MIAMI, FLA.- Art Miami, in its 29th edition as the leading international contemporary and modern art fair, alongside the 7th edition of sister fair CONTEXT Art Miami, took place December 4th through 9th and reported consistent high value sales, as well as strong attendance figures, with more than 84,000 prestigious art collectors, connoisseurs, advisors and museum professionals attending throughout the week.

Nick Korniloff, Director of Art Miami, said, “This was our most successful fair to date when you consider the volume of sales of important art works, the overall quality of the artists and respected international galleries that exhibited. Art Miami continues to remain as a key destination during art week for seasoned collectors when acquiring the most important fresh works of art from the 20th and 21st centuries.”

Renowned as one of the nation’s foremost international contemporary and modern art fairs, collectors streamed through the doors to view high-quality artwork from international dealers. As guests entered Art Miami, they immediately were met with a presentation from Landau Contemporary at Galerie Dominion of Antoni Clavé’s pieces on one side, and on the other, a large stainless-steel sculpture by Not Vital titled, Head 1, Ed 2/3, exhibited with Galerie Forsblom. As guests continued, they came upon large-scale works by Retna and Jean-Michel Basquiat at Masterworks, and rare pieces by Andy Warhol, Lynn Chadwick, Jonas Wood and David Hockney at ARCHEUS / POST-MODERN. Arcature Fine Art received significant interest in the artist KAWS, placing several of his pieces, in addition to a Robert Indiana piece titled Stay 30, and a Damien Hirst spin painting. As they moved through the fair, visitors were drawn to Galería Freites to admire a series of sculptures from Manolo Valdés titled Meninas.

The high quality of the presentation ensured that extremely sought-after offerings at the fairs also included works by George Condo, Wifredo Lam, Jackson Pollock, Josef Albers, Alexander Calder, Yayoi Kusama, Jeff Koons, Pablo Picasso, Willem de Kooning, Roy Lichtenstein, Marc Chagall, Ed Ruscha, Keith Haring, Frank Stella, Richard Serra, and more, with dealers reflecting on the fair’s success below:

· Irving & Miriam van Dijk, Gallery Directors of Priveekollektie Contemporary Art | Design, said, “After 10 years of participating in Art Miami, we will be happy to join Art Miami for its 30th anniversary edition next year. At this year’s fair, as a returning gallery from The Netherlands, we met our loyal international collectors and established new, exciting client relations. We’ve seen the quality presented at Art Miami grow every year, and continue to hear the same from the buying audience.”

· Christine A. Berry, Director of Berry Campbell Gallery, said, “Sales were brisk this year, and although attendance is always strong, this year we engaged with more museum directors and curators than ever before. Collectors were active in buying paintings by mid-century women artists like Elaine de Kooning, Grace Hartigan and Helen Frankenthaler. We were delighted to sell a painting by newly rediscovered Color Field painter Larry Poons. We look forward to celebrating the 30th anniversary of Art Miami next year.”

· Brian Balfour-Oatts, Director: Post-War & Contemporary Art at ARCHEUS / POST-MODERN: "We made a large number of sales in the sub-$100,000 bracket, particularly for the work of David Hockney with five rare prints selling, including his ‘Coloured Flowers made of Paper and Ink.’ Other artists selling in this range included Ed Ruscha, Lynn Chadwick, Bridget Riley, Yuko Nishimura, Jesús Rafael Soto, Jonas Wood and a sculpture by young Belgian artist Saskia De Tollenaere, whose sculptural homage to Frida Kahlo was bought by an important corporate collection.”

The success of Art Miami is evident by the significant sales made throughout the week of work by 800 established, emerging, and cutting-edge artists, represented by 160 international galleries from nearly 30 countries, including most notably:

· Galerie Terminus placed Women, 2007 by Sigmar Polke for $3.8-million dollars, and Knüpfung mit Kieselsteinen, 1970 by Herbert Zangs for $46,000

· Osborne Samuel Gallery placed Henry Moore’s Reclining Figure, 1946 for approximately $1-million dollars.

