public of major roadway incidents. Subscribe to receive traffic text message alerts by texting MBAlert to 888777. City staff will work closely with the FDOT SunGuide Traffic Management Center to program traffic messages on overhead digital message signs along I-95, SR 112/I-195 and SR 836/I-395 regarding any major incidents affecting traffic flow on Miami Beach causeways.

PUBLIC SAFETY

To enhance public safety, MBPD will significantly increase its staffing levels from Wednesday, Dec. 4 through Sunday, Dec. 8. In a concerted effort, officers will be deployed for additional shifts, including overtime and off-duty. Their strategic placement along key intersections in and around events, as well as in residential neighborhoods surrounding the Miami Beach Convention Center and along the 41 Street corridor, aims to ensure attendees' safety and address potential traffic challenges.

MBPD officers will be assigned the task of strategically reducing instances of cut-through traffic within residential areas. By encouraging drivers to utilize main thoroughfares, the city aims to minimize disruption to local neighborhoods. MBPD’s Public Safety Specialists will be strategically posted to assist with traffic mitigation.

For additional information on Art Week Miami Beach, visit www.artweekmb.com.

 

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