Artmageddon!

The Culture Edit, December 1st-14th

Author

Susan Bannon
November 30, 2025

Pilar Zeta’s “The Observer Effect” will be on the beach at The Shelborne for Art Week.

Art Week has arrived! Our little slice of paradise will be the white hot epicenter of the global art world for the next seven days, bringing us more art, events, performances, and “activations” than any one person could ever see. So you have no choice but to prioritize!

My two golden rules for enjoying the week: (1) focus on the things that won’t be here next week (you can see local museum and gallery shows in peace later), and (2) go early and stay to avoid traffic nightmares.

The ephemeral must-see’s include the art fairs, of course, but also the big public installations that everyone will be talking about. Philippe Katerine’s giant, adorable “Mr. Pink” inflatables on Lincoln Road are already wallpapering social media, while Alex Prager’s Mirage Factory will turn the old theater at 430 Lincoln Road into an immersive California dream (only Thursday-Friday), and Pilar Zeta’s The Observer Effect will install a “prismatic” metallic temple on the beach at 18th Street. Not to be outdone, the Faena’s big commission this year is Es Devlin’s Library of Us, a giant, rotating library on the sand.

Art Week not your thing? No problem! We have no less than four big local theater productions to choose from, including a one-week-only run of Clue at the Arsht Center. Sprinkle in the beginning of our holiday performances - Seraphic Fire’s beloved Christmas concert and SFSO’s annual performance of Handel’s Messiah - and you have one crazy, packed week!

Let’s get planning…

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Art Week Fairs: My Top Picks

“The Big Show”: Art Basel Miami Beach @ Miami Beach Convention Center (with Design Miami across the way)

The art world’s most important galleries bringing you their most important, most daring, most controversial, most beautiful stuff. Head straight to the Meridians section to see the pieces everyone will be talking about. And wear your most comfortable shoes!

Dec. 3rd-4th for VIP’s (Free), Dec. 5th-7th for General Public ($65-$120)

Nearby Eats: Casa Tua, Blue Ribbon Sushi, Pauline | Drinks: Little Torch, Water Lion at the Sagamore

“The Solid Sidekick”: Untitled @ Beach Tent at Ocean Drive & 12th Street

A smaller, more manageable show (with smaller, more manageable prices) of high quality galleries and artists, in a glowing white tent on the sands of Miami Beach. Bring your sunglasses!

Dec. 2nd for VIP’s (Free), Dec. 3rd-7th for General Public ($25-$40)

Nearby Eats: Tropezón, La Leggenda Pizzeria, The Drexel | Drinks: Swizzle Rum Bar, The Piano Bar at The Betsy

“The Upstart”: NADA @ Ice Palace Studios

My favorite show! New and emerging artists from a non-profit art collective of young galleries, set in one of Miami’s most pleasant spaces, complete with garden hammocks.

Dec. 3rd-4th for VIP’s (Free), Dec. 4th-7th for General Public ($55-$75)

Nearby Eats: Bunbury, Miami Slice, Sokai Sushi Bar | Drinks: Kaona Room

“The Easy One”: Pinta @ The Hangar in Coconut Grove

If you want to experience Art Week without the traffic and spending eight hours on your feet, this small show of Spanish and Latin American art in the Grove is for you!

Dec. 3rd-4th for VIP’s (by invitation or $80), Dec. 4th-7th for General Public ($33)

Art Week Events by Day

Monday, December 1st

Spinello Projects’ 20th Anniversary Show

To celebrate its 20th anniversary, Spinello Projects is putting on a blockbuster show of fifteen well-known artists that have been a part of the gallery’s history and Miami’s evolving cultural landscape. Changes: Reflections on Time & Space will show seminal works from founder Anthony Spinello’s personal art collection, along with new or recent works by the same artists, many of whom share deep ties to Miami. Featured artists include Esaí Alfredo, Marlon Portales, and Kris Knight.

Monday, December 1st, 2-6pm, Spinello Projects, Free

Neighborhood: Allapattah

Also on December 1st:

  • Nina Johnson Gallery opens Acid Bath House, a group show curated by Jarrett Earnest, plus site-specific installations by Emmett Moore and Dara Friedman, with an “oysters and martinis” reception from 6-9pm.

  • El Espacio 23 celebrates its latest exhibit, A World Far Away, Nearby and Invisible, curated from the Jorge M. Pérez Collection around the theme of “territory,” with a public reception from 6-9pm.

  • Marquez Art Projects presents Full Earth, the first solo exhibition for Kat Lyons, featuring a suite of newly commissioned large-scale paintings exploring natural Florida ecosystems, with an opening reception from 6-8pm.

Tuesday, December 2nd

ICA and Design District Openings

ICA Miami anchors a host of exhibit openings in the Design District on Tuesday with a special opening night reception in their lovely sculpture garden for five new exhibits they have to showcase, including Andreas Schulze: Special and Masaomi Yasunaga: 記憶の足跡 |Traces of Memory, marking the first US museum exhibit for both artists.

