Art collectors and gallerists will party in Miami Beach for 10th annual fair, which is always “the” place to be seen

By Ginger Harris
|  Thursday, Dec 1, 2011  |  Updated 3:19 AM EST
Art Basel Takes Over Miami

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MIAMI BEACH, FL – DECEMBER 01: A patron views art at Mary Boone Gallery during Art Basel Miami Beach 2010 at the Miami Beach Convention Center on December 1, 2010 in Miami Beach, Florida. (Photo by Elizabeth Burks/Getty Images)

Love art? Just want to party? Whether you’re a serious collector or a social butterfly who happens to encounter art while you are out and about this time of year, Miami is the place to be the week of Dec. 1 to 4. Art Basel Miami Beach, the international art extravaganza and cultural affair, now in its   10th year, brings with it enough events to fill your social calendar several times over, upping our city’s cool factor in extraordinary  ways. Galleries, hotels, restaurants and the local set have been gearing up for the big event, which kicks off as early as Nov. 29, even days before Basel officially arrives. Here, we’ll tell you what’s happening where. Keeping up with the onslaught of art events, however, is something you’ll have to figure out on your own. Note: You’ll definitely have to sacrifice a little sleep to see it all.

The Not -To-Be-Missed Events:

There are several things you absolutely must see during this latest incarnation of Basel. Among them, the G-Spot Bike Tour, put together by beachedmiami.com. Featuring 10 local artists, this tour takes you from one piece of interactive art to the next throughout different locales in the Design District, Wynwood and Downtown. Be sure to also make room for art fairs NADA, at Deauville Beach Resort, Red Dot,  at N.E. First Avenue and N.E. 31th Street, and Aqua 11, at the Aqua
Hotel. The fairs run from Dec. 1 to 4 for Aqua and Nada and Nov. 30 to Dec. 4 for Red Dot.

Heavy hitters Art Miami and Design Miami are always a must-see. Art Miami, the longest running contemporary art fair in Miami, will ensure there is no parking whatsoever in Midtown and promises art from more than 100 international galleries. Design Miami, on the other hand, will suck up all the parking spots on Miami Beach and leave you longing for a home makeover. Both launch their events on Nov. 29 at private receptions and run through Dec. 4.

The Bass brings a spectacular show with “Erwin Wurm: Beauty Business.”  The sculptor’s work focuses on home and dwelling, including a bar for viewers to interact with. The exhibit is on display throughout Basel and until March 4, 2012. But you’ll want to see it now for bragging purposes.