Insider Tips on Art Basel Miami Beach

Article by: Chip Conley|@ChipConley

Fri November 30, 2012 | 00:00 AM


bassBass Museum

First off, book your flight and hotels early and be prepared for sticker shock. The art may not be expensive but the process of traveling there will be. Consider coming a few days earlier than the Thursday start (first week of December) so that you can enjoy Miami before it gets deluged. Plus, a new art fair for emerging art, Untitled, pitches a beachside tent early in the week. It’s near Ocean Drive and 12th Street and is a don’t miss.

The art and the fashion world are becoming even more enmeshed. Beauty in whatever form is coveted by patrons and there are all kinds of fashion pop-up shops in the Miami Design District plus lots of parties there. For a more serious art experience, check out the Bass Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami. Also check out Collins Park which is often turned into an outdoor gallery with multiple sculptures and live performances.

Hailing a cab can be treacherous, especially if there’s a short tropical storm passing through, so consider renting a car or focusing your art walk in an area that’s centralized (see my blog entry featuring a list of the best art fairs). People eat late here so make your restaurant reservations early and you’ll get into whatever is hot at the moment. When in doubt, or if you want to people watch, head on over to the Lincoln Road outdoor mall (there’s a fabulous parking garage there that’s a work of art itself) as this will allow you to break out of the purely art crowd and experience the al fresco living that makes Miami so popular.