Art Basel Miami Beach 2009

Razzle dazzle — it's time for Art Basel! Miami Beach has been the cultural playground for Art Basel since the show first came to our city in 2002. On December 3–6, 2009, Miami welcomes the eighth edition of Art Basel Miami Beach, one of the most recognized art shows in the Americas, featuring works by established and respected artists as well as emerging talents.

This year, the Miami Beach Convention Center will house more than 250 galleries, works by 2,000 international artists, and around 40,000 visitors — including art collectors, artists, curators, critics, dealers, academics, art professionals, and connoisseurs. The international art show will feature private and public events, including recent artworks, curated exhibitions, video and sound-based works, performances, and art in public places.

Each year, on the eve of the Basel opening, the prestigious art show hosts the exclusive, invitation-only Vernissage, drawing attendees from around the world. Carefully selected galleries from 33 countries will showcase all forms of artistic expression — paintings, drawings, sculptures, installations, photography, editions, and videos — priced from a few hundred dollars to millions for museum-quality masterpieces.

As a new addition this year, Art Basel will launch the Oceanfront Area. Formerly home to Art Positions, the area has been created as a platform for Art Basel Miami Beach's supplemental cultural activities and is situated directly on the beach. Creative Time curator Meredith Johnson commissioned Los Angeles artist Pae White to design the central element of this space and commission an artist DJ to provide music for this site of public interaction.

Visitors will have free access to the Oceanfront Area. A morning session will feature discussion panels from the Art Basel Conversation Series, with prominent figures from every corner of the art world. An evening session will feature a special art event. The series will be inaugurated by the annual Art Loves Music concert on the beach, followed by the Art Perform program curated by Jens Hoffmann of the Wattis Institute, the Art Video program curated by Creative Time, and the Art Film evening curated by Tris Brunner. The Oceanfront Café will also be open to visitors, offering light meals and refreshing drinks.

ADMISSION

One-Day Ticket: $35 | Two-Day Ticket: $55 | Permanent Pass: $75 | Evening Ticket (valid from 4 p.m.): $20 | Reduced One-Day Ticket (students with ID, senior citizens 62 and above, groups of 10 or more): $20 | Chaperoned School Class (per student and accompanying adult): $8. Admission is free for children under 16 when accompanied by an adult.

Tickets are available at Ticketmaster. For advance group sales, call +1 786-276-2611. For more information, visit www.artbaselmiamibeach.com. The Miami Beach Convention Center is located at 1901 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach, FL 33139. All photos courtesy of Art Basel Miami Beach.