With Elaine as the president and editor-in-chief and Michael as the vice president and publisher, the duo established an exciting business fueled by Elaine’s love of art. It was Elaine managing Michael’s photography career that made Artblend a reality.

Elaine Joseph had an extensive career history in management, marketing, promotion, and advertising. Prior to the creation of Artblend, she worked with several leading companies in the music and entertainment industry as well as major retail stores, including Transworld Entertainment, New England Video, The Musicland Group, Compact Disc World, Blockbuster Video, and Victoria’s Secret. She received multiple awards and recognition for her record-setting accomplishments.

“We are saddened by the loss of a real art industry entrepreneur. Elaine was always impressive, making things happen for the artists that worked with Artblend. She will be missed by all who worked with her and will always be remembered for her positive approach in building an artist’s career,” said Eric Smith, President of Redwood Art Group.

Elaine was passionate about being involved with the Toys for Tots organization and, along with Michael, hosted the local Fort Lauderdale drive for several years. It always culminated with a festive Winter Holiday Party at the Artblend Gallery.

“We were so sad to learn about Elaine’s passing. She will be missed by so many and remembered by those whose careers she launched. Her drive, professionalism, and love of the art world made her someone we were all glad to know,” remembers Linda Mariano, Redwood’s Managing Director of Marketing.

Those wishing to send the family a message of condolence may do so at this link: https://www.forevermissed.com/elainemichelle-joseph/about

The post Loss of an Art Industry Professional appeared first on Art Business News.

What is an NFT?

The NFT acronym stands for non-fungible token. It is a collectible digital asset that has value as a cryptocurrency and as a form of art and culture. NFT is a digital token like Bitcoin and Ethereum; but unlike coins in the blockchain, it is unique and cannot be exchanged for something similar to it; that is why it is called non-fungible.

What makes NFT unique and different from crypto coins then? NFT files store information aside from currencies. That makes it possible for them to be converted into absolutely anything. There are different types of NFTs, but the most common one right now is digital art.

When you think of NFT art, imagine a physical collectors’ item. But instead of getting an oil painting on a canvas to hang on your wall, you get a JPEG file. NFT art owners can sell artwork in the form of a blockchain gif just as legally as traditional artists sell their paintings.

How do NFTs Work?

NFTs have become very popular in the digital art and gaming worlds. For digital artists, stepping into NFTs is an avenue to showcase their work to the world. With these digital expressions of their art, they can get support and recognition and earn money.

In the gaming world, NFTs have shaken up the concept of buying game assets too. Initially, people purchased virtual gaming assets belonging to a company. But with NFTs, players can own these gaming assets.

Do NFTs Give Hope to Digital Artists?

As they say, modern problems require modern solutions. Plagiarism has hit the art world hard since the pandemic. So, artists, especially those who produce cyber art, have been at a loss.

Cyber art is a non-traditional style of painting that uses computer software and hardware. The most common cyber art tools are tablets, styluses, and software that can render images. But because this art style is digital, it is nearly impossible for artists to control how their art moves from hands to hands. A reliable way for digital artists online to protect their work while making a profit is by making it an NFT art.

Let’s use the Rainbow Cat GIF by NyanCat as an example. 

The artist sold this shaking GIF of a pixelated cat for $693,000, and it is an NFT art. But do you think we paid that much money to use it in this article? We aren’t Bill Gates yet, unfortunately.

Yes, anyone can download this GIF online, but our downloaded versions aren’t as valuable as the original NFT artwork nestling in a secure blockchain. There will only be one original Rainbow Cat gif and wealthy art lovers will fork out a fortune for its ownership rights.

So, is NFT Art Here to Stay?

NFT art has apparent benefits. The artwork Everydays: The First 5000 Days by Beeple was auctioned off at $69.3 million at Christie’s. 

After that sale, the internet and tabloids were frenzied as artists didn’t think digital art should cost that much money. Understandably, people fear what they don’t understand. For some, it felt like NFT art was stealing the thunder of other handmade works.

But the skepticism around NFT has steadily increased. Artnet analyzed Beeple’s art and found out that it contained many racist and sexist references. While that doesn’t necessarily undermine NFT art, it takes some shine off the Beeple’s milestone.

Is NFT Art Sustainable?

Since NFT is under the Ethereum blockchain, this information does not fill us with much hope because an Ethereum transaction takes up the electricity equivalent of an American household for two days. Even a single Bitcoin transaction takes up more electricity than Argentina does. So, for every NFT minted, there is a drawback.

NFTs operate in a largely unregulated market, just like cryptocurrencies. And if you are looking to buy NFT art for investment purposes, such a market may not be your kettle of fish. Items appreciate and lose value on a whim in the crypto market.

As an NFT art investor, there is little guarantee that you will profit when you hold an artwork to resell later. How much profit you make by reselling in the NFT marketplace depends on the demand for your art, not on its value. Additionally, the fact that anyone can download superficially indistinguishable copies of your art means that ordinary folks have less incentive to pay for it.

When you purchase an NFT art, what exactly do you own? Why stake that much for something intangible? At the moment, there is no indication that you get paid when users freely download or share an NFT art that you own. These and many more question marks form a bubble around what the future holds for NFT artists and collectors.

