1979 Frida Kahlo at auction

This huge 32x40 inches painting of Frida Kahlo that I did as a class assignment at the University of Washington School of Art in 1979 is being offered by the son of the recently deceased owner for 1/10th of appraised value! 

At https://www.ebay.com/itm/305931344185

Women Artists of the DMV - the show is on!

The show it's on! It will open middle of September 2025 and run for about 8-9 weeks at the American University's Katzen Museum in DC, the Athenaeum in Alexandria, and Artists & Makers Studios in Rockville - one spot in each of the components of the DMV! The openings will be staggered: One museum, one non-profit art space and one woman-owned independent commercial fine arts gallery! One is each of the foot prints of the DMV (an acronym that apparently I invented by accident according to the Washington City Paper).

I'm also working on a potential book deal with the same publisher for whom I did 100 Artists of Washington, DC over a decade ago.

Update 1: If you'd like me to consider your work, please email me your website to lennycampello@hotmail.com - no calls, texts, DMs, Facebooking, etc.

Update 2: Due to the overwhelming number of interested artists, I've added a 4th venue to the show: the gorgeous first floor gallery at The Mansion at Strathmore.

More later! Here's the original proposal first discussed in 2023 here.

Proposal: Women Artists of the DMV

According to the research done by the Washington City Paper in 2017, the term “DMV”, which is used to refer to the District, Maryland and Virginia first appeared in a DC ART NEWS blog post that I wrote in 2003 – And yes! I therefore do claim that I invented it!

The Greater Washington, D.C., capital region (the DMV) is not only home to some of the best art museums in the world, dozens of art galleries, non-profit art spaces, alternative art venues, and art organizations, but it also supports and fertilizes of the best and most creative visual art scenes in the nation.

This scene is kindled and ignited to a large extent by female artists of all ages, races and ethnicities – an artistic female universe significantly more diverse than just about any of other major city on the planet. By the same logic and path, the artwork created by these fertile minds examine every possible corner of the visual arts genres and creative corners.

Celebrating this art scene, which spreads across the three areas that make up the DMV, I propose to curate an exhibition of 100 works by 100 women artists comprised of both leading and established female artists plus talented emerging contemporary female visual artists who represent the tens of thousands of women artists working in this culturally and ethnically diverse region in order to assemble a group show to showcase the immense power of the visual arts being created by these artists.

Let me repeat myself: Equally diverse as the artists, are the artistic styles and media you will see in this curated exhibition, the first of its kind for the capital area.

With 100 works of art potentially available for curatorial selection, this exhibition will offer a primer for both the experienced art eye and the beginning art aficionado, highlighting a selection of talented artists who usually deserve more attention on a local, regional and national scale.

100 works of art take a lot of exhibition space, and thus this curated exhibition could either be:

(a)    Fully staged at the Katzen or;

(b)    Would be concurrently spread across three separate venues in the DMV: At the Katzen in the District, one non-profit in Northern Virginia and one independent gallery in Maryland.

 i.            For Northern Virginia I have obtained an approval for the exhibition from The Athenaeum in Alexandria.

ii.            For Maryland, I have obtained an approval for the exhibition from The Artists & Makers Gallery complex in Rockville.

I have the experience to curate a large, multi-space art survey exhibition. In 2007 I curated “Seven”, a seven-gallery exhibition in the District that surveyed the thousands of artist members of the Washington Project for the Arts (WPA). Over 6500 slides (remember slides?) were reviewed and a couple of hundred artists selected for the multi-gallery show, which received multiple reviews in the press, both local and national.  In 2001 I curated “Contemporary Realism: A Survey of Washington Area Realists” for the Athenaeum in Alexandria – another show that exhibited over 60 artists and received wide reviews in the regional and national press.  Those are just two of hundreds of curated shows since 1996.

My curatorial process for this large proposal will also involve “community input”, as I intend to approach the DMV artistic community to be able to propose up to 15 of the 100 final artists. 

I also have ample experience running this “community input” process, as in 2011 I authored the book 100 Artists of Washington, DC (published by Schiffer Press), which in part included “community input” to ensure that the diversity of the 100 artists – both in style, age, genres, etc. – was truly representational of the Greater DC area.

I understand that a significant lead time is needed by American University to schedule approved Alper shows, and stand ready, willing and able to tackle this opportunity, regardless of the time frame.

