Welcome to Whitewaller’s annual Miami Art Week edition! I am honored to return as guest editor for 2022 and share tips for enjoying the fairs, exhibitions, and events celebrating art and artists in my hometown. Considering recent years, this year it seems like many artists are feeling triumphant and ready to leave their marks. I am preparing for an art week that feels celebratory and am excited for new discoveries and the unexpected.
This year also marks the 20th anniversary of Art Basel Miami Beach, so I think we can expect some outstanding art and programming at the Miami Beach Convention Center that will resonate throughout the city.
One place that is very special to me is YoungArts. This year, YoungArts will present a solo exhibition by the Miami-based artist Mark Fleuridor in the YoungArts Gallery (2100 Biscayne Boulevard), co-curated by the acclaimed artist Derrick Adams and YoungArts associate curator Luisa Múnera. The works in “Sunshine” are inspired by ancestral lineage and the subtropics, and present layered reconstructions of family, friends, home spaces, and tropical plants to arrive at abstracted environments that investigate the cycle of life.
I also encourage you to check out new works by past YoungArts award winners who will be participating in fairs, galleries, and pop-up exhibitions around town. On my list so far are Nadia Wolff and Diana Eusebio, who will both be showing in a group exhibition at Bridge Red, curated by Robert Chambers. Diana will also show new work at Green Space Miami.
Miami arts institutions and galleries always show important works and have special programming to add to a truly inspiring week of art. The Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) will present the first monographic survey exhibition of Leandro Erlich’s works in North America, while the Rubell Museum will show new works by the Senegalese French artist Alexandre Diop, who also will present a simultaneous solo show at Spinello Projects. El Espacio 23 is certainly always a special treat curated from the Jorge M. Pérez Collection, and ICA Miami and The Bass are mainstays on my list.
The Miami galleries I am excited about are David Castillo Gallery, Nina Johnson Gallery, Primary, and Cleon Peterson and Thrush Holmes at Mindy Solomon Gallery.
Seeing so much art and hopping to art events naturally also requires some balance and relaxation. I recommend time spent on the beach and a little shopping and lunch in the Miami Design District, which will offer a variety of public art installations and visit-worthy pop-up exhibitions.
As you make plans for Art Basel Miami Beach and other activities around town, I’ll remind you to set yourself up for success by staying hydrated and rested, going with comfort over fashion in your footwear, and bringing an extra portable phone charger. Most important, take in as much art as you can get to, support artists by buying their work, enjoy the new friends you’ll meet, and if we cross paths, say hello!
—Sarah Arison
President, Arison Arts Foundation