The Bottom Line

The pandemic has affected every sphere of our lives and livelihoods. Art creators also had a tough time selling their works since people were stocking up on essentials. So NFTs became an innovative response for these artists to make money.

As an artist, you can decide to make your work a non-fungible token, but don’t put all your eggs in that basket yet. The value of your artwork hinges on the trends in a market that you have little control of, and a digital token can drastically lose value at any point. NFT art is making waves right now, but we haven’t seen enough to believe that it will stand the test of time. While we admire the concept behind the NFT marketplace, it is likely to be a fast trend.

Author’s Bio: Amanda Dudley is a professional essayist who works in a college essay writing service agency. She is also a professor of history at Stanford University, lending to her credibility in the world of academic writing. Amanda is passionate about teaching and has worked with special needs children. To sharpen her mind, she stays abreast of new developments in art and technology.

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Saturday’s RAVE event ended with an after-party focusing on the crypto craze of NFTs. Co-Hosts, Eric Smith, CEO of Redwood Art Group, and Hannah Smith, Social Media Manager of Redwood Art Group spoke with Craig Kausen of Chuck Jones Gallery, Jon Stock of Corridor, and Gary Symons, Editor in Chief of The Licensing Letter. These industry professionals gave viewers a quick lesson on what NFTs are, dove deep into how they work, and more importantly, gave insight on whether or not artists and art enthusiasts should be involved in the new trend.

You may be asking yourself, “what is an NFT?”

To sum it up, NFTs are non-fungible tokens, which are a unit of data stored on a digital ledger, called a blockchain, that certifies a digital asset to be unique and therefore not interchangeable. They can be used to represent items such as photos, videos, audio, and digital art. 

Similar to receiving a certificate of authenticity when you purchase a piece of art, an NFT is unique to whoever owns that “piece” or digital file. 

NFTs are a way for artists, especially digital artists, to sell their work to new collectors and make a profit. In fact, Chuck Jones Gallery is offering an NFT on their booth page for RAVE Artexpo New York. 

However, this new form of cryptocurrency is gaining more and more controversy as professionals are learning more about the impact NFTs have on the environment.

Jon Stock and Gary Symons spoke on the environmental effect NFTs cause during the RAVE after-party and the shocking and eye-opening statistics scientists have discovered. 

If you’re interested in learning more about NFTs, check out the RAVE After Party event – “WTF are NFT’s?” on the Redwood Art Group YouTube page! 

The post WTF are NFTs? appeared first on Art Business News.

But in a time full of darkness, there is a beacon of light for both art lovers and artists as The Museum of Wild and Newfangled Art (mowna) announces their new online Biennial, a museum born out of the pandemic and specifically designed for the digital age. Launching Friday, April 30, 2021, the show will run until September 22, 2021, and features an international pool of artists selected from 44 countries throughout the world.

Co-founders Cari Ann and Joey Zaza created this new online Biennial with the goal of supporting artists by not only showcasing their work, but also helping them make a living. In fact, 70% of the profits earned by the museum through membership sales, store sales, and ticket sales go directly to the artists!

The Museum spent the greater half of January and February selecting artists to participate in their new online Biennial and they are proud to announce they will be supporting over 100 artists on their digital platform with over 20 hours of content to be viewed from images, paintings, drawings, videos, fashion, sculptures, photography, and much more.

Co-founder Joey Zaza says “there’s nowhere else that you can see this collection of art, in this way. There are hours of artwork to explore, play with, and listen to, twenty-four hours a day.”

Featured works include “The Lockdown”, a VR sonic memory installation by Mana Saei, “Planes of resistance” an empathy experiment to explore the world from the vantage point of a black woman using autobiographical acrylic compositions and sound by Linda Rebeiz, a Lebanese-Senegalese artist living in Accra, Ghana, “ERRANDS”, a portrait series documenting our shared shelter-in-place experiences by Zachary Handler of Baltimore, Maryland who will perform 3 slots of portraits per week for the month of May to museum guests, first come, first serve. “Susan” is an interactive augmented/virtual reality and video sculpture web experience by Sue Roh, a Brooklyn-based Korean-American multimedia artist navigating the IRL and URL. “Black Man in America” is a film by Vance Brown and Justina Kamiel Grayman from New York, NY. An interactive new-media installation, “AuxeticBreath”, visualizes the rhythmic respiratory rate, as well as tidal volume of collective human breaths using soft robotics covered with auxetic structures by Hyejun Younof Salzburg, Austria. “PETSCII leaks” by ailadi, an Italian artist whose works have been viewed hundreds of millions of times, are a series of ASCII inspired gif comics. A series of experimental music videos from the opera “The Magic Hummingbird” by Joseph Martin Waters from San Diego, CA will also be shown.

To kick off the Biennial, mowna will host a special screening of the feature doc The Faithful: The King, The Pope, The Princess, by Annie Berman on April 30th at 9 pm Eastern Time. The opening event will also be followed by a Q&A and a first look at the entrance to the Biennial!

Tickets and museum memberships can be purchased on their website, https://www.mowna.org/.

About mowna

mowna seeks to create an ever changing, fun, thoughtful, beautifully designed space to encourage awareness and mindfulness through the exhibition and experience of art and serves the public’s need for art for the highest good of all. By addressing the current needs of not only the artist but also the audience, mowna is breaking barriers within the global art community.

mowna offers the preservation of artworks through an online collection that is an educational resource and archive for its members and its artists, and aims to find, display, and support wild and newfangled art through the incorporation of innovative new technologies and mediums. mowna provides artists with financial compensation for their art and expands awareness of their talents via a sustainable platform where they can flourish.