Finally, I have started the tentative process of getting artists’ commitments to the exhibition, with the goal of aligning the leading female artists of the region to help “move” this proposal and so far have obtained enthusiastic “yes” from Margaret Boozer, Lisa Montag Brotman, Shanti Chandra Sekar, Irene Clouthier, Rosemary Feit-Covey, Claudia Gibson-Hunter, Carol Brown Goldberg, Janis Goodman, Muriel Hasbun, Melissa Ichiuji, Akemi Maegawa, Joey Manlapaz, Anne Marchand, Jody Mussoff, Teresa Oaxaca, Amber Robles-Gordon, Renee Stout, Helen Zughaib and 60+ other DMV female artists.

Let’s go!

Under $2500 is today!

UNDER $2500 Benefit - Exhibition and VIRTUAL Sale to benefit the Maryland Art Place (MAP) in Baltimore is this weekend! https://e.givesmart.com/events/F9z/

Last Chance (physical): Saturday, November 23 | 2 to 4 pm

Virtual Exhibition & Sale: Saturday, November 23, 10 am – Black Friday, November 29, 12 am

To view the virtual exhibition click: https://e.givesmart.com/events/F9z/
Live on Saturday, November 23 @ 10 am

Eve staring at the apple tree

She couldn't help but stare at it wondering...

Eve, staring at the apple tree
2024, Graphite on reclaimed, broken unfired Bisque by Florencio Lennox Campello

Eve, staring at the apple tree (detail, side view)
2024, Graphite on reclaimed, broken unfired Bisque by Florencio Lennox Campello

Studio Gallery accepting membership applications

Studio Gallery is the longest running artist-owned gallery in Washington, DC. It features contemporary art in a wide variety of media by emerging and established artists. The Gallery was founded in 1956 by artist Jennie Lea Knight, whose work is in The National Gallery of Art, The Corcoran Gallery of Art, the National Museum of Women in the Arts, the Philips Collection, and the Smithsonian Museum of American Art.

Studio Gallery is housed in an elegant town house located near Dupont Circle and Washington’s Embassy Row. The Gallery includes over 2300 square feet of exhibition space on two light-filled floors and a rear sculpture garden. Among the Gallery’s close neighbors are The Phillips Collection, Hillyer Art Space, Cosmos Club and over 30 embassies.

Studio Gallery is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that showcases artworks by members and holds special exhibitions by invited guest artists and guest curators. The Gallery conducts community outreach programs and other charitable activities, all open to the public free of charge.

The Membership Levels

Studio Gallery offers three membership tiers to provide artists with representation tailored to their specific needs: Associate, Premier Associate, and Full Membership. You will need to select your preferred membership level before submitting your application.

We are currently only accepting applications for Associate and Full Membership.

For more information about the membership tiers and the application process, please click the links at the bottom of this page.

Associate Membership

Full Membership

Wanna go to an opening and art party tomorrow?

 UNDER $2500 OPENS TOMORROW AT MAP IN BALTIMORE!

UNDER $500 and FIRST EVER UNDER $2500 affordable art sale where artwork is sold on a first-come-first-served basis right off MAP's gallery walls! Newly rebranded as UNDER $2500, this event promotes the purchase of artwork by artists in the Maryland region. Guests can expect to mingle with other artists, collectors, patrons, and general art enthusiasts at the event. Take your purchases home with you the night of the event. Gift wrapping will be available on-site! 

The opening night sale (physical) will take place Friday, November 22 from 6 pm to 10 pm (ticketed) and then again on Saturday, November 23, 2024 from noon - 4pm (free). Saturday is a ‘last chance’ opportunity to snag any artworks that remain on MAP’s walls. Tickets are $30 for opening night and can be purchased at the door or in advance  HERE.

This year’s theme is Black and White! MAP will have holiday trees on display. Enjoy a cheerful atmosphere with an open bar, light fare, and some holly jolly tunes.

A virtual sale and exhibition will also take place and will be featured online HERE from Saturday, November 23 at 10 am – BLACK FRIDAY, November 29 at MIDNIGHT. Artwork will NOT be available to view online until November 23 at 10 am. Be sure to register in advance in the interim! Registration is free.

