Miami Art Week is a massive event centered around the prestigious Art Basel Miami Beach. American Art Collector was present and on the lookout for contemporary realism at every show—and we were not disappointed. The city-wide event kicked off on December 2 with Art Miami at One Herald Plaza in the heart of downtown. Contemporary realism abounded here along with many of the galleries you see in our pages. Inside the venue were 285 galleries. The energy was electric and so was the art.
Contemporary realism had a strong presence at Spectrum Miami and Red Dot Miami.
The same night, SCOPE Art Show also held its opening, another highlight with nearly 100 booths featuring galleries and artists from around the country and world. This event truly was dominated by contemporary art and realism. We met several buyers including a collector who purchased a four-panel oil painting by Dan Witz priced at $85,000. This show took place directly in the sand on Miami Beach. The direct interaction with the artists and the setting made this show truly one of a kind. Right next door was the Untitled Art Show. While this show didn't have much contemporary realism, it is still worth checking out, especially if you are already at SCOPE.
Luciano Ventrone’s oil Armenia was among the offerings at Art Miami through Italy-based Galleria Stefano Forni.
Sister fairs Spectrum Miami and Red Dot Miami were next on the list. The shows opened on December 3 and the crowds were thick in the thriving Wynwood Art District. American Art Collector is a sponsor of both events. Red Dot focuses on collector education as well as providing a forum to meet the artists and explore more than 200 galleries. One of the most popular booths, and replete with film crews, was a showcase of the late Ozzy Osbourne’s collaboration with the nonprofit Save the Chimps. While the chimpanzee-painted artworks were not realism, it was an incredible draw for the show and important to the success of all of the artists and galleries present.
Co-Publisher Wendie Martin hit all the art shows during Miami Art Week.
Art Basel Miami Beach is everything you’ve read—and then some. December 5 through 7, the Miami Beach Convention Center became the gravitational center of the global art world, its 1.4 million square feet transformed into a meticulously curated landscape of ambition, imagination and market-defining vision. More than 300 galleries filled the halls with museum-caliber presentations, immersive installations and bold statements that set the tone for the year ahead. This is not simply where art is shown; it is where careers are elevated, trends are established and the contemporary art world finds its true north.
True to form, Art Basel was packed with people and cutting edge artwork and installations.
This was the first time I attended these shows in person. The weather was beautiful, the art was selling night and day, and attending Miami Art Week is a must for serious art collectors. Mark your calendars for the 2026 event, which takes place November 30 through December 6. —
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