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The group of world-renowned artists includes Aliyah Sidge, Beau Stanton, Buff Monster, David Flores, Greg Mike, Hueman, Kayla Mahaffey, Kai, Mojo, Peter Tunney, Reggie “RAL86” Le Flore, Shepard Fairey, and Queen Andrea. These artists will create digital murals that will be showcased in locations across the US including, Chicago Bulls and Chicago Blackhawks United Center, Portland Trail Blazers Moda Center, Sacramento Kings Golden 1 Center, Los Angeles Football Club Band of California Stadium, Miami Heat American Airlines Arena, Milwaukee Bucks Fiserv Forum, Washington Wizards Capital One Arena, Washington Nationals Park, Cleveland Cavaliers Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, San Francisco Giants Oracle Park, Oakland A’s Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, and Times Square in New York City.

Founder of Goldman Global Arts, Jessica Goldman Srebnick, believes “art has the power to unite. It has the power to amplify messages of hope and encourage dialogue. Art has the power to create change. We are proud to work with When We All Vote to bring together 13 American Artists to amplify the importance of every vote and broadcast that message on billboards across the country while also sharing these original works in a vibrant social media campaign. It is a project I am exceedingly proud of. No matter your party, we must do our part to protect democracy, we must all VOTE.”

The murals launched on Monday, October 5th, 2020 featuring the city’s local artist and a rotating exhibit of each digital piece. The focus is to encourage civic engagement and voting among Americans. Each artist was selected for their talent and contribution to art around the world.

Shepard Fairey

“This vote ballot box is a visual call to action that your vote counts. It’s there at the ballot box so when we all vote, democracy really does work!”

Queen Andrea

“The style of my art piece harkens back to retro American 1970’s sassy script lettering that has character and flare. I combined this classic and bold script with colorful 3D block letters to complete the phrase “Vote Loud Vote Proud!”, which is further amplified by bands of gradation color that outline the words. The bold color palette is exciting, fun, and engaging. Voting is so important during any and every election, so I chose a classic retro style to honor the longevity of sustained democracy through voting.”

David Flores

“This piece serves as a reminder of the many individuals that are impacted by our right to vote and how it should not be taken lightly. For me, I often think about my ancestors and the various Black Americans that fought for our own justice and equality, and how this same energy can be utilized for the rights of others—in my current and surrounding communities and for those that will come after.”

Greg Mike

“My WWAV piece is a representation of a vast community of characters all coming together collectively to VOTE. The artwork was inspired by a piece I created in 2014 titled “PEACE OF MIND”, which featured a group of characters coming together to form a Peace Symbol in a similar fashion. I hope it’ll catch some eyes and tell a story of how it’s our duty to hit the polls and VOTE LOUD!”

Mojo

“‘Up 2 Us’ is an exhibition of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I’ve Been to the Mountain Top” speech. As we stand on the shoulders of our American ancestors who declared their humanity with the right to vote, it’s our duty to use our voices and ballots to unite and walk side by side into our Peace Filled Promise Land.”

Buff Monster

“Every election year, the stakes seem to get higher and higher. This election comes at such a stressful and trying time for so many, and will dramatically affect how we recover, collectively. Earlier this year, I donated art for some PSA posters that went up around NYC; this project allows me to continue to use my work to inspire and motivate.”

Kai

“I thought using the iconic Statue of Liberty was important because for immigrants it has always been such a powerful symbol of the American Dream and the chance to have a fair and fresh new start. Many immigrants came from poverty and unfair circumstances and the statue symbolize freedom and hope. Go vote and don’t stop pursuing your American Dream.”

Reggie “RAL86” LeFlore

“I see this project as an opportunity to remind everyone on how the incredibly simple act of voting can impact so much more than who we elect for the Oval Office – especially with regards to the many marginalized communities in America that are affected by it.”

Peter Tunney

“Words do matter! Language remains our most powerful tool and form of communication. I like to sit and with each one of these 4 words. Each word is densely packed with meaning—so I like to use words—it’s what I do!”

Beau Stanton

“If we can make some art to encourage a more representative outcome in this election, I am 100% into that. By voting, we are keeping the torch lit and illuminating our ability to imagine progress. Let’s make it happen.”

Heuman

“My design is of many hands holding ballots, their arms draped in green robes that allude to the Statue of Liberty, a symbol of our free country. Textiles play a big part in my work, and this image illustrates that voting is the fabric of our democracy.”

Aliyah Sidge

“So many people have fought for our right to vote. My artwork represents past and present. I hope that it gives people a sense of pride and honor when they view it.”

Kayla Mahaffey

“While making this piece, I wanted to highlight the importance of the youth growing up and eventually being able to vote. They will grow up and be the voices of the next generation and we should all make sure they see this opportunity in a positive light of bettering their future.”

The post Encouraging Voter Awareness Through Digital Art appeared first on Art Business News.

Although there is no clear roadmap on how to move forward, the team at Huntington T. Block has seen a few trends among galleries, art dealers, collectors, artists, art fairs, and more that are smart to have on your radar.