· Michael Schultz Gallery placed Electric Chair Series, 1973 by Andy Warhol for $540,000, Flieg Vogel Flieg, 2018 by Cornelia Schleime for $77,000, Flag, 2018, by Udo Nöger for $67,000, and two works by SEO: Die Faltung der Wirklichkeit, 2017, for $64,000 and Untitled, 2017 for $60,000.

· Cernuda Arte made more than 20 sales, including Fish, 1955, by Amelia Peláez for $500,000, How Can I Escape from Time, 2006, by Miguel Florido, and Path to Perfection, 2007, by Sandro de la Rosa. They also placed a piece by Manuel Mendive, a piece by Roberto Diago, and two works by Irina E. Gonzalez.

· Hollis Taggart placed 15 works in total, including a 1956 watercolor by Sam Francis for more than $500,000, two Alexander Calder works for approximately $100,000 each, a Theodoros Stamos piece for approximately $100,000, a Ron Gorchov for approximately $50,000 range, two small sculptures by Pablo Atchugarry for $40,000 and $55,000, a small Mark Tobey work on paper for $40,000, and two Michael (Corinne) West works for $40,000 and $30,000.

· Emmanuel Fremin Gallery placed 22 pieces totaling $400,000 in sales, including seven works by Drew Tal.

· Berry Campbell placed Desert Wall, Cave #96, 1986 for $175,000, and Horses at Pech-Merle (Cave #20), 1984 for $95,000, both by Elaine de Kooning, Untitled, 1975 by Larry Poons for $80,000, 7-X-79, 1979 by Alfonso Ossorio for $75,000, Villanova, 1990 by Dan Christensen for $65,000, Unctionpaleinbalmofsnows, 1979 by Stanley Boxer for $55,000, and Imola Three IV (Circuit Series), 1984 by Frank Stella for $35,000. All prices listed are retail.

· Nikola Rukaj Gallery placed pieces from Alex Katz’s Coca-Cola Girls series for more than $150,000.

· VERTES sold a work by Sam Francis priced at approximately $120,000.

· CHASE CONTEMPORARY placed paintings by Liu Shuishi for approximately $100,000, a Peter Beard for $90,000, and an Ole Aakjær for approximately $30,000.

· Sims Reed Gallery prints of Le Cow-boy, Le Cirque, Le Clown, and L'Enterrement de Pierrot from Henri Matisse’s iconic Jazz series for a total of approximately $100,000. In addition, they also placed Andy Warhol’s Electric Chair, screen print in colors, 1971, as well as several works David Hockney, Bridget Riley, Terry Frost, Humphrey Ocean and Declan Jenkins.

· Grosvenor Gallery placed Humming Birds, 2018, by Senaka Senanayakefor $80,000.

The success of CONTEXT Art Miami was clear from the significant sales made by more than 96 international galleries from nearly 21 countries.

Julian Navarro, Director of CONTEXT Art Miami, said: "For our seventh edition we enjoyed tremendous results with both record-breaking sales and attendance figures. This has been one of the strongest fairs to date. Thank you to everyone involved to raise the bar once again."

Sales included:

· Markowicz Fine Art placed Broken Heart by KAI for $260,000.

· DURAN | MASHAAL placed a piece by Matthew Shlian for approximately $50,000, and pieces by Victoria Wonnacott and Adriana Oliver.

· Lawrence Fine Art placed Gala, 1959 by Amaranth Ehrenhalt, that had an asking price of $55,000-$65,000. They also placed all of Howard Schatz’s Dance Study, Balance, a limited addition of five.

· Spoke Art placed various screen-printed paper on panel works and screen prints from 2018 by Chuck Sperry for a total of $50,000.