EVENT TIMELINE: 

UNDER $2500 Benefit Exhibition and Sale:  Friday, November 22 | 6 to 10 pm  | Tickets $30

Purchase UNDER $2500 Tickets HERE

Last Chance (physical): Saturday, November 23 | 12 to 4 pm

Virtual Exhibition & Sale: Saturday, November 23, 10 am – Black Friday, November 29, 12 am

To view the virtual exhibition click HERE | Live on Saturday, November 23 @ 10 am | REGISTER HERE

I have three pieces in the show - two in the gallery walls and one at the virtual sale.

Address: 

Maryland Art Place 

218 West Saratoga St.

Baltimore, MD 21201

Suddenly, She Wasn't Afraid Any More at Maryland Art Place, Baltimore

The Lilith Consoling Eve (After the Explusion) at Maryland Art Place, Baltimore

Syreni Caledonii (Northern Atlantic Mermaid) will be at MAP's virtual sale

Art Scam Alert!

Beware of this asswipe trying to rip off artists!

Subj: Inquiry About Art Purchase and Shipping

Carlos Ramirez<affordable.stores55@gmail.com>

Hello

I hope this email finds you well.

I am interested in purchasing some of your art collections and would like them shipped to the Bahamas. Kindly let me know if you accept Visa, MasterCard, or cheque as payment methods. Additionally, I would like to confirm if you can coordinate with my shipping agent for the pickup of the items.

I look forward to your prompt response.

Best regards,

Carlos Ramirez

Founder/CEO

Affordables Stores LTD

Art Week DC in 2025

Apparently the DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities is planning to do a soft launch in 2025 for an "Art Week DC."  I say "apparently" tongue in cheek because I have tried to communicate with them via email and snail mail to volunteer in assisting with this as needed and pass on my world-class art fair education obtained via real life of doing art fairs since 2006 in Art Basel Miami Beach, New York, Santa Fe, London, Johannesburg, Austin and most recently London - as well as being an occasional advisor to one of the largest commercial art fair companies in the world.

Ignored so far - but I first proposed this idea waaaay back in 2008 - see that here. I updated it after the Covidian monster changed the world here and I adapted it to the Art Week DC idea when I first heard of it here.

As I said, so far I've heard shit back from the Commission.

This is a GREAT inititative and if done right, it should do wonders for the DC art scene, but if the Commission does not learn the lessons learned from the ArtDC fair and the various (e)merge art fairs, then they'll eventually repeat the issues that killed those initiatives.  If you're involved in setting up/planning the Art Week DC in 2025 and know nothing about those other DC-based art fairs, you're already stepping on your crank.

Here are the minutes from the last commission meeting, and below I've pasted the transcript of the minutes for the Art Week DC section - with a couple of corrections in yellow.

01:03:28.000 --> 01:03:33.000

There's a special committee update on Art Week DC 2025, which I will give.

01:03:33.000 --> 01:03:37.000

There are four pieces of news I'll bring to you. First.

01:03:37.000 --> 01:03:39.000

We've now had two meetings

01:03:39.000 --> 01:03:42.000

But the Chinese cultural ambassador who's very interested in our art week

01:03:42.000 --> 01:03:44.000

DC project, including perhaps

01:03:44.000 --> 01:03:46.000

doing a Chinese pavilion.

01:03:46.000 --> 01:03:49.000

Similar to the pavilions that do it in the Biennale.

01:03:49.000 --> 01:03:52.000

in Venice. So we are working with a number of

01:03:52.000 --> 01:03:55.000

embassies, the Chinese embassy is ahead of the others and

01:03:55.000 --> 01:04:01.000

talking with us about that. On December 4th, there's a dinner in honor of DC-based

museum directors

01:04:01.000 --> 01:04:05.000

and independent curators in Miami during Art Odd Basel Miami.

01:04:05.000 --> 01:04:12.000

And we have great attendance already and some very prominent people coming. All of

this is to get people ready for

01:04:12.000 --> 01:04:14.000

us having our Art Week DC

01:04:14.000 --> 01:04:17.000

a soft launch and the staff continue to remind me

01:04:17.000 --> 01:04:18.000

Okay.

01:04:18.000 --> 01:04:22.000

I have to say it's a soft launch in 2025. It's a very soft

01:04:22.000 --> 01:04:27.000

launch in 2025. The launch is quite soft in 2025.