The Evolving Gallery Scene

The prolonged closure of galleries across the country has forced art galleries and dealers to develop strategies for different ways to stay relevant, promote artists and run their business. For example: 

• Online viewing rooms – Many art dealers have embraced digital technologies to stay connected with key cliental and artists during the pandemic. Although a majority of galleries already had established virtual platforms in place, online viewing rooms are being relied on even more now as an effective way to showcase artwork and engage collectors—whether it’s a major art fair like Art Basel Hong Kong or a small to mid-size gallery. In fact, viewing sites have almost become the norm as a replacement for art fairs that could not proceed. Obviously, these digital platforms do not allow potential buyers to experience art physically, but many collectors feel comfortable buying their works through reputable galleries from familiar artists.

• Financial support – Many small businesses in the art industry may potentially qualify for financial assistance through the federal government. The rapid and evolving changes around what help is available can be intimidating and overwhelming. Art dealers should feel empowered to seek out guidance from financial professionals to navigate any confusion or uncertainty about how to access, benefit, or qualify for government sponsored loans and grants or assistance.

• Employee relations – Art museums and galleries around the world have been faced with tough decisions—layoffs and furloughs—in response to the financial fallout. For example, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, recently furloughed about 300 staff members, more than 40 percent of its workforce. If possible, galleries should consider hiring freezes and salary cuts to help retain workers. The altruistic goal here being to help ensure that staff can weather this crisis as-best-as possible so, when the time comes, they may return to work on their feet.

Reactionary Selling

As the state of the economy worsens, art collectors may feel that it’s wise to sell their pieces. Financial professionals typically caution against reactionary selling during a financial crisis. My team and I, just like all fine art lovers, have a strong passion for art and fear the dangers of any type of commoditization. Fine art insurance aims to protect rare and historic objects to help guarantee their survival, in good condition, from one generation to the next—and over many centuries in some cases. 

However, the general consensus among art dealers and art advisors, from my perspective, is that there is no mass desire to sell artwork at this time. Most collectors take a more conservative approach to the sale of artwork, which requires time and skill in order to optimize value for both the buyer and seller.  Additionally, the high-end collector segment of the marketplace is somewhat insulated from immediate effect of the economic downturn.

Auction Market

Several of the recently concluded auctions, particularly last fall, resulted in lower than expected sale totals. The sales were lower not due to a decrease in unit price per se. Rather, the decrease was tied to a lack of supply of high-quality pieces available for sale. It’s too soon to speculate what the art market conditions will be in one month, one quarter, or even one year from now, and beyond. However, it can be assumed that any current reactionary selling will not have a substantial impact on overall pricing in the future.

The current challenge with buying art is not financial, but rather logistical. As lockdowns continue, physical inspections of artwork and movement of pieces cannot occur—a critical aspect of the sale process. For the time being, many collectors are developing “wish lists” in the hope of investing in the artwork of established artists—this could be the result of the recognition of artwork as an asset class and confidence in the value of good artwork.

Managing estimates at auction will be the key to bringing in potential buyers. There are a lot of people who still have a lot of money. If there is good work available, I can see where the auction houses may work to appeal to the collectors’ desire for good value and be able to build interest and sales.

Looking Ahead

Overall, we must remember during these delicate times that this is not the first downturn in the economy that the art world will have lived through. Galleries, art dealers, collectors, artists, art fairs, and the industry as a whole need to support one another as we navigate these challenges.

The post Art Market Trends in Response to COVID-19 appeared first on Art Business News.

Where in the world does creativity thrive the most? Canva looked at four countries selected as some of the “most creative” in the latest ranking of the Global Creativity Index and found that the US, UK, Australia, and New Zealand contributed around $1 billion in total last year to their respective governmental art programs, which seek to inspire and encourage art and creativity that in turn further build their economies. 

The data shows that the UK has invested over 300% more government funding of their central arts programs than the US and has increased funding by 11% over the past 10 years. Australia has increased investment into their arts programs by 18% and New Zealand by 33% while the US remains the same as it was 10 years ago with no increase in funding.

This means that federal funding in the US is just $0.47 per capita compared to the UK which is $9.46 per capita, Australia which is $5.2 per capita, and New Zealand which is $5.8 per capita.

However, this has not affected the revenue they have witnessed in their creative industries, with the US creative industry worth a massive $804 billion, followed by the UK at $130.6 billion and Australia and New Zealand at $58.7 billion and $2.4 billion respectively.

Canva also investigated the number of creative art degrees completed in the four countries over the past 10 years and found:

• The number of completed visual and performing arts degrees in the US has risen by 7% since 2006-07
• The number of completed creative arts & design degrees in the UK has risen by 17% over the past 10 years
• The number of completed creative arts degrees in Australia has risen by 21% over the past 10 years
• The number of completed creative arts degrees in New Zealand has dropped by 0.5% since 2009.

These increases mask the threats to creative industries and creativity across the world. Terry Flew, Professor of Creative Industry Studies, Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia, says, “If there is a global economic downturn, this will disproportionately affect the creative industries. The challenge of digitalization is strong, too, but I also think that imagination exists to make this work, if digital platforms can be convinced (or compelled if required) to be supportive.”

