Miami, Fla. – The Art of Black Miami, Art of Black in Opa-locka and Little Haiti, and other events are elevating local artists throughout Miami Art Week, the city’s longest-running fair, of which Miami Beach-based Art Basel is the cornerstone.

South Florida’s art scene has returned to showcase the very best as the Art Beat Miami Art Fair Exhibition, a one-of-a-kind experience of visual art, music, fashion and food, celebrates its ninth annual art fair exhibition showcasing the works of more than 30 renown international and local emerging artists through Sunday, Dec. 4 at various in locations Miami-Dade County.

The event “will take place in the heart of some of Miami’s heritage neighborhoods, bringing various art forms to the heart of the community,” said Marie Louissaint, Art Beat Miami producer.

The Art Beat Miami Art Fair Exhibition’s five days of visual art, music and entertainment include:

Day 1: Wednesday, Nov. 30, 12 – 3 p.m., Community Day. Joseph Caleb Center, 5400 NW 22nd Ave, Miami. Community Day showcases renowned international emerging and local artists, DJ music, entertainment and light bites. Admission free.

Day 2: Thursday, Dec. 1, 5 – 7 p.m.,

Art Beat Miami Preview Party. Brightline Miami Central Station, 600 NW 1st Ave., Miami. The Art Beat Miami Preview Party will showcase renowned international emerging and local artists featuring art, such Adonis Parker, Lumpkin, and musical performances by the Harden Project. Admission free.

Day 2: Thursday, Dec. 1, 4 – 7 p.m., Painting Our History. Soar Park Little Haiti Optimist Club,120 NW 83rd St., Miami. Joseph Caleb Center Model City Branch Library, 5400 NW 22nd Ave., Miami. Students at the arts workshop during Art Basel/Miami Art Week will learn about art history as well as their history through arts & crafts. They will develop skills while creating art-inspired projects. Admission by Invitation.

Day 3: Friday, Dec. 2, 6 – 7 p.m.,

Conversations with the Artists. Brightline Miami Central Station, 600 NW 1st Ave., Miami. Art + Artists = Expression. Attendees will enjoy conversations with Art Beat Miami exhibiting artists. Admission free.

Day 4: Saturday, Dec. 3, noon – 2 p.m.

Chefs of the Caribbean Celebrity Brunch. Brightline Miami Central Station, 600 NW 1st Ave., Miami. The brunch will feature light bites from Chefs of the Caribbean and Overtown eateries, entertainment and art as the backdrop. Admission free.

Day 5: Sunday, December 4, 2022 | 4 – 6 p.m. Sew Artsy (Art on the Catwalk). Black Archives Historic Lyric Theater, 819 NW 2nd Ave., Miami. A Wearable Art Fashion Show that takes Art to new heights in shapes, colors, design, texture and movement on a catwalk truly designed for masterpieces. Some of the featured fashion designers include JB Couture, House of Lamaica Couture and Ruth Louissaint Designs. General admission free; VIP admission $25.

Art Beat Miami’s galleries will also be accessible online from Dec. 1 through Jan. 1. For other information and tickets email info@artbeatmiami.com or visit artbeatmiami.com.

TRANSFORMATION

Coming to two historic Black neighborhoods are The Art of Transformation and the Art of an Athlete – explorations and celebrations of Black art.

The Art of Transformation, a fourday, three-block "mecca of Black art" happening in Opa-locka, Dec. 1 – 4, will include African art exhibitions, immersive augmented reality experiences in the Urban Oasis, AfriKin cultural tent with talk backs, movie screening and African dance, an African inspired pop up restaurant at the Historic Opa-locka Train Station, nightly block parties, spoken word, food trucks, live music and more. Visit artinopalocka.com.

The Art of an Athlete: 26-year-old Max Pearce, a Harlem Globetrotter, endured a racial insult during a live TV interview. Eight months later he channeled his anger into creating a stunning mixed-media art collection that celebrates social protest in sports, including pieces about Colin Kaepernick, Serena Williams, Muhammad Ali, exclusively showing at the N’Namdi Gallery in Little Haiti.

The Art of Transformation will greet visitors in the city’s center on Ali Baba Avenue from the Historic Train Station, the ARC, to the Hurt Building on 490 Ali Baba Avenue, Opa-Locka.

The event features free admission to the public, connects Africa and Europe to the Americas through reimagined, repurposed and transformed spaces, pop-up street parties and concerts; a Culinary Trip to Africa at the Historic Train Station, and the grand finale block party with live music and performances, Miami Art Week Exodus to Opa-Locka Festival, scheduled for Sunday, Dec. 4, 2 p.m. – 10 p.m.

The Art of an Athlete collection will be available for public viewing on Dec. 2 from 6 -10 p.m. and at 12 noon until 10 p.m. on Dec. 3 and 4.

20TH ANNIVERSARY

Art Basel (artbasel.com), said to be North America’s most comprehensive international contemporary art fair, is celebrating its 20th anniversary this weekend with its largest show to date.

Making his Art Basel Miami Beach debut as one of only a handful of local artists, and artists of color, showing at the main Art Basel Show on Miami Beach, Miami-based sculptural artist Troy Simmons’ 22-foot concrete, aluminum and steel sculpture, Janusportal, is a major new sculptural installation in partnership with jet manufacturer Bombardier and MiamiDade County Art in Public Places, and a permanent addition to the MiamiOpa locka Executive Airport.

Elsewhere, George Gadson will be among the featured artists, along with a contingent of local artists from ArtServe in Fort Lauderdale, at Miami’s “Le Art Noir – Diversity in Color” event, Dec. 1 at the African Heritage Cultural Arts Center in Miami.

The Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) provides a comprehensive Art of Black Miami (AOBM) programming lineup for Miami Art Week, including these events and showcasing the local cultural diversity of the visual arts and celebrating the Black diaspora. Visit miamiandbeaches.com/things-todo/art-and-culture/art-of-black

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