Okay, well I put that rather crudely, but that's the gist of the New York Times article published Sunday that basically tells me what I already know: Miami's art scene is alive and well whether Basel is in town or not. The author has a rather odd fascination with prostitutes and crackheads, referring to them liberally every time she mentions Wynwood. We get it. Wynwood is Miami's crack den filled with art galleries. However, the author does hit in on the nail when recommending travelers to come after Basel when there is still plenty of great works of art to be seen and at the same time avoiding those Basel headaches like the velvet ropes and hordes of people.
Several of my favorite area businesses also get shout-outs like Domo Japones, Circa 28, White Room and Lost & Found Saloon. She says about Circa 28:
Even on nights when there are no receptions, the art party rages. At midnight on a recent Friday, a crowd had gathered at Circa 28, a chill bar that opened in Wynwood in December. It happened to be during the Art Basel fair, but there was not a dolled-up socialite or dark-suited corporate sponsor in sight. Abstract paintings hung crookedly on the walls, and young artists sat languidly under a bookshelf — in marked contrast to the hedonistic, bottle-service hangouts of South Beach. Outside on the deserted sidewalk, a truck pulled up and opened its flatbed to reveal a portable art exhibit and D.J. booth that began to play lounge music.
Soon people trickled out of the bar, beers and all, creating an ad hoc tailgate party. A police car was parked a block away but seemed uninterested. A good clean party is tolerated here, almost protected, in a neighborhood with a history of more serious crime.
Young artists? At Circa 28? Oh, I think she means the American Apparel employees in tight jeans and outdated sunglasses. Same difference, right? And oddly enough, Overtown/Wynwood mega-complex Karu & Y doesn't get mentioned. Are we over Karu & Y already?
[via Critical Miami/Nefarious Girl]