Opening Reception 6-9pm, Institute of Contemporary Art, Free for Members (or $50 to join)

Other (free) opening receptions around the Design District on Tuesday include:

  • Handle With Care, a group show DIY publishers and independent artists, at Dalé Zine (5-9pm, with a performance by artist collective Poincili Creación at 8pm).

  • Landscapes, the first Miami solo exhibition for Salvadoran painter Studio Lenca, at David Castillo (6-8pm).

  • That Was Then, This Is Now, a huge group show of 25 artists organized by American Art Projects, at Jeffrey Deitch (6-8pm).

Also on December 2nd: 

Wednesday, December 3rd

Sukeban World Championship Fight

Sukeban’s World Championship Fight, the undisputed winner of Art Week 2023, is back and bigger than ever! The brainchild of fashion designer Olympia Le-Tan, Sukeban features “the best fighters straight from the streets of Tokyo” in a riot grrrl-esque mash-up of wrestling, art, fashion, and anime. There are five fights on the card, the last being the title fight featuring Atomic Banshee defending her belt. It’s going to be epic!

8pm, Miami Beach Bandshell, $76

Neighborhood: North Beach

Also on December 3rd: 

  • Acid Bash, a collaborative celebration of the new Acid Bath House exhibit at Nina Johnson Gallery and the launch of Issue 006 of The Whitney Review, featuring “Poets, DJ’s, Go Go Dancers, Ice Sculpture,” from 9-11pm at Brother’s Keeper.

Thursday, December 4th

Betsy Hotel Art Week Celebration

The Betsy Hotel celebrates a host of new exhibits for Art Week, including a new digital and acoustic commission by Miami artist duo LIZN’BOW for the “Betsy Orb,” the egg-shaped architectural wonder that serves as a bridge between their two buildings. In the main gallery, historic Wolfgang Volz photographs of Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s groundbreaking installations in Miami (1983), Berlin (1995), and Paris (2021) will be the muse for a new commissioned dance work from former Martha Graham dancer Peter London and his troupe.

Public Reception 8-11pm, The Betsy Hotel, Free

Neighborhood: South Beach

Also on December 4th:

  • Bakehouse Art Complex, Miami’s largest artist residency, hosts its annual Art Week “Baker’s Brunch” to showcase its current exhibits and permanent installations, plus artist studio visits, 9am-12pm.

  • El Espacio 23 welcomes artist Tania Candiani for a performance around her “Substrata” piece, featuring original music by Mexican composer Concepción Huerta and the Miami Sound Space chorus, at 10am.

  • PAMM celebrates Art Week and its latest Woody De Othello exhibit with its annual Art Week party on the terrace, with an all-star reggae lineup curated by Rohan Marley, 8-11pm.

Saturday, December 6th

Locust Projects Art Week Closing Party

A rendering of Tara Long’s “Cake Grand Hall,” taking over the main gallery at Locust Projects.

Locust Projects has pulled out all the stops this year for Art Week, handing over the entire campus to Miami artist and musician Tara Long for her immersive LA ESQUINITA exhibit. The exhibit will include not just the giant cake pictured above (which comes with its own soundtrack), but also an immersive “Sweet Shop” with over 500 mini-sculptures, and a final destination humid swampscape that transitions to a pop-up speakeasy with performances til midnight.

7pm-12am, Locust Projects, Free (that’s right, it’s free)

Neighborhood: Little Haiti / Little River

Nearby Eats: La Natural, Bar Bucce, Blue Collar | Drinks: ZeyZey, Mi Chini at Phuc Yea

Sunday Art Week Brunches

  • UM’s Lowe Art Museum hosts a prosecco brunch reception followed by an artist talk with the Haas brothers on their sculptural works that blur the line between art and design, at 9am.

  • FIU’s Frost Art Museum hosts its annual Breakfast in the Park, with curator talks and museum tours, from 10am-1pm.

  • Supermarket Gallery hosts a South Asian breakfast, plus a final art week performance by Smita Sen, combining dance with body art and 3D printed sculptures, at 10:30am.

Music

A Seraphic Fire Christmas

In the spirit of giving, Seraphic Fire gives its audience what it wants - a holiday concert, complete with candlelight, a reading of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, and a fan favorite playlist featuring all your favorite carols (Silent Night, O Come All Ye Faithful, et al), plus more modern Christmas classics like Jesus Christ the Apple Tree. Even better, they are coming to a church near you, with four performances around town.

December 7th at St. Philip’s Episcopal (Coral Gables), 7:30pm, $85-$115

December 12th at Church of the Little Flower (also Coral Gables), 8pm, $65-$95

December 9th at St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Church (The Roads), 7:30pm, $85-$115

December 14th at The Moss Center (Cutler Bay), 4pm, $30-$65

Nearby Eats: Platea, Golden Rule Seafood | Drinks: Ivy Rooftop, Fox’s 

Handel’s Messiah

The South Florida Symphony Orchestra rings in the holiday season with its annual performance of Handel’s glorious Messiah (or at least Part I, the Christmas part). Get your “Comfort Ye” fix, courtesy of four dazzling guest vocalists and the South Florida Symphony Chorus. This festive concert also features a selection of favorite holiday pops. If you’re looking to get in the holiday spirit, look no further!