· Peninsula Fine Art placed two pieces by Carranza priced up to $40,000.
The two fairs served as the “Official Kickoff” to Miami Art Week and welcomed more than 15,000 guests to the VIP Preview. Sponsored by Christie’s International Real Estate and benefiting the Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM), this year marked the eighth consecutive year that PAMM has been the fair’s exclusive VIP Preview benefactor. To date, Art Miami LLC has donated more than $150,000 to further the museum’s collection and mission, and the partnership remains an integral part of Art Miami’s larger commitment to Miami.

During the Preview, a crowd of people, including Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary, Jason Newsted and ABH, applauded as Galerie Terminus and Galerie Barbara von Stechow removed the red covering of The New Horizon Project, to unveil a BMW E3 that features a unique paint coat designed by Heiner Meyer and executed by legendary German aerosol artist and car-racer Walter Maurer, commemorating the car’s 50th anniversary. The car had not been seen before and has been perfectly restored to be fully functional.

Throughout the fair, prominent figures in entertainment, sport, music, business, and culture viewed the impressive selection of works, including: Forest Whitaker, Brooke Shields, Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary, Ally Hilfiger and her husband Steve Hash, Beth Rudin DeWoody, Jessica Goldman Srebnick, Audrey and Martin Gruss, Lawrence Moens, Irma Braman, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts and his wife Aileen Kennedy, Alice Louise Walton, Eileen Guggenheim, Dennis and Debra Scholl, Kim Heirston, Marvin Ross Friedman and Adrienne Bon Haes, Lauren and Bob Roberts, Janna Bullock, Michael and Carolynn Friedman, Pretty Little Liars actress Claire Holt, Omar Miller, Nusret Gökçe, nicknamed Salt Bae, The Kaplan Twins - Allie and Lexi Kaplan, Josh Altman of the Altman Brothers, Brandon Boyd, NFL player Gosder Cherilus, Chip Bowers, President of Business Operations, Miami Marlins, United States Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross, Chubb’s Ori Ben Yishai and Mary Parsons, Alan Dershowitz, Franklin Sirmans, Director, PAMM, with colleagues Jaime Bayo and Sharon Holm, Dr. Jill Deupi, Director, Lowe Art Museum, Dr. Victor Deupi, past President of the Cintas Foundation and current Professor at University of Miami, Jody H. Grass, Chair of the Board of Trustees, Boca Raton Museum of Art, Shepard Fairey and his wife Amanda, Jason Newsted formerly of Metallica, ABH, Kara Ross of UNLEASHED, Beau Dunn, Mr. Brainwash, Bradley Theodore, and Consul General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Gera Sneller.

On Thursday, December 6, Art Miami and Chef Daniel Boulud hosted a special four-course dinner with wine pairings at Boulud Sud Miami to celebrate the Art Miami 2018 Lifetime Visionary Award recipients Dennis and Debra Scholl. Jorge Pérez, who was named the inaugural recipient of the award, showed his support alongside his wife Darlene Pérez, as did Brooke Shields, David Kratz, President, New York Academy of Art, Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary and his wife Linda, and Kara Ross. Nick Korniloff presented their award along with a check for $5,000 from the Perry J. Cohen Foundation to support the continuation of the Scholl lecture series at the Pérez Art Museum of Miami.

Special projects at Art Miami included:

· The New York Academy of Art presented an exhibition curated by Academy Trustee Brooke Shields and President David Kratz of drawings, paintings and sculpture created by alumni of the Academy’s MFA program. On December 6, Ms. Shields and Mr. Kratz hosted a curator’s reception, and guests included Shepard Fairey, who purchased Rabbit, 2018 by alumna Susan Siegel. Attendees were served Jon Bon Jovi’s Hampton Water rosé wine. At the end of the fair, 32 of the 55 pieces were placed with collectors. Through major exhibitions, a robust lecture series and an ambitious educational program, the Academy serves as a creative and intellectual center for artists dedicated to highly skilled, conceptually aware figurative and representational art.

