What’s Up with the Seasonal Taste for Art in Miami?

Every year, as the Art Basel hype gets into full gear in Miami and the beaches, people from all over the world tend to view the city through the lenses of culture and art-awareness. The banners start springing up all over town, and the media starts to jump all over the opportunity to brag about Miami as the most art-savvy place to be come early December.

The numbers of satellite art fairs that have sprung up alongside the main Art Basel show at the Miami Beach convention center are certainly worthy of recognition. From Pulse to Scope to the Nada Art Fair, there is certainly no shortage of original young artists displaying their works throughout the city, not to mention the huge market that has developed right alongside it. Even native Miamians find themselves basking in their fresh sense of culture. For a few short months, it seems that Miami finds itself on par with the more established culturally iconic cities in the world like New York and Paris.

What happens, however, as the fine winter temperatures turn to sultry heat in early spring? Where do the crowds all go, and more importantly, where does all the art go?

The answer is not an all-together straightforward one. Despite the fact that Miami’s taste for art takes a notable shift elsewhere, it doesn’t disappear all in one swift motion. Rather, the visual arts simply take a backseat to other more popular trends of spring in summer. For Miami, that generally means sunbathing on South Beach, avoiding the high season for hurricanes, and perhaps some outdoor sporting activities. Still, although the art-centric hype certainly isn’t plastered in one’s face as with the peak winter season, it doesn’t take too much to find the a vibrant and on-going artistic community throughout the city.

Try picking up the Miami New Times are simply check the weekend section of the Miami Herald. There are art-related events going on year-round, and often times less market-driven. These events, given a little bit of time, can prove to be validating opportunities for both the curious visitor and the culturally hungry city of Miami.