Art Scene & Culture: Miami

Art Basel taking up residence in Miami Beach in 2002 was considered the catalyst to Miami being dubbed a rising art hub in the US. The international art fair attracted gallerists, collectors, artists and the art media’s attention encouraging artists to flock en masse to live in the city. In this post I will look into how it is to live and work as an artist in the city, the pros and cons, the current art scene, and the history and culture in general.?

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What Makes Miami Special?

The Culture, History and Ambience?

The population of Miami is around 460,000 people making it the most populous metro region in the Southern US after D.C. The extended Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach metro area is just over 6 million. Miami was built upon land owned by and American businesswoman, Julia Tuttle. Known as the Mother of Miami, in the 1890s she encouraged much of the city's early growth and attracted investors, leading Miami to be the first major city in the US to be conceived by a woman. Incorporated in 1896 the city began to attract many people from the north. The city has seen many population booms including in the 1920s, the era when the Art Deco buildings emerged along Ocean Drive creating the largest concentration of Art Deco architecture in the world. When Fidel Castro came into power in Cuba in 1959 many wealthy Cubans fled to the city. Haitian immigrants also arrived in the 60s,70s and 80s, due to economic and political turmoil in their country and Miami’s Black community encompasses people of African descent from across the globe. In just over 100 years the metropolitan region grew from 1000 to 5.5 million people. The diversity is reflected in the music, cuisine and art with influences from Latin America, the Caribbean, and Europe.

Day to Day Living

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Between 2002 and 2022, Miami’s population increased by a staggering 22%. This boom has been accompanied by an increase in the cost of living with Miami now ranked number 17 on 2024’s most expensive cities in the world. This has seen many artists priced out of housing and studios in some areas. However, it is still more affordable than cities such as NYC, LA and San Francisco. Coconut Grove and Coral Way are two neighborhoods popular with artists that still offer affordable accommodation and places like Studio 18 offer affordable studio space and resources for mid-career artists.

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Public transport is not as good in Miami as in NYC or LA, but the city is convenient to navigate by car as long as you avoid rush hour. Having a car can help artists move their art and supplies from stores, to art studios and to galleries, so the possibility to have one in the city is a plus. Another plus for freelancers and artists is that Miami is considered one of the most tax friendly large cities in the US due to residents not being subject to state income tax. Like LA, Miami has a very nice climate with beautiful beaches such as South Beach, Haulover Beach and Crandon Park Beach (equipped with highly trained lifeguards). There is plenty of entertainment with Miami Film Festival taking place every March, Carnaval Miami and a famous nightlife. There are also many day and weekend trips to enjoy including: Key West, Cocoa Beach, St. Petersburg and Tampa. Miami is also very close to the Caribbean for a trip to the Bahamas or Cuba, or to Tulum in Mexico.? There has to be a negative to balance out the year-round incredible weather and that is hurricane season which usually spans from June to November. During this time residents are advised to be vigilant and have an emergency supply kit. Another season to avoid is Spring Break when the crowds descend and South Beach goes into overdrive.?

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