· Avant Mining and Interprospekt presented DeXtinction, an exhibition that brings the archaic and primordial into our postmodern present, highlighting the beauty and magnificence of Earth’s natural treasures. Pieces on display included artifacts and jewels from more than a hundred million years ago. A mother and juvenile Allosaur that are 120-million years old are available, as is an astonishingly well-preserved Dinosaur Egg Nest from the Cretaceous period, 75 million years ago. These amazing artifacts are offset by the dazzling beauty of hand-selected minerals and gems from the Zigras and Pohl collections. Avant Mining will feature sustainably and ethically mined quartz crystals, which are considered the finest in the world. Also featured is a 75-million-year-old Ammolite from Canada, which possesses a rare opalized surface displaying all colors in the light spectrum. Humanity’s collective actions drastically affect the fate of the planet, and this collection of ancient treasures symbolizes the unification we need now, while reconnecting us to the natural world.

· Christie’s International Real Estate, the world’s leading luxury network, was once again the main sponsor of the fair and hosted an interactive booth at Art Miami showcasing top properties from around the world, in conjunction with their top affiliates. christiesrealestate.com

· Chubb hosted an interactive on-site booth at the fair with contemporary artists, where a different artist created work each day to represent the theme of Protecting Your Passion. Artists included Mr. Brainwash, Udo Nöger, Cey Adams, Martin Tardy, Alonsa Guevara, and Al-Baseer Holly (ABH).

· UNLEASHED is a non-profit organization founded by jeweler and donor activist Kara Ross. UNLEASHED created an interactive augmented reality experience for Art Miami 2018 featuring one of the main subjects from the #ConnectingThread film series on Refinery29.com, celebrating entrepreneurship and creativity. unleashed-world.com

· JW Marriott Marquis Miami and Hotel Beaux Arts, the official luxury hotels of Art Miami, hosted a special exhibition in the hotel lobby of emerging and mid-career international talents in conjunction with the fair. Presented works included Frederico Uribe’s bullet shell animal sculptures, Giraffe, 2018 and Panda Bear, 2018 presented by Adelson Galleries of New York, as well as a selection of Alex Katz’s Shopper series, presented by Nikola Rukaj Gallery of Toronto, and four works from Avant Gallery, including Al-Baseer Holly (ABH)’s Put Me Back Together, 2018.

· Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) was once again the philanthropic benefactor of the VIP Previews for Art Miami and CONTEXT Art Miami. Pérez Art Museum Miami promotes artistic expression and the exchange of ideas, advancing public knowledge and appreciation of art, architecture and design, and reflecting the diverse community of its pivotal geographic location at the crossroads of the Americas.

· Gallery Wendi Norris and Art Miami were proud to collaborate in support of Mosaic Miami, a local non-profit arts community resource center located in Miami's historic Little Haiti neighborhood. Art Miami featured Drawn Below, a video by artist Ana Teresa Fernández. The partnership calls attention to this important intergenerational arts center so that patrons of the arts can help the venue continue its programming in this underserved community.

· Artsy.net was the official online partner of Art Miami, CONTEXT and Aqua. Collectors and art enthusiasts can use Artsy to browse exhibitor booths, make sales inquiries on available artworks, and access fair information online via Artsy.net and the Artsy app for iPhone and iPad. artsy.net

· Young At Art Museum presented an immersive art space for fairgoers’ children ages 6-12, based on YAA’s upcoming exhibition ArtCade. Once inside, kids had the opportunity to create digital artwork through hands-on projects led by educators from the Young At Art Institute and experience interactive artworks by contemporary artists.

