Art Basel Miami Beach 2008 FAQs
Art Basel Miami Beach kicks off December 4 - 7 with a dazzling round of exhibits and parties both public and private. The cultural highlight of the social season takes a great deal of planning and a significant number of outfits to keep in step with the big money art crowd! As the sister event of Switzerland’s Art Basel in June, the Miami Beach winter gathering is the most important art show in the United States and the only domestic opportunity for art collectors to explore and purchase a vast array of museum-caliber art works.
Art Basel has proven to be such a successful venture for South Florida tourism, the City of Miami Beach signed a partnership transaction with Art Basel parent company Messe Schweiz giving them a financial stake in the Miami Beach Convention Center to guarantee that Art Basel returns annually through 2011. Art Basel would not agree to the return of the Fair more than a year in advance until this lucrative deal was ironed out last month. In exchange for this hefty concession, the City gets a promise of just three more years of the Fair.
Last season’s show featured more than 220 leading art galleries from North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia and Africa exhibiting 20th and 21st Century artworks created by over 2,000 unique artists. Additional gallery space is dedicated to young artists, performance art, public art projects and video and sound installations.
Local museums, galleries and collectors also curate installations in tandem with the Basel events to make this a multi-layered art-centered spectacular. As the rest of the world settles in for a long winter’s chill, South Florida heats up with a sizzling celebration of design, painting, sculpture and multi-media works for an international crowd of art enthusiasts, celebrities and scenesters who arrive on private planes and commercial jets and fill literally every hotel room in the county.
We look forward to welcoming you to Art Basel 2008 and promise to keep you posted on the best shows, the hottest parties and all of the late-breaking events.
ART BASEL MIAMI BEACH 2008 FAQs
What transportation is available between MIA Airport and Miami Beach?
We recommend taxis which are available for a flat-rate of $32 and drop you off right at your hotel. Here’s a list of all taxi fares in Miami. “Super Shuttle” van service which makes several stops is also available.
What top hotels are closest to Art Basel and the Miami Beach Convention Center?
Beginning one block east you’ll find oceanfront hotels such as the Sagamore, Ritz-Carlton South Beach, Shore Club, Raleigh South Beach, National, Loews Miami Beach and Royal Palm. A block to the south just off of Lincoln Road is the Albion hotel. There are many, many other fine hotels within walking distance of Art Basel that provide a great guest experience, and you can compare prices and availability in the Miami Beach hotels section.
What transportation is available around Miami Beach?
The South Beach section of Miami Beach is a compact area where taxis are readily available, however another great way to transit the city is via the South Beach Local shuttle bus, which costs $0.25 and loops around the island hitting all important areas. The route and all shuttle stops are shown in red on this South Beach Local map.
What transportation is available to the Wynwood Arts District?
Wynwood is approximately 5 miles away on the mainland and can be reached via taxi (around $20). This page gives a complete list of Miami taxi fares.
How far is it from Art Basel (at the Convention Center) to Joe’s Stone Crab?
Joe’s Stone Crab is located 18 blocks south of the Convention Center and takes 5 minutes via taxi ($7-10), or 15 minutes via the South Beach Local shuttle bus ($0.25). Keep in mind that you can get to Joe’s quicker than you can get a table at Joe’s—it’s a very popular restaurant.
How far is it from Art Basel (at the Convention Center) to Ocean Drive?
Ocean Drive begins at 15th Street, 4 blocks to the south of the Convention Center.
Where are the nightclubs located?
Information on all the top clubs in Miami Beach can be found here in the Clubs section.
How late are the nightclubs open and what is the best time to arrive?
Miami Beach clubs are open from 10pm to 5am and are always packed between midnight and 3am. During special events such as Art Basel, table reservations are the best way to enjoy the scene and avoid hassles at the door.
What are the top 5 restaurants within walking distance of the Convention Center?
Quattro on Lincoln Road, Americana at the Ritz-Carlton South Beach, Ago at the Shore Club, The Restaurant at The Setai and Blue Door at he Delano.
What is the most off-beat restaurant experience in Miami Beach?
Tap-Tap Haitian restaurant at 819 Fifth Street.
ART BASEL MIAMI BEACH 2008 EXHIBITIONS
Wednesday December 3
Vernissage Art Basel Miami Beach
Preview night at the Convention Center is an invitation-only 3-hour walk through of the main hall. Guests check out the who’s-who of artists and show off their indy fashion statements and then walk to the Bass Museum of Art opening reception and out to 21 Street beach to view the alternative gallery installations inside iron shipping containers parked right on the sand.