He also cited policy indifference as one of the largest threats to creative industries and creativity across the world at present: “The resurgence of populist nationalism is also an issue, since cultural and creative exports tend to be connected with a more cosmopolitan mindset and openness to cultures from around the globe. They also face existential threats from the power of digital platforms, and their capacity to control distribution to the detriment of content creators.”

But despite challenges, countries can still thrive, and even without the hefty funding as in the US and the UK. Some regions cannot afford to invest into the creative industries or have various other demanding priorities to address. Professor Flew speaks about the bottom-up nature of some regions, such as Nollywood in Nigeria: “Lack of development is also often tied to problems in state capacity, such as corruption or excessive military spending, which in turn inhibits development. In these regions, CCI development is often bottom-up in nature, for example Nollywood cinema in Nigeria – a key challenge is to “formalize” these often informal sectors while retaining their market dynamism.”

Developing creative regions such as Latin America and Africa does seem to be showing some strong positive movements. The British Council’s report on the Brazilian Creative Economy found that there are one million creative jobs in Brazil and 200,000 creative businesses that account for 2.64% of its GDP—an almost 70% increase in the last decade. This is growing at an annual rate of 4.6% per year–more than double the growth of Brazilian economy overall. Fashion is the leading creative industry, followed by music, film and online media, which are all growing in Brazil. Meanwhile, Africa has one of the youngest populations in the world, and the growth of digital and mobile technology and systems means there’s many opportunities for progress powered by creative minds.

As Professor Flew mentions, Nigeria’s booming film industry, named Nollywood, has become the second largest film industry in the world, producing around 1,500 films every year–definitely an impressive number. Over a million people are employed in the industry, making it the country’s largest employer after agriculture, while also making close to $600 million annually, highlighting the wealth of creativity and demand for consuming it across the continent.

Indeed, the worldwide streaming service Netflix, worth billions of dollars, and a juggernaut of creativity and distribution online, has acquired films made in Nollywood and has even been inspired by Africa. They have recently announced the release date of “Queen Sono”, an spy show which will ”showcase an African aesthetic onscreen that the rest of the world has never had a chance to see… exploring the origins of contemporary trends through African eyes and the breadth of ideas that this vast continent has to offer,” according to Dorothy Ghettuba, head of International Originals for Africa at Netflix.

With African art and creativity clearly in high demand, I spoke to the founder of Afripedia, a website where African creatives worldwide can collaborate, create opportunities and inspire the next generation. “While producing the Afripedia series, it became evident that there was a significant group of talents across the continent who had remained underrepresented in the global creative industry,” explains Teddy Goitom, who co-founded the Afripedia project alongside Senay Berha. “Our aim is for Afripedia to serve as the premier search engine to find the best creative talents of African descent, a platform for creative collaborations across Africa and her diaspora, and a global employment pool for future top talents,” says Goitom.

Creativity drives success in every country that supports it. Whether it comes from government sources or independent organisations, investing in arts and culture has a significant beneficial impact on countries as a whole. And with this comes the growth, innovation and fresh ideas that will shape the global society of the future.

About Dan B. Shaw

With many family members working inside the world of art as designers, students and graffiti artists, Shaw has been inspired by artists and creativity his whole life, and remains an interested observer of all things art, using inspiration from all around him to draw on in his current path of digital and marketing.

Canva is a graphic-design and publishing tool for designers and non-designer alike. Canva seeks to inspire creations for use in a wide variety of industries. As advocates for creativity and innovation all over the world, Canva conducted this research to explore, understand, and highlight how important the creative industry is for people everywhere, and what more can be done to open up the doors of creativity for aspiring creatives globally. 

The post The Growth and Importance of Creativity Around the World appeared first on Art Business News.

AQUA ART MIAMI
DECEMBER 1–4
Aqua Hotel
1530 Collins Ave, Miami Beach
www.aquaartmiami.com
In the Aqua Hotel in Miami Beach, Aqua Art Miami will celebrate its 12th edition in 2016. Aqua has gained recognition for its focus on supporting an international gathering of young and established galleries with strong emerging and mid-career artists. The 2016 edition will feature 47 international exhibitors showcasing fresh new works. Because it’s set within a hotel, Aqua Art Miami is also a place to relax, take a break, and rest your feet.

ART BASEL MIAMI BEACH
DECEMBER 1–4
Miami Beach Convention Center
Meridian Avenue and 19th Street,
Miami Beach
www.artbasel.com
Art Basel Miami Beach is the mega-show during Miami Art Week. Certainly, it’s the biggest show as well, with more than 260 galleries exhibiting works from North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. From masterworks to newly created pieces by emerging stars, a full range of paintings, sculptures, drawings, installations, photographs, and film are showcased. Large-scale works become part of the outdoor landscape nearby.

ART MIAMI
NOVEMBER 29–DECEMBER 4
Midtown Miami | Wynwood
3101 NE 1st Avenue, Miami
www.artmiamifair.com
Art Miami is the original and longest-running contemporary art fair in Miami and continues to showcase a variety of unparalleled art from more than 125 international galleries. It is a must-attend event for serious collectors, curators, museum directors, and interior designers to see important work at the forefront of the international contemporary art movement.