Special projects at CONTEXT Art Miami included:

· CONTEXT Art Miami Special Presentations highlighted the work of multidisciplinary international artists that explore bold and responsive subjects. Through global conversation, the selected group examines contemporary issues with a unique voice. The group includes: Cecilia Paredes | The Light Gallery, Christian Voigt | Lucia Mendoza Galeria de Arte, Elio Rodriguez | 532 Gallery Thomas Jaeckel, Eric Zener | Gallery Henoch, Estefanía Martín Saénz | Gema LLamazares Galeria, George Rouy | Anna Zorina Gallery, Kangi Connie Wang | Z Gallery, Lyle Owerko | Art Angels, Marcolina Dipierro | DS Projects, Maria Agureeva | Galerie Isabelle Lesmeister, Mario Soria | N2 Galería, Nikoleta Sekulovic | Rebecca Hossack Gallery, Rafa Macarrón| Galeria Casa Cuadrada, Susan Chrysler White | Kim Foster Gallery, Meredith Pardue | Laura Rathe Fine Art, Victor Ehikhamenor | Rele Gallery.

· CONTEXT Sculpture Park is a dynamic curated program of installations and sculptures by artists represented by CONTEXT’s 2018 exhibitors. The program offers experimental and innovative developments in contemporary sculpture throughout the fair’s public outside areas. The CONTEXT Pavilion displayed work from Kenor Romero presented by N2 Galería, Kim In Tae presented by Liquid art system, Stefan Yordanov presented by Retrospect Galleries. The CONTEXT Outside Public Area displayed work from Jimenez Deredia presented by Galería Alfredo Ginocchio, Julian Voss-Andreae presented by HOHMANN, KAI presented by Markowicz Fine Art, Kim In Tae presented by Liquid art system, and WhIsBe presented by Art Angels.

· CONTEXT Video is an energetic curated program for video art, experimental film, and moving image works by artists represented by 2018 exhibitors. The program presented a contemporary view on the medium and was shown within the main floor of the fair. Artists included Les Joynes, Ronen Sharabani, and Ange Leccia.

· CONTEXT Sound Positions started at the fair in 2014, and is a strong platform for the presentation of Sound Art in the fair editions in Miami and New York. This year’s Sound Positions was curated by Contour Editions, creating an immersive and intimate experience for listening to works by emerging and established sound artists. The program is presented on the Fair’s main floor. Artists include Andy Graydon, Cecilia Lopez, and Merche Blasco. Find out more at contoureditions.com.

For the second consecutive year, Art Miami and CONTEXT Art Miami were held at the beautiful waterfront location of One Herald Plaza, nestled between the Venetian Causeway and MacArthur Causeway, just east of Biscayne Boulevard. The fairs offered an unprecedented level of convenience and a renewed connectivity to the activities and collectors on Miami Beach with accessible parking, a complimentary shuttle service between the fairs and JW Marriott Marquis Miami and Hotel Beaux Arts, and Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM.) In addition, Art Miami featured amenities that improved guests’ experience, and allowed them to spend an entire day at the fairs. There were six hospitality areas, including a waterfront café, an indoor café, outdoor dining space, a cocktail lounge, and an outside cocktail deck overlooking beautiful Biscayne Bay.

Art Miami and CONTEXT Art Miami hosted curated breakfasts, intimate cocktail receptions in the VIP lounge, and private tours for museum groups and professionals throughout the week, including the Pérez Art Museum Miami, The Bass Museum, Chubb, Cook Maran, Duke University Alumni, and Wesleyan University Alumni.

The 2018 VIP Preview Beneficiary was the Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM). The 2018 Sponsors and Partners were: Christie’s International Real Estate, Chubb, Artsy.net, JW Marriott Marquis Miami and Hotel Beaux Arts Miami, Boulud Sud, Moët & Chandon Champagne, Resorts World Bimini, UNLEASHED, New York Academy of Art, ARTIKA, Spuntino Catering, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, LaCroix Sparkling Water, Boca Raton Museum of Art, The Bass Museum, Independent Collectors, Institute of Contemporary Art Miami (ICA), Museum of Contemporary Art, Modern Luxury, Miami Herald, ArtNexus, Art Circuits, GMCVB, Selecta Magazine, Art Districts/ArtPulse, Art Hive, Art & Antiques, GRØSS Magazine, Create! Magazine, Palm Beach Illustrated, Art and Culture, and Quest.