Strong attendance marks 13th edition of Art Miami

MIAMI -- Despite a lagging economy and the debut of Art Basel Miami Beach just one month earlier, the 13th edition of Art Miami was a success, according to fair organizers. Held at the Miami Beach Convention Center from Jan. 9 to 13, close to 30,000 art aficionados came to this year's installment, matching 2002's record attendance figures.

"Fears about Art Basel taking away our audience were, in the end, unfounded," stated Fair Director Ilana Vardy. "All things considered, dealers were pleased with sales. If anything, attendees seemed galvanized by Miami's growing role on the international art scene and eager to be a part of the buzz sparked by Art Basel. Fairgoers know Art Miami has been an established part of the visual arts scene in Miami for 13 years and differs greatly from Art Basel, offering more affordable and accessible art, as well as works by emerging artists."

Collector/developer George Lindemann was quick to agree that both shows are important to Miami. "There are so many collectors in Miami, and so many people who want to be here in January that there is room for 20 art fairs," said Lindemann.

More than 160 galleries from 32 countries participated in the contemporary art fair, which was notable for the number of new participants as well as the increased number of exhibitors showing glass, sculptural and ethnographic works. Prominent dealers including Berkeley Square Gallery (London), Marion Meyer (Paris), Jacob Karpio Gallery (Costa Pica), Santa Giustina Gallery (Lucca, Italy) and Cernuda Arte (Miami), all reported strong sales.

Lindemann said the fair was a fertile ground for new additions to his collection. Making the rounds of the fair, he discovered museum-quality glass at Galerie Pokorna, a newcomer to the fair from the Czech Republic. "I was very excited when I saw these pieces," enthused Lindemann. "Any museum would be interested in them, and I didn't even know this gallery existed until Friday."

Claudio Poleschi, owner of Santa Giustina Gallery, seconded the sentiment. "Art Miami happens to be a very good show for discovering new work. Many good artists don't have access to Art Basel, which is very exclusive. Everyone knows Picasso and Chagall; there also needs to be a venue where the world can see young, good quality artists. For Europeans especially, Art Miami is important for us to see what Latin America has to offer."

Dealer Peter Osborne, who has brought work from his London gallery, Berkeley Square, to Art Miami for 12 of the past 13 editions, shared space with like-minded galleries Scolar Fine Art and World House Gallery this year. The trio enjoyed excellent sales, tripling Osborne's expectations. "We presented a strong show that resonated with our collectors and captured the attention of new collectors. Many of them were young art buyers looking for things to respond to," stated Osborne.

Vardy is already planning for January 2004, when Art Miami returns at a date to be determined. "With the help of our top exhibitors, our goal, as always, will be to improve the quality of Art Miami. We'll continue to strive to differentiate ourselves from other fairs on the international circuit by providing the opportunity for emerging artists and young galleries to present groundbreaking new work in both Currents, our cutting edge component, and on the main show floor." For more information, visit www.art-miami.com.

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