CONTEXT ART MIAMI
NOVEMBER 29–DECEMBER 4
Midtown | Wynwood Arts District
118 NE 34th Street
FL 33127 Miami
www.contextartmiami.com
CONTEXT Art Miami, sister fair to Art Miami, has established itself as a serious marketplace for top collectors to acquire important works from a collection of specially curated international galleries representing emerging and mid-career artists producing cutting-edge works of art.

DESIGN MIAMI
NOVEMBER 30–DECEMBER 4
Miami Beach Convention Center
Meridian Avenue and 19th Street, Miami Beach
http://miami2015.designmiami.com
This global design forum brings together some of the most influential collectors, gallerists, designers, curators, and critics from around the world in celebration of design culture and commerce.

FRIDGE ART FAIR MIAMI
DECEMBER 3–6
The Betsy Hotel
1440 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach
www.fridgeartfair.com
Fridge Art Fair Miami, organized by artist Eric Ginsburg, features the innovative works of artists, collectives, and galleries—positioned as a boutique, soft-sell venue for all to enjoy in the newly renovated Betsy Hotel.

INK MIAMI ART FAIR
NOVEMBER 30–DECEMBER 4
Suites of Dorchester
1850 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach
www.inkartfair.com
INK Miami is a contemporary art fair that is unique among Miami’s fairs for its focus on contemporary works on paper by internationally renowned artists. Sponsored by the International Fine Print Dealers Association, the fair selects exhibitors from among members of the Association for their outstanding ability to offer collectors a diverse survey of 20th century masterworks and just-published editions by leading contemporary artists.

MIAMI PROJECT
DECEMBER 1–4
6625 Indian Creek Drive, Miami Beach
www.miami-project.com
Miami Project 5, a show produced by Art Market Productions, will be erected atop and within an expansive structure located in Miami Beach, and built seamlessly into the existing architecture, elegantly housing 50 exhibiting modern and contemporary galleries from around the world and the diverse selection of artwork created by the artists they represent.

MIAMI RIVER ART FAIR
DECEMBER 1–4
Downtown Miami Convention Center
400 SE Second Ave, Miami
http://miamiriverartfair.com
Now in its 5th year, the Miami River Art Fair is an international, contemporary art fair and the only riverfront art fair held during Miami Art Week. It features both indoor exhibitions and a one-of-a-kind Riverwalk Sculpture Mall, which shows an international collection of monumental sculpture on the banks of the Miami River.

NADA ART FAIR
DECEMBER 1–4
Deauville Beach Resort
6701 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach
www.newartdealers.org
Founded in 2002, New Art Dealers Alliance (NADA) is a not-for-profit collective of professionals dedicated to the cultivation, support, and advancement of new voices in contemporary art. NADA Art Fair is a collection of the world’s youngest and strongest art galleries dealing with emerging contemporary art. It is the only major American art fair to be run by a non-profit organization.

PINTA MIAMI
NOVEMBER 29–DECEMBER 4
Mana Wynwood
318 NW 23rd Street, Miami
www.pintamiami.com
Created in 2007, Pinta is a curated boutique art fair dedicated to the art of Latin America, Spain, and Portugal. The galleries and artists shown at the fair foster Pinta’s mission of giving greater exposure to Latin American and Iberian art in the marketplace.

PULSE MIAMI BEACH
DECEMBER 1–4
Indian Beach Park
46th Street & Collins Avenue, Miami Beach
www.pulse-art.com
PULSE showcases progressive art from an international community of emerging and established galleries, most of which present three artists or fewer.

RED DOT MIAMI
NOVEMBER 30–DECEMBER 4
1700 NE 2nd Avenue at NE 17th Street, Miami
www.reddotmiami.com
A juried, contemporary art show in the heart of Miami, Red Dot Miami features an international slate of galleries. Now in its 10th year, the show combines galleries showcasing over 500 leading contemporary artists with five days of cutting edge art, Spotlight Galleries, Art Labs, Art Talks, entertainment, and special events.

SATELLITE
DECEMBER 1–4
The Parisian Hotel
1510 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach
www.satellite-show.com
Now in its second year, SATELLITE Art Show is an alternative art fair that presents new and exciting projects that span the gamut of art, music, performance, installation, new media, and tech. SATELLITE 2.0 will once again emphasize concept driven rooms, rather than the typical salon-style hang of the standard fairs.

SCOPE MIAMI BEACH
NOVEMBER 29–DECEMBER 4
1000 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach
www.scope-art.com
SCOPE Miami will once again present groundbreaking work, alongside special programming, encompassing music, design, and fashion. Established as an incubator for emerging work, SCOPE celebrates its 16th year of introducing new galleries to the contemporary market.

SPECTRUM MIAMI
NOVEMBER 30–DECEMBER 4
1700 NE 2nd Avenue at NE 17th Street, Miami
http://spectrum-miami.com
Spectrum Miami is a juried, contemporary art show featuring an international slate of contemporary artists and galleries. Spectrum is more than just an art show—it’s an immersive fine art experience where guests attend exciting events, live performances, and educational seminars, as well as enjoy signature programs such as Spotlight Artists, LaunchPad, Art Labs, and Art Talks.

UNTITLED, ART
NOVEMBER 30–DECEMBER 4
Ocean Drive and 12th Street, Miami Beach
http://art-untitled.com
With a commitment to presenting exceptional contemporary art, Untitled, Art’s innovative approach to the art fair model will feature an international array of galleries, non-profits, and institutions, in addition to a variety of special projects, performances, and installations.

