Art Basel (or Art Week) is almost here…and while it might seem like traffic-fueled insanity, it is worth checking out. We are incredibly lucky to be living in a city with such a thriving art scene. Basel, unfortunately, sometimes feels like it is more about the money and less about the art. Well, we don’t have to make that mistake!

Art Basel itself is specifically the event held at the Miami Beach convention center. It is the “Basel” in Art Basel. The convention center is huge and it is impossible to see everything in a day. It is also overrun with people. AND it is expensive (for a discount, buy your ticket ONLINE ahead of time). That said, it is still worth checking out. 200+ of the top galleries bring their wares to sell at this convention. These galleries usually have tons of art and they have to curate a small selection of what they have to bring to Miami Beach. What they decide to bring is telling – it will show you the (projected) direction of the art market. Art Basel is all about money – go into it with that attitude. I enjoy walking up and down the stalls, seeing pieces of artist I love (e.g., Brancusi, Gerhart Richter) and then asking the gallerists there how much the paintings/sculptures/photographs/installations sell for. It’s fun to guess ahead of time. A posthumous recasting of a bronze Brancusi? $1 million or 5? You can download the Art Basel app for more information.

Art Basel – Day ticket $50 (if purchased online, $60 door). Students can purchase onsite tickets with student ID for $45 (and they WILL check your student ID, so don’t forget it!) Design Miami/ is right across the street from Art Basel and you can purchase combo tickets for both.

Below are some suggestions for things to check out this Art Basel 2018. Those in BOLD are FREE!

  1. ART BASEL – DEC 5-9 – $45-60, THURS 3-8pm, FIR&SAT 12-8, SUN 12-6
  2. RAW POP UP – DEC 6-9 ($16-$1,000 tix – 20% ticket discount with STUFFTODOINMIAMITIX code). 21+, late night.
  3. Little Haiti Art Week Launch – December 2nd, Laundromat Art Space, 12-4 pm FREE
  4. Art Center / South Florida Open Studios, Bruch & Tour, Sat Dec 8 9am-11 am FREE
  5. Meet Christo at TASCHEN Miami – Dec 6 6:30pm-9pm, FREE with RSVP
  6. ART POP at FIU’s Frost Museum, Thursday, Dec 6, 4-7pm FREE
  7. SATELLITE ART SHOW, December 6-9, $25 tix
  8. Aqua Art Miami, Dec 6-9, $25 tix
  9. NADA Miami, Dec 6-9, $20 (New Art Dealers Alliance) not-for-profit!
  10. Mana in Wynwood has two events: Piñata Miami, $30 & Red Dot $25
  11. SCOPE $40-200 tix
  12. PULSE $25-100 tix
  13. Art Miami, Dec 4-9, $35-$275
  14. Untitled, Miami Beach, Dec 6-10, $15-25 tix

Here are some FREE events during Art Week!

Here are some ART WEEK CHEAT SHEETS: