This last week and weekend I had the pleasure of attending Art Basel in Miami. For those that don’t know, Art Basel is a culmination of several events. It’s the art fair of art fairs where several major exhibitions dovetail. There are also artist meet and greets, behind-the scenes, and private parties. Here is a quick rundown of some of the most compelling sites and surroundings during my visit.

CONTEXT Art Miami
Miami’s longest running contemporary art fair, Art Miami,​ kicked-off art week by celebrating the debut of its 28th edition alongside sister fair CONTEXT. Art Miami exhibited its strongest VIP Preview to date at their brand-new waterfront location on Tuesday, December 5th, 2017. Art Miami is known as one of the nation’s leading international contemporary and modern art fairs, and had crowds circling the block throughout the entirety of the preview to see works from more than 140 international galleries and 961 artists from 22 different countries and 60 cities.

INK Miami
The INK Miami Art Fair is held annually in December during Art Basel Miami Beach. The Fair is unique among Miami’s fairs for its focus on modern and contemporary works on paper by internationally renowned artists. The INK Miami Art Fair has distinguished itself by the quality of its works and exhibitors, as well as its lush open-air courtyard, with surrounding suites transformed into uniquely defined gallery spaces. The Fair is sponsored by the International Fine Print Dealers Association and exhibitors are selected for their outstanding ability to offer collectors a diverse survey of 20th century masterworks and just-published editions by leading contemporary artists. Since its founding in 2006, the Fair has attracted a loyal following among museum curators an committed collectors of works on paper.

PAMM Presents
Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) celebrates Miami Art Week with its signature Thursday night event. Taking over PAMM’s terrace overlooking Biscayne Bay, DJ Maseo of De La Soul will headline a one-night-only performance, featuring live music, libations, and more. The evening will also feature a performance by Afrobeats musician Young Paris, music by heavy band Holly Hunt, and spoken word by poet Aja Monet.

Pulse
Founded in 2005, PULSE Contemporary Art Fair is an established part of the annual art calendar and is recognized for providing its international community of emerging and established galleries with a dynamic platform for connecting with a global audience. PULSE offers visitors an engaging environment in which to discover and collect the most compelling contemporary art being produced today.

Spectrum and Red Dot Miami
Now in its 7th year, Spectrum Miami, a curated contemporary art show in the heart of the Arts and Entertainment District, takes place annually in December as part of the popular Miami Art Week. Spectrum Miami is where contemporary meets extraordinary, featuring the works of more than 160 exhibiting artists and galleries from the Florida region and around the globe. Spectrum Miami celebrates the fine art experience with five days of music, entertainment, and other special events, and has emerged as one of the best-attended cultural events in Miami by highlighting thousands of innovative works among Miami’s top talent. ArtSpot Miami will be celebrating its fifth anniversary within Spectrum Miami in 2017. ArtSpot Miami is a specially curated show by Aldo Castillo, an international art dealer and curator, specializing in modern and contemporary art with an emphasis on international and Latin American artists. For more information about Spectrum Miami, visit spectrum-miami.com.

Now in its 11th year, Red Dot Miami, a curated gallery-only contemporary art show in the heart of the Arts and Entertainment District, takes place annually in December as part of the popular Miami Art Week. Red Dot Miami features up to 75 modern and contemporary galleries representing over 500 leading contemporary artists from primary and secondary markets throughout the world. The five-day show attracts more than 30,000 visitors and high-net-worth collectors who interact with the specially curated programming. Red Dot Miami has enriched the city’s arts scene beyond measure since its inception in 2006, becoming one of the leading satellite shows during Miami Art Week. For more information about Red Dot Miami, visit reddotmiami.com.

RAW Pop UP
Young Artist Initiative (YAI) presents RAW: a multi-sensory, 3-floor immersive pop up experience during Art Basel 2017 at the Historic Post Office Building in Downtown Miami. RAW is a disruptive local presence empowering emerging artists during the most important week for the arts in Miami. This is the first and only art event to take place at the historic building. In today’s world, the human mind is constantly over stimulated, not focused on living in the present moment. For its next installment, YAI has selected RAW as the curatorial thesis for site specific installations. The human senses will be stripped to their purest form; ready to be felt in a raw space. With over 40+ emerging artists interpreting the senses, RAW’s pop up aims to challenge, engage and awaken. Awaken your senses.