WYNWOOD WALLS
NOVEMBER 29–DECEMBER 4
2520 NW 2nd Avenue, Miami
www.thewynwoodwalls.com
The Wynwood Walls Project was conceived by community developer Tony Goldman in 2009. The concept has transformed
Wynwood’s warehouse buildings into giant canvases for acollective street art project. Wynwood Walls has become a major art statement incorporating graffiti into the newest work from artists around the globe. It’s literally become a gallery on the streets.

X CONTEMPORARY
NOVEMBER 30–DECEMBER 4
Nobu Hotel
4525 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach
http://x-contemporary.com
X Contemporary’s second edition will focus on exhibitors representing emerging and mid-career artists. The symbol X represents a destination point and an area of intersection, an evocative title for an art fair that emphasizes introducing narratives that create a crossover between the visual and performing arts and invites unique music, fashion, and brand collaborations.

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ANNE & MARK’S ART PARTY
San Jose, California
Billed as an “Occasional and Irrational San Jose Arts Fest,” Anne & Mark’s Art Party is an amazing art happening. The most recent unveiling was this past September, but no matter when it happens, the Art Party is an integral part of the Northern California art scene. It’s been described as “Mad Max meets Moulin Rouge” and “Burning Man meets Venice Biennale.” You’ve got to experience it to understand it. That is, whenever it comes around again.

ART DESIGN CONSULTANTS’
“ART COMES ALIVE” AWARDS
Cincinnati, Ohio
Art Design Consultants proudly sponsors Art Comes Alive (ACA), an annual fine art contest and exhibit that awards the brightest and best artists working in North America in a variety of categories. The awards provide a great opportunity for artists to be acknowledged for their talents, to gain exposure, and to win purchase awards and gallery contracts.

ARTBLEND
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Artblend takes a new approach to every artist who comes into their gallery or who is featured at one of the many art shows where the gallery exhibits. Artblend is a full-service, art-related business based in Fort Lauderdale, giving emerging, mid-career, and established artists the marketing expertise that they need to build their business.

CONTEMPORARY ART
PROJECTS USA
Miami, Florida
Headquartered in Miami, Contemporary Art Projects USA is dedicated to nurturing new contemporary art by providing exhibition opportunities and resources for emerging artists and curators. Their mission is to promote art appreciation within the international community and to generate resources that support artists’ creative endeavors. From biennials and gala auctions to exhibitions and major international art shows, they are always on the scene.

GALLERY EDEL
Osaka, Japan
Gallery Edel is committed to a completely new interpretation and perspective on exhibiting the most significant and important art trends in Japanese contemporary art and international contemporary art. The foremost objective of Gallery Edel is to enhance the experience of both artmaking and art appreciation by embracing the culture of art worldwide. The gallery’s approach is exemplified by their 2016 exhibitions at Art Santa Fe and Red Dot Miami, where they are showing the work of recent Japanese art phenomenon Yayoi Kusama.

MARC STRAUS GALLERY
New York, New York
Marc Straus is one of New York’s leading contemporary art galleries, located on theLower East Side of Manhattan. The gallery identifies and fosters some of the best international talent, representing 17 artists from 13 different countries, most of whom have not been shown in the U.S. before. Additionally, the gallery has taken a position of showing older artists who have not for decades, or in some cases ever, been looked at in the proper light. Their show and exhibition of artist Todd Murphy exemplifies the impact of that position and vision.

SFMOMA
San Francisco, California
After years of great anticipation and with a blizzard of red confetti, one of the most anticipated openings and art events of the year came to fruition. The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) opened its doors to the public in May 2016, and changed the look and feel of exhibiting modern contemporary art for years to come. Attended by dignitaries, renowned artists, and members of the art community far and wide, the festivities included a gala celebration and a grand public opening.

TEFAF
New York, New York
Founded by art dealers in 1988 and run as a non-profit foundation, TEFAF has a proud history of showcasing masterpieces in every category of art and design – from antiques, Old Masters, and Haute Joaillerie to contemporary painting, works on paper, and 20th century design. It presents two fairs in New York: TEFAF New York Fall and TEFAF New York Spring, held in October and May, respectively.

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By Samuel Frandino

Many years ago, I worked for a theatrical scene shop that was engaged in a variety of projects at a new Universal Studios theme park. One project involved having artists “age” the exteriors of buildings to fit whatever milieu a scene required. The painters at the shop achieved this effect by using the specialized art of scene painting. As I walked along one themed street, I watched a talented painter create rust stains that appeared to have been there for years, but had been placed there only an hour before. He would paint an area and then stand back several feet to look at what he had just done before going back to the wall to paint. After repeating this sequence a few times, a supervisor told him to speed things up because there was a lot of area to cover. There was a brief discussion about art and process that ended with the supervisor telling him that this wasn’t his home studio: This was art for money, we give the client what they want, when they want it, and we don’t go broke doing it.

Neither that scenic artist nor his supervisor started out with a vision of art as a money-maker. Young children make art just for fun, so from the start their first art teacher is coming into the game in the second quarter. That student has an expectation of what “art” is going to be like, and it is a positive expectation that doesn’t involve factual content or vocabulary. If you were an elementary school art teacher looking into those eager faces, would you want to be the person who makes a child hate art by asking them to prove their learning in some sort of assessment? Probably not. In the absence of some higher power forcing you to perform such an atrocity, you substitute factual content with something else. You open the doors to creativity with performance tasks in various media and techniques.

