[ot-caption title=”Piece displayed in Art Basel Miami 2015″. (via Michelle Pendergast, senior)”]

You know you’ve entered Miami when the monotonous convenient stores, warehouses, and gas stations transform into expressions of artist’s souls plastered across the sides of buildings. Miami holds it’s own personality- an aspect that personally keeps me going back, as hectic as the city can be. Walking through the Art Deco streets, surrounded by so much honest creation at every corner, is deeply stimulating. If the building in front of you isn’t soaked in urban street art, then there’s a fine art gallery awaiting you just a street over.

Miami’s art scene is extensive. No matter what kind of art you’re into, Miami has something for you. For example, there is the Dina Mitrani Gallery for the photographers. The Kelley Roy Gallery for the modern lovers, and of course, the major art attraction, Perez Art Museum Miami (PAMM). PAMM, located in Downtown Miami, boasts modern and contemporary international works of the 20^th and 21^st century. Currently, it’s showing project galleries from Nari Ward, Nicolas Lobo, Bik Van der Pol, and many more talented artists.

Miami’s most anticipated art attraction is Art Basel. This spectacular event which runs from December 3rd-6th and features over 267 galleries from all over the world that.  Around 70,000 visitors are expected to attend this event taking place at the Miami Beach Convention Center. A wide range of pieces are showcased throughout the exhibitions; paintings, sculptures, installations, photographs, and films by both young artists and experts are divided between the eight themed sectors. The festival this year was even more wonderful than I expected. Not one piece didn’t catch my attention in some aspect. Some of my favorite works were “Not yet Titled” by George Condo, “Photo Cloud Triptych” by Joe Goode, and “Into the Pink and Blue” by Tracey Emin.

Various local galleries, museums, and satellite fairs join in on the art festivities. Art Basel’s sister fair “Design Miami” is located just one street away. Design Miami is a global forum for all things dealing with collectible design. There’s Art Miami, an international contemporary and modern art fair, located in the Miami Midtown complex in Wynwood. There are also a multitude of smaller pop up fairs. Art  Miami’s sister fair, CONTEXT Art Miami focuses on work created by emerging and mid-career artists. Pulse Miami and Miami’s local galleries and museums show their most enthralling pieces during this weekend.

Miami is the place to go when you want to locally get involved and appreciate the divine art-filled world we live in. Plan a day for gallery hopping or spend a day walking through the streets of the Wynwood Art District. When you leave, you’ll be inspired and maybe you will even create something yourself.

Sources: PAMM, Miami Times, https://www.artbasel.com/miami-beach,