South Florida museums pack their galleries for Art Basel

Art Basel festivities and Miami Art Week events are at full swing in many South Florida museums.

Art talk programs, art exhibits and special performances will have museum visitors second guessing themselves about art with most of activities starting as early as Sunday, Dec. 1.

Here are museums and events you don’t want to miss for this year’s Art Basel and Miami Art Week.

Florida International University Museums

The Wolfsonian-FIU hosts “Desire: A Wolfsonian Art Basel Miami Beach Party.” Take in the likes of decadent installations by Kartell and Lamborghini, and explore the museum’s ongoing exhibit “A Universe of Things: Mickey Wolfson Collects.” Check out The world’s first supercar with the latest exhibition’s skin-bearing “Flesh” section. 8-11 p.m. Dec. 6. 1001 Washington Ave., Miami Beach. Details: http://bit.ly/2D6Vo50.

Miami Beach Urban Studios- FIU presents “A Collider For Art, Communications, Architecture, Design and Music,” open house and pop-up reception. Galleries and innovation labs will be open for tours. 1 p.m. Dec. 4. 420 Lincoln Rd. Details: http://bit.ly/2D7cdNh.

The Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science has joined forces with Spectrum Miami and Red Dot Miami art fairs for the most progressive portfolios, artists, galleries and emerging talent all in one spot. Dec 4-8. Mana Wynwood, 2217 NW Fifth Ave at 22nd St., Details: https://reddotmiami.com/.

Pérez Art Museum Miami

The Pérez Art Museum Miami will have several special performances, celebrations and art talks during Miami Art Week and Art Basel.

The “Cultural Partner Event: Creative Minds Talk,” featuring artist, philanthropist, and latest Vanity Fair cover star Kehinde Wiley and acclaimed music producer and art collector Kasseem Dean, a.k.a Swizz Beatz. 6 p.m. Dec. 2. New World Center, 500 17th St., Miami Beach. Details: http://bit.ly/2s22Kob.

Join artist Teresita Fernández, the museum’s director Franklin Sirmans, curator María Elena Ortiz and Seattle Art Museum Director Amada Cruz during “Art Talk.” 2 p.m. Dec. 3. 1103 Biscayne Blvd. Details: http://bit.ly/2DaLvDI.

Interdisciplinary artist Marvin Fabien and Nyugen Smith perform in “After the Fracture,” the duo’s fourth meditation on climate change affecting the Caribbean, coastal cities in the US and fragile sites populated by black and brown people across the globe. Following the performance, Mr. Smith and Mr. Fabien will discuss the performance with exhibition co-curators María Elena Ortiz and Marsha Pearce. 3 p.m. 1103 Biscayne Blvd. Details: http://bit.ly/2s9BPHg.

Pérez Art Museum Miami will also have an official Miami Art Week closing celebration at Bodega South Beach. 6-8 p.m. 1220 16th St., Miami Beach. Details: http://bit.ly/34eyCUR.

The Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami

The Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami (MOCA) invites the public for the opening exhibit receptions of “Alice Rahon: Poetic Invocations” with curator Teresa Arcq and “Cecilia Vicuña: About to Happen” with the artist being present. 8 p.m. Dec. 5. 770 NE 125th St. Details: http://bit.ly/2CGBz4v.

Cecilia Vicuña will also perform and showcase her sculptures, followed by a conversation with co-curators Andrea and Julia Bryan-Wilson. 10 a.m. Dec. 7. 770 NE 125th St. Details: http://bit.ly/2CGBz4v.

The Bass Museum of Art

The Bass Museum of Art will host its annual “Miami Art Week Party,” celebrating the recent openings of “Mickalene Thomas: Better Nights” and “Lara Favaretto: Blind Spot.” Also on view, “Haegue Yang: In The Cone of Uncertainty.” 8 p.m. Dec. 4. 2100 Collins Ave., Miami Beach. Details: http://bit.ly/37tX72v.