That scenic artist had made the transition from wide-eyed excited child praised for his creativity to artist in the service of capitalism. And I bet he was happy to be there, as I bet you’re happy to be working in the arts, too, probably looking to get in deeper. But there was a lot to learn in order to get from wide-eyed child to employed artist cashing a check from the client, company, or gallery: facts about materials, techniques, and tools, not to mention contracts, taxes, and bookkeeping.

Students who dream of becoming working artists, and the rest who live in a culture increasingly bombarded with imagery, must develop a visual literacy, the holy grail of art education. Visual literacy provides students with the ability to express their thoughts and emotions and to understand the expressions of others.

If you ask children what they think of a painting, you’ll probably get simple value judgments. “It’s good.” “I like it.” “I don’t like it.” They require a special vocabulary to express why they feel a certain way. With knowledge of the elements and principles of art, children are able to identify the artist’s technique and have the words to express what they see and why the art creates those feelings.

Visual literacy provides a connection between vocational art education and creative expression, as well as the tools necessary to understand the subtle messages and manipulations around us. It allows a 16-year-old art student who is desperate to communicate a sense of isolation and sadness to go beyond the stereotypical symbols that are so common in many artists’ early work. In a more commercial application, visual literacy enables fast-food restaurants to stimulate their customers’ appetites and increase turnover rate by adopting a yellow and red color scheme. Conversely, the decor of an upscale restaurant in Manhattan with a prix fixe menu is likely to be considerably more muted; the last thing they want is for you to feel rushed or still be hungry after dropping $1,000 in a single evening.

To effectively express yourself, or to collaborate with others, you have to learn the content of art. In most school districts, the delivery of that content is very similar. Young art students are encouraged to be creative in an age-appropriate range of media, and even if they are all following the same instructions leading to similar outcomes, at some point they are encouraged to make personal choices. They will do performance tasks like mixing colors, but unless testing of concepts is mandatory, the art teacher clings to the hope that the students are learning, or at least able to remember how they ended up with the color green they used in a particular project.

As the students grow, so does the range of projects they work on and the media they use. In high school they can start to take art classes in specialized subjects, like drawing, painting, crafts, ceramics, digital art, graphic design, and photography. In a fully functioning art program, a few students will take coursework in preparation for art education beyond high school. Although this K-12 curriculum has long served educators well in the past, it is incomplete and increasingly inadequate for producing students who understand imagery and the way it’s used to manipulate personal and public decisions.

Educators must introduce students to the ubiquitous use of imagery beyond the students’ personal conceptions of what art is. Generations of humans have believed in their science textbooks’ simplistic representations of atoms, waves of energy, and the solar system. These images do not reflect reality, however; they are visual analogies and metaphors that fit on the page. Musical notes and even the letters of the alphabet are images to which we assign sounds and combine to make melodies and words that in turn communicate thoughts and emotions. The use of imagery as a representation of some concept too large for us to imagine—deconstructed and abstracted to fit what we can understand—is an important part of visual literacy, though it does not fall into the accepted paradigm of art.

Although it may not lead directly to personal expression or occupational skills, a visual-literacy curriculum reveals to students how the presentation of ideas through images affects their perception of the world. These images often define their understanding of concepts or social issues for the rest of their lives.

This idea might seem like a lot to add to what many art teachers think of as too little time to begin with, and it is a diversion from spending time in the traditional pursuits of art education. Some students already don’t like art, or art class, even without this added component.

A very smart seventh grader once told me that art was his most difficult class. In every other class, the teachers told him what to do and how to do it. Math was learned processes, and social studies was facts and dates. The answers in those classes were either right or wrong. In art class, however, he felt lost without explicit instructions and black-and-white answers.

How do students approach the question: What makes a bowl “art” instead of just a bowl? Considering this type of question tends to give students pause. Ask them whether an ugly bowl is artwork, and the students have to ponder what “ugly” means and what “art” means. It may be the first time they’ve confronted an interpretive question. In their increasingly diverse culture, they will confront issues for which the answers are unclear. A comprehensive education in art can help them begin to tackle these situations.

The problem with much of the discussion about art education is that it is highly subjective. The simple fact that every person is required to attend school means that everyone has their own personal experience from which they construct an opinion. As a middle school and high school art teacher, I’ve met hundreds of parents at open houses, and I am often struck by how many of them fondly remember their own art classes, even decades after graduating from high school. Many remember their art
teachers as trusted confidants, and some talk about the hours they spent in the art room after school or when they should have been in other classes. I want to ask these parents whether they learned anything about art in their classes, but I don’t want to ruin the magic of the moment. I bet that one in 100 knows the basic elements and principles of art, and that estimation is generous.

We can’t continue to model curricula after our nostalgic personal experiences or to offer art education only to those who intend to find employment in the field. Everyone, especially a child growing up today, needs to understand the nature and the power of imagery. In today’s world, images are unavoidable, and they manipulate our selection in everything from products to presidents. The business of art is everyone’s business, not just the business of those who are cashing checks.

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