01:04:27.000 --> 01:04:31.000

And we'll do something much more significant in 2026 and afterwards.

01:04:31.000 --> 01:04:33.000

On December 13th.

01:04:33.000 --> 01:04:36.000

We planned a stakeholder meeting

01:04:36.000 --> 01:04:39.000

where we're bringing together, I think, all of those who participated in this

01:04:39.000 --> 01:04:44.000

probably several hundred people across the six or eight months who've done these

stakeholder meetings.

01:04:44.000 --> 01:04:47.000

She would talk about this Art Week DC concept.

01:04:47.000 --> 01:04:49.000

We're having them at the Gallup building

01:04:49.000 --> 01:04:51.000

Here in DC, of course.

01:04:51.000 --> 01:04:56.000

I'm understanding that the attendance on that is looking quite good as well.

01:04:56.000 --> 01:05:01.000

It's December 13th from noon to 2. So anyone who's listening, if you are one of the

stakeholders.

01:05:01.000 --> 01:05:03.000

And perhaps if you weren't, but you're interested, we could see if we could

01:05:03.000 --> 01:05:06.000

squeeze you into the space as well this is

01:05:06.000 --> 01:05:11.000

Our attempt at bringing all the stakeholders together and in one room to move

towards co-creating.

01:05:11.000 --> 01:05:15.000

But Hardweek Artweek DC will be for 25, which is a soft launch.

01:05:15.000 --> 01:05:17.000

And 26 after that.

01:05:17.000 --> 01:05:23.000

Also at that December 13th meeting, Michael Kaisler with the DeVos Institute

01:05:23.000 --> 01:05:27.000

who has been hired to help us develop the plan for Art Week DC

01:05:27.000 --> 01:05:29.000

will give a progress review.

01:05:29.000 --> 01:05:32.000

His work will be finished sometime in January, but

01:05:32.000 --> 01:05:38.000

In December, he feels he can give us a hint at where we're going and to get

reactions from the group as well.

01:05:38.000 --> 01:05:42.000

So those are the four events around Ard Art Week DC. It is proceeding.

01:05:42.000 --> 01:05:44.000

people are getting more and more excited about it.

01:05:44.000 --> 01:05:47.000

And we're looking forward to what it will bring

01:05:47.000 --> 01:05:50.000

to the city in as far as recognizing

01:05:50.000 --> 01:05:55.000

DC artist, but also the commerce that it hopefully will bring to the city as

01:05:55.000 --> 01:05:58.000

Art Basel, Miami, Paris, et cetera, have done as well.

01:05:58.000 --> 01:06:02.000

So I have no other new business.

01:06:02.000 --> 01:06:04.000

Did we miss anything?

01:06:04.000 --> 01:06:11.000

If not, it'd be no further business. The next meeting of the commission will be held

Monday, December 16th, 2024.

01:06:11.000 --> 01:06:15.000

At 5.30 p.m. The time is now 626.

01:06:15.000 --> 01:06:27.000

And this meeting is adjourned. Thank you.

A Message from the new Tephra Executive Director

Dear Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art Stakeholders, 

I am honored and excited to serve as Tephra ICA’s new Executive Director & Curator. I join an incredibly talented line of leaders who have expanded programs, led an organizational rebrand, and clarified our mission as the institution has evolved over the past 50 years. I am excited to take up the mantel of leading Tephra ICA as we step into its next phase.  

 

I joined Tephra ICA because it is a space of innovative thinking that prioritizes accessible and engaging experiences with the visual arts. As an art lover and established non-profit leader, I believe creativity and strategic change are important to the success of an organization. We are poised for intentional change that will have positive creative impacts on Reston while contributing to economic growth in the Region. 

 

We have exciting things on the horizon! Over the next five years, we'll expand our programs and exhibitions, all while continuing to offer free admission for our visitors. Tephra ICA is deepening our partnership with schools (K-12 and college) to spark creativity within our youngest residents and provide career-building opportunities for future leaders. We'll continue presenting the Tephra ICA Arts Festival, bringing together artists and collectors from around the country in the heart of Reston Town Center. We’re also actively working to grow our resources and secure a new and larger home in Reston to help us realize these goals.  

 

There is so much space and opportunity for you to go on this journey with us. 