Sunday, December 7th, 4pm, Broad Center at Barry University, $30-$90

Neighborhood: Miami Shores

More Upcoming Music Events:

  • Sunday, December 7th: Music producer Tycho: ISO50 (aka Scott Hansen) brings his cinematic soundscapes and vibrant, projection mapped visuals to the Miami Beach Bandshell for a fully immersive experience, at 7pm.

  • Thursday, December 11th: Disney legend and musical theater royalty Lea Salonga brings her Stage, Screen, and Everything in Between tour to the Arsht Center, at 8pm.

  • December 13th-14th: Manfred Honeck, one of the world’s most celebrated conductors, returns to New World Symphony to conduct Mahler’s soaring Fourth Symphony, at 7:30pm Saturday and 2pm Sunday.

  • Sunday, December 14th: Miami Chamber Music Society presents Winter Dreams, a festive celebration of the season featuring mezzo-soprano Amanda Crider, baritone Jonathan Beyer, and pianist Marina Radiushina, at Sanctuary of the Arts at 4pm.

Theater

Here There Are Blueberries

Miami New Drama opens its season with Here There Are Blueberries, a 2024 Pulitzer Prize finalist written by Miami New Drama co-founder Moisés Kaufman with playwright Amanda Gronich. Named one of the “10 Best Plays of 2024” by The Wall Street Journal, the play follows the true story of a mysterious album containing Nazi-era photographs that found its way to the U.S. Holocaust Museum archives in 2007. As curators unravel the shocking truth behind the images, the album soon makes headlines and ignites a debate that reverberates far beyond the museum walls.

Through December 7th, Miami New Drama at the Colony Theatre, $45-$95

Neighborhood: Lincoln Road

Left on Tenth

Gablestage presents Left on Tenth, a story of second chances in life and love, based on Delia Ephron’s best-selling memoir. After the devastating loss of her husband, Ephron is certain she’ll never love (or write) again. But an unexpected email from an old flame lands in her inbox, setting off the kind of whirlwind romance she used to write about.

Through December 21st, 7:30pm evenings, 2pm matinees, Gablestage at the Biltmore, $40-$60

Neighborhood: Coral Gables

More Upcoming Theater:

  • Through December 21st: to celebrate its 30th season, Actors’ Playhouse brings back its first-ever production, audience favorite Man of La Mancha, the beloved Tony-award winning musical inspired by Cervantes’ Don Quixote.

  • December 2nd-7th: as part of its “Broadway in Miami” series of touring productions, The Arsht Center presents the zany whodunit Clue, which I gotta say, looks like a ton of fun.

  • December 2nd-20th: the Children’s Theatre at Actors’ Playhouse presents its annual production of A Christmas Carol: The Musical, a family holiday favorite.

Dance

Miami City Ballet’s The Nutcracker

The quintessential Christmas spectacular, Miami City Ballet’s The Nutcracker has it all: gorgeous sets with a stunning snow drop, sumptuous costumes, Tchaikovsky’s glorious score, and some thrilling dancing by MCB’s precise, energetic dancers. Plus, it’s just a lot of fun, with a new immersive pre-show “Journey to the Land of Sweets” this year. If you need to put yourself in the holiday mood, look no further.

December 12th-28th, Ziff Ballet Opera House at the Arsht, $53-$264

Neighborhood: Downtown Arts & Entertainment District

Nearby Eats: Mignonette, Yamashiro, Casadonna | Drinks: Klaw, ViceVersa

Book Talks & Events

Susan Orlean at Miami Literary Society

Miami’s longest-running literary series, the Miami Literary Society has hosted hundreds of authors since its founding in 1988. The latest installment features an intimate luncheon with beloved New Yorker staff writer and New York Times bestselling author Susan Orlean (The Orchid Thief, The Library Book), discussing her new memoir, Joyride, which chronicles her life through her work on some of the most notable nonfiction narrative pieces of our time. Ticket prices include lunch and a copy of the book.

Friday, December 12th, 12pm, Temple Israel of Greater Miami, $50-$75 (or free for members)

Neighborhood: Edgewater / Wynwood

Nearby Eats: this is a luncheon, so you just need Drinks: Gramps (til January!), Higher Ground

More Literary Events:

  • Tuesday, December 9th: Books & Books brings its Reading Party series to ZeyZey for community reading and tacos by Tacos María, at 8pm.

Indie Cinema

Stolen Kingdom: Screening with Director Q&A

Coral Gables Art Cinema welcomes director Joshua Bailey for a special screening of his new documentary Stolen Kingdom, about the “underground park exploration community” at Walt Disney World. Called “essential viewing” by Forbes, the film follows tales of harmless mischief that eventually lead to scandal and theft. A director Q&A follows the screening.

Thursday, December 11th, 8pm, Coral Gables Art Cinema, $18

Neighborhood: Coral Gables

More Indie Cinema:

  • Wednesday, December 3rd: Filmgate Miami hosts its annual Best of Fest screening and awards, featuring the top picks from its monthly local short film showcase, at Silverspot Cinema at 6:30pm.

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