Miami International Art Fair in January 2010


The Miami Beach Convention Center will become the international meeting place for art lovers January 6 – 10, 2010 during the Miami International Art Fair (MIA). David and Lee Ann Lester, IFAE organizers and founders of the first Miami art fair in 1991, will once again bring together internationally renowned dealers exhibiting contemporary art, photography, works on paper, sculpture, installations, video and new electronic media.

“January will once again live up to the city’s motto: ‘Miami: Where Worlds Meet,’” Lee Ann Lester said. “We are delighted to be back in Miami during a time when international travel is at its peak and the city is filled with its seasonal and year round residents. North, south, east and west: MIA will bring the art world to Miami Beach in a totally new setting- poised for the 21st century.” One of MIA’s goals is to create a place where the international art world can interface with the local community.

January 6th from 6:30 – 10:30 is ART Cares, MIA’s preview evening. ART Cares’ mission is to aid hundreds of families in crisis through this challenging time of economic recovery. During the first two hours, the fair will raise funds for a local food bank by creating “Taste Miami” when 25 local chefs will donate their award winning cuisine alongside sommelier guided wine tastings. A collector’s invitational will follow during the second half of the evening from 8:30-10:30.

MIA will take part in city wide arts & cultural events by being part of one of the largest gallery openings in the U.S. ART CRUSH 2010 (a weekend of Miami’s gallery district openings, wine tastings, art performances, open studios and museum exhibitions) will take place during MIA. This annual event covers 25 square miles, and is spread over several days. It will open on the eve of MIA, Wed. Jan. 6, move to Coral Gables on Friday Jan. 8, and end at the Wynwood Art District on Saturday and Sunday Jan.9-10. The fair organizers of MIA have underwritten a $1,500 prize to be awarded to the local artist selected to design the ART CRUSH 2010 ad campaign poster.

MIA’s new design is the result of an international team of urban architects working to create a completely new fair design concept—one that is modeled after European cities, such as Barcelona’s famous street Las Ramblas. Grand promenades filled with monumental sculpture lead to pavilions featuring art from global communities alongside Miami’s renowned art districts. Art lounge areas sponsored by local design outlets, providing each pavilion with intimate settings where dialogue between collectors, artists and dealers is fostered.

“As many international fairs become super-sized, visitors’ satisfaction diminishes,” David Lester said. “The new fair concept we have designed allows collectors to savor their experience in a less hectic environment, as well as create a space where our exhibitors can interact with new clients.”

The exhibitor line up for 2010 presents engaging and diverse exhibitions that will both compliment and heighten the existing art scene in Miami. Pavilions will be created for: Photography, Works on Paper, Young Gallerists, and Museums & Cultural Art Institutions.

Wynwood Pavilion celebrates the association of art institutions, museums, galleries, collections and alternative spaces in the Wynwood Art District area of Miami. Joey’s Bar is a local favorite in the district and will add culinary flavor to the Wynwood Pavilion at MIA.

Next Generation: 30 artists under 30 Pavilion a curated section by of 30 young artists who are emerging on the global arts scene. The Pavilion will be complete with a lounge with internet café that will be created from repurposed materials and designed and built by local emerging artists.

Focus: Argentina will spotlight 20 contemporary Argentinean art dealers- many of whom are members of GALAAC, a galleries association for leading Argentinean Art Dealers The galleries involved in GALAAC maintain the high quality standards of Argentinean art and often feature the work of young or rising artists with various, new, or alternative perspectives.
Going Dutch: Art & Design from Holland will focus on 10 Dutch dealers. The exhibition pavilion is in celebration of YR400, a major cultural event being held in NY this year in celebration of the 400th anniversary of the Dutch’s arrival in New York and will feature Dutch art + design.

Other features at Miami International Art Fair will include: art video installation and special project rooms, and lecture and collector panel discussions, and a special conference on “New Media, Social Networking and Twittering” for the art professional.

“It is a privilege to be part of such an exciting event that offers the opportunity to promote new talent alongside a global melting pot of leading international galleries,” said Freya Simms, of IFAE.

Miami International Art Fair (MIA)
Public Fair Dates: January 7-10, 2010
Preview Evening: January 6, 2010

For more information, please contact:

Lee Ann Lester
IFAE Organizer
[email protected]
239.949.5411

Freya Simms
Director of Art Palm Beach
[email protected]
239.949.5411 x103