Explosion of Art
Miami Gears Up for an International Fair

By Kyle Bailey

Ilana Vardy, director of Art Miami

Another year has come and gone and it's time again to dust off those holiday decorations, turn on those Christmas lights, and take down the hurricane shutters. The holiday season is here once more and Miami is just the place to be for any art lovers on your Christmas list. With the success of the recent Art Basel behind us, those who think that they‘ve seen it all can rest assured that this was only the beginning.

Coming to the Miami Beach Convention Center from January 6-9 is Art Miami 2006. This year will feature over 125 galleries from 25 countries with new participants from Aruba, Hong Kong, Lebanon and The Netherlands, to name a few. The list of exhibitors has changed significantly since last year to add a more international flavor.

“It was always considered a Latin fair,” says Ilana Vardy, director of Art Miami, “but we've made a big effort, in the last two years especially, to send the message that Art Miami is a very international fair.”

	Heidi McFall, Steffanie and Her Kids with Aruban Sunset, 2005, Pastel and Oil on Paper. Courtesy of Annina Nosei Gallery

Vardy says that half of the exhibitors this year are American and the majority of the other half hail from Europe , with 50 exhibitors participating for the first time.

“We have a bigger percentage of galleries from New York than we've ever had, and we've also made a very strong effort to include more of the local galleries,”says Vardy.

This years' fair also features some special exhibits, including “Meet Me in Miami ”, where 23 Miami-based photographers will showcase their own unique perspective of the city. The exhibit will feature straight photography in color and black and white, and will be divided into three categories: People, Places and Activities. The exhibit is being presented by Carol Jazzar.

“Our exhibition unveils a city of cultural wonders, from the glamour of South Beach to the poverty-stricken Overtown,” says Jazzar. “This is not photo-journalism, but a slice of real life from the artists' interpretation, a visual panorama of the city, here and now, unfolding in front of you like a virtual walk down the street.”

	Sarah Hall, Red Rose Cupcake Bra , mixed media.  Courtesy of StART

Another highlight of the show should be the Directors Choice artist for 2006, Adriana Carvalho. Vardy sees it as an opportunity to shine the spotlight on an individual local artist.

“I started it because I just love the idea of having one artist create a piece for the show that's right at the entrance when you walk in and sets the tone,” says Vardy. “Adriana has created an amazing installation that she was inspired to do because I invited her to have the space to build it in. It's really a major piece for her.”

Robert Motherwell, DANCE III (RED),  1978, Etching & Aquatint. Courtesy of Jerald Melberg Gallery Copywright Dedalus Foundation, Inc. Licensed by VAGA , NY

Carvalho was born in Brazil , where she received her BFA from the Faculdade de Arts Plasticas in Sao Paulo . She later moved to Chicago where she became familiar with the welding process. Her experience in these two very different regions influenced her art by combining the spirituality of her native country Brazil , with the industrial personality of Chicago .

“Adriana's work is interesting because the iconography deals with very feminine ideas and concerns,” says Vardy. “Women's dresses are a dominant theme in her work, while the medium she works in is very hard, even dangerous. Manipulating metal, wire and transforming other unexpected objects normally associated with the traditional role of women, Adriana crafts installations that are at once symbolic, somewhat haunting and also quite playful.”

With Art Miami 2006 starting within weeks of the close of Art Basel, some might say that the fever surrounding Art Basel might take away from the buildup to Art Miami, but Vardy doesn't think that's the case.

	Yu Chen, Red Babies Series-No 11 , 2005, Mixed media.  Courtesy of Schoeni Art Gallery

“[Art Basel] is such a different kind of fair,” she says. “I think it's a good thing for everybody because they launch the season in December…and in terms of the energy that it creates, it's very positive for us.”

Vardy talks about what separates Art Miami from other art fairs, and what she thinks is the main reason to come to the show: “The one reason to go would be to gain better knowledge of what is being created internationally today. Someone who is considering or already buys [art] will always find something they've never seen before, and that's what we really specialize in.”

Vardy believes her biggest challenge each year is to increase the quality of the fair, and an important part of that this year was changing the composition of the fair to include a broader audience.