At the opening of last year’s Art Containers installation on 21 Street Beach, punk rock stars Iggy Pop and the Stooges performed a free concert for a crowd of happy hipsters and millionaire art collectors who gathered under a starry sky to hear the anthems of the 80s and pump their fists in the air.
Thursday December 4
Rubell Family Collection
Jennifer Rubell opens her family warehouse of modern art at 8:30am to provide a morning tour of the impressive gallery space until noon. Sponsored by Domino Magazine. Info www.miamidesigndistrict.net
Wynwood Art District Tour
A tour of over 40 art spaces begins at 9am including the Goldman Warehouse/ MOCA opening reception, World Class Boxing Gallery, Locust Projects, CasaLin, and more www.wynwoodartdistrict.com
MAM Art Museum Reception
Terence Riley, Director of the Miami Art Museum hosts a tour and private party Downtown for exhibitors and guests. www.miamiartmuseum.org
Friday December 5
Art Tours of Miami Design District
Local artists open the doors of their studios this morning starting at 10:30 am to interested guests. Enjoy artist studio visits with Bhakti Baxter, Jim Drain, Naomi Fisher, Jason Hedges, Jay Hines, Cristina Lei Rodriguez, Nick D. Lobo, Martin Oppel, Tao Rey, Leyden Rodriguez-Casanova, Oliver Sanchez, Frances Trombly and Wendy Wischer.
Information - Tiffany Chestler, 305-531-8700, tiffany [at] dacra.com
Reception at the Wolfsonian Art Museum Miami Beach
Cathy Leff, Director of the Museum, hosts a party and walking tour of the modern design collections starting at 8pm with galleries featuring American Streamlined Design, Napoleon’s Throne from Les Arts Decoratifs in Paris and more.
Art Loves Film
A limited number of tickets are available for guests wishing to attend this screening and Q & A with directors and cast of a film to be announced. Past year’s features included appearances by Dennis Hopper, Ralph Fiennes, and Lou Reed.
Saturday December 6 & Sunday December 7
Visiting Artists Studios
Guests are invited to gather at 9am for a walk through the studios of a number of local artists including Daniel Arsham, Carlos Betancourt, Robert Chambers, Craig Kucia, Lynne Golob Gelfman, Maria Martinez-Cañas, Magnus Sigurdarson and Mette Tommerup.
Art Brunches
Brunch at the Lowe Art Museum, Fairchild Tropical Gardens, Art Museum of Florida International University Sculpture Park and tours of their collections take place this weekend.
Miami Dade Public Art Installation Tour
See the public works of Claes Oldenburg, Coosje van Bruggen, Edward Ruscha, Isamu Noguchi,
Duchamp-Villon, Michele Oka Doner, José Bedia, Cundo Bermudez, Norie Sato, Brad Goldberg, and Barbara Neijna around Miami-Dade County. To receive a brochure and maps of selected works available, contact Brandi Reddick, 305-375 5436 or e-mail publicart [at] miamidade.gov
For more information about Parallel Fairs in and around the city, here is a list of websites to check out:
Art Miami, www.art-miami.com
Art Now Fair, www.artnowfair.com
Aqua Art Miami, www.aquaartmiami.com
Bridge Art Fair, www.bridgeartfair.com
Design Miami, www.designmiami.com
GEISAI , www.geisai.us
INK Miami Fair, www.inkartfair.com
NADA Art Fair, www.newartdealers.org
Photo Miami, www.artfairsinc.com
Pool Art Fair, www.poolartfair.com
Pulse, www.pulse-art.com
Red Dot Fair, www.reddotfair.com
SCOPE , www.scope-art.com
5 Responses to “Art Basel Miami Beach 2008 FAQs”
November 19th, 2008 at 10:49 pm
[…] by Editor This year the Sagamore, “the Art Hotel,” is proud to host the following Art Basel Miami Beach slate of […]
November 20th, 2008 at 8:16 am
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November 24th, 2008 at 8:15 am
[…] driving his BORDER CRUISER, a mobile video installation in a former police car, during the week of Art Basel Miami Beach. The video sculpture is the fourth project in an ever expanding body of work and marks the first […]
November 24th, 2008 at 5:37 pm
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December 9th, 2008 at 9:46 am
[…] South Hotel presents The Surface Lounge at Gansevoort South Hotel, a 3-day lounge during the famed Art Basel Miami Beach. Eighteen stories above the ocean, the Gansevoort rooftop is a tropical playground featuring a […]