University of Miami’s Lowe Art Museum

Join UM’s Lowe Art Museum for a conversation about Juan Roberto Diago’s work and Afro-Cuban/Afro-Caribbean art and culture with the curator of “Diago: The Pasts of this Afro-Cuban Present,” Alejandro de la Fuente, along with art historian Bárbaro Martínez-Ruiz. Miami MoCAAD co-founder and UM trustee Marilyn Holifield will moderate the discussion, which will be followed by a festive reception in the Lowe’s galleries. 5 p.m. Dec. 1. 1301 Stanford Dr., Coral Gables. Details: http://bit.ly/2ODWwCC.

“Baseling at the Lowe: Havana Nights,” will feature both exhibitions “Diago: The Pasts of this Afro-Cuban Present” and “Carlos Estévez: Cities of the Mind,” while enjoying Cuban bites, live music and mojitos. 7 p.m. Dec. 5. 1301 Stanford Dr., Coral Gables. Details: http://bit.ly/2nrTwQt.

Lowe Art Museum will also host its annual “Art Week 2019 Marquee Event: Bubbles & Brunch,” featuring artist Ursula von Rydingsvard best known for creating large-scale, often monumental sculptures from cedar beams. 10 a.m. 1301 Stanford Dr., Coral Gables. Details: http://bit.ly/2nrTwQt.

Museum of Art and Design at Miami Dade College

Museum of Art and Design (MOAD) at Miami Dade College will celebrate Miami Art Week with a series of public programs and events.

“Black Power Naps / Siestas Negras,” guided nap meditations and DJ soundscapes by Navild Acosta and Fannie Sosa is a multi-sensory, interactive installation designed to provide joyful and relaxing relief from fatiguing systems of inequality. Visitors are invited to lounge on a variety of embellished beds, replete with gauzy canopies, serene lighting, therapeutic sound vibrations and other restorative props. Noon Dec. 4. 600 Biscayne Blvd. Details: http://bit.ly/2qtl2i0.

“A Panel Discussion with Guillermina De Ferrari, Erica Moiah James, Alfredo Perez-Triff,” moderated by Rina Carvajal, this panel discussion is an opportunity to dive deeper into specific ideas, terms, or passages developed by the scholars who inspired “Where the Oceans Meet.” 10:30 a.m. Dec. 5. 600 Biscayne Blvd. Details: http://www.mdcmoad.org/.

“Black Power Naps/Siestas Negras: Platonic Play Party Workshop,” is an event exploring platonic touch that the artists believe will ultimately encourage better rest. 5 p.m. Dec. 5. 600 Biscayne Blvd. Details: http://bit.ly/3491NZs.

MOAD presents its second annual “Miami Art Week brunch,” welcoming guests for a Creole brunch, inspired by its “Where the Oceans Meet” exhibition. During the event, artists Navild Acosta and Fannie Sosa will activate Black Power Naps / Siestas Negras with guided nap meditations and DJ soundscapes from bed. 9 a.m. Dec. 6. 600 Biscayne Blvd. Details: http://bit.ly/2pEirkC.

HistoryMiami Museum

HistoryMiami Museum will capture photography lovers’ hearts during the “Miami Street Photography Festival,” an international event showcasing the best of contemporary street and documentary photography and feature world-class photography from artists from more than 45 countries, exhibitions, lectures, workshops, photo walks and portfolio reviews. Dec. 5-8. 101 W Flagler St. Details: http://bit.ly/2KNlb6y.

HistoryMiami Museum will also host a special “VIP Party,” in celebration of the festival. 8 p.m. Dec. 7. Details: http://bit.ly/2KNlb6y.

Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami

Celebrate Miami Art Week at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami with its newest exhibitions by Sterling Ruby, Carlos Sandoval de León, Odili Donald Odita, Damián Ortega, Wong Ping, Agustín Fernández. Reservation required, admits up to two guests. 7 p.m. 61 NE 41st St., Miami. Details: http://bit.ly/2OhhSqC.

Oolite Arts

Oolite Arts will host its “Open Studios, Brunch & Tour.” Enjoy brunch in the company of the museum’s resident artists and explore their studios. Also, get a tour of the gallery exhibition “On the Road II,” led by its curator Larry Ossei-Mensah. 10:30 a.m. 924 Lincoln Rd., Miami Beach. Details: http://bit.ly/33et4Z7.

South Florida art museums are serving up a little bit of everything for the whole family to come out and enjoy rich culture and, most importantly, art.