Art Basel Miami Beach 2011 Celebrates its 10th Edition

From December 1 through 4, Miami Beach, Florida, will host the 10th edition of Art Basel Miami Beach, the most prestigious art show in America. More than 260 leading galleries from North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia and Africa will take part, showcasing works by more than 2,000 artists of the 20th and 21st centuries.

To mark its 10th edition, Art Basel Miami Beach will inaugurate a new collaboration with the Bass Museum of Art on the Art Public sector, which will transform Collins Park with unique artworks and performances by renowned artists and emerging talents. For the first time, Art Video will be presented on the large-scale outdoor projection wall of the New World Center, designed by Frank Gehry. The free public viewings will be part of a number of special events and performances taking place across Miami Beach for the duration of the show to celebrate the 10th edition.

Over the past ten years, Art Basel Miami Beach rapidly developed from a vibrant new-comer on the global art scene to the leading international art show in the Americas. The list of participating galleries, chosen by the Selection Committee, makes Art Basel Miami Beach the most prestigious art show of the Americas, featuring both established and emerging galleries. By redefining and optimizing its sectors, Art Basel Miami Beach has constantly responded to the evolving needs of its galleries. Between 2002 and today, Art Basel Miami Beach has gradually extended its footprint by over 50 percent, and increased the number of exhibiting galleries from barely 200 galleries in 2002 to more than 260 galleries at this year's edition. Outside the halls, public art works have repeatedly transformed numerous locations across Miami Beach.

The decade has also marked a time of great transformations in the cultural scene of South Florida and Miami Beach. Major private collections including De la Cruz Collection Contemporary Art Space, CIFO, Rubell Family Collection, World Class Boxing, and the Margulies Collection enlarged their presence in Miami Beach and their reputation across the world. In addition, public institutions such as the Miami Art Museum and MOCA North Miami are extending their scope with new building projects, scheduled for completion in 2013. Many observers have called this decade 'a cultural renaissance', that made the Greater Miami area an exciting destination for the international artworld.

The show has likewise helped catalyze the evolution of the Latin American art scene, serving as an annual meeting point for its existing players and its new collectors. The rapid surge in the numbers of collectors from the entire continent – and the steady pace at which they have broadened the scope of their collections – have made the show a true nexus between the art scenes of Europe, North America and Latin America.