Miami's Art Boom: From Local Vision to International Presence

Discover how Miami's local art community transformed the city into a hub of global artistic exchange

Florida Book Awards, Gold Medal for Visual Arts

Step into the vibrant heartbeat of Miami's art scene during a transformative period in Miami's Art Boom. Award-winning art critic Elisa Turner presents over 100 of her best profiles, reviews, and stories to capture the evolution of Miami's visual arts community before and after the inaugural Art Basel Miami Beach in 2002. This book reveals how a constellation of visionary artists, curators, galleries, and museums ignited a cultural revolution that propelled the region onto the international stage.

Through four chronological sections and a richly contextualizing introduction, readers are invited to witness a pivotal era when creative pioneers like José Bedia, Carlos Betancourt, María Brito, Gary L. Moore, Eugenia Vargas-Pereira, Edouard Duval-Carrié, María Martínez-Cañas, and many others redefined artistic boundaries. Their individual stories are artfully interwoven with the broader narrative of a community energized by cross-cultural exchange. As Miami transformed into a flourishing hub of global artistry amid burgeoning support from state and private funders, the groundwork was laid for Art Basel Miami Beach, a landmark event whose explosive impact continues to reverberate.

Miami's Art Boom is more than a history--it is a vibrant cultural artifact that not only defies myths about Miami's artistic roots but also celebrates the spirit of innovation and diversity. This detailed, lively collection is an essential read for art students and scholars, professionals, and anyone passionate about the power of creativity. Embrace the story of Miami's rise from the foundational work of local visionaries to the exhilarating exchange of the international art world and experience an inspirational journey.

Elisa Turner is an art critic and art journalist based in Miami. She is the recipient of many awards including the Rabkin Prize for art writing, multiple Sunshine State Awards from the Society of Professional Journalists, and the Leadership Award from the ArtTable Florida Chapter. Turner is a contributor to ArtBurst Miami, Burnaway, Hyperallergic, Fine Art Globe, and Miami Rail, and covered the visual arts for the Miami Herald from 1986 to 2007.