 

I thank the Tephra ICA Board for this opportunity to do great things. I look forward to partnering with each of you to have a cultural, creative, and economic impact in Reston. 

I look forward to meeting you on Saturday, December 14, 2-4pm, at the Tephra ICA Open House where we'll enjoy light refreshments, great conversation, and the final day of the Ebony G. Patterson exhibition.

 

Wishing you the very best,  

Jonell Logan 

Works On Paper By Nate Hester

Cabada Contemporary's opening of “A FLOATING WORLD” Works On Paper By Nate Hester will be on Thursday, November 21st

The artist will also be on-site and eager to discuss his body of work. 

You can view the art online HERE and Event link HERE. 

Cabada Contemporary 

1054 31st Street, NW, #009

Washington, DC  20007

703.340.9461

Jennifer Barlow at Nepenthe Gallery

Nepenthe Gallery is thrilled to feature the art of Jennifer Barlow!  They call her "our artist with a sweet tooth!" as Barlow is easily one of the top sweet focused painters in the DMV!

Assorted Fruit Slices - oil on cradled board by Jennifer Barlow

Her exhibit will open this Thursday, November 21st with an ART+WINE+CHEESE event at 6 pm featuring both Jennifer and her paintings.  Please click here for more information.

The gallery is located at 7918 Fort Hunt Road (Hollin Hall Shopping Center) in the Mount Vernon area of Alexandria.  Jennifer's exhibit will be up at Nepenthe until December 18th.

Top 10 DMV art shows from 20 years ago

Just to show the once visible power of the DMV art scene, when local galleries competed with our museums!  The below post was originally written in 2004!

Top 10 Shows of 2004

With the large number of commercial fine art galleries, embassy galleries, non-profit galleries, artists cooperative galleries, alternative art venues and museums that we have in our Greater Washington, DC area, the task of selecting a list of top anything is not a trivial task.

To make matters worse, everytime that I've done this in the past, and after I see someone else's list, I always go "crap! I forgot about that show!"

Nonetheless, here's my top ten visual arts show of the year for our region, sans our shows of course. I was tempted, as 2004 allowed us to bring to the DC region some brilliant work by world-class Cuban artists like Sandra Ramos, Cirenaica Moreira, Marta Maria Perez Bravo and Aimee Garcia Marrero (all of whom were in Art Basel Miami Beach) as well as a spectacular second sold out show by Tim Tate, who enjoyed what can best be described as a record-setting 2004.

My Top 10 (in no particular order)

Ana Mendieta at the Hirshhorn

Sally Mann at the Corcoran

Chan Chao at Numark Gallery.

Bruno Perillo at Irvine Contemporary Art

Ian Whitmore at Fusebox

The Quilts of Gee's Bend at the Corcoran

Margaret Boozer at Strand on Volta

"In 2Words: Numbers" at Target Gallery.

Courtly Art of the Ancient Maya at the National Gallery.

Dan Flavin at the National Gallery of Art.

Art fairs and artists, and art fairs and artist, and...

In 2011 I wrote a trillion words on the subject here and here - I've joined them below as most of it still resonates today...

Part One

 If you are a visual artist or art dealer/gallerist in today’s ever changing visual art world, and you’re not aware or know about the Miami art fairs that take place each year-end and are clustered around Miami and Miami Beach, then you have a problem that needs urgent attention.

Almost a decade ago, the founders and organizers of a European art fair called Art Basel (which of course, takes place in Basel, Switzerland), decided to try an American version of their successful European model and started an art fair in the Miami Beach Convention Center and they called it Art Basel Miami Beach or ABMB for short.

This was nothing new in the American art fair scene, as even in Miami art fairs such as Art Miami had been going on for years. But whatever right timing and combination of European flavoring added to Miami's Cubanized international art scene did was spectacular and ABMB took off like Meat Loaf's second album's title.

In the halcyon days of the healthy economy of those days, the art fair proved to be a spectacular success, with millions of dollars of artwork by the blue chip names of the art world exchanging hands at ABMB as collectors from all over the world congregated in Miami’s balmy December to be seen at the sharp point of the spear of the contemporary art world.

ABMB’s success soon spawned other art fairs, which are called “satellite fairs”, since they all revolve around ABMB’s dates and presence on America’s coolest and most international beach city. The evolution of these satellite fairs was fed by the fact that ABMB focused almost exclusively on European galleries and a handful of the top tier American New York galleries.

