#1 Art & Design Event
Despite the Miami Beach Convention Center’s ongoing renovation and heavy traffic, Art Basel Miami Beach’s 16th edition brought in 82,000 visitors this year, compared to about 77,000 in 2017. Art lovers and industry professionals come to Miami Beach to see works in a variety of media exhibited by more than 250 galleries representing modern and contemporary artists from around the world. The spectacle of the accompanying parties and celebrities that are part of the overarching Miami Art Week makes this one of Miami's biggest weekends. Next: December 6-9, 2018
#2 Art & Design Event
Occurring alongside the Art Basel fair in both Miami and Basel, Design Miami stands as the pinnacle forum for design culture and commerce. The 2017 exhibit wowed with 34 galleries representing 14 countries, pieces by Louis Vuitton Objets Nomades, and A Wild Thing, commissioned by Airbnb. New this year was an interactive “bubble” installation called New Spring from COS and London-based Studio Swine. Next: December 5-9, 2018
#3 Art & Design Event
For 2017, the fair, along with sister event Context Art Miami, moved to its new permanent home at the former Miami Herald site on Biscayne Bay. Its 28th edition drew record sales opening night, with a single piece selling for $4 million within the event’s first hour. The V.I.P. previews for both Art Miami and Context Art Miami were sponsored by Christie’s International Real Estate and benefited the Pérez Art Museum Miami. Preview attendees included Jorge and Darlene Perez, Amar'e Stoudemire , and Frank Ocean. Next: December 4-9, 2018
#4 Art & Design Event (up from #5)
Beloved by locals and tourists alike, the Coconut Grove Arts Festival remains a President’s Day staple: Nearly 120,000 people fill the streets to browse paintings, sculptures, and other works by over 350 artists—all of which are searchable through the festival’s online directory. The 2018 event marked its 55th anniversary and continued to embrace a growing interest in food and music: iHeartRadio is now the festival’s musical partner. Next: February 16-18, 2019
#6 Art & Design Event
In 2018, Art Wynwood relocated to the Art Miami and Context Art Miami site on Biscayne Bay. Produced by Art Miami, the Art Wynwood debuted its seventh edition over President’s Day weekend, boasting work from 180 artists from 60 international galleries. Attendance was estimated at 25,000. It was announced during the fair that the Miami Yacht Show will be the fair’s neighbor at the Resorts World Miami waterfront property for Art Wynwood 2019 and beyond, where they will use the waterfront and concrete pads that Art Miami uses each December. Next: February 14-18, 2019
#7 Art & Design Event
The Design Center’s facility in Dania Beach is home to two markets annually, featuring workshops and discussions led by design-industry pros: Everything from licensing partnerships to rug trends to spa design is up for discussion. The Winter Market in February, followed by the fall market in November. The 2018 Winter Market focused on commerce and creativity in the digital age. Next: November 8, 2018
