Live, Happening, Art-Breathing Things at Spectrum & Red Dot

The always unique and amazing Spectrum Miami and Red Dot Art Fairs had an exceptional VIP opening Wednesday evening filled with arts collectors, patrons and Miami and global leaders in the cultural ecosystem. The event was a jam packed extravaganza.

Arts enthusiasts will want to put these two fairs on their Miami Art Week itinerary. Located in the popular and colorful Wynwood neighborhood and hosted at Mana Wynwood, it’s a 5 day fine art experience from December 4th to 8th featuring Art Labs, Meet the Artist sessions and live demonstrations, music, entertainment, and other special events. Spectrum and Red Dot are the only experience with two fairs under one roof with one ticket.

The work is modern and contemporary and Pop Art ruled the scene. Among the newer works were included some of the masters, like we Wilfredo Lam, Robert Rauschenberg and, of course, Andy Warhol. It’s where contemporary meets extraordinary.

Red Dot Miami showcases  [PASSION]  for 2019. The show illuminates some of the world’s best contemporary art as Passion forms a common thread throughout the special exhibits and programming to celebrate the arts and creativity. Red Dot Miami features more than 75 galleries representing over 500 leading contemporary artists and is filled with canvases, sculptures, photographs and multidimensional show stoppers.

[IGNITE], the 2019 curatorial theme for Spectrum Miami is  sparked by special programs and site-specific exhibitions that showcase the thriving art landscape of the city. Passion is not just the way to happiness; it’s also the fuel that ignites creativity.

Featuring the works of more than 200 exhibiting galleries and artists from around the globe, the fair is renowned for its urban and upscale works of art. Spectrum Miami includes Art Labs and Art Talks as well as the Spotlight Program, providing collectors with a focused look at several prominent exhibitors, each creating a site-specific exhibition. New in 2019, [FOTO SOLO] is a stand- alone exhibit featuring fine art photographers from around the world.

Bulleit Bourbon poured at the VIP Opening night. Image source bulleit.com.

One of the most unique fair experiences is the Bulleit 3D Printed Frontier Experience where Bulleit Frontier Whiskey is once again collaborating with creatives to design art inspired by innovation. Bulleit created the collection of 12 original works of Bulleit Art in a Bottle and two complementary hand-painted canvases, in collaboration with South Florida artists Jason Skeldon “SKEL” and Elidea. With the Bulleit 3D Printed Bar as the backdrop, art collectors and VIP guests enjoyed 3D printed cocktails and a live canvas painting, as well as cocktails served up by some of Miami’s best bartenders.

In addition to interacting with the artwork, guests also found Instagram ready selfie snaps. Some of the more popular works provided excellent backdrops for selfies as the art fair crowd snapped photos of their favorite works. One of the most fun was a neon frame with Priceless written in lights. There was a line for fun pics. Another gallery encouraged photos by including a red carpet that lead up to a gilded work of art – a real show stopper that many fair goers couldn’t resist.

Along one wall of the fairs was a section for new and emerging artists, not yet represented by galleries. This area offered incredible opportunity and exposure for the exciting and promising works there. One of the great things about Spectrum and Red Dot is the chance to meet the artists and talk to them about their work and process.

Cory Silken, photographer

Artburst spoke with two of the artists present that evening. Cory Silken is a commercial photographer based out of Newport, Rhode Island. He grew up in the regatta culture and loves the geometry, light, and life of boats on the water. He is expanding his art practice and, while he has shown with galleries, this is his first art fair. “It’s been a great experience. There’s a real sense of community and there are so many great artists here.”

Allison Harrell. Copyright Allison Harrell

Allison Harrell is a multi-disciplinary artist with an MFA in photography, based out of Brooklyn, NY. When asked about her experience with the fairs so far, Allison’s comments mirrored those of Cory. She told Artburst that Spectrum and Red Dot have been, “different than past fair experiences.” She explained that in the past she has participated in fairs on her own, but this time she teamed up with a gallery. “I’ve really enjoyed the community experience,” she said.

Allison went on to say that she was very impressed by the cleanliness, organization, and general layout of the fair. Her guests that attended the VIP Opening Night event were so impressed with everything. In general, she has enjoyed watching the evolution of Miami Art Week. “In my experience, this is the most accessible and vibrant art week in the world.” Allison explained, “There’s an art scene here unlike others, that just feels so open. The community feeling is really strong [in Miami.]”

Allison continued by saying [Miami Art Week] offers “live, happening, art-breathing things” that invite people out to experiences they may not otherwise visit. “Awareness is a chief part of art, so people who don’t usually visit art spaces get to mingle with regular art-goers” and be part of a larger conversation. As Allison puts it, “It’s important for people to be talking about what moves them – art makes that happen.”

One project of note at Spectrum and Red Dot which really had people talking was the collection of embroidered art works, a volunteer project and collective exhibition called “Tiny Pricks Project,” compiled by artist Diana Weymar. Presented as part of the Art Labs feature, the works displayed featured Twitter posts by President Donald Trump. When speaking with the artist she explained that this was a way to make permanent the fleeting and temporary feeling of what is being said, adding weight to the words. Her goal is to collect 2,020 works. Artists from across the country and amateurs, have offered their number embroidered works to be part of the traveling collection.

Spectrum Miami and Red Dot Miami have grown to become the ultimate destination for the fine art industry professional and contemporary art enthusiast who collectively seek a more accessible experience with exhibits showcasing the world’s most progressive portfolios by some of today’s elite artists, galleries, and emerging talents. With more than 35,000 attendees flocking to see the artwork of the 1,000+ artists showcased by over 270 exhibitors, these are two non-stop, not-to-be missed destination Miami Art Week shows.
Red Dot and Spectrum are open through Sunday December 8th. Learn more about the art, pop ups, special events and parties at spectrum-miami.com and reddotmiami.com.