Expanding horizons: with the Miami art world in the throes of rapid change, the author examines the impact of growth, spurred by the arrival of Art Basel, on public institutions, galleries and artists - Report From Miami

Conclusion

What is most remarkable today about Miami's art community is its spirit of cooperation and mutual support. A synergy exists between artists, collectors, curators, dealers and other art professionals. Collectors play active and highly visible roles in supporting the local scene. Dealers tend not to be possessive about their artists, but share them with other galleries, glad for the artists' further exposure. Artists frequently come together in groups to exhibit. Independent curators and writers focus attention on the current scene.

While Miami's seven major art institutions ensure that the city is well provided with exhibitions, programming and events, in the future, yet another institution may be needed. The city now has some of the most extensive collections of contemporary art and photography to be found anywhere, and these collections, one expects, will continue to flourish and grow. The question inevitably arises: where are these collections to go? Many Miami collectors are, of course, opening private museums, but is that really the answer? MAM's move to a larger facility is not likely to solve the problem, as few major Miami collectors seem willing to throw their total support behind this institution as it exists today. (Although most of the city's collectors assist MAM in various ways, the general consensus seems to be that the museum stands at a remove from the cutting edge.) MOCA may seem a likely candidate, but the fact that it is situated in North Miami, a wholly separate city, does not work in its favor. A possible scenario is that at some point in the future, Miami collectors will come together to form a new institution. For the moment, the problem posed by an abundance of riches is a fine problem to have.

Also uncertain is whether Art Basel will continue in Miami; a five-year tryout period was originally projected. Could the Miami art scene sustain its current momentum independent of Art Basel? While it is difficult to imagine that the local art market would be able to support all the galleries that have opened recently, the best of these will probably continue to flourish, as the work they show is strong, the numbers of local collectors ever-increasing and art tourism, with or without ABMB, growing. If Art Basel has helped propel Miami's contemporary art scene onto the world stage, the city's own considerable merits suggest that it will remain there, well into the future.

With special thanks to James Rondeau and Dominic Molon for having shared their impressions of the Miami scene with me.

Author: Roni Feinstein is an art writer and historian who lives in Boca Raton.

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