In those days, even if you were the best gallery in Chicago, or LA or Miami itself, you had zero chance to be invited to ABMB.

And thus satellite art fairs with names like Scope, Red Dot, Bridge, Pulse, NADA and others began to appear around Miami at the same time as ABMB. Soon, someone came up with the novel idea that these art fairs could also take place in hotel rooms, and the “hotel fair” was born. Many of these also began to appear, none better than the Aqua Art Fair, now called “the best hotel art fair in the world.” Having just done Aqua, I can testify brother, that the Aqua organizers have it down, and in my limited opinion, this is indeed the best hotel art fair in the world.

Back to my story... by 2010, even with the economy in the doldrums that refuse to go away, there were 25 art fairs going on around Miami starting roughly around November 28 through the first Sunday of December.

Yes dear readers, 25 art fairs at once! Some developed a tight focus, such as for Asian art or photography, others tried to establish an artist-oriented focus, but in general, all recognized that something special happens each December in Miami.

By now the figures are mind blowing: I am told by Miami journalists from Rumor Control that during that week of the ABMB art fairs, roughly 20% of all the art work sold in the world exchanges hands in Miami.

Furthermore, as the magnitude of the event grew, so did the attendance by both the “need to be seen” crowd and by even more worldwide collectors and, just as importantly, the press.

Thus now the news media not only discusses what’s new or who’s hot in the art world, but also they let us know who Sly Stallone or other Hollywood stars of all magnitude are acquiring. It has become cool for Hollywood stars and wannabes to collect art, which in most Einsteinian dimensions is a good thing.

The concentrated press reporting has also made celebrities out of mega collectors, such as the Miami based Rubell or DeLaCruz families.

Most of the art fairs are gallery-focused; that means that it is art galleries, as opposed to individual artists, who exhibit artwork. The prices for the booths are spectacularly expensive, and generally, a small 200 sq. ft. booth can start at $10,000 or more, and a large booth can run as high as $100,000. And this is before a gallery adds other associated costs such as shipping costs of the artwork, transportation to/from Miami, customs, food, car rental, hotel and salaries.

For most galleries around the world it is a daunting economic investment, which can turn into a financial disaster if sales fail to materialize.

Around the DMV, only a handful of local area galleries took the risk over the last few years. Spaces such as Conner Contemporary, Civilian Art Projects, Hamiltonian Gallery, Fraser Gallery, Irvine Contemporary, and a precious few others, took the venture out to Miami. One local dealer, Art Whino, began its own model and sets up its own ABMB space in Miami during that week.

“I meet more art collectors that week in Miami than the entire year in DC,” related one local art dealer.

“Over the years,” added another, “about 80% of my sales take place at, or because of art fairs in Miami, New York, LA, etc.”

The opportunity to actually sell art is a powerful magnet to tempt art dealers to take the economic plunge. “My openings in Norfolk are always packed, and the shows get good press coverage here,” notes Norfolk’s Mayer Fine Art’s director Sheila Giolitti, who has been also going to Miami for the last few years (disclosure: she represents my work), “And yet, the Norfolk area has a very limited market for contemporary art. If it wasn’t for the art fairs, keeping a gallery in this area would not be a viable option.”

Read: "Because of Miami and other art fairs, I wouldn't be able to have a gallery in Norfolk." Norfolk should be grateful to Miami...

Individual artists have also begun to use the Miami opportunity to showcase their own approaches. None of these have been as cool or successful as Calder Brannock’s Camper Contemporary.

Camper Contemporary is a mobile gallery created and curated by Calder Brannock. According to the artist, “It is a fully functional art gallery set up inside an altered 1967 Yellowstone camper. Camper Contemporary gallery poses a solution for many problems a gallery faces in the modern art market. It allows the gallerist to showcase work in a clean controlled gallery environment without being tethered to rents or a geographic location. The mobile gallery model allows the gallerist to maintain a physical space where work can be displayed with all the benefits and gravitas of a traditional gallery while easily reaching collectors at art fairs and other large art markets.” 

So how does an artist get to Miami if he/she is not represented by a gallery, or their gallery doesn’t do art fairs or chooses not to bring your work to the party?

Part Two

On Tuesday [Part  one above that is] I related how almost a decade ago, the founders and organizer of a European art fair called Art Basel (which of course, takes place in Basel, Switzerland), decided to try an American version of their successful European model and started an art fair in the Miami Beach Convention Center and they called it Art Basel Miami Beach or ABMB for short.

And I told you how that one mega art fair spawned a few satellite art fairs in Miami at the same time and how by now there are over two dozen art fairs going on around the Greater Miami area and art collectors, artists, gallerists, dealers, curators and all the symbiots of the art world descent on America’s coolest hot city in December and art rules the area.

I also pointed out, that if you are a visual artist in 2011 and are not aware of these events, and are not trying to get there (get your artwork there is what I mean), then something really big is missing from your artistic arsenal (unless you’re happy just painting or drawing or photographing or sculpting, etc. and could care less who sees and possibly acquires your work – if that’s the case, then skip the rest of this post and more power to you!).

But, if like some of us, the commodification of your artwork doesn’t bother you, and the fact that when you or your gallery sell one of your pieces, you feel honored and pleased that someone laid out their hard earned cash to simply add one of your creations to their home or collection, then Miami in December should be in your radar.

But how to get there? The fairs are mostly gallery-based – that means that galleries are invited or juried to exhibit; not usually individual artists --- more on that later – but there are some other ways to begin to crack the Miami art fair presence, and today I want to share some of my ideas.

Let’s start with gallery-based artists.

If you are already represented by a gallery, why not discuss Miami with them? The enormous expenses associated with the art fair scene are the main reason that most art galleries do not consider them. And this is a darn good reason, as most galleries are run by the skin of their teeth and the expense associated with doing an art fair are enormous and could wreck an entire financial plan in less than a week.

But, what does it hurt to bring it up to your gallerist? Who knows where that may lead?

I am still shocked at how many art dealers are not even aware of the potential financial and exposure rewards of doing an art fair.

Let me be clear: I don't want to hype this issue as a surefire path to moving artwork. But, this much I know… for roughly the same amount of money that a gallery spends on a full page ad in a national art magazine, you can get a small booth in some of the satellite fairs and the return on their investment has a lot more avenues than taking a chance with an ad.

Gathering information is the key thing… bring the subject up to your dealer, and if they want more info, have them email me… the best thing for art is more art.

How about if you are a cooperative gallery? Why not consider applying to one of the art fairs and spreading the cost of the booth amongst the exhibiting artists? A word of warning: the better fairs are juried and that means that someone gets always rejected. But the same key that allows cooperatives to survive for decades (spread the expenses) should and must be the key to give them a presence at the art fairs!

And many, many co-ops are routinely showing now at art fairs in Miami, NYC, LA, London, Madrid, etc. The fact that they are returning to the fairs means that they’re having a positive experience there.

The look and feel of the fairs is different as well. Many of them are booth fairs – that means that a white cube booth of plain white walls, ready to be drilled and hung with art, is the main model.

Fairs such as the original Art Basel Miami Beach, Pulse, Red Dot, Scope, Art Miami, etc. are on this model. At least one of them (Red Dot) in 2011 allowed individual artists to apply for the first time and had quite a few artists’ booth in their huge tent in Wynwood District, right next to the Scope Art Fair and across the street from Art Miami (these latter two only accept galleries).

There are also hotel fairs. These are fairs that essentially take place in a local hotel, where the room is often emptied out and turned into a temporary gallery by the out of town galleries. The best hotel art fair in the world, according to many, is the Aqua Art Fair, held at the Aqua Hotel in Miami Beach, and having just participated in it, add my name to the list of people who thinks that this is the best hotel art fair on the planet. And at Aqua I saw at least two cooperative galleries…

There are also individual artists-based fairs – after all, with 22-25 art fairs around the area, new models are apt to develop – and they have! The Pool Art Fair is one of these, focusing on unrepresented artists. They had a bit of a drama this year in Miami, as the fair was shut down by Miami police due to "lack of a permit", but this fair has been around for seven years, so I'm sure they'll be back next year with all the right paperwork.

A little Googlin’ of Miami art fairs (or just art fairs in general) will reveal just how many fairs there are and where.

The key thought to leave you with: think art fairs and think Miami, New York, LA, Chicago... and think of a way to get there.