Miami Art Week Art Basel Miami 2022 was a week of iconic art, groundbreaking new works, and memorable moments, and Smart Art Spaces was launched just in time to meet and network with the amazing artists, art dealers, collectors, and innovative presenters in town for the cultural art takeover.
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Before arriving at Miami International Airport, I had prepared an itinerary and I highlighted the shows we hoped to attend. Intending to visit all these shows, even though veteran attendees warned this was not possible, we tried it anyway. They included: Art Basel Miami Beach, Design Miami, Art Miami, Context Miami, NADA, SCOPE Miami, Red Dot Miami, Spectrum MiamiBeach/Untitled Art, Satellite Art Fair, Prizm, Little Haiti Art Beat, Art Africa Miami, Jada Art Fair, Pinta Miami, INK Miami Art Fair, Aqua Art Miami, No Vacancy show at the Miami Beach Hotels, the museums (ICA, Perez, Bass Museum Coral Gables Museum), the Miami Design District and of course Wynwood Walls. As hundreds of thousands descended in a city that especially since the pandemic is growing faster than its infrastructure can keep up, the energy was palpable. Not surprisingly, we did not get to every show, despite clocking in 6-8 miles a day and collapsing happily each night of our accomplishments of the day.
Alongside the high-end art, collectors were attendees of all ages. We found friendly artists ready to share their stories and their creative processes. It was evident that attendees and exhibitors all chose to be part of the history and share time surrounded by inspiration, creativity, colors, shapes, and designs; making it possible to activate and engage the neurons to create new synapses and associations. These were exciting encounters and quite experiential.
Especially meaningful for me was seeing the non-profit artists’ foundations exhibiting. At Scope, we met an organization called “Arts of Life” at the Untitled Art Show on the beach, whose mission advances the creative arts community by providing artists with intellectual and developmental disabilities a collective space to expand their practice and strengthen their leadership. Representatives at “Tierra del Sol Foundation” were at NADA, they champion inclusion and value for all people with disabilities through creative pathways to employment, education, and the arts. These organizations highlighted the message that art has a value for all.
There is so much Miami Art Week had to offer, and although “Smart Art Spaces” does not claim to report on the whole show, we worked to give others our best perspective, to also help find enjoyment in the arts, to support artists, and to amplify their voices. Our background in community arts, arts in medicine, public relations, and digital marketing aligns with this vision.
We learned that artists went through great sacrifices to be there, and their efforts were appreciated.
Attending provided an international perspective, yet we are fortunate to be in the New York metropolitan area and be able to continue the journey. It was a great privilege to meet New Jersey artists and galleries who were in attendance and exhibiting. We made connections with several New York galleries and art collectives to continue building relationships in the arts community.