MIAMI BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - It’s the start of the art festival season in South Florida as hundreds of people flock down for the annual Art Basel event. Officials are already preparing for the rush.
Art Basel is back, and it is much bigger than ever. This year’s Art Basel is the biggest one to be held in Miami Beach.
“It’s a big fair, it’s a beautiful fair, beautiful artists,” said Felipe Melo, an art advisor.
More than 280 galleries from nearly 40 different countries and territories are ready to go at the event’s 20th anniversary.
“Never have we seen a fair with such an enormous range of perspective,” said Art Basel CEO Marc Spiegler. “This is unquestionably, the most global as well as the strongest edition of Art Basel ever.”
7News camera’s Tuesday afternoon captured large crowds of people at the Miami Beach Convention Center as Art Basel kicked off it’s VIP event.
“The energy of this art fair with the city, I think, is amazing,” said Julia Suslick.
Just across the Bay, Art Miami also underway with their VIP preview kicking off.
“People come here to Art Miami to enhance their collection, find works of art they want to be caretakers of and live within their home,” said Nick Korniloff, Art Miami Director.
They also come to meet artists like world renowned photographer David Yarrow.
“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else in the world than where I am tonight,” said Yarrow.
Yarrow is known for his impactful wildlife photography and work with celebrities like Cindy Crawford.
“If you’re an artist, I think the most important week in your whole year is this week in Miami,” said Yarrow.
As part of the opening day, a new foundation called Kennedy Kids officially launched at Art Miami.
It’s in honor of Kennedy Bailey, who died last September. She’s the daughter of former Miami Hurricane and Dolphins player Robert Bailey.
The foundation will be raising money with the mission of providing resources and education to prevent teenage suicide.
“Art Miami just seemed like the perfect location to launch Kennedy Kids because my daughter was an artist,” said Bailey. “We’re also doing a silent auction on some art pieces that were done by Bradley Theodore, who’s a renowned artist around the world and hoping to raise some money to continue to help other kids.”
Local leaders are making sure people are aware that Basel is back and better than ever.
Tens of thousands of people will be descending into Miami and Miami Beach as Art Week kicks off.
Whether you attend or not, you will feel the impact of Art Basel as traffic tends to worsen as people flock to the exhibits.
It is important to keep track of any traffic changes that are made during Art Week.
Video shows what things looked like on Interstate 95 Sunday night, a sea of red brake lights for miles.
You can expect road closures too, so even if you’re not checking out an art fair this week give yourself plenty of time to get to your destination.
Tuesday’s event at the Miami Beach Convention Center, which will run until Wednesday, is being reserved to VIP members.
General admission for Art Basel for the public will begin on Thursday